“Avisame cuando llegues”: venden kits de autodefensa camuflados como “accesorios trendy”
Victoria and Milagros Pereira Chiesa are sisters, are 26 and 22 respectively, and arrived in Córdoba from La Pampa to study. Aunque afirman que están muy contentas en la ciudad, la seguridad siempre fue una preocupación para ellas, y esta intranquilidad fue el disparador que gestó tiempo después Avisame cuando llegues, un emprendimiento que comercializa kits de autodefensa, pero con un toque de diseño que hace que sus elementos se camuflen a la perfección como accesorios de moda.
"The initiative was Vicky.She arrived with the idea that we began an entrepreneurship that could keep us at two, and I threw the idea.In Tiktok I met a brand from the United States that performed self -defense keychains, and seeing how the situation was in Argentina, I proposed that we did something like that, ”recalls miracles about this initiative, which in March celebrates its first year of life.
“Before undertaking we had already bought pepper gas to have.We knew from personal experience that it was not something that was achieved easy, or everywhere.They were generally assemblies or fishing places that had these products, ”recalls Mili.
“We both lived ugly insecurity situations and when Mili proposed this idea I said‘ we have to do it ’.While they are elements that exist for a lot of time, they were not sold in this way and did not arrive in the same way as now.What we do is put a special design to the products and show them with a different aesthetic, ”says Victoria.She is a graphic designer, so the issues of marketing, logo and identity of the brand were in charge, although both think and participate in each step that this project takes.
“The idea of this is that everything is camouflaged, one thinks it is an accessory, or a simple pompon, but no, behind that there is a security kit.My friends, when they see me, tell me: ‘What do you do with that rattle, it is a huge thing’, but I know that, if at any time they want to steal or do something, I can take my ‘rattle’ and use it.Obviously you don't necessarily have to carry all the elements in the same place.You can distribute them, have one in your backpack, another in your hand, or as it is more comfortable, ”explains Mili.
"Let me know when you arrive" and the "push" of Tiktok
Social networks can be a great ally of entrepreneurs. Con un contenido atractivo se puede llegar a cientos de personas sin necesidad de gastar dinero en publicidad, y algo así fue lo que ocurrió con Avisame cuando llegues.
“We started with 300 followers and today we have more than 40 thousand.One day mili tells me that we had to do a tiktok.At that moment I did not use that social network, but she insisted me.A early morning, when we both had ended with our responsibilities, we prepared everything and we did it.We recorded a video assembling one of our kits and the next day we woke up and had a lot of messages, we did not pay reply, it was something very crazy.While we were not the first brand of Córdoba, now we are very well positioned.We had a very good response from the whole country, we have sold from Tierra del Fuego to Jujuy, from end to end, ”says Vicky, and ensures that, after this exponential growth, they are analyzing expanding.
The growth "overnight" was a fire test for these sisters who had to face the rain of orders expeditiously.While one enlisted the orders, the other was up to date with the messages, but recognize that at the beginning it was "crazy".
“At that time I took care of the networks and there were a couple of moments of important stress peak, until the entrepreneurship gave us the possibility of having Anita, the girl who is responsible for answering the messages, and we startedtake from other things.At first it was stressful, but now we are more comfortable, ”says Vicky.
The importance of establishing alliances
“As entrepreneurship, associate with other brands allowed us to do new things.For example, at the beginning we deliver Scrunchies (Hair Colitas) as a gift, as an accessory, but then we adding functions.Together with the person who made them we created a scrunchie secret, which has a closure and inside a lid to cover the glass and prevent them from putting drugs in a bar or in a bowling alley, ”says Mili.
Los kits de Avisame cuando llegues son variados, pero hasta el más básico incorpora un gas pimienta, elemento que las emprendedoras consideran “básico”.“It will reduce the aggressor without harming him, and he will give you time to escape that situation.For us, that's the main thing, ”explains Vicky.
They also have Kubotan (which is used as a sharp element or to break glass);of alarms (similar to the keychain of a car), which in case of needing are activated to attract attention, and a kitten -shaped keychains that are used as a sharp mitter, among others.
"The same people wrote us with new options to incorporate and some were adding them," Mili explains about the products they have.
“They ask us a lot if this is legal: everything is.We advise ourselves with people who have been in personal defense for a long time and everything is legal while one uses it for personal defense.Everything has to do with intention, ”says Vicky.
“Personally, I was always very scared to leave the street, and this is not something that I feel only I. Desde Avisame cuando llegues buscamos ayudar a otras personas a que se sientan más seguras al salir a la calle.It is crazy to live with fear, and if we can contribute to improving this situation, we are happy, ”Mili closes.
