Microinvest Success Story
Past Experience and New Innovation
Mrs. Victoria Ghetu used to manage a consulting firm called Alihar Group, LLC., which she co-founded. But she decided to use the experience and skills she acquired from this position to start her own business.
To do this, Mrs. Ghetu needed startup capital and so in 2008 she went to Microinvest, a microfinance institution supported by SEDF. She presented her business plan, which included acquiring products from wholesale markets in Chisinau, Moldova, and directly from local manufacturers, including Leni Cris and Bambonici. In October of that year, Microinvest granted Mrs. Ghetu an initial loan of $4,800 over 12 months.
Inspired by her two children, Mrs. Ghetu opened a two-room shop in Ialoveni, a small town near Chisinau, where she sells clothing, accessories and toys for babies and children. Her clientele are primarily young families that come to live in the suburbs of the capital and, thus far, the business has been successful. She has only one employee who sells the merchandise, and she transports all of the stock herself. Although the current economic conditions are a barrier to achieving target sales, Mrs. Ghetu remains optimistic and innovative and continues to develop new marketing methods.