Meet Aurora. Aurora is a Trinidad and Tobago-based company that was founded with the sole purpose of providing quality products at the most affordable cost. The founder, Marcelle Jones of Aurora noticed that products available in Trinidad tend to be very expensive in comparison with North America and decided to start Aurora to find quality manufacturers of products that would meet clients’ needs in Trinidad and Tobago.
The name Aurora came from the natural light display in the Arctic often referred to as the northern lights. The Aurora Light is something that stands out globally and that’s what Marcelle wants Aurora to become. A global company that will be known for providing quality products at the best price.
While running Aurora part-time, Marcelle has been able to employ two full-time persons who manage the day-to-day operations efficiently. Juggling a full-time job and a business is extremely challenging, and major sacrifices have to be made to ensure the business remains profitable. The colleagues who go above and beyond to ensure the business is run efficiently and the customer’s demands are met are highly appreciated.
Marcelle was inspired to start Aurora with the key factors being financial freedom, spending time with family, and traveling the world. Some of Aurora’s major achievements include moving from a purely retail business to being able to provide for wholesale customers, landing Francis Fashion as a client, realizing profit year on year which allows them to grow their product lines, and hitting 10k followers on FB with the social media presence continuing to grow successfully.
One of the major lessons Marcelle has learned as an entrepreneur is that they need to be innovative and keep abreast of market trends and what customers are interested in buying. For any entrepreneur, he advises them not to give up, always ask for feedback from customers on how to improve the customer experience, and to make the decisions that scare them.
To Marcelle, a brand is when someone can specifically identify a product or service with the company, while a business is the products and people that make up the company. The local brand community in Trinidad and Tobago can do more to create brand awareness, but if small companies spend the time to understand their customers and market their brands properly, they can see amazing results and create valuable partnerships.
At this time, Aurora does not participate in pop-up markets, but this is something they have planned in their pipeline.
In conclusion, Aurora is a company that prioritizes quality products at affordable costs, with a goal to become a global company known for its provision of such products. Marcelle’s experiences and advice serve as inspiration to other entrepreneurs who may want to start their own journey.
