The entrepreneurial spirit is a family members trait for Laura Feliciano, a.k.a. Laura OM. Back in the 1960s and 70s, her grandmother owned and operated an ice plant on Hoare Avenue, in Santurce, whilst her grandfather bought chickens. So, it didn’t astonished anybody in her household when she decided to open a attractiveness salon when she came back again from the U.S. in the early 2000s.
“I’ve been an entrepreneur considering the fact that I was 23… I’ve been in the restaurant business enterprise, in amusement and in cultural venues even though still working my attractiveness salons,” mentioned the beautician. “Those were added things to do I dived into, but the salons have been a regular.”
A Santurce resident, Laura’s sense of entrepreneurship is really related to the community she life in. She considers Santurce “the coronary heart of San Juan” not for the reason that of a nostalgic memory of a time lengthy absent, but simply because of its extremely effortless spot –within walking length from Condado, the seaside, Old San Juan and a bus trip absent from Río Piedras. Also, Santurce is a numerous community that however manages to continue to be set, inspite of the urban sprawling that characterized Puerto Rico during the 1970s and 80s.
With that in mind, Laura purchased the building in which the aged Sal’s Splendor Provides shop was situated on Ponce de León Avenue. She was wanting for a spot significant enough as to dwelling a local community of business owners that could collaborate with each individual other to acquire their enterprises and force them ahead.
“‘Angelina’ is now that house. I have my salons listed here, and at the same time I’ve rented some industrial areas to modest business people which are committed to function collectively for our achievements,” Laura said. It has generally been my intention to help other business owners that really do not have all the economical means wanted to open up their own businesses.”
The Santurce businesswoman pointed to the issues of opening a small business “from scratch.”
“The full issue is very expensive… from the permits, products, utilities, insurance… All these value a lot,” she said.
At ‘Angelina,’ company homeowners hire an “all included” house that affords them to commence up their organizations with no having to get in financial debt.
Business enterprise entrepreneurs right here hire their space with utilities and insurance coverage included in their lease.
“We attempt to do everything collectively. We hold events in which every person has the chance to gain and we all help each individual other. We even try to make decisions with each other, as a group,” Laura reported.
At the second there are 5 companies functioning in ‘Angelina,’ together with Laura’s two natural beauty salons, OM Studio and “Rizo Adentro.”
OM Studio is a experienced salon that gives its clientele all attractiveness products and services, from cutting and styling, to dyeing and make-up. On the other hand, “Rizo Adentro” is what is now identified as a ‘blow bar’ that specializes in quicker, significantly less complex companies, this sort of as blow drying, and styling.
Laura also presents customized hair dyeing –with hues combined to buy in her possess colour room– and her possess strains of hair treatment goods –OM My Goodness and Maranta Electricity.
Other associates of the ‘Angelina’ group are:
Tereques-La Tiendita
An arts and crafts and add-ons store, Tereques has a varied inventory from women of all ages artisans that design and style their possess jewelry traces, crafts and artwork items.
“Aside from remaining an incubator for rising brands, Tereques is also a tool for the improvement of those people makes,” reported proprietor Belisa Álvarez, who is certain of the added benefits of collective work.
“This is not just about the fiscal benefits, but also about organization and emotional guidance,” she additional whilst catering to one particular of the salon’s buyers waiting around for her hairdo to be completed.
Vía Láctea (ice cream store)
Lorivie Alicea started off out earning typical ice cream, but her organization associate Reinaldo Sánchez is lactose intolerant, so she decided to do some batches of vegan ice product so he could appreciate a excellent sundae.
Then, all of a sudden she realized she experienced been generating much more vegan (coconut milk dependent) flavors than normal milk-based mostly ice product.
Vía Láctea consumers are varied. “I see them walking all over in their robes, hair rollers and small aluminum pieces on their hair and talking about what they are getting completed to their hair. They purchase their ice cream and go again to the [beauty] salon. A small afterwards they come back again to present me how they look with their new hairdos,” Alicea stated. “It’s quite cool.”
Cafelera (espresso shop)
This espresso store is the to start with point you see strolling down ‘Angelina’s’ major hallway, proper below the stair to the 2nd flooring –hence, Cafelera, a mashup amongst the Spanish text for espresso (café) and stair (escalera).
“This is a little room, but is cozy and it appears to be pleasant,” stated owner Addiel Rivera.
“The greatest point below is that there are other businesses below and people have the prospect of finding their hair carried out, which usually takes a tiny time, and have a cup of coffee, or maybe a sandwich, though they hold out.”
Laura assured her company successful enough for her to suppose the comprehensive charge of its procedure, “but that is not my mission as an entrepreneur or as a particular person.”
“My mission as an entrepreneur is being equipped to lend a hand to somebody that is in the identical situation I was 20 many years in the past,” she stated.
