Monteverde

     
          

Truly fascinating day in Monteverde Costa Rica. We were honored to witness the innovation and passion of these entrepreneurs. Despite their remote community near the cloud forest in Monteverde  and tough terrain they are still achieving successful careers. After listing to their stories, we learned of the importance of local sustainable business practices, as well as utilizing the resources in Montverde Costa Rica. The two business owners that shared their stories with us were remarkbly friendly and passionate entrepreneurs. Truly uplifting. I think it's important to take a minute to appreciate the varying styles and strategies of these neighboring operations.

A small coffee roaster, La Bella Tica Coffee, roasts, packages and distributes their organically grown coffee. The aroma in this home-based establishment was unbelievably  Using modern technology allows them to operate efficiently is roasting process. he has a unique product that could be a beneficial. Through experience he discovered that the medium and dark roasts are the best sellers so he has limited his scale to these two roasts. The coffee beans are best roasted between 6-12 months. I was impressed by the passion of this coffee roaster. His attention to sustainable business practices are spot on. He stressed his organic growing methods and used recycled bags made from recycled paper and bean husks to package his organic coffee, which was purchased from a neighbor. He grew organically but sold only through the tours that came through the arranged educational tours scheduled. There is decent package design but doesn't utilize marketing to promote and grow his business. 

A family owned and operated company in just downhill from the La Bella Tica Coffee that has performed and continues to perform market research to make all-natural products in a competitive international market. He was introduced to homemade cosmetic products from a visiting British woman working with small farming entrepreneurs to get into new industries. They began with products like bar soap and moved into body scrub and lotion. In addition, the saavy entrepreneur has developed a relationship with the University of Costa Rica to create the chronicle compounds to introduce more lines to sell. Another relationship that he has initiated is with amazon.com, the international distributor. Unlike the small coffee farmer, Monteverde Natural Cosmetics has heavily marketed its products and seeks to increase profits. They have quick inventory turnover and cannot guarantee aromas afte one year.