Pivoting the operational Strategy in the beauty industry

Problem: Kenia Beauty LLC, founded by Kenia Ontiveros, has a solid social media presence, and increasing sales was not the problem. When Kenia started working with Alejandra from Startup Tandem & The Educated CEO, she realized her current strategy in operations was not profitable; therefore, they looked at the business goals and recessed to make changes.

Solution: As a business owner, being able to understand where the business stands in the industry and how it competes with others is crucial to identifying growth opportunities or bottlenecks. Kenia Beauty only had one supplier. Having one supplier can hurt a business as the supplier has a lot of the power leaving the customer with little room for negotiation. Kenia made the decision to switch suppliers. This affected the type of product she would be selling to her customers, but it would also allow her to have more control over her supply chain and increase her margins. We also implemented a product diversification strategy, which brought in a new type of customer and a new type of revenue.

Kenia Ontiveros Beauty (keniabeauty.com)

Creating new revenue streams in the dog training industry

Problem: Celebrity dog trainer Jas Leverette has built a successful business, California K9, and has become a dog trainer leader in the industry. After Jas and Alejandra started working together, he understood the potential his business had in the market. The challenge was to capture more of the market and reduce some overhead to become efficient.

Solution: Alejandra and Jas created personal and business goals. They created a road map for the next 3-5 years. From there, they created a new service offering mentorship and business coaching. With the entrance of these new service offerings, we could validate that the demand was there. While offering these new services, we are also able to trim some of the overhead fat and allow him to achieve his personal financial goals in the next few years.

Cali K9 Dog Training - Jas Leverette-Los Angeles-Bay Area – Cali K9®

Uncovering management fall outs in the kid snack industry

Problem: Maverick Snacks management made damaging operational decisions. When Alejandra started working with the company's owner, she pointed out the effect the decisions had on the company's bottom line and financial position. Maverick Snacks had inflated revenue and accounts receivable with a few weeks' cash runway.

Solution: The company owner decided to change management and position the company in a better financial position by going on a fundraising round. The company still stands in the retail space.

Mavericks Snacks ⚡ (mavericksnacks.com)

Improving supplier debt in the toilet paper industry

Problem: Reel products' poor management decisions led to issues with the supply chain: One supplier controlled payments, financing, and product quality. Having one dominant supplier can be very dangerous for businesses. At that time, the current debt structurecomprised cash flow loans made with third-party merchant providers, a loan-payment arrangement with the supplier, supplier ownership, and a high average APR on their loans.

Solution: Alejandra helped them secure a line of credit with their Freight forwarding company at a better APR that could be utilized for future purchases. However, with a financial position like theirs, reshaping the debt on the balance sheet was a long-term strategy that would take time.

Bamboo & Recycled Paper Products - Easy Delivery | Reel® (reelpaper.com)