ALPARGATAS PERA D. K.

100% COLOMBIAN ENTREPRENEURSHIP

In the year 2012, two young Colombians meet and discover that
they have something in common: the dream of undertaking something big. Thanks to this goal
they decide to start a relationship in which the desire will always be present
to undertake, to start a project as a couple, to be owners of their own time and
plan a life your way. In 2014, after an intuition, after
both discover the great potential that espadrilles could have, decide
create a business plan that would become a successful company that, today
Nowadays, it has branches in different cities of the country, it makes sales
international and is the largest company in Pamplona, being the pride of its
municipality... How did they achieve it?

The protagonists of this story are Katherine and David, founders of the
Company Pera D. K. Katherine Ramón was born on August 5, 1990, in the city
dePamplona, Norte de Santander, and David Peñalosa on September 19
1987, in Tunja, Boyacá. As Katherine was finishing her studies in the
city of Tunja, one day coincided at a party with David, and there they had the
opportunity to get to know each other thanks to a mutual friend. From that moment on,
due to a mutual attraction, they started dating, and their meetings often ended
in motivated talks about entrepreneurship until dawn, where both
they expressed their enthusiasm for wanting to start their own project, not knowing
exactly what. Shortly after, they decided to start a relationship.
sentimental and their jobs allowed them to meet again, this time in
Aguazul, Casanare, where Katherine worked as a speech therapist and David as a
electronic engineer, both in the hydrocarbon sector.
During their stay in Aguazul, they lived peacefully as a couple, without
main concerns: they spent the money from their jobs on trips, clothes,
events, restaurants, and other plans, which did not allow them to save much.
Nevertheless, the desire to start a business project as a couple remained latent,
growing strongly in their imagination, which is why they planned many things
together. From opening an ice cream shop or a bar to a video game store
for teenagers, filled with 'machines' to spend the afternoon. Finally, in the
year 2014, thanks to some espadrilles that David gave to Kathe with the design
Mickey and Minnie Mouse finally had a revelation. They were walking along the
El Dorado airport, after returning from a trip, they said, upon seeing that the
Kathe's footwear drew a lot of attention among people, why not make
From the espadrilles, our business idea? In this way, with all the
determination that gave them the initiative, they arrived in their city to request a loan
banking of approximately 3 thousand dollars, taking the risk that many do not
dare to run and which turns out to be fundamental in the growth of many
entrepreneurs; that is to say, to be bold and request loans instead of allowing themselves
to overcome doubts and fear. Or as David and Kathe jokingly say:
"Fools but determined!" With faith and without fear of failure.

They decided that 2700 dollars would be invested in the manufacturing of footwear.
y300 would be allocated for the payment of the debt installments. They got in touch
with many shoe factories from the very day of their arrival, and they established
a relationship with a factory in Barranquilla, and with it they managed to reach a
agreement. What effects did the agreement bring? That five large boxes of espadrilles
they will stack in their studio apartment in Aguazul shortly after, their first
espadrilles with the logo of 'Pera D. K.', a name that originates from the union of its
proper names: 'pe' from Peñalosa and 'ra' from Ramón; 'D' for David and 'K' for
Katherine. Name with which they will start measuring her multiple achievements in 'pears'.
with this fruit common in all households, which will be one of its images
emblematic. Daniel and Kathe, with much effort and discipline, managed to sell
all its first products using social networks, but also
driving through the streets and selling them door-to-door in his Mazda 626, his faithful
"Ranger Blue", as they named it, every day after leaving their jobs.
The business officially started on November 3, 2014, and its main
The means to advertise was through social media, mainly.
Facebook and Instagram, where the product had a great reception and the followers
they grew quickly. The designs of the espadrilles have always been
crafted by themselves, always true to their principles: comfort, great
quality, 100% Colombian and with a fresh and modern style, espadrilles
contemporary for all kinds of people. How the business started
early to be prosperous, they decided to quit their jobs and move to the
homeland of Kathe, to Pamplona, because it was strategically important
It is beneficial to settle in an area with high recognition in manufacturing.
of footwear, near Cúcuta and Bucaramanga, two leading cities in this
industrial scenario. Despite everything, the step was not easy to take, many
doubts and fears arose everywhere, like the fear of being left behind
unemployed, the change of region and the opinions of their own families, which
they showed a bit skeptical. However, due to their admiration for the
entrepreneur Juan Diego Gómez, who filled them with hope through his advice
from their videos, motivated them to decisively take the final step. Like Kathe and David
they developed a great interest in content about entrepreneurship and finance in
the web, one day discovered another of its important references: the blog
Business and Entrepreneurship by Javier Díaz.

Throughout the year 2015, the company focused on a single dynamic,

working in partnership with the Barranquilla industry they associated with
from the beginning, waiting for the opportunity to have enough capital to
also dedicated to the manufacturing of its product. Fortunately, fortune would be on
on your side.

In light of the new economic situation of the entrepreneurial couple,

they decided to become the manufacturers of their own merchandise in the year 2016,
establishing its first factory with 5 employees, a place where day after day
they rehearsed the way to offer higher quality with their new technical means, and
where they will learn to lead a prudent financial life, as the years of
experience will teach them the value of responsible investment and care
what they should have with the 'ant expenses'; that is, with those small
purchases that seem "harmless", but end up costing you in the end.
large invoice. For this reason, the first years of the emerging company are of
moderation and reinvestment of everything that is earned. Thus, by the end of the year, they achieve another
important step: on November 3 they inaugurate their first branch, their first
physical store in the city of Yopal, and on November 18 they open their second one.
store in Medellín.
However, on the path of any venture, there are always great
obstacles, and Pera D. K. will have to face her own inconveniences. The day
when Kathe and David arrived at their home in Pamplona, after the
the opening of their store in Medellín, they received terrible news: in their
absence were stolen. Their entire factory was looted and destroyed, the work of
years of installation shattered. How could they overcome a tragedy
like this? Thanks to the conviction in their project and the mutual support that unites them and that
Unite all your team of workers, none of whom were fired for
security or suspicion of complicity in the theft, managed to recover what was lost in
a few months. Their strategy was based on contacting the suppliers and
to promise payment for the technical equipment and the raw materials as soon as
they had new income, guaranteed backed by many years of punctuality in
payments, which was sufficient for the suppliers. By virtue of this effective plan,
the company managed to meet the high demand for its products in the month of
December and save the company's finances.
Another of the conflicts they had to face was due to the growth of
in their factory, since on one occasion they had legal issues due to an action
of guardianship, a mess that could have led them to jail. What was the reason? That the
the factory-house needed to adjust its size due to the number of employees and
machinery that he had, and he was not allowed to operate as it was implemented.
These inconveniences and others related to their new position as subjects
legal and non-legal, concerning issues related to tax payments and
statements led them to hire a public accountant, as they realized
as they were ignoring a large number of problems that arise with
its growth, and for that reason they needed new experts who
they will take care of legal and financial matters. Naturally, after these
All measures were resolved with precision, including the number of factories.
increased to three, which have not been tasked since then to produce only their
flagship product, the modern espadrilles, but rather a series of new goods:
jeans, bodys, swimsuits, tights, and leggings. Other new additions
they were the platform espadrilles and the change of insoles to offer more
comfort in footwear. Thus, instead of having been reduced by the
obstacles, they knew how to overcome them with greater success. As David himself says
Peñalosa: "Entrepreneurs never lose, we always learn."
2017 was a very significant year in the progress of Pera D. K.
year in which Kathe and David attended many meetings and conferences of
entrepreneurs, both to teach and to learn. In addition, the
the company's recognition later enabled Kathe and David to be
interviewed on Teleantioquia, which gave them greater visibility in the region. But
this venture not only aimed for national sales, but also, from this
same year, the company exports its products to neighboring countries, which in the
current events translate into a clientele in countries like Argentina, Mexico,
Ecuador and the United States, among others. In fact, as the couple states in
her social networks and on her YouTube channel, one of the upcoming goals of the
the company is to conquer European territory, that its espadrilles and other products
they manage to cross the Atlantic and make themselves known in other territories, with garments
Colombians of excellent quality. Finally, in the year 2018, Pera D. K. was able to
to expand and open a new branch. This time in its own territory: Pamplona.
Currently, things are better than ever. Pera D. K. managed to inaugurate
another branch in the country, this time in the city of Cali, on August 23, 2019, and
also offer nationwide coverage that goes from end to end, from the
From Guajira to the Amazon, so that no one is left without the possibility of wearing shoes.
its innovative designs. Likewise, thanks to this expanded recognition by the
country and other nations, nowadays Pera's social networks have more than a
million followers who view and interact with the interfaces of the
company.
How the health crisis due to the coronavirus posed great difficulties for everyone
Latin American entrepreneurs, Kathe and David were no exception, and
From the beginning, they saw the circumstances as a challenge. That is how, instead of
having to lay off dozens of their workers, they decided to relocate them to
various functions so that they could continue to be part of the company and be able to
maintain their salaries, which is why Pera D. K. injected a generous amount
money to keep everything afloat, without having to leave anyone without their job, the
what is a very important principle for the company, since if something has happened to them
interested in your project is the possibility of generating employment, not only within
from the factories, but offering unemployed people the opportunity to
buy wholesale to start a retail business. It primarily involves
of single mothers and young university students in search of
opportunities, which can yield profits of up to 50% per sale.
 Another strategy to confront the pandemic was to adapt its
production for current needs, which is why today the company is conducting
various masks with original designs from the brand, which demonstrates the
sense of corporate social responsibility. In addition, all face masks
they have a great guaranteed quality and are made with materials
produced in Colombia. Thanks to these measures, today they are a 'perafamily' of
more than 120 workers, three factories, four physical stores and the company
larger than known in the municipality of Pamplona, in Norte de Santander.
Well, and also PeriyHappyson is part of the 'perafamily', their dear ones.
pets that are part of the logo, and 'Ranger Blue', the car that carried
thousands of espadrilles that saw the dream of two entrepreneurs arise. Nowadays,
The couple is dedicated to managing their company and supervising processes.
Thus we conclude the story of Kathe and David, of these two young people.
entrepreneurs who with their initiative have provided opportunities to hundreds of young people
more, and all achieved with a lot of effort and hard work. In the words of the very
Katherine:
Starting a business is not easy; it is about passion and sacrifices. It takes a lot.
discipline, empathy, and responsibility