Programs / Business / Communities / Quebrada Onda / Abarroteria Atencio G. «

  General Information

   Business Idea: With the collaboration of Global

   Business Brigades, these community members want to

   improve and expand their kiosk, attracting more

   customers and increasing profits.

   Community Members Involved: Ardina Atencio and

   her son Alfredo

   Date Established: October 1999

Business Description

Conveniently located right off the Pan-American highway is Abarroteria Atencio G.  With a big sign right at the entrance, it is hard to miss. At first glance, it can be seen how well-organized and hardworking Ardina and her 19 year old son truly are.  The store has been in operation for 16 years and sells goods such as chicken, pork, salchicha, dried goods, and more. Ardina is not in perfect health, so her son is extremely important in running the business. Alfredo wants to go to college and they hope that one day they will save enough to send him to the University in Meteti, about 45 min away, to study electric engineering.

Current Status:

Business Information:

•  They have a freezer and large refrigerator, everything appears to be well organized.
• Most of the income goes towards paying for her medicine.
• Pork, chicken, and soda are their most popular items
• They keep track of how much they make each month
• Open 7am to 8 pm every day, except for during church on Sundays!
• A truck from Panama City comes to deliver the products every Wednesday
• Their income from the store is about $500 per month which they use to pay for electricity, taxes, phone bill, water, a loan from Banco Delta, medicine, medical tests, food, and transportation.

Business Opportunity:

• They are both willing to learn and are hard workers
• Very personable with clients and visitors
• Strategic location right next to the highway
• 16 years of experience
• Two of their most popular items are phone cards and packaged pastries, which their competition next door does not sell

Business Obstacles:

• No savings account, not members of the community bank
• Client numbers are low, there are 5 or 6 house that consistently buy from her
• The supermarket nearby has cheaper prices
• There is another kiosk right next door and Ardina says that when that store is closed, she receives double the clients. But when it is open, only about half the clients show up.

Your Task

• First, get to know your client and his business.  Build a trust between you and your client.
• Learn about his business' strengths and weaknesses.
• The client wants to learn about inventory, sales and expenses.
• The clients have asked for workshops about accounting, management strategies and information related to credit management.
• Based on your recommendations, update/supplement this business profile.

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Visit Other Programs in Quebrada Onda

Global Brigades strives to implement a model of Holistic Development in communities through a system of health, economic, and education initiatives in order to strategically meet a community's development goals. Learn more about the other programs being implemented in Canglón:

 Dental  Environmental  Human Rights Medical  Microfinance Public Health