Mom in Guatemala launches online bondage store during COVID
I started making new designs with the basic materials of bondage including leather and chains. The store quickly exceeded my expectations, and the products became a success. I found an audience who lacked access to this type of product and offered it to them according to their tastes and sizes.
- 2 years ago
July 8, 2022
In the midst of the COVID-19 Pandemic, one mom who lost her job became an entrepreneur by launching an online bondage shop | Photo courtesy of Samuel Regan-Asante on Unsplash
GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala ꟷ During the COVID-19 Pandemic, I became a new mom, experienced a serious health risk, and lost my job. Since then, living with the virus has become a routine part of everyday life, but the Pandemic was never routine for me. I went from working in a well-known supermarket in my city to running an erotic online store specializing in bondage.
Amid a pandemic and without a job
When the Pandemic began, everything felt confusing and uncertain. No one knew what was going to happen from one day to the next. I could not have predicted how much my life would change.
I gave birth to my first child and suffered an episode of pre-eclampsia, experiencing significant damage to my health. Seeing my first child born proved beautiful but stressful at the same time.
With a job in a well-known supermarket in the city, I became classified as high-risk because of my blood pressure. The company laid me off for eight months and sent me home.
I suppose they did not want to bear the heavy expense of keeping high risk people employed. Vaccinations were a distant topic and I wondered how I would find work with my arterial condition.
One afternoon, I asked myself as I had many times before, “Now what am I going to do?” Scrolling through Instagram I realized I liked a lot of the images I shared because they showed feminine sensuality. I wore stockings and flirtatious clothing, and never shied away from eroticism.
An idea came to my mind. “I have to open an online store,” I thought.
From unemployment to an online businesswoman
Excitement filled me and I began sharing my idea with family and friends. They quickly told me it would have no future, but I did not listen.
I kept thinking, “This has to work, it is the only way I can help my husband financially. I cannot sit idly by.” So, I made an initial investment in the company – a great sacrifice for us – and I focused on my own voice, rather than the negative voices of others.
Believing my son deserved the best and knowing I could not afford to lose my job, I felt restricted. My health condition prevented me from finding work and we were living with Pandemic curfews. As a member of a high-risk group, it was suggested I not even go to the grocery store to shop for food.
Having an online store seemed like a great idea and my husband trusted me completely. Setting aside the catastrophic scenarios others presented, and distancing myself from my parents, I launched Dollstoregt and started selling stockings. Little by little the stockings turned into a harness, leather accessories, and chains.
I had no prejudice against bondage, rather I saw it as a preference or a taste, an erotic interplay between couples. I was surprised to find out so many people enjoy it, especially in a conservative country amid a pandemic.
Learning all the facets of running an online business
I started making new designs with the basic materials of bondage including leather and chains. The store quickly exceeded my expectations, and the products became a success. I found an audience who lacked access to this type of product and offered it to them according to their tastes and sizes.
From a business perspective, nothing has been easy. Being a business owner came with sleepless nights, overtime, and working under pressure. I had to learn to make the products but also to process orders, arrange deliveries, handle logistics, and manage the accounting – all without neglecting my home.
Through it all, I learned amazing things about people’s behavior and sexual preferences. Some customers timidly ask for excessive discretion; others order simply out of curiosity. Often people reach out to buy something but end up asking for advice on sexual matters. I try to learn all I can, but also set limits. I cannot give all my time away.
Most of my clients include women between 20 and 30 years old, with a few in their 40’s. It’s a shame more older women do not experiment with their bodies and sexuality. While men have more unusual behavior, women seem more open and buy the most product.
I exercise extreme caution with personal data and create an environment of dialogue and trust with my customers, so they feel safe and comfortable.
Learning to manage social media and create influencer partnerships
Men sometimes write to flirt with me, believing I am the one appearing in all the photographs, when in fact, it is a client. I ask them to stop, putting aside those clients and conversations. While some are harmless, others become very rude. I block those individuals, even if it means losing a sale.
A client named Ashely surfaced who purchased a lot of merchandise. She became the model for my photographs. Ashely runs an OnlyFans account and sells accessories. We went from having a client-seller relationship to becoming partners.
Ashely promotes clothes and we upload the photos to my business account. A very sexy woman, she knows how to show off the clothing and accessories on her body. Her partnership became very important to the prosperity of my business.
Another challenge arose with Instagram restrictions, which sometimes censors photos. Those selected for censorship can seem absurd but I adapt to the regulation of the network. I will not fight the very space that has become my best sales platform.
Learning the online sales cycle and managing workload
Demand for my products increase around Halloween, Valentine’s Day, and in November and December. However, I felt surprised by the number of orders received at Easter. I also receive an influx of orders in June as people plan outfits for Pride parades. During these seasons, I barely sleep.
Delivering the products myself during busy seasons would take too much time. In a quiet season, I deliver about 15 orders per week, but in high season the number leaps exponentially. I work with a courier company when that happens. The people delivering my product have no idea what the boxes hold. The couriers remain respectful.
Occasionally issues arise when a client fails to pay then does not answer the phone or open the door of the address given. In cases like this, I take a loss, which I accept as part of doing business. It’s hard though, because of the effort I put in.
In addition to designing and sewing custom garments, I hand select the material. I vet suppliers for leather, lace, and chains and adjust my offerings based on what clients are asking for. Today, more clients want corsets and harnesses that tie from the rear and better highlight rear curves.
The entire experience enriches my life. I earn more money than my old job. Even though the demands prove greater, I get to be home and take care of my children.
Managing work and motherhood
I divide my time between my job and raising my children. People assume, because of the nature of my business, I must be an insatiable nymph. In reality, I’m just a normal woman who lives an everyday life. I have a one month old daughter now. I still battle my health issues as my pre-eclampsia resurfaced. Recovery can be quite difficult after the birth of a child.
As a result, we decided not to have more children. I may not survive a third episode, so I feel like the proud mom of a boy and a girl. Everything I do for work, and all the sacrifices, are for them. I want my kids to grow up in a loving home, away from prejudice, and have opportunities to study and achieve.
Another way I balance my life comes from setting my own schedule, making my own decisions, and working at my pace. I do this without a boss over me. Against all odds, my online store continues to grow, with 9,000 followers and many repeat customers. Even with competitors out there, I believe an audience exists for each of us.
When the COVID-19 Pandemic struck it changed all our lives. I never believed I would prosper financially, but I have. The news no longer says anything about Covid-19. In late April, the Guatemalan authorities ended the mask mandate while public places stopped taking temperatures and removed sanitizer dispensers.
The Pandemic forced me to make a change, but now, I feel great pleasure dedicating myself to something I enjoy. I love showing my children an example of perseverance.
Being the owner of an online sex shop has revealed what I am truly capable of. Above all, it allowed me to enjoy the home I always wanted.
