Here is an e-commerce platform for local 100% products, created by Franciscan nun Léa Mogade to connect Martinican consumers with Martinican producers. It offers a wide selection of natural and artisanal products for food, personal care, home decor, and even clothing. Léa tells us the story behind this young company.
Léa Mogade: «Produitsmartinique.com is an e-commerce site selling 100% local products! We bring together the best of Martinique and the Caribbean so you can eat, live, and dress using 100% local products. The idea came to me shortly before my daughter was born, when I was looking for a healthy diet that was as close to nature as possible. Along the way, I discovered raw milk, breadfruit flour, and vegetable pâté, as well as hibiscus shampoo and mango butter…So I wanted to bring these products together and share them in Martinique, while also introducing Martinique to the world. Having studied accounting and management, the administrative side of things wasn’t difficult to handle. Nevertheless, to make sure I didn’t make any mistakes, I decided to bring in professionals: a lawyer to draft the articles of incorporation, a legal expert to handle the terms and conditions of sale, and an accountant to review the annual financial statements. But that’s not all! First, I took out a personal loan from ADIE (a microcredit association—Ed.) to cover the initial expenses. I received a quick response, which helped me avoid cash flow problems. Then, I submitted a bid for an ONF contract, which I had actually seen posted on Martinique 2030. And I responded to the call for projects on mapetitepoterie.com. I won both! With the help of Yan Maunier, a friend in finance, who helped me at the time wrap up the financial side of things in a week or two—after two or three sleepless nights… It was truly an amazing time. And it’s exactly to experience those kinds of exhilarating, adrenaline-fueled moments—like submitting an application 15 minutes before the deadline for a call for proposals—that I loved it. And now, a new adventure is beginning (a food truck project—Ed.). Produitsmartinique, the e-commerce business, will of course continue to take shape and grow. I’m only just getting started. But being able to sell my local—and exclusively local—products directly at a retail location, and then take it a step further by making crêpes with ti-nain flour, served with green papaya jam infused with aged rum, fresh fruit juices, and more… That’s going to add a whole new dimension to the project!
This development was part of the plan for my business, but I hadn’t expected it for another two or three years. The call for proposals really moved things along. And since nothing happens by chance, you have to know how to seize opportunities and live in the moment. What’s really great about these projects is that I’ll be able to create jobs in the coming months… The life of an entrepreneur is far from a long, calm river—there are challenges, opportunities, joys, and anxieties…But they’re also moments of wonderful encounters, like at the Ose trade show, for example. Moments that have changed—and will continue to change—the course of my life. Because in the end, the question is, «Who do I want to be, and what do I need to do to get there?» I try not to lose my way, to hold on to my values and what’s important to me. Because, quite simply, I’ve noticed that when I’m true to myself, I’m on the right path!»
For anyone looking for healthy, natural local products—who wants to buy local to support producers in Martinique, prioritize short supply chains, and help curb climate change—check out produitsmartinique.com and buy local!
Nathalie Laulé
https://produitsmartinique.com/
