Today we’d like to introduce you to Lorea Ibarguren.
Lorea, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I launched my business Txiki [chee-kee], during the spring of 2021. Being at home for the past year and repeatedly hearing the news of small businesses suffering largely because of the pandemic, combined with an at-home graduation for my Bachelor’s degree in Sociology, pushed me to consider how I could be of help to small businesses now and beyond the days of the pandemic. When thinking about accessing small businesses, one of the places I decided to search was Instagram. To my surprise, I found a ton that I hadn’t seen elsewhere.
I came across amazing and unique products, everything from self care products made with recognizable ingredients to handmade bubble candles and coasters. Coupled with the items sold on these business pages were the inspiring stories from the business owners, all of which fueled a desire in me to spread the word. I spent time thinking about how I could increase my impact in a sustainable way, and here the business idea of Txiki was born.
I research different small businesses and work to collaborate with them to create an affordable way for customers to try multiple products from different sources at once. The goal is to increase the customer base of different small businesses by making it easier for people to try them. The business model has changed since I started but the purpose has remained the same, to uplift small businesses, one box at a time.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The business model has changed from when I started Txiki. Initially, the boxes were curated, as in I selected what products from different small businesses would go together in a box and customers would buy the boxes as is. I knew from the beginning that this model of preselected items in a box wasn’t ideal, as the combination of products I put together wouldn’t be everyone’s ideal selection. My struggle was with website design, as a customizable box seemed far out of reach given my novis coding abilities. I repeatedly researched and tested new website structures, found help for some of the complex coding, and finally reached the user-friendly, customizable design that is shoptxiki.com now.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Txiki?
When I think about what Txiki is set out to be, the word “business” doesn’t cover it. Txiki is intended to be a platform for small businesses, a way for customers to try products they may have never tried otherwise, and learn about brands they may have never been exposed to otherwise. I am proud of the collaborations Txiki has already undertaken, all with minority owned businesses. The idea behind Txiki, reflected in the types of products featured and its overall branding, is empowerment of small businesses through the empowerment of customers. Txiki increases individuals’ abilities to positively impact the small business community.
What does success mean to you?
On a broader scope, I would define success as overcoming fear. In this regard, starting Txiki was a success for me. It was a success not because it went smoothly, but because I overcame the fear of failure and took the risk with belief in myself and what my business would stand for. Now I find success to be the feedback I get from customers relaying their satisfaction with the different items they picked out to try in their box, and their repeat purchases from the individual businesses.
Pricing:
- Regular box: $32
- Small box: $22
- Mini box: $16
Contact Info:
- Email: shop.txiki@gmail.com
- Website: shoptxiki.com
- Instagram: @shop.txiki
