Business Overview
Mrs. Maricela Cardona founded Pulperia Christian in 2015 when she was unable to find a viable job in her community of Suyapa. With little income and children to care for, Mrs. Cardona took out a loan in order to jump start her pulperia. Since then Mrs. Cardona has been able to build a strong client base and Pulperia Christian has grown substantially offering a great variety of basic goods at affordable prices. In the near future, Mrs. Cardona hopes that with increased capital she will be able to buy a freezer in order to add variation to the products she sells by accessing another method of storing them.
Pulperia Chrisitan - Suyapa, Honduras
Economic Challenge
The Pulperia Christian has identified various economic difficulties that it faces as a small microenterprise which are as followed:
- Seasonal Employment: A major cash crop in the community of Suyapa is sugar cane, but due to its seasonal nature, it causes fluctuation in employment rates. Therefore, during the off-season, the lack of economic cash flow causes major disruption to other small microenterprises in the area.
- Loan Capability: Due to the local Caja Rural being in the primary stages of creation, it lacks the capacity to fulfill a substantial loan for small microenterprises such as Mrs. Maricela Cardona’s pulperia
- Climate Change: Climate change is a major overarching challenge that disproportionately affects small business owners whose microenterprises relies on agricultural products. With increasing temperature and decrease in annual rainfall; there is a shortage of production in basic grains that circulate the communities like corn and beans which causes an increase in pricing and therefore less consumption.
The Business
On a daily basis, if a client were to walk into Mrs. Cardona’s pulperia they would find that it is quite popular among community members in Suyapa. From times ranging from early morning to late afternoon, there is a steady flow of people purchasing the various goods sold in Pulperia Christian, which ranges from snacks to soda and meats. Additionally, further conversation with Maricela proved that this is the “norm” for the business. She explained that the level of sales has been steady and reliable but she would benefit from a greater effort in monitoring cash flow. Cash flow meaning the general revenues and expenses so she is able to assess her profits on a daily to weekly basis.
Competitive Advantage
A competitive advantage Mrs. Cardona has over competing pulperias in the area, is her vast inventory 
that allowed her to sell, rotate, and buy a various products. Word that Maricela offers a wider variety of goods has spread through the community and has been able to generate business, as she is the only pulperia in the community to offer specific goods. Additionally, another strength of her business is the support she receives from her family. With an additional four people that depend on this business, her husband and two kids, they are all willing to help out in the store serving as an attendant to customers. The ability to spread the work amongst the entire family has taken a lot of pressure of Maricela, because she knows that she can rely on them for support. Lastly, with the current trajectory of her business, Mrs. Maricela is working towards a great opportunity to purchase another freezer in which she can store products like chicken, beef, and pork. This would set her apart from other pulperias who don’t possess such an asset that can provide a differentiated income.
Obstacles
Although with many strengths to her business, through conversations Maricela has also been able to identify weaknesses that must be addressed in order for her business to prosper further. The main weakness, that is a common issues we see amongst small microenterprises is inconsistencies in tracking daily sales and expenses. Even though Maricela knows that she is generating income through her pulperia, she doesn’t have clarity as to the general cash flow on a daily basis. More consistent monitoring of cash flow would in return allow Maricela to make more educated and strategic business decisions, enhancing the way in which she manages her pulperia.
Next Steps
The tasks thatPulperia Chrisitan has prioritized are:
Business Brigades that have consulted this business:
Page Last Updated:March 25, 2020