Ilab360 magazine | 4 Ilab360 Magazine | 4 | Page 22

As Arechavaleta mentions, “Even and/or social media sites, or even in though the project is currently successful, our personal store,” Mauricio states. and the necessary funds are being gathered, there is still so much to be done in order to achieve the impact that we ultimately want to make in the community.” As any new company, in any industry, Dos Banderas has had to overcome the typical obstacles that young businesses face – especially when it comes to a new clothing brand; an industry where one goes as far as his reputations takes him. Perhaps the biggest challenge that the project has faced is establishing the brand, for – as Mauricio states – it’s extremely tough to start your company and attain a respectable reputation, as well as give your project the credibility it needs to thrive in such a competitive market as the fashion industry. “You have to prove to people that the filters are actually being delivered, that an impact is actually being made.” And with these particular obstacles, what actions does Dos Banderas take in order to overcome them? “We film and produce documentary and promotional videos that film the actual deliveries, that show how these people are benefitting from the filters we give them, as well as all the people that volunteer and help us make the deliveries. All of this is made so people can see the movement’s strides with their own eyes, be it through video or through pictures; people can visit our webpage 21 By working on these small but no-less important details, the image and reputation the company wants to have starts forming: the image of a socially responsible company that works the way a company is supposed to work. As for the specific moments that have been particularly complicated, Mauricio mentions the beginning of the project as an especially tough hurdle that had to be made; sales weren’t as high as he wanted them to be, even tough the first filter delivery had been made. And it was then that Mauricio starts looking for a potential solution to this problem, and attempts to form partnerships with department stores, looking to find business opportunities that could be had with Dos Banderas. “The project got the break it needed. We began in San Pedro – which we all know is a small market – so there the time where the market exhausts, runs out of space, and you say `where do I run now? How do we proceed?”