Blog 2: The First Steps
Year 1: Venturing Once Again
Blog 2: The First Steps
[October 25, 2023] I began exploring the idea of introducing a product from South America, leaning towards the alpaca industry due to my years living in Peru. I posted a question on Facebook about the alpaca industry in Peru, and was fortunate to hear back from two high school friends who were involved in it. I reached out to them individually to discuss my business concept. One of them, Joel Rooz, was the Head of Marketing at Inca Tops, a major alpaca fibre supplier in Peru. This connection was unexpected and invaluable, as it allowed me to quickly gain important insights into the alpaca industry and how to leverage it for Quni Boutique.
After conducting further research on the alpaca industry, I reached out to Prom Peru Canada, a Peruvian trade consultancy with an office in Canada, on December 18. I had a video call with one of their consultants, Antonio Ramos, who provided an overview of alpaca product exports from Peru. I learned that Arequipa is the hub of the alpaca industry and should be my primary focus for contacting manufacturers. Consequently, I booked a flight to Peru for February 2024 to search for a manufacturer. This trip represented a significant commitment, requiring me to quickly establish contacts and schedule meetings. Thanks to Joel, I was able to arrange meetings with some of his connections and others on my own.
[January 7, 2024] After enjoying some festivities and relaxation, I began to refocus on Quni Boutique. At that point, the business name was still undecided. While some people start with a business name and logo, I prioritized branding and ensured I had a logo, business name, and email address to print business cards and begin networking. Antonio, the consultant from Prom Peru Canada, had been communicating with me via my personal email and asked if I had established a company. Since I hadn't yet, he graciously continued to offer guidance. I created a logo concept inspired by Snoopy on his doghouse, though my drawing skills were poor. I then engaged a professional logo designer to refine the concept.
[January 22, 2024] I struggled to come up with a suitable name for the business until my wife, Lynn, suggested that we focus on the characteristics of the dog sweaters we wanted—pure and warm, made in Peru. She discovered that "Quni" means "warm" in Quechua, a native Peruvian language. Thanks to Lynn, we had the perfect business name!
[February 3, 2024] I received the sad news that my grandmother had passed away in Argentina. As I had been close to her, my wife promptly booked a flight for me to say my final goodbyes. I arrived in Buenos Aires on February 5, returned to Vancouver on February 9, and then flew to Lima, Peru, on February 10. During this time, my younger sister was also embarking on a new chapter in Los Angeles to study Computer Science, so on February 28, after returning from Lima, I flew to LA to help her settle in.
(Here is my initial logo concept—what a piece of art!)
While in Peru, I visited Arequipa and had several meetings with manufacturers. I chose the one with the most experience in exporting, even though there were smaller, less expensive options. As this was my first business venture, I opted for a manufacturer with a proven track record in producing and exporting alpaca garments to Canada, the US, Europe, and Asia.
It's noteworthy that no other company or brand was producing 100% baby alpaca dog garments from Peru. This presented a unique opportunity to offer a high-quality, niche product for pets. Despite suggestions to blend baby alpaca with other materials, I insisted on using only 100% baby alpaca for its superior softness, purity, and warmth. We began designing and I received the first samples from the manufacturer.
In the next blog, I will share the initial samples I received from my Peruvian manufacturer and outline the next steps for developing Quni Boutique.