Dominican Woman Entrepreneur Helps Local Artisans
What began as a side-project in May of 2012 to help local artisans promote their craft abroad, turned into a full-fledged business that sells eco-friendly art craft. While Rosa Maria Marte also works as an independent software consultant, her real passion lies in her role as entrepreneur and founder of Green Art Market.
Rosa Marte did not start out as an entrepreneur. She got the inspiration for her business while traveling around the world as a financial controller with a multinational European company. After spending time in Argentina and Venezuela, Japan, Holland, Chile, and Mexico, among other countries, Rosa Maria learned to appreciate diverse artistic expressions from each culture. The experience inspired her desire to share her own Dominican Republic heritage and its art with the world.
“For many artists, it is impossible to handle the logistics of exportation and selling on a webpage from Dominican Republic,” Rosa said. “That is where we enter in. We offer an open market where artists can showcase their work, where it can be appreciated internationally while at the same time being friendly to the environment.”
She describes Green Art Market’s website as “the heart of our whole operation” and attributes all their accomplishments to the development of the website. “Our website is our voice to the world.” Rosa Maria said, “And the most effective way we can show people abroad what are we doing and how their support can have an impact on each artisan’s way of living.
Rosa’s goal is to be known by local artisans as a way to expand their horizons. She hopes Green Art Market will be the channel that offers their products to a different audience, an audience more appreciative of their efforts to produce eco-friendly, sustainable works of art.
“We also want to be recognized as the bridge, the link from customers to get connected to local vendors in a secure way,” Rosa said.
Rosa Maria describes the biggest risk she’s taken with her business as the amount of time and creative energy she invests every day. It’s a demanding task, from the material to be published on the website, to the travel around the country looking for eco-friendly artisans.
“The key to having a successful business is loving what you do. If you can’t do what you love, then you should love what you do.”
“I truly believe that the key to having a successful business is loving what you do,” Rosa Maria said. “Every project you build will require time and effort, along with specific knowledge and skills. It will take risks and commitment. If you don’t just love what you do, it can be frustrating and time/money consuming.”
Rosa Maria is just one of many successful business women from the Dominican. Her advice to other women who want to be entrepreneurs or advance in their career and businesses are: to believe in themselves, not depend too much on others, look to other successful women and their examples, and to not be afraid to dream big.
“It is important for you to believe that ultimately you will be able to make it on your own and be independent. Life is too short to be little…I totally live by this.”
“Women in my country have a tendency to think they need to depend on somebody else in order to be successful in their careers and/or in business,” Rosa Maria said. “They either look for support from their partner in life, or their father or somebody else. Although I am a full supporter of getting help when starting your business, I also think it is important for to believe that you will ultimately be able to make it on your own and be independent. I know many women in Dominican Republic that are successful in business, in a corporate career and also in life, so I know it can be done, it just takes a little more time and effort in our society. Sometime while I was a teenager I read that ‘Life is too short to be little.’ I totally live by this.”
Connect with Rosa on LinkedIn and show your support to Green Art Market by liking them on Facebook and following on Twitter @GreenArtMarket.
