We are that "goldfish" trying to fight against that sea of sharks and somehow we managed to stay in the sea.
My name is Carlos Falcón and while I'm trying to write this "about us" (while listening to Milky Chance), I'm thinking I should tell my story as straight, fun and honest as possible. So here it goes:
In 2010, I started this business in Caracas, Venezuela. Let's say that selling furniture wasn't in my "dream list" and doesn't even describe me as a person. I remember my dad questioning the fact and asking why furniture was the choice to sell. To tell you the truth, I still don't have an answer to that question, other than the fact that the opportunity arose and I took it. You see, I am a very competitive person and whatever the challenge is, I take it and give it my 100%. This was no different.
Our journey
hasn't been easy all the time, but we are fighters.
I've lived in Venezuela all of my life and grew up with a very close family bond. That's why anything I do automatically involves my family. They play a big role in every decision I make; from naming the company to choosing the furniture. Boahaus is, indeed, a family business. The name "Boa" comes from "The Little Prince" book, by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (my mom's and sisters' favorite book, they even have the Boa tattooed on them) and "haus" means house in German. I lived in Germany for a year abroad after I finished high school and that year became unforgettable to me. That's why I always try to keep it close — Boahaus, the "Little Prince house."
Anyways, we began with customers in Caracas (capital city of Venezuela) and after just six months, we closed an amazing deal with the biggest retailer in Venezuela, where we managed to handle about 14 containers a month. Sounds good, huh? Well, it was…
By 2013, we started designing our own models and added a second division — an e-commerce arm — where we had amazing results. While continuing to work with retailers and learning more about the field, we came to believe the furniture industry was completely overpriced and took the challenge of designing furniture that was both great and affordable.
In 2015, we opened the company in Puerto Rico in order to begin business with US retailers. We managed to do all the category research to offer them the best possible deal. We gave them all the logistics options they requested: from shipping full containers to their DCs, to distributing individual pallets to all their locations. We also offered a co-marketing option where we gave them all materials, photography, and campaign assets for different campaigns, and analyzed their category by profit per square foot to offer products that are more profitable and suitable to their market.
For US e-commerce, all our products ship free. We guarantee client satisfaction. Our warranty covers six months, and our customer service is always happy to receive clients' calls.
Presently, we have several factories around the world that produce our own products under our own registered brand. We are very careful to comply with all the rules and restrictions the stores have in order to sell them safely.
I am very proud of our growth this past year, but more importantly, I am very thankful for every person that has encouraged me to keep fighting against the "great sharks". To my family, I could not have done this without you! And to everyone that stood in front of me and thought I couldn't do it — here is the proof that I could and I will continue to do it!
As you can see,
Boahaus is the result of hard work and passionate beliefs.
I read a quote from Sam Walton saying "If you love your work, you'll be out there every day trying to do it the best you possibly can, and pretty soon everybody around will catch the passion from you — like a fever." and I couldn't agree more. We love to work and will continue improving throughout time.
Sincerely,
Carlos R. Falcón