One of the advantages of social media is that they have allowed space for small enterprises to develop and bloom. Simultaneously, the Covid-19 pandemic and people’s need on the one hand for a basic or additional income and on the other hand for easy online markets, gave rise to the creation of several small enterprises.
We currently live in 2022, human beings bleed nature increasingly, while the capitalist system ignites injustice, violence, and indifference. In a world where all that was taken for granted in the past is debunked, planning for the future has become especially hazardous. Although even the most optimistic people have abandoned the idea of “New Year Resolutions”, which seems comedic, especially for the fluid, dubious, and absolutely surrealistic times we experience, many have found the golden ratio in order to achieve a goal practically feasible, and simultaneously to partly allay their sentiment of social or environmental responsibility. The key lies in the way they approach their markets, specifically to the encouragement of small enterprises. Firstly, because they usually take action locally and as a consequence they reduce the environmental and economic cost and Secondly, because the same enterprises often have a social profile, which fights for justice, equality and inclusivity.
So, how do the small enterprises we cherish and trust survive and develop?
I had the pleasure of discussing this with Foteini, who runs an enterprise with jewelry and crystals via social media. Foteini started her Instagram page about one year ago, when she had infinite ideas for jewelry and she wanted a way to express them. She tells me that the big boom in her page happened during the first lockdown. The inspiration to continue to create derives from everything around her, from random outfits she encounters on the street to a flower, as she says. Her enterprise is the biggest achievement of her life and her goal is to utilize all her art and knowledge.
“I want my creations to be in the hands of someone who is happy every time they wear them,” she characteristically says.
Which are your biggest difficulties?
Time is usually limited as I am trying to balance business management, university and also my personal life- all at the same time! The difficulties are many, but none of them have ever made me think about giving up. The happiness I gain when I see the smile on the face of someone wearing my jewelry is more than enough.
How do you develop your business? What role does social media play in it?
As a person, I am a daydreamer, but I believe that with hard work, perseverance and patience everything works well. I think that the best way for someone to help their enterprise survive and develop is to work for it on a daily basis. I am always trying to devote time to the page, to promote it as much as I can. Social media plays a huge role in it, without it I would not be able to start.
How do you ensure the sustainability of your enterprise?
I am trying to use reusable materials for my packages, such as the pouches that arrive along with the jewelry.
How important do you consider the existence of a social profile of the enterprise?
I am trying to be present and active in all the social issues that preoccupy ourselves. Consequently, I don’t accept any form of racism or discrimination in my page. The jewelry suits all of us regardless of gender, ethnicity or sexual orientation.
Finally, Foteini says that many times she has felt that her business is under threat. Nonetheless, she keeps on working hard and creatively for her business to survive, and she achieves it.
Consequently, it is evident that the success of a small business is dependent on the goodwill and work that its creator invests in it. So, it thrives, offering not only to its client, but also to its creator. Or is it the case that this relationship is not so univocal?
Another admirable and interesting aspect of small-scale entrepreneurship is volunteering through it. In theory these two notions may collide, but some people have combined them in such a way that not only do they keep up, but they also complement each other.
I spoke with Anastasia, who covers the nursing and nourishment costs of the stray cats of her neighborhood by selling mainly plants, and actually without any personal gain! Anastasia, who had contributed voluntarily to animal shelters in the past, began her page occasioned by… one souvlaki! More specifically, while eating a souvlaki in a square last September, she detected a wretched kitten and she decided to return the following day in order to carry it to the vet. She tells me with grief that the kitten finally didn’t survive, but this is how she began her altruistic contribution through her own business. She conceived her idea to cover the excessive expenditure of the nursing and nourishment of the animals by selling plants, when she was planting pepper seeds that were left over while she was cooking, which she didn’t want to get rid of. The idea was a success and in this way her page was born. Simultaneously, she began promoting cats for adoption, whereas she continued the nursing and nourishment of as many cats as she could.
”I have dealt with about 25 cats since September”, she says characteristically. ”My space is limited, there isn’t much money, so when I encounter a new incident I stress out.”
What are your biggest difficulties?
There are neither housing sites nor people available and willing to do this. I beg people for housing or I pay for private shelters, where the conditions are better than on the streets, but not the most optimal. There is also no money and unfortunately many vets exploit these situations. I have given about 800 euros to healthcare. Finally, I don’t have enough time, because I am an undergraduate student and a volunteer. You know, sometimes people send me messages for incidents even from other towns, because they think that I am an animal welfare organization, charging me with responsibilities that I can’t manage. I usually yield and undertake them. But behind the page it’s only me. The absence of empathy depresses me.
Which is your main goal?
I had never believed that I would do what I am doing now. I wanted to sell plants and to give the money to my neighbor, who was accommodating 8 cats in her flat room, or to animal welfare organizations. I was forced to do myself this job, because nobody does it. But I cannot ignore this problem. So, the money goes to my incidents or when they are left over, to other volunteers. Besides, they need it more than I do.
What would help you cope with the difficulties?
Adoptions, housing. Generally, I cover the revenues for housing. Certainly, the notifications also provide financial assistance and help so much.
“You will find me with a message on Instagram,” Anastasia tells me in the end, “I don’t accept visits, I don’t have a shelter, but only my home,” she is joking.
The businesses that offer us what we dream of, what we love or what we merely desire, manage to endure over time and to make progress. Others contribute with personal costs and sacrifice to the wellness of other creatures, whose life is as important as ours. The most important thing that emerges from this process, and through the eyes of the creators of small businesses, is the conversion of a system that favors excessive greed and exploitation in human relationships and values.
I kindly thank Foteini from “Fwdejewels” and Anastasia from “buy plants save strays” for our earnest conversation.