Learning Business and Life Skills
Jaime is a fine tailor and was grateful to learn this skill while working at the business of Don Luis. But as his family grew, he needed more income to care for his wife and two young children.
With the support of his family, he opened his own business and called it “Confecciones y Bordados M & S.” Jaime didn’t have any business knowledge, but he was a fine tailor. So he started making shirts and pants for both men and women. His clientele began small, selling to family and neighbors.
A friend told him about Mentors International in Nicaragua and the entrepreneurship training they provided. Jaime was very eager to sign up. He met with his mentor Jonathan, and together they analyzed the challenges of his business, and they established an action plan on steps to take to improve his business.
Jonathan mentored Jaime as he developed his business plan. Jaime learned the importance of research. Knowing what clothing styles are popular and carefully listening to his customers. Jaime wants his business to stand out from others for its honesty, dependability, and quality of clothing.
Jaime learned not only how to establish a budget for his business but a personal one as well. In addition, Jaime and his wife were taught how to manage their finances better, so they started saving for the first time in their marriage.
Together they have saved $300. Jaime and his wife plan on using some of their savings to improve the look of their shop with new paint and shelves.
Jaime shared with us, “I greatly appreciate Mentors International for giving me the opportunity to participate in this mentoring program. I have really learned many important principles from my mentor. These lessons and the Keystone course have helped me put into practice what I have learned.
Thanks to you, I now feel I can run my business. Again, I thank all the donors who make it possible for these programs to exist to help us become more Self-Sufficient.”
