Mariangely Robles Martínez, 25, is studying industrial engineering at UPRM. Since her second year, she worked as an intermediary between online stores and local boutiques; she selected pieces online, sold them to boutiques and made a profit out of the sale. This experience helped Robles refine her taste in fashion and inspired her to open her own boutique. For years, she held off on her dream while she focused on her studies. She had the opportunity to do a Co-Op (August 2016) and used the money she worked off to fund her boutique. Finally in July 2017, Robles made her dream come true when she founded Bela Boutique. In an interview, the Ponce native told me all about Bela Boutique, her struggles as a student and entrepreneur, as well as her plans for the future.
Although she creates some of the jewelry herself, most of the merchandise sold by Robles in Bela Boutique is bought and resold. Robles chooses the pieces herself based on her own taste, but she also uses Pinterest to follow fashion trends and pays attention to other boutiques in the area to better understand what clients want. She tries to maintain a variety in her merchandise, ranging from casual pieces to fancy ones for a night out, so she can attract a wider range of customers. The boutique offers earrings, layered and long necklaces, chokers and chic fanny packs for going out.
Photo Credit: Giselle del Valle and Mariangely Robles Martínez
According to Robles, Bela Boutique is set apart from other boutiques for their prices. Robles understands her main customers are students who don’t always have a steady cash flow or a lot of money to spend. Robles says Bela Boutique sells “boutique pieces that are sold more expensively in other places at a lesser cost as a perk of it being an online boutique.” As for the products she sells, Robles chooses pieces she would wear and ones that seem unique. “I like captivating [people’s] attention,” said Robles, “having things that make people say, ‘look, how pretty’.” It is important to her that her merchandise is unlike any other in the market.
Bela Boutique sells clothes as well as jewelry, but the latter remains Robles’ main focus, as it is easier to sell the product in the University as well as transport it. The pieces of clothing are chosen exclusively and range from casual to professional and everything in between. The sizes are small, medium and large, and there is a limited number of pieces per item which adds exclusivity. The boutique offers dresses, jumpsuits, crop-tops and long sleeve professional shirts. Although Robles’ main focus right now is in selling jewelry, but as her business expands and grows she would love for Bela Boutique to include more clothes into its merchandise.
Robles was just starting with Bela Boutique when Hurricane María struck Puerto Rico on September 2017. She went a lot of time without a stable income because of this and had to get a job at the mall before she could start her business back up in February when she invested her savings in buying more merchandise. Last August, Robles went to UPRM’s Social and Cultural Activities Department and got a permit to sell in the Student Center. Here, she also learned about “Mercado Colegial” which is a market for handicrafts and locally sourced foods. The “Mercado Colegial” is available every third Thursday of each month at the “Placita de Chardón” from 8 A.M. to 2 P.M.
In balancing her studies with her business, the most important thing for Robles is to be organized and document everything. Right now, she has more flexibility to focus on her business as she is close to graduating, but it continues to be a struggle. She relies on the support of her boyfriend, Nelson Ramos. He helps run the sales in pop-up shops while she’s in class. Robles accounts part of the success of the store to his help and support. “I could not have done it without him,” says Robles with a smile.
Photo Credit: Nelson Ramos
Robles’ advice to anyone opening a new business would be to learn and read as much as you can about the business before you start and to not give up. “It is difficult and a slow process,” she comments, “but it can be done.” She would recommend focusing on something you can dedicate your time to and grow from there to get better results. “Make your enterprise unique from the rest,” is Robles’ main advice.
Bela Boutique is an online boutique only for now, but Robles’ teased about an opportunity to sell her brand on an up and coming store, so pay close attention to Mariangely Robles and Bela Boutique because great things are coming their way.