Maria Rosa Baquero Ehrenberg of Little Rock thought she was making a short trip to the Dominican Republic. She expected to celebrate a family birthday and meet some potential contacts for her business, Remember This Fine Books.
Instead, she spent months outside the U.S. at the onset of COVID-19.
Ehrenberg, a Dominican native, planned the March 2020 trip to visit her son for his 30th birthday. She also lined up meetings with prospective clients there.
“Everything was set up to start the project by mid-March, and then COVID happened. My husband was able to return to Little Rock, and I was supposed to travel the following week. ‘Next week’ turned into four months,” she said.
Amid the lockdown, Ehrenberg’s plans were turned upside down.
“Uncertainty became the word that dominated everything. During the first month, I was paralyzed with fear and did not know what to do next. But gradually, I began to explore some ideas about how to invest my time productively.”
Remember This produces one-of-a-kind, handcrafted keepsake books, drawing on Maria’s 30 years of design experience. While at her son’s, she researched marketing techniques and other tools for business success.
Once back in Little Rock, Ehrenberg could put her full attention on building her online business. “That’s when I found out about ASBTDC, and that changed everything for me,” she said.
Ehrenberg first connected with the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center by participating in a webinar. She signed up for one-on-one consulting and was paired with Business Specialist Tracy Beavers.
Remember This also engaged ASBTDC Business Recovery Services, which connect client businesses with vendors for one-time or short-term projects, at no cost to the business.
BRS partner vendor Silverlake Design Studios created an e-commerce website with easy online ordering for Remember This. Along with English, the new site is available in Spanish to serve Ehrenberg’s Spanish-speaking customer base in the Dominican Republic and elsewhere.
“Working with ASBTDC has unexpectedly expanded my horizons. After my first meeting, I felt that something good was about to happen, but the experience has exceedingly surpassed my expectations! The genuine care and disposition, the great ideas and encouragement of every single member of the teams working with me on my website, social media, business, and sales strategies are beyond anything I have experienced before,” said Ehrenberg.
She continues to refine her target customer knowledge and understanding with ASBTDC market research and build her business skills through the center’s training programs.
“During the process of working with so many talented people, I have learned a lot about many aspects of the business,” she said. “I feel confident that with the tools and resources I have now, I can work in the right direction to make my business grow and succeed. I am forever grateful for the opportunity and the privilege of receiving the extraordinary support from ASBTDC.”
Find Remember This on Instagram and Facebook or see rememberthisfinebooks.com.
