| Women & Business Contest | |
| Pacific Trade Show - Toronto 2019 |
Laboratories L Sant SAS is a Colombian company in the food sector, dedicated to the manufacturing and selling nutritional supplements in powder and green tea concentrated to prepare functional beverages. Within the portfolio of services, there is the production of food products, product assembly, development and design of products, formulation, specialized technical advice, design of nutrition labeling and labeling.
It is important to highlight that the daily work of a large part of the population, accelerated life rhythms, stress, unbalanced diet, and high fat and cholesterol eating habits, lead people to look for alternatives to complement their diet and comply with the daily intake of vitamins and minerals that are not consumed in regular foods. Therefore, for Laboratories L Sant SAS as a company, it is important to provide well-being and health through the development of nutritional lines, obtaining the benefits of functional foods or "superfoods", fruits and plants of the region.
Laura Johanna Santamaría, Industrial Engineer and Plant Manager, has been leading the production, quality assurance, development of new products, bringing tradition with food fusion in each product and continuously motivating others to have healthy habits and the importance they have in life. Currently, this entrepreneur has continuously worked with mentors and advisors to move her company forward and position it in the market. She has participated in several entrepreneurship programs, in which she has been a finalist as an outstanding company and a success story. Laboratories LSant SAS is part of the companies that receive support and endorsement from Ecoredes, Fondo Emprender, Valle-E, CDEE Universidad Icesi, INNpulsa Colombia, Connect Americas, and WEConnect International.
What is the biggest challenge your company faces to export? To which countries do you export or are you planning to export?
The biggest challenge to begin to export is to develop market research, in which our products have market acceptance and validation; carry out contact management or networking with potential clients who are executing the distribution in their countries; Validation of the regulations of the destination countries to export, which are issued by regulatory entities for the distribution of food products. In our case, since they are food for human consumption, certifications and records are required to guarantee entry to each country, and their regulation is demanding.
Currently, we do not export, we are working to export to Ecuador, Chile, and Canada. We have been supported by ProColombia with the study and access to these target markets, the development of market entry strategies, connection with potential customers and issuance of registrations and certifications of our products.
How are you preparing your company to go global?
Our team is formed by qualified professionals, who have the experience and knowledge of the export process, we work together to access the target markets in the short term. We have participated in fairs such as LAC Flavors, Colombia 2019 and The Pacific Trade Show, Toronto 2019.
How was your experience participating in the "Women & Business Contest" at Pacific Trade Show Toronto 2019?
Our participation in The Pacific Trade Show 2019 was very enriching because it broadens the horizon, the vision, and the knowledge, the conferences by expert panelists allowed us to know first-hand what is required to access a market such as Canada, to have a better understanding of the barriers and opportunities to export to this country, the importance of developing entry trade strategies to new markets, making connections with companies and organizations that support SMEs, and learning from businesswomen about their experiences which are a motivation to move forward.
This international event allowed us as a company to have the validation of our products, we have a portfolio that is accepted in Canada and we had valuable meetings with potential clients to bring our products to this market.
What advice would you give to a company led by women looking for opportunities in the international market?
The dream of many companies is to access international markets, promote what we do and to show a part of our country to other cultures. There are currently organizations that support women entrepreneurs and it is vital to know these organizations and be part of them, we are not alone, there are many who believe in our talent and capabilities, in the international market there are many opportunities to enter, it is a matter of empowering ourselves, training us, learning about exports and accessing new markets, there is a lot of information and free webinars available online that can contribute to more knowledge in these areas, the important thing is to dedicate a space to it and working every day towards the dream of exporting and evaluating our progress.
The commerce is changing and evolving every day, providing access to digital platforms and electronic commerce that allows us to offer our products and make them known nationally and internationally, it is an opportunity that we must all explore and develop strategies to diversification and communication.
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The Pacific Trade Show is our annual event organized as an international program and a platform looking to bring together knowledge and connections to support entrepreneurs that are interested in learning more about international trade with the final outcome that is EXPORT.
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