Ms. Esra Çiçek’s success story begins with her brave decision to pursue her dream during the pandemic. After working in human resources, she decided to leave her job and turn her long-held aspiration of starting a home textile production business into reality. In 2021, she established her own company in Adana. The company produces a variety of home textile products, including bedspreads, duvet covers, pillowcases, placemats, tablecloths, and decorative home textiles.
Through KOSGEB, she learned about the FOSTER Project’s Employment Committed SME Support Programme. She applied to the project and received financial support, which allowed her to retain one employment position while also hiring another Turkish woman and two foreigner women under temporary protection. Initially, she was the sole worker in her business, but with the financial support from the project, she expanded her team to four, all of whom are women. This support increased the workforce, which in turn boosted the company’s production capacity and revenue.
For Ms. Esra Çiçek’s company, the most significant contribution of the FOSTER Project was expanding production capacity through increased employment, helping her to achieve sales targets faster.
Ms. Esra Çiçek took a similar approach after the earthquake that affected Adana. While home textile sales initially came to a standstill, the demand for her products increased as people in the region began rebuilding their homes. She continued production, striving to meet the needs of the local community.
Looking ahead, Ms. Esra Çiçek aims to grow her e-commerce presence by expanding online sales channels and plans to open a small boutique store for retail sales. She continues her journey as a role model, demonstrating how women can strengthen their place in the business world.
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