Meet Maria
Maria has been an entrepreneur for years. She opened her first daycare business after taking classes in child development and English and ran it for 20 years. Now, Maria is a teacher with a creative business on the side. Maria has turned her artistic eye and love for crafts into a growing piñata business in Oakland, California. Inspired and named after her two children, her piñata business has taken off through word of mouth in her community.
Before making piñatas, Maria would use her artistic talent to create cards for parties, birthdays, Valentine’s Day, and other holidays. But Maria knew she could benefit from starting her own business to bring in extra money to support her two children.
“The first piñata I ever made was for my daughter on her 5th birthday. The party had a fish theme so I made the invitations and a fish piñata. I named my business Piñata SA, after my children, Sophia and Alejandro.”
Maria realized she could use her connections in her community to build her business. Her son was invited to many parties so she decided to make piñatas to celebrate birthdays. They became so popular that it became a marketing tool to sell more piñatas to new customers.
“I love being an entrepreneur. I get to make my own schedule and spend more time with my kids.”
Maria joined Grameen America three years ago to keep building her piñata business. The small loans allowed Maria to buy much-needed materials like electric scissors, paper, and art materials.
“I didn’t realize how much I could achieve by selling something that I created with my own hands. I’m amazed at the progress I’ve made. After I started paying off my loans, I noticed my credit score improving quickly.”
Maria makes custom orders, working with each client to come up with the theme and design of each piñata. Maria loves using her creativity to give suggestions, but always makes sure to listen to her clients and meet their expectations. Maria is also a special education teacher and likes to share her piñata designs with her students. She even began an after-school program at her school to teach them about crafting and piñata making.
Maria’s friend and fellow Grameen America member, Cecilia, showcases and sells some of Maria’s piñatas at her restaurant. That doesn’t stop Maria from having big goals for the future.
“My dream is to have my own store one day.”
One thing Maria has learned is to lean on people for support. Here, she shares her words of advice for aspiring business owners.
