Have your products displayed in a shopping center It was the distant dream of a group of entrepreneurs from the province of Cotopaxi dedicated to the elaboration of mortiño wine.
This fruit is found in the páramo, right in Gualaya, and another part in the community of Quinticusig, in the Sigchos canton. Harvesting almost daily and in the midst of the intense cold, a group of community members did not imagine that El Último Inca wine would be born there, after the creation of the Association of Agricultural Producers and Traders of Quinticusig El Último Inca.
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At the beginning there were 17 people and now there are 23. Most are elderly and farmers. Several years had to pass, between hits and misses, to first be in neighborhood stores and then sell through social networks.
Now they made their biggest jump. They became the most demanded product in Cotopaxi Kawsay, an exclusive store for entrepreneurs in the Quito Airport Center Shopping Center, owned by DK Management Services. It is inside the Mariscal Sucre airport. It works after an agreement with the Prefecture of Cotopaxi.
maricela30 years old, is one of the members and she is moved just by imagining that the wines are bought by national and foreign tourists.
“It is an immense joy, we never thought we would be there, but thank God it has gone very well for us,” he says.
Lutuala firmly believes that, with perseverance, everything can be fulfilled. She admits that reaching that point was not among the plans, but now they are very motivated and even have a new goal: to export.
“Yes, we are investigating and seeing the requirements to export. We are men and women, most of them elderly, who work in agriculture. There are also young people to support, because they (the older ones) cannot work and thus have their livelihood”, she says.
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Another of the entrepreneurs found in this space is Rubén Zagal, 63 years old. He is a native of the San Sebastián neighborhood of the San Miguel de Salcedo canton. For more than 40 years he has dedicated himself to carpentry and, along the way, he has created wooden toys, such as cars, puzzles, puppies and dinosaurs.
He’s excited that his old toys have a new home. “I want to revive that tradition, but at the same time I am aware that I will never be able to compete with the big brands,” he laments. Zagal creates these gifts together with his family and hopes that his children continue with that work.
The exhibition of Rubén’s toys and El Último Inca wine at the Cotopaxi Kawsay venue is free and hosts 50 ventures. In total they offer 500 products, including handicrafts, clothing, drinks, jewelry and toys.
Nevertheless, there are entrepreneurs who have the economic possibility and rent these spaces. Most lean towards islands because the value is lower, according to some business owners consulted who preferred to keep their name confidential.
In Policentro, in Guayaquil, there are three entrepreneurs located on islands. It is Eggnog Susibel; Gaia, which offers handmade jewelry, and La Cosecha, which focuses on nuts, vegetable proteins, sweeteners and others.
These three brands started at fairs, some at a cost. “The presence of entrepreneurs in shopping centers has increasedAfter the pandemic, people reinvented themselves and formed their own businesses that they positioned through social networks and that constantly grew until they were able to afford stores in shopping centers,” he mentions. Mariella Pesantes, head of marketing at Policentro.
On the road to Samborondón, in the Village Plaza, there are also entrepreneurs who started at fairs and now have islands and places like Garage 84, Estefi Wright and Art Mania, he specifies. Natalia Tamariz, Manager of Marketing Village.
I am an entrepreneur and I want to be in a shopping center: what is the procedure?
In most shopping centers, requests are made via email and, according to the customer’s requirements, the value is reported.
For example, in the nine DK shopping centers such as San Marino Shopping, Mall del Pacífico and Quicentro Shopping, they advise the entrepreneur to try temporary spaces or fairs to analyze the impact of their products.
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The value is accessible, but different when it comes to a fair or for an activation with an island, says Stephanie ParodyHead of Auspices and Sponsorships of DK Management Services.
“In the event that the entrepreneur wants an exclusive activation for his brand, this is coordinated according to the availability of space in the shopping center where the applicant wants to be located, so that he can participate with his products in a commercial island”, he explains.
Those interested can send an email to: sparodi@dkms.com.ec and molmedo@dkms.com.ec, attaching their cover letter and description of the products. The business center of DK Management Services must be specified.
In Polycenter, the procedure is different. Entrepreneurs can submit a business presentation along with the render of the island to be reviewed by the mall’s board.
“The requirements for entrepreneurs are the same as for any interested brand or business,” he clarifies. Heavy.
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While, CityMall It is another of the shopping centers where entrepreneurs go. In this space, the CityBazar fairs are held, which have a value according to the exhibition area.
Patricia Herrera, Marketing Manager of CityMallpoints out that, through social networks, they inform the dates of the events so that business owners can register.
Likewise, CityMall has permanent or temporary spaces and the cost is established according to the particular objectives of the client.
And in the Village Plazaon the road to Samborondón, there is a business projectwhich must include: designs, products, projections and other data.
“Space availability, conditions, category are reviewed. The commercialization of the premises or islands are standard”, points out Tamariz.
This shopping center also has fairs and is a special cost for entrepreneurs. You can participate by sending business information to villagemarketsambo@gmail.com.
There are 3.6 million entrepreneurs in Ecuador
According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Ecuador (GEM), there are 3.6 million inhabitants who are involved in starting a business.
In 2019, the The country presented an early entrepreneurial activity rate (TEA) of 36.2%, higher than that of 2017, which was 29.62%.
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Most of the established enterprises are of people between 45 and 54 years old, with 26.5%. Followed by 22.9% of citizens between 35 and 44 years of age, and with 21% those under 34 and over 55 years of age. But when it comes to start-ups, most are between 25 and 44 years old.
Preparation is the key to getting to a mall
To get to the shopping centers, whether it is a new business or one with more than three years, preparation is required. For example, in Guayaquil, instruction is given at the Entrepreneurship Center of the Municipal Public Company for Management and Competitiveness (Epico).
its director, Catherine Vera, account that the entrepreneur is trained in financial structures, that is, knowing the movement of the economic flow to meet all obligations.
“(Being in a mall) is a natural growth process. We work hard to prepare and have a correct analysis of your finances and a defined strategy. The entrepreneur must do a financial analysis. Have the strategy to deal with, what it means to be on display, the costs”, he explains and adds that a monthly payment is starting at $150 or $200.
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Vera mentions that the entrepreneur is taught how to make alliances with their suppliers so that they always have products. These agreements are linked to a collection cycle that can be between 30 and 45 days.
“We try to ensure that the entrepreneur has a strategy that can lighten their fixed costs”point. (I)
Source: Eluniverso
Paul is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment and general news. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established herself as a respected voice in the industry.
