From the dining room table to a formal workshop: A passion that turned a candle into jobs and growth

Determination, passion, and a deep desire to grow are what allow a startup, to take the leap that transforms dreams into progress and real opportunities.

Jackeline Correa Ramírez is a Colombian woman who, when she lit a handmade candle for the first time, never imagined that a small flash of light would become a business with identity, purpose, and a future. Her brand was born in the intimacy of her home, using her dining room table as a canvas; today, it grows step by step, with solid foundations and an increasingly clear path toward sustained growth. Her story demonstrates that trusting in formality can be the path to transforming an individual passion into opportunities for the community, the city, and the country.

The story of Zhu Studio begins with a girl who always preferred hands full of paint over numbers. Although Jackeline studied public accounting seeking security, following the path of her older sisters, her true passion always lay in everything she could create with her imagination and materialize with her own hands.

That drive led her to study interior design at the Academia Superior de Artes, where she found the language to transform spaces and emotions. For years, she worked as a freelancer remodeling homes and building environments, but the desire to create something of her own remained lit. It wasn’t until 2021, in a market not yet saturated, that she took a candle-making course. That simple workshop became her revelation. Candles allowed her to unite design, art, scent, form, and space: everything she loved in a single object.

With the support of her mother, sisters, partner, and friends, who provided supplies, tools, and encouragement, she began manufacturing from home. There, her dining room became the workshop during her first Mother's Day season: “There was nowhere to sit, everything was production, packaging, aromas… and it was beautiful,” she recalls.

Finally, she decided to take the leap: formalizing her brand, registering her logo, and protecting her design. She remembers it as a meticulous process that lasted more than a year. This decision allowed her to consolidate her identity and protect her vision. “I wanted to do things very well from the beginning,” Jackeline stated, highlighting the importance of every detail, from the label to the packaging.

The path of entrepreneurship has not been free of stumbles, especially economically, but Jackeline has never walked alone. With courage, she sought support from entities that believed in her talent. Her approach to the mayor's office and the Cámara de Comercio Aburrá Sur (Chamber of Commerce) allowed her to find the tools to continue growing in a solid and sustained manner.

The vision of Zhu Studio goes beyond selling candles. Jackeline conceives her products as design elements that don’t just perfume, but transform spaces, creating unique concepts through exclusive collections. Her goal is to grow, expand, hire employees, and reach more people to offer a complete world of lighting and scents.

Why is formalization the key to growth for small businesses?

When a business operates in informality, many doors remain closed, as it cannot easily access credit, support programs, or opportunities that allow for growth. Therefore, formalizing should not be seen as a complicated trámite, a bureaucratic chore, but as a step that clears the path, because it allows entry into a system that accompanies and offers tools so that businesses become stronger and more sustainable over time.

With that idea, in Colombia, the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Tourism has spent more than ten years accompanying entrepreneurs from all regions. Since 2012, it has guided more than 180,000 business owners across the country's 32 departments, teaching them how to take the leap toward formality and how to leverage it to move forward. More than just talking about regulations, these programs seek to show them that there is a possible path and that they do not have to walk it alone.

Much of this support allows businesses to access more flexible credit, financial aid that does not need to be paid back (grants), significant discounts, and opportunities to participate in public procurement and business growth projects.

In the case of Panama, the Panamá Emprende program exists, a digital system created so that any person, Panamanian or foreign, can open a company in a matter of minutes. Without lines, without extensive paperwork, and without additional costs, this platform simplifies the start of an economic activity to the maximum, relying on technology and citizen trust. Its objective is to promote an agile and accessible business climate where starting a business is a simple process within everyone’s reach.

Thanks to this model, Panama is positioned among the fastest and easiest countries to create a company. The logic is simple: as long as the activity is not prohibited, anyone can start a business; they only need to notify the State that they are beginning operations. With this, the Government drives the generation of employment and wealth, opening the door to more opportunities for those who wish to start their own business.

For its part, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), based in Washington DC, offers the Financing Project for emerging microfinance institutions. This project seeks to help more low-income micro-entrepreneurs, especially those living in rural areas, access financial services that are currently out of reach. To achieve this, they provide a loan to Vision Fund International, which then directs it to small microfinance institutions that work directly with entrepreneurs who live day-to-day and need a boost to stabilize and grow their businesses.

In simple words: formalizing is a real and practical way to grow. A step that provides peace of mind, opens doors, and turns a dream into a company with a future.