Company becomes first case for the "My dream, I don't risk" campaign
as an example of legality in its operation
Freedom and support to develop creativity are perceived needs among most entrepreneurs and who have always followed the professional trajectory of Vanderlei Ferreira, founder of Ecolumen, a company that came to market a year ago with the aim of inspiring people and companies to choose for eco-efficient lighting solutions.
Vanderlei is one of the entrepreneurs supporting the new campaign “My Dream, I don't risk it”, from the Legal Entrepreneur initiative. “One of the reasons for a company's success lies in its management model. We want to have software that works at its full capacity, in addition to that, we believe that a company should be born with ethics and respect for the market in which it operates. For this reason, we support Empreendedor Legal, which is careful to warn entrepreneurs about the risks of using illegal software”, he says.
Trajectory
With a successful career spanning more than twenty-five years in the technology industry, the business administrator, with an MBA in Marketing from FGV and an MBA in Business from FAAP, has worked at the highest level of multinationals and as CEO of leading companies in the IT, responsible for the direction, management, profitability controls, direct sales and through distribution channels, marketing and business development, in the hardware and software segments.
He lived the world of corporate IT intensely until the moment he decided to put his dreams into practice and create his own business. But he himself comments, “It wasn't an overnight decision. I always had the entrepreneurial spirit, but I felt limited, as several projects that could have worked within the companies I worked for were pruned by the head office”. The executive also explains that he always knew that one day he would have his own business, he just didn't know which one to bet on. In fact, according to Vanderlei, this is one of the main doubts in the transition of people who want to undertake, “that is why the importance of planning”, he emphasizes.
For Vanderlei, the spark of light for the creation of his own business came from the decision to leave a multinational, in which he worked in the management of production, projects and sales of LED lighting – an acronym for Light Emitting Diode, a diode that emits light. These lamps, compared to traditional lighting, save up to 90% of energy, according to the entrepreneur.
“I saw in LED lighting projects the possibility of uniting several segments that I identify with, such as technology, design and architecture, in addition to being an area linked to sustainability. I felt that it was really the time to undertake, to develop something new that needed a more professional performance”, comments the entrepreneur.
Vanderlei says that Ecolumen was born with the mission of offering the opportunity for companies and consumers to adopt an ecologically correct lighting project, conscious of natural resources, with quality products and an advisory service. Today, the company serves end consumers through its e-commerce portal http://ecolumen.com.br/ and physical store, located in the South Zone of São Paulo, and also with projects for large retailers, industries, architecture and urban planning offices.
The entrepreneur, who already had a feeling for the business, ended up coinciding his dream with the current moment that the country is going through, with the energy and water crisis, which has caused water rationing, "blackouts" in several regions of the country and an increase in of the cost of electricity. “Ecolumen aims to support consumers, especially at this time when the country is looking for ways to save electricity”, says the entrepreneur.
investment in technology
Vanderlei says that the company's initial idea was to serve only via e-commerce portal and consulting, but on the way he felt the need to also have a physical store so that consumers could get to know the products better. “At the time of creating the portal, one of the major challenges focused on choosing the company that would be our partnership in the development of the layout and implementation of the e-commerce platform. We were looking for a partner who understood our offer and was able to convey our message”, he says.
In addition, Vanderlei explains that, for the entrepreneur who wants to focus on his business, it is extremely important to pay attention to the choice of an ERP (acronym for Enterprise Resource Planning), a business management system, responsible for the integration of all data from a company such as finance, accounting, human resources, manufacturing, marketing, sales and purchasing. In the case of Ecolumen, they adopted Prolog's cloud solution, which is integrated with their e-commerce platform, Magento.
The entrepreneur also comments on his investment in licenses for Microsoft's Office 365 package; Adobe's Photoshop; Autodesk software for opening CAD designs; and Norton antivirus. “Our entire software park is licensed. These are solutions aimed at our business needs, which have become essential”, he says.
For the small entrepreneur, who still has a lean structure, technical support is also important, as it is essential to have someone to turn to. “With most computer programs available in the cloud, we are able to access any information via tablet or smartphone, from any location with internet, an advantage that only legal software can give the entrepreneur. If we put everything at the tip of a pencil, it is much more advantageous for small business owners to rely on Cloud solutions, with payment based on consumption. This allows for a forecast of monthly expenses with technology infrastructure while keeping the focus on the creation of our projects and sales”, he comments.
Advice from someone who has already started
Even with his experience in managing large companies, Vanderlei also decided to invest in a course offered by Sebrae, Empretec, a methodology developed by the United Nations - UN, which supports people who already have a business or seek to mature their entrepreneurial characteristics. , increased competitiveness and permanence in the market.
“It is important to mention that the consolidation of a new business takes time. Entrepreneurs need to keep this in mind: design their goals and fulfill them step by step, because success will come from the sum of small daily achievements. Today, Ecolumen is in its first year of operation and is gradually growing to consolidate itself in the market”, says Vanderlei.
The executive also emphasizes the need for good financial planning. “This homework allows for the decision making that is most appropriate for the business, even in the most challenging moments”, he comments.
Finally, he highlights the love of work, combined with family support. “Thanks to my family's trust, I was able to develop this project with ease, as challenges always come, whether you are an executive or an entrepreneur, but emotional support is essential to move forward. Ecolumen awakened a passion I had hidden, believing that it is always possible to do better, with planning, focus on execution, ethics and responsibility”, he says.
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