From Recife, the couple Flavio Daniel and Marcela Luiza, 34 and 32 years old, respectively, are transforming the lives of hundreds of people teaching how to thrive through digital entrepreneurship.They transformed their own experience, with the Tradition Mobile stores, a business that was born in physical retail 16 years ago and in which they currently earn R$ 50 million, but which underwent a digital transformation during the pandemic, when they were forced to migrate to online commerce. 

The furniture store was born from the desire of Daniel to become independent.He worked in his father's furniture trade in Recife, and wanted to progress when he decided to have his own business. 

However, without money to invest, the young entrepreneur did not get credit with banks, much less with product suppliers. That was when he had the idea of selling for a cheaper value the damaged products that were stopped in the father's store, evaluated in R$ 40 thousand.

With the store open, the first sales were emerging and the entrepreneur, in addition to paying off the debt with his father, was investing in new products and, gradually, as he was getting credit with the manufacturers, was offering more furniture options for customers.

Since the opening of the store, Daniel already had the partnership of his then girlfriend, Marcela Luiza, who soon became a wife and business partner. Of humble origin, in the neighborhood of the Distillery of Cabo de Santo Agostinho, she never imagined that she would be successful professionally, especially in the face of the challenges of being a woman undertaking together with her husband while unfolding with the other activities, the home and the children. “When I remember where I came from, from my trajectory, I say that I am the unlikely, because everything did not direct to be here, but we prospered and persistED”, he says.

Pandemic x online sales 

The first contact with online sales began with a loss generated by the opening of a store in another city, which resulted in a debt of R$1 million. The sale by Facebook was the solution found to cover the gap.

Following the Coronavirus pandemic forced the couple to completely change the way of thinking about the work model. With the confinement, they came to fear for the sustainability of the business and the maintenance of employees TODAY the company employs 70 people. “But then we started selling remotely, through social networks and WhatsApp. With this, we had a growth and no one needed to be dismissed”, recalls Daniel.

With the increase in online sales, the couple began to invest in a virtual store, formatted through Tray, an e-commerce platform, owned by LWSA. The digital solutions brought by the company provided the couple to sell more online, optimize business management with inventory control, issuance of invoices, pricing and marketing, all in one environment. “We needed security in customer transactions and a reliable website, as well as sales organization and online catalog, so we went in search of the technological solution that our business needed”, he highlights. 

Currently, they operate the stores omnichannel, that is, with physical and online sales in the virtual store and in the company's digital channels. The success of the business made the couple also invest in content strategy on social networks and together they have become, in addition to entrepreneurs, mentors for people who want to invest or are running their own business, but need knowledge to perform better. 

“O improbable happens, so our tip for those who are undertaking or intend to have their own business is to always seek knowledge, partnerships with platforms, with technology, and not forget to focus on the customer, who always needs to be at the center of the business to grow more and have recurrence in the sale”, Marcela points out. 

In the dynamic universe of Brazilian entrepreneurship—where, according to data from the Brazilian Association of Franchising (ABF), 51 million people wish to start a business in the next three years—Central do Franqueado is transforming one of the most sought-after market segments with its proprietary methodology. Called CentralON, the corporation's digital platform already serves over 200 clients and is exponentially optimizing the operational management of franchise networks in Brazil. 

The franchise sector raised R$ 240.6 billion in 2023, with a growth of 13.8% compared to the previous year, according to the ABF. The food segment, for example, led by foodservice, was one of the fastest-growing last year, reflecting its robustness and potential. In light of this scenario, Central do Franqueado is positioning itself to drive the success of the units.

The CentralON methodology of the Franchisee Center is a process divided into three stages:

1. "ONset" The term "ONset" remains unchanged in English as it is already a word in the English language. It refers to the beginning or start of something, often used in contexts such as the onset of a disease, the onset of a storm, or the onset of a new era. The word maintains its original meaning and context, ensuring that the translation is accurate and natural.At this stage, there is a detailed analysis of the specific challenges of the franchise network and the right tools are selected to solve these problems. 
2. "Onboarding"Here, the company monitors the implementation of the solutions, ensuring that everything works effectively.
3. Ongoing --- If you have any specific text or context you would like translated, please provide it, and I'll be happy to assist you with a precise and natural translation.The third phase focuses on the improvement cycle. The Franchisee Center conducts regular assessments and makes necessary adjustments to promote continuous support to the serviced network. 

“Each franchise has a unique journey, and our triple approach is designed to light the way for customers towards achieving results. The sector is growing a lot, but we cannot forget that competitiveness is also growing in parallel. With that in mind, it is necessary to consider the best strategies to stay active,” comments Dario Ruschel, CEO of Central do Franqueado. 

Among the competitive advantages offered by Central do Franqueado, the promotion of connection, unification, and expansion of networks stands out, along with independence and a platform that simplifies management, from communication to quality control and support in the expansion process. The company also ensures compliance with the General Data Protection Law (LGPD), guaranteeing legal security and peace of mind for the operations. 

With a focus exclusively on networks with 50 or more units, the platform also sets itself apart through its solid partnership with the clients it serves. "Our DNA and our vision of transformation are some of our greatest differentiators. We believe that our essence and proximity to customers set us apart in the market. This allows us to offer customized solutions for the specific needs of each network," he stresses. Joao Cabral, COO of Central do Franqueado.