Gülşen Barut: You Can Meet Both Your Boutique and Market Needs from One Place!

The story of a woman who went from selling products from house to house with her bundle to opening her own business

Gülşen started earning income by selling cosmetics about 20 years ago. For several years, she traveled from house to house with her bundle on her back, promoting and selling her products. She dreamed of establishing her own place.

“Imagine, you go from house to house with a bundle and sometimes you don’t make any sales. Moreover, you leave your children at home, but you come back empty-handed. This was very painful.”

Despite everything, she continued to work without giving up. In order to increase her sales, she started buying and selling different products such as plates and clothes as well as cosmetics. Her goal was to save some money and open her dream business. She achieved this goal and opened her own business. She aimed to appeal to more people by expanding her product range. After creating a certain customer base around her, she started to bring new products in line with their demands. Gülşen, who stated that she loved dressing people, increased her orders day by day and continued her business with great passion.

With the February 6 earthquakes, everything was destroyed. Her workplace was destroyed. Due to the great losses she suffered, she could not take care of neither her business nor her products for a long time.

He kept the things he was able to save in his house, but he did not feel ready to start his business again. After a few months, she started selling again, dedicating part of her home to her business. Going back to work gave her morale and helped her get back on her feet. She continued to sell both grocery products and clothing at her place in Samandağ. She had difficulty in exhibiting her products due to lack of materials, and with the support she received from MaviKalem, she overcame this.

“You gave me hope by providing shelves and cabinets, the materials I needed the most. With your support, I felt confident and said I would go back to work and start over.”

When the products were on the table, customers could not see the options. When she placed them in an organized way, her customers started to choose by looking at the variety of products and to buy by seeing their needs. Gülşen brings new products according to the needs of her customers. She ensures that her customers can meet their grocery and clothing needs in one place. She aims to reopen her business with her income. She gives the following message to women who want to start a business:

“They should not give up, they should start somewhere, even if it is small. They should not let anyone influence them. They should believe in the light inside them. There are no longer only men, but also women who work and produce.”