Carioca’s entrepreneurial flair Conceição Bento has been going on for a long time. In the past, she used to resell beauty products, cosmetics and clothes door to door, an activity that also sparked her interest in having her own business, where she could develop her sales techniques and deal directly with customers.
The desire led to the birth, 16 years ago, of his first clothing store in Queimados, a municipality in the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro.
Between comings and goings and opening different establishments, today the entrepreneur is in charge of her third establishment, the Cece Fashionsclothing and accessories store.
With just over 140 thousand inhabitants, the city of Queimados is now also home to another entrepreneurial venture by Conceição: Cece Fashions Fairthe result of an effort to bring together local entrepreneurs to showcase products and services.
“I always recognized, in my neighborhood, the need for growth. The place needed large businesses and also support for small local shops. Around here, to be able to sell, we have to make it happen”, says the businesswoman.
In just over two years, the Fair has grown in relevance and scale. In addition to the weekly edition in the Conceição neighborhood and its clothing store, the event also took on an itinerant nature and is now held in other neighborhoods in the city.
“The Fair is now a way to help with this issue of visibility. We welcome entrepreneurs from various cities to showcase products. It’s a really cool dynamic,” he says.
In the beginning, the fair welcomed entrepreneurs for free, just as an alternative to combat loneliness and the absence of customers on weekends, recalls Ciça.
“I had a beautiful store, a large and structured space. But on Saturdays, I was alone and without a flow of customers. Give space to others entrepreneurs It brought me movement, company and exposure”, he says.
Today, she charges a small fee to exhibit at the fairs, which bring together an average of 25 to 30 representatives from all markets, from crafts to thrift stores and food companies, each week.
Entrepreneurial education
Promoting local entrepreneurship today also involves training. Each week, the Ceça Modas Fair also brings together educational and recreational activities for the businesspeople gathered there, ranging from dance classes to confectionery.
“It is also a way to encourage variety and awaken the desire for everyone to participate. There will always be something in return,” he says.
Conceição’s plans include the expansion of the Ceça Modas Fair beyond the city of Queimados. To achieve this, the event is establishing strategic partnerships, reveals the entrepreneur.
“My dream is to take the Fair to other cities. The intention is to get closer to other groups to attract even more audiences”, he says. “Within my municipality, the fair is already a reference for entrepreneurs. Now the goal is to be a reference in Brazil.”
(Text by Maria Clara Dias)
