Our presentation in "Capital"
Purely from the Czech Republic, soon from Sofia
Link to the original: here .
In early 2018, Vihra Dincheva and Irena Sabeva together created "Tierra Verde Bulgaria", which offers ecological cleaning products and goods for zero-waste living.
- Vihra Dincheva and Irena Sabeva started as consumers of Czech biopreparations, continued with their import and opened their own store, and are now planning a factory.
- Now the products are entering the DM chain, and for their first full year they plan to generate revenue of 145 thousand leva.
For Vihra Dincheva, 2017 is the year of changes – she returns to Bulgaria after 13 years spent abroad. Coincidence brings her together with Irena Sabeva. The two find common interests around the topic of composting and nature conservation and stay in touch. Dincheva says that in her household she uses Czech biopreparations and goods with zero waste products produced by an acquaintance of hers, and offers Sabeva to try them. She tries them, remains satisfied with the products, and after a while Dincheva introduces her to their manufacturer - the Czech Natasha, founder of "Tierra Verde Czech Republic". Thus, in early 2018, they together created "Tierra Verde Bulgaria", in in which Dincheva and Sabeva each have 30% shares, and the Czech company - 40%.
Business so far
For the six months from the beginning of the company's activities until the end of 2018, the revenue was 23 thousand leva. Today, its portfolio includes over 60 products from three categories, and the expectations are that in 2019 the revenue of the Bulgarian company will increase several times - up to 145 thousand leva. Their business is expected to be profitable by the end of this year. Currently, their products are offered in the company store in Sofia, in organic store chains, as well as online. The most recent "conquest" of the young company is entering the dm drugstores.
The company store of "Tiera Verde Bulgaria" is called "Na Chisto" and, in addition to being a retail outlet, it is also an educational center. The founders' goal is not just to sell biological products and goods with zero waste, but also for people to think about why this is important for them, for their loved ones, and for nature.
The company's philosophy is also conveyed in its products - ecological, toxin-free, with less plastic and garbage in the household. In addition to ecological cleaning detergents and washing powders, part of the Yellow & Blue series, "Tierra Verde Bulgaria" also offers home products made of ecological cotton and other household alternatives, personal hygiene products. "Our products are based on natural sources such as soap nuts, essential oils, citric acid, as well as chemical substances harmless to humans and nature, such as baking soda and soda percarbonate," says Dincheva. They are developed on the principle of chemical minimalism - there is nothing superfluous in them, only as much as is necessary to be effective.
The company's founders hope that more stores in Bulgaria will start offering bulk and bulk sales of ecological products. In the Czech Republic and Slovakia, this is the practice in over 130 stores. "We encourage people to reuse packaging. This is a strong trend in Europe, where there are many people who want to shop and generally live consciously," says Dincheva.
With its own factory
Vihra and Irena started their entrepreneurial venture with their own funds. The biggest expenses in the beginning were for the physical space to house the Tierra Verde Bulgaria store and its educational center, as well as for purchasing the products.
Currently, the products are imported from the Czech Republic, but the company's growth suggests that in the near future they will also start production in Bulgaria. This will be possible due to the constant growth of the customer base and the expanding product portfolio.
"The next stage in our development is undoubtedly the opening of our own factory," commented Sabeva. The expectations are that production will start by the end of next year. There are no more details, as Tierra Verde Bulgaria says that they are already actively preparing for this - a phased start of production is planned, in line with the growth of the company. "The entry of our products into the dm sales network was a huge step forward for us - a large investment such as this for a factory only makes sense when the market is sufficiently developed," says Dincheva. Once it reaches the stage of a developed production base, Tierra Verde Bulgaria will also look at the markets of neighboring countries.
Q&A
What is different about Tierra Verde products?
Vihra Dincheva: In addition to offering products that are non-toxic, some of them also come with paper packaging – it is important for us to offer a complete ecological alternative. There is also the option to purchase detergents in bulk in our store. By reusing the packaging, the price is also more competitive.
How do you advertise?
Vihra Dincheva: We have chosen the path of advertising through education and information – we want our customers to be aware of what is contained in our products and to follow, as far as possible, the values of the zero waste philosophy. We participate in various festivals, events and meetings in different formats.
Irena Sabeva: We use the standard online communication channels – Facebook, Instagram, social media in general. We are especially active in zero waste living groups.
Do you have competitors on the Bulgarian market?
Irena Sabeva: There are other companies here that offer ecological cleaning and laundry detergents, but they are more in the high price range. We want to offer an affordable alternative to the mass consumer.
