Business Visits

First Hand Experience - Bridget Wilson (MBA '12) 

Today we conducted two business visits, a trip to the embassy, and a tour of Nica Hope – an organization that hosts after school learning activities for underprivileged children in Managua.

The first business was Cereales Dona Zeneyda where the owner, Iveth Cerda, makes a breakfast drink powder, similar to a protein or meal shake, in the back of her house and sells her product to various stores in and around Managua.  Iveth’s business has been growing and she has been looking at creating different size packages to break into a smaller, convenience store, market of daily drinkers looking for single servings.  Our group discussed some ways to reach this market and will work on developing a plan that also helps Iveth develop a distribution strategy and more precise costing for the smaller product.

The second business was a sewing and embroidery shop owned by Sofia Velasquez that focuses mainly on tailor made uniforms.  Sofia’s customer base is mostly government contracts for uniforms, and she stands out from her competition by making tailor made uniforms for each individual.  Over the past year Sofia has changed locations and also the name of her business.  One of the on-site recommendations we were able to provide today was to create a letter to her customers stating her new location and name in order to ensure she does not lose business from this move.  Our group is also going to work on deliverables aimed towards helping Sofia attain other uniform contracts and network with other businesses and contacts to grow her customer base.

Following our two business visits we spent an hour at the US Embassy getting a big picture understanding of the issues Nicarauga is facing as well as a better understanding of how the country operates.  Our day ended at Nica Hope where we had the opportunity to tour the facilities used by children in the local community to study for school and raise money through jewelry and craft sales.  The children at Nica Hope design, create, and sell jewelry across Managua and overseas.  The money made by the children supplements their learning materials and facilities upgrade while also allowing the children to make a small stipend.

December 2010 - Day 1

Our first day in Nicaragua was one filled with excitement and cultural experiences.  We went on a tour of Managua, Masaya and Granada. 
We learned about the problems with heavy pollution in the Lake Managua and saw the potential of this natural resource if it can be cleaned up.  In the National Museum of Nicaragua, we saw both old and new works of art.
In Masaya, we went to Nicaragua's first National Park and got to stand on the edge of an active volcano.  We shopped at the Masaya market and had a chance to see goods sold by local business owners. 
The beauty of the colonial architecture in Granada was breathtaking...literally.  One by one we walked up a narrow staircase to go up into a bell tower and look out over the city.      
The day ended with a dinner in which many of us tried Nica food for the first time.  We ordered a wide assortment of grilled meats, vegetables, rice and beans for a "family style" feast.  Nobody went to bed hungry.