If anyone had told Cristian Águila a few years ago that his life could be changed by some stones, he wouldn’t have believed it. This Chilean entrepreneur and client of BBVA Microfinance Foundation began making jewelry from minerals he found near his home. Earrings, necklaces, bracelets… all of them are hand-carved and carefully painted by Cristian and his wife, who helps him run the business.
What started out as a small project slowly turned into the family’s livelihood– a change that came about when Fondo Esperanza came into their lives. With the institution’s support, he was able to boost his project, increasing his clientele, and consequently, his net income. All of these became possible through a tool he started investing on: the ‘online selling’.
After receiving the first loan, he decided to innovate by developing a website to sell his jewelry. Thanks to technology, he was able to reach a broader audience of potential buyers.
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- Cristian’s wife, working on a piece of mineral
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- Cristian taking pictures of jewelries
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- ‘Minerales en Chile’ website, where Cristian sells his products
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- Cristian’s wife and their youngest child
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- The Águila family in the workshop
As his business grew, he started to make new plans, “Looking forward, my plan is to keep progressing and try to employ other people in the future.” He will also never forget the important help he received from the institution. “With the support of Fondo Esperanza, the quality of my life has improved. I can say that, I’ve already achieved an important goal: economic independence”, he shares.
Por ahora, seguirá tallando y fabricando joyas, convencido de que el emprendimiento y la tecnología son los ingredientes necesarios para lograr la receta del éxito.
For now, he will continue chipping away at his stones to make jewelry, while marveling at how entrepreneurship and technology have become vital ingredients for success.
