Business Overview

Mrs. Castillo is one of the newest members of the Community Bank in Ipeti Colono and is currently a local store owner that provides her community with all kinds of products. Mrs. Castillo and her husband opened the store together and are looking for ways to maximize her profits.

Abarroteria Raysa- Ipeti Colono, Panama

Economic Challenge

Mrs. Castillo and her husband run a fairly new business and are looking to see how they can improve their business. She currently sells Aztec food, sugar, rice, coffee, beef, chicken, pork, fish and many more products. On a normal day, the store raises revenue of about $120-150, $200 on a good day and $80-100 on a bad day.

  • Business Owner(s): Raysa Castillo
  • Date Established:  September 5, 2015
  • Community Members Involved: 2 (Raysa Castillo, Luis Cedeño)

Economic Challenge

  • Many people in the area also have small stores
  • Lacks a good inventory system
  • Would have to work on her own most of the time
  • Has a small sign that does not attract many customers

Business Solution

The Business

Mrs. Castillo will be going through training as a Community Bank member and will soon have the opportunity to use her learnings to take out a loan for her business and plan for the future.


Other opportunities that pertain to her current situation include:

  • With a basic inventory system, she can see an immediate impact on her business if she makes changes
  • Her store is in her home so she doesn’t pay an additional rent for her business
  • By offering different products from other stores in the community, Mrs. Castillo can attract new customers

Next Steps

Mrs. Castillo would like to receive training on a variety of topics to improve her profitability:

1: Develop a business plan
2: Business administration and bookkeeping
3: Inventory management

Page Last Updated:October 04, 2017