#makeithappen: The story of Kadiana Lux, the start-up that’s ready to conquer Romania’s furniture market

Ioana Erdei 21/12/2018 | 12:33

This summer, Business Review launched the #makeithappen campaign to promote Romanian entrepreneurship. Throughout 2018, Business Review has presented dozens of inspirational stories about Romanians who transformed their passions, hobbies and knowledge into successful businesses. We’ve revealed the stories behind domestic businesses, regardless of their sizes and the sectors they belong to, because we wanted to highlight the diversity and creativity of the Romanian business environment. Through this campaign, Business Review and CEC Bank are strengthening their commitment to be the primary source for information and financing for Romanian entrepreneurial initiatives.

Our #makeithappen campaign continues with the story of the Kadiana Lux factory, which is preparing to launch its own sofa collection, exclusively for the Romanian market.

A year ago, Anamaria Istoc took her first steps into entrepreneurship after eight years as an employee in the sofa manufacturing industry. She started out with a lohn sofa cover factory in Arad. “I decided to open this business in order to develop domestically and internationally, including with our own products, which we want to launch on the Romanian market starting with 2019,” said Anamaria in an interview for Business Review.

In the beginning, the business had 12 employees and a contract signed with a large sofa producer. “I had the courage to get into this adventure because I had a serious client who paid on time ever since the beginning. No business can survive without trustworthy partners”, she explains. She invested all her family’s savings – RON 20,000 – which she used to design the space where the factory operates.

 

Her first pieces of equipment, 12 sewing machines, were entrusted to her by a partner. “Later, we also bought some more equipment in instalments,” Anamaria recalls. The financing that took her business to another level came from CEC Bank, and she used it to purchase another hall. “When this loan was approved I felt that my business had the chance to develop without any restrictions. My biggest worry, the workspace, was taken care of,” the entrepreneur explains.

“I had the courage to get into this adventure because I had a serious client who paid on time ever since the beginning. No business can survive without trustworthy partners”

Although she studied at the Finance&Banking  at The Faculty of Economics and Sciences of Aurel Vlaicu University in Arad, she chose a career where success goes hand in hand with passion. At 31, she feels fulfilled in all aspects of her life. She has two children – a three-year-old boy, Nicolae, and a seven-year-old girl, Diana. She built her own business with her children in her arms. “I paid the salaries while breastfeeding several times. I always tried not to neglect the business, but at the same time I wanted to be close to my children, so I took them everywhere with me,” she says.

Future plans

2019 is about creativity and originality, Ana-Maria says. It is the year when she’s aiming to launch her own sofa collection. “We want to launch a quality product that’s conceived exclusively for the Romanian market. Over the past year, we’ve studied the behavior and the needs of the Romanian consumer when it comes to sofas. Romanians like quality sofas at affordable prices, and they need to have as many functionalities as possible,” the entrepreneur explains. “We’re now working on designs and naming our new brand,” she added. She is forecasting a 30 percent revenue growth in 2019, through the launch of the new products.

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