A Venezuelan bakery business thrives in Colombia

Bucaramanga, Colombia (ILO News) - Roisi Gabriela Indriago, a 27-year-old Venezuelan migrant in Bucaramanga, Colombia, is the owner of the bakery business De un Bocado. Trained in baking at a young age, Roisi’s passion, determination and dedication to quality have been the driving forces behind her success. She continues to learn empirically and actively seeks strategies to improve her products, participating in training programmes and entrepreneurship fairs to strengthen her business and customer service.

With the support of the Start and Improve your Business (SIYB) training, Roisi transformed her operations by gaining control over her costs and pricing. She now calculates the unit cost of each product, ensuring her prices cover both fixed and variable expenses. This has allowed her to define profit margins, boosting her confidence and competitiveness. She has also improved inventory management, producing desserts three times a week with a stock of five units per flavor, ensuring consistent availability for her growing customer base, particularly for events like birthdays and baby showers.

Social media has significantly expanded Roisi’s reach. By opening dedicated business accounts on WhatsApp and Instagram, she now sells over 100 units weekly, achieving a visibility she had not imagined before. Her new product, mini glazed doughnuts with toppings, gained immediate customer acceptance and further increased demand.

Strategic customer zoning has also played a key role in her growth. Dividing her operations into three regions—Bucaramanga, Floridablanca, and Girón—has enabled her to better organize and adapt her services to local needs.

With these advances, Roisi has optimized her operations, strengthened her brand and grown her customer base. She remains focused on consolidating her position in the local market while continuing to innovate and expand her business.