Business Overview
In spite of creating this hand made products for many years, now in times of COVID-19 Imaira has decided to embark the journey of consolidating her business operation. At the time, this business has allowed her to sustain her household income, but she would like to learn better business skills in order to grow her enterprise and make it more sustainable.
She has a particular interest in learning more about how she can connect to digital markets, as selling on the side of the Pan-american Highway right in front of her community sometimes does not work very well.
Artensaías Imaira - Guacuco Guna - Tortí, Panamá
Economic Challenge
The current economic crisis definitely represents a major challenge across the world. Regardless, we have seen that the effects can be more destructive for SMEs. In the case of Artesanías Imaira (an enterprise born in the middle of this pandemic), the lack of access to information, market and capital represents a major challenge to grow and expand her business. Similarly, the digital gap in rural and indigenous Panama continues to be a wall for many SMEs to connect to digital markets and expand sales and profits.
Photo Gallery
The Business
Artesanias Imaira is an artisan micro-enterprise founded by Imaira Chiari, a talented woman from Guacuco Guna. The business offers a variety of artisan products, such as molas (one of the most famous forms of art from the Guna people) and masks with mola patterns.
Competitive Advantage
Artesanias Imaira has been innovative in merging the functionalities of articles such as masks, with the Guna art. In addition, she has recently started a Virtual Store with the support of the Global Brigades team.
Obstacles
Artesanías Imaira faces challenges in terms of access to market, information and the service sometimes is a challenge for Imaira to be able to connect to external/digital markets.
In addition, there is a need for training in terms of structuring her business better. Given that it is brand new, it has been a challenge for her (in the middle of family and other responsibilities) to develop a more solid structure and strategy for her business.
Next Steps
The tasks thatArtensaías Imaira has prioritized are:
Artesanias Imaira suggested next steps are the following:
Page Last Updated:December 18, 2020