I'd like to thank all that helped out with suggestions for starting LEOS COLMADO. THANKS to you in part it is a success. I hope you again can provide me with more good suggestions.
The colmado Rosa's brother Leo started (which I donated money for- about $4500) in Santiago is doing well. Leo built everything himself, including installing the metal door AFTER the installer mounted it xtremely poorly. (He did not pour the floors.)
It is much smaller than most people thought, about 12 X 12. If I had to do over again, would have built bigger. (There is a relatively large colmado next to Leo's with owner who drives to work daily- he does not live in Cienfuegos.) However, I did not want to take the risk. There IS a piece of vacant property adjacent to the colmado- have to see how Leo's doing in 6 months or so.
Unlike what people suggested would happen, Leo only asked me for money once early on. That was an amount of about $200 to buy liquor. I offered him small amounts of money at various times and I wouldn't take no for an answer. Finally, he had to tell his sister Rosa (my fiancee) that I should stop giving him money. It was insulting to him. He is grateful for what I helped him with and works 7 days a week to make things work. He even sleeps in the colmado, which I do not like due to obvious danger. His fiancee is attending UTESA Santiago with what Leo is earning in the colmado.
Leo at this point is not making as much as I had hoped, but he is slowly but surely increasing monthly income. He has a friend (who personally delivered Leo's first order) from the Zona Franca in Esperanza who owns an almacen, (wholesale supply) and I expect that Leo will in time as well work his way up to bigger and better things. He only needed a helping start from someone, and SHAME ON EVERYONE who believes that all in the barrio have limited skills or intelligence. That just isn't so, and it surely doesn't help poor people in the barrios.
QUESTIONS
One thing I did not take into account is secuirty. That WAS a mistake. Leo's colmado is wood with one metal door and a front upward hinged door as seen in many smaller colmados. SUGGESTIONS for building specific security???
I bought Leo a blender and a sandwich maker at startup which have been earning well. Any other IDEAS for food services, or other SERVICES in general with small investment required???
The colmado Rosa's brother Leo started (which I donated money for- about $4500) in Santiago is doing well. Leo built everything himself, including installing the metal door AFTER the installer mounted it xtremely poorly. (He did not pour the floors.)
It is much smaller than most people thought, about 12 X 12. If I had to do over again, would have built bigger. (There is a relatively large colmado next to Leo's with owner who drives to work daily- he does not live in Cienfuegos.) However, I did not want to take the risk. There IS a piece of vacant property adjacent to the colmado- have to see how Leo's doing in 6 months or so.
Unlike what people suggested would happen, Leo only asked me for money once early on. That was an amount of about $200 to buy liquor. I offered him small amounts of money at various times and I wouldn't take no for an answer. Finally, he had to tell his sister Rosa (my fiancee) that I should stop giving him money. It was insulting to him. He is grateful for what I helped him with and works 7 days a week to make things work. He even sleeps in the colmado, which I do not like due to obvious danger. His fiancee is attending UTESA Santiago with what Leo is earning in the colmado.
Leo at this point is not making as much as I had hoped, but he is slowly but surely increasing monthly income. He has a friend (who personally delivered Leo's first order) from the Zona Franca in Esperanza who owns an almacen, (wholesale supply) and I expect that Leo will in time as well work his way up to bigger and better things. He only needed a helping start from someone, and SHAME ON EVERYONE who believes that all in the barrio have limited skills or intelligence. That just isn't so, and it surely doesn't help poor people in the barrios.
QUESTIONS
One thing I did not take into account is secuirty. That WAS a mistake. Leo's colmado is wood with one metal door and a front upward hinged door as seen in many smaller colmados. SUGGESTIONS for building specific security???
I bought Leo a blender and a sandwich maker at startup which have been earning well. Any other IDEAS for food services, or other SERVICES in general with small investment required???