Carola Pradas & Marisa Otamendi

Updated March 2007

Although almost half a million Argentine businesses have a website, only a few of them understand the impact of timely online communications with their customers. At least that’s what market research director Carola Pradas and her enterprise partner Marisa Otamendi (a consulting director) believe. And that’s why they have designed an online query response business, which has an inherent social responsibility function.

The idea enables small-to-medium enterprises to improve customer satisfaction by outsourcing their online query response service. “Many companies in Argentina underestimate the importance of providing an immediate, personalized response via the Internet,” explains Carola. “Not only do they lose on potential on- and offline sales, they also miss out on building customer loyalty.”

Carola and Marisa, both born and educated to postgraduate level in Buenos Aires, drew upon both their professional experience in international market research and their personal findings as online shoppers to develop the plan. “As customers ourselves, the responses to our test e-mails came four to seven days after the queries had been sent, if at all,” says Marisa. “The delay represents an opportunity for us to improve online client relationships.”

Starting their own business is a logical career move for both women. “As the Senior Research Director at a private consulting firm, I am constantly seeking out new markets and innovative products for the companies I advise,” explains Carola. Marisa, a Consulting Director and Head of Customer Development at the same firm is similarly motivated. “This plan is a great opportunity to add value to companies’ operations. To learn from Cartier’s coaching consultants whilst developing the model is particularly exciting.”

A win-win model

The aim of the business is to provide a 24-hour query response solution to companies that can’t afford in-house provision of this service. It’s more than a simple business venture, however. A notable differentiating aspect of Carola and Marisa’s project is their desire to create income streams for marginalized segments of the population.

“We’re looking to train and employ stay-at-home women currently without paid jobs. They may be homemakers or retirees. By tapping this employee pool, we aim to provide capable women with a monthly income from a job they can do from home. In turn, they’ll be able to contribute to family finances and gain greater independence,” explains Marisa.

Today Argentina, tomorrow the world

With no competitors in Argentina and a healthy Latin American economy, Carola and Marisa are eventually planning to roll out the scheme in Uruguay, Chile and Paraguay. “With Argentine employees’ language skills and our favorable exchange rate, we believe we can ultimately offer the service to companies worldwide,” says Carola.

The partners consider the Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards as a building block to making their dreams a reality. “We actually jumped up and down when we heard that we’d been chosen as finalists,” confesses Carola with a smile. “The fact that we were selected makes the possibility of implementing the project much more concrete,” she adds. “It assures us that we’re headed in the right direction,” concludes Marisa.