Amor Dulce Amor, the pajama business that triumphs in networks and proves that entrepreneurship in Colombia is possible

Entrepreneurship in Colombia is a challenge full of obstacles, but there are also opportunities. Despite the rich entrepreneurial fabric, the drive for innovation and the hard work that characterizes most Colombians, there are barriers such as the difficult economic times, bureaucracy, taxes, high input costs and problems of access to financing.

In the midst of this challenging panorama, entrepreneurs like Nicoll Silva have managed to stand out. She is the founder of a successful pajama brand, Amor dulce Amor, with which she has conquered the market through quality, design, hard work and an inspiring vision.

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Nicoll studied business administration at Compensar University. Since she was a child, she liked pajamas, but the ones offered by the market seemed very basic to her. To fill that void, the company with which she is now achieving success was born.

This Bogota native enrolled in a course on entrepreneurship and began to think about the idea. Then, she decided to dedicate her thesis to create Amor Dulce Amor. In this exclusive interview, she shares her experience, the challenges she has overcome and what inspires her.

She also gives some advice for those who wish to embark on the adventure of entrepreneurship in Colombia. Her story is an example of strength and determination in a challenging but promising environment.

How did your pajama venture come about and what is the inspiration behind it?

My venture came from an idea in college. I have always loved pajamas since I was a little girl, and when I got to college I was given the opportunity to carry out this venture.

My inspiration was that there were no stylish pajamas on the market, just supremely normal pajamas. That was the motivation: to make pajamas at a cool price, but with a lot of style.

What kind of pajamas does your business offer and what makes them unique in the market?

Well, my business offers pajamas for the whole family. It offers pajamas for ladies, men and children. We have them in satin, thermals, lycra.

Additionally, during the Christmas season we bring out specific Christmas collections.

It should be noted that we use fabrics that are not used for pajamas. So, they are very good quality fabrics, with a very good feel, that fit very well to the skin so that the people who buy them can rest and can differentiate us.

How has the process of creating your own brand and launching it to the market been?

The process of creating my own brand has been very nice, but it has also had its challenges.

Launching it in the market always involves a lot of effort, because when it is a venture, obviously you have to make it known in every way and know the target audience.

Obviously, when we put physical points it is much easier for people to start seeing your brand, unlike when you only have it on social networks.

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How difficult is entrepreneurship in Colombia?

Entrepreneurship in Colombia is very difficult. In Colombia if you go to the government to look for incentives it is very complicated.

We, when we are starting or have micro-enterprises, we provide work, we help many people and it would be great if they would also support us a little more in terms of the tax burden and many other factors that affect us, such as the huge increase in prices.

One example is transportation. Gasoline has been affecting us a lot because fabrics go up, inputs go up… So, let’s say that for us, who are not a super-company, buying inputs, fabrics, always becomes a little more expensive. And, as we are just starting out, we can’t increase our final product too much because our clients feel that we are not able to do so.

How has the process of maintaining entrepreneurship in Colombia been?

We have had many ups and downs along the way. It is not easy.

As you expand -for example, we already have two stores-, obviously everything demands more: more production, more designs… So, in terms of economics, it’s a bit complicated.

You can have your enterprise very well established in terms of the structure of your business, your designs and so on, but in terms of the economic issue it is complicated, because it is difficult for you to get financing.

In the textile companies, for you to be able to acquire credit and get financing, you have to have been in the market for quite a long time. Or in the banks, if you don’t have a company with many years in the market, you don’t have a big backing.

The complications of our enterprise have been economic. However, I believe that this never stops happening because, the more you grow, the more you need to invest capital in your business so that it continues to grow. So, it will always be the Achilles heel of any business.

Have you considered sustainability in your venture?

As I have been developing my business, I have realized that the textile sector is one of the most wasteful in the world.

So, we have found a way to take advantage of those small wastes that are left over from the fabrics, creating balaclavas, moccasins, cartridge cases. This way we also help the environment.

Additionally, our pajamas come packed in an ecobag made of tulle. With this ecobag you can wash your pajamas. People also use it to store their underwear. In short, it’s not something that ends up in the trash.

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What has been the most beautiful thing about entrepreneurship?

The most beautiful thing about entrepreneurship in Colombia is that in the process you learn many things, you get a lot of experience in many areas, because when you start a business you do everything from design to sales. It is a very nice process.

But beyond that, the most beautiful thing about entrepreneurship is helping people. In the process of growing your business, you link people to your enterprise. Having collaborators and knowing that there are several families that depend on you, on your work and on what you do every day is very gratifying and very nice.

In addition, when I see people leaving my stores with my bags. That is something very beautiful because I realize that I do like my product, that it does work and that they are pajamas that people long to have.

What advice do you have for new entrepreneurs who want to start in the fashion industry?

I would give them 3 pieces of advice. The first is to identify the business idea they like the most, because if you like it, you will do well. If you get into something you don’t like, it will be very difficult for you to persist.

The second is that they study their target public very well, that they know well to whom they are going to address and to whom they are going to sell their products.

And the third is to have a lot of love for your business, a lot of strength and a lot of patience, because entrepreneurship is about strength.

Colombian researcher participated in the study of the first materials created by early modern humans and Neanderthals: interview