How To Make the Most of Markets that Others Disdain

Compuaccesorios was born in the mind of Vilma Estrada in 1988, when she worked for a business that distributed computers. She realized that accessories were considered only as an appendix to the main business and did not receive adequate attention. It was then that she decided to plunge into the water, so to speak, with the help of her brother, and started selling parts and accessories.

Initially, they bought the products locally, from computer outlets, and delivered the goods themselves, by bus. Later they acquired a scooter, until they finally were able to buy their first vehicle. They specialized in selling two lines of products: accessories for computers and what they name consumables. For them, accessories comprises all that is outside the computer, for example, keyboards, mice, CPU bases, printers, monitors, filers for diskettes and CD-ROMS and cables. Among the consumables they consider paper, fax paper, labels, tapes, toner, ink cartridges, diskettes and cartridges for hard discs.

Compuaccesoorios has few employees in order to keep the structure as simple as possible. Estrada mentions that one of the main obstacles she found was the opposition to her work for being a woman. Ten years afterwards, she is a practical example of how women nowadays can also be successful in business. But, she adds "living in a country that is by tradition male oriented, one must learn not to pay much attention to negative comments and keep going forwards".