Yobany Mateus is a 49-year-old Colombian entrepreneur. When you hear him speak, you can sense his entrepreneurial spirit and the drive that characterizes the people of his country to move forward and achieve their dreams.
His journey in the business world began more than 15 years ago when he created an innovative business model at the time called “Visual Puntual,” through which he offered optical health services to various companies in Bucaramanga, a city located in the northeast of Colombia. The added value of his venture was providing employees with the opportunity to acquire optical solutions (contact lenses or glasses) through a monthly payroll deduction.
Mateus at his former physical optical services store, “Visión Puntual.”
“My business solution addresses the challenge employees face in finding time and money to take care of their health. Thanks to this convenient payment option, many companies wanted to partner with us to offer this service to their employees,” said the entrepreneur.
“My business solution addresses the challenge employees face in finding time and money to take care of their health.”
Mateus’s venture was doing so well that he even received the “Entrepreneurial Tenacity” award from the Bucaramanga Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, Fenalco, one of Colombia’s most influential trade associations, honored him with distinction for his commitment to the socioeconomic development of the Santander region. However, despite these achievements, he eventually faced a financial hurdle. His business model required him to purchase optical supplies upfront and sell them on credit. “It was necessary to obtain financial backing to continue this activity,” he noted.
Mateus and his team celebrate the distinction from Fenalco.
At the same time that Mateus navigated new obstacles, he also came across new opportunities. He realized that his venture was falling short by offering only one product (vision care) and a single channel (salary deductions). “Companies asked me if I knew of other providers that offered health services and insurance using the same payment method.”
“That’s when the idea came to me to transform my business into a digital platform that could offer different types of services as a marketplace, through a network of partners, with payments made via salary deductions,” he said.
Driven by this new vision for his business, Mateus is in the process of creating the application “Puntual Capital.” Through this new model, he will no longer solely offer services – he will also provide employers with small salary deduction loans, allowing users to transfer money from the platform to digital wallets and bank accounts, among other channels. This new fintech model has required him to build partnerships with developers and credit organizations to make his business idea a reality.
Image of the new application Puntual Capital, developed by Mateus.
Mateus understood that to begin the digitalization of his company, he needed to expand his knowledge of current digital resources for businesses. One morning in August, an opportunity aligned with his need. Through an email, he received an invitation granting free access to the Digital Transformation for Businesses course developed by CIPE in partnership with the educational platform Platzi.
“The CIPE course has given us a clearer understanding of the opportunities and strengths we can find in our business to enter the digital world. As a leader of an organization, it’s important to have a vision of growth, not just survival. When the invitation came, I knew the course aligned with my goals. I was so excited that I completed it in less than a week.”
“As a leader of an organization, it’s important to have a vision of growth, not just survival.”
This training opportunity also allowed Yobani to explore existing platforms for business digitalization, identify which of these platforms are ideal for his business, learn how to collect payments through payment gateways, and delve into the use of artificial intelligence and its benefits for business growth.
Mateus participating in the Digital Transformation for Businesses course.
“The technological development of my company, Puntual Capital, is 40% complete. I am grateful to CIPE for thinking of entrepreneurs like me, who are striving to generate growth and expand opportunities in our country. Providing us with tools and knowledge to grow our businesses is the best way to achieve mutual benefit,” Yobani concluded.
“I am grateful to CIPE for thinking of entrepreneurs like me, who are striving to generate growth and expand opportunities in our country.”
The Perception of Other Course Beneficiaries
Entrepreneur Carlos Lozano, beneficiary of CIPE’s Digital Transformation for Businesses course. Photo: Carlos Lozano.
Mateus is not the only entrepreneur to share his experience in the digital transformation course. Entrepreneur Carlos Lozano, Founder, Owner, and Director of REDGESCOM, reached out to CIPE to express his satisfaction with this training opportunity.
“I am grateful to have been considered for the digital transformation course for businesses. I just completed the process and received my diploma. I congratulate you and express my admiration for your easy and user-friendly design, which allows us to grasp the concepts easily with the guidance of the instructors. I am 62 years old and thought it would be difficult to take the course, but after the first class, I realized it was just a matter of overcoming fear and paying attention. I hope you continue with these initiatives, as they positively impact the companies in our country,” Lozano shared.
“I am 62 years old and thought it would be difficult to take the course, but after the first class, I realized it was just a matter of overcoming fear and paying attention.”
Scope of the Course
The Digital Transformation for Businesses course is an adaptation of the global course“Harnessing the Power of the Digital Economy: MSME Guide to Digital Transformation”, designed by CIPE’s Center for Digital Economy and Governance(CDEG). Through a collaborative effort between CDEG, the CIPE Field Office in Colombia, and Platzi, this training tool was customized to meet the needs of Colombian micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (known as mipymes). To date, nearly 200 Colombian entrepreneurs have benefited from the course.
To expand the reach of this training course, CIPE, in partnership with iNNpulsa, the Colombian government’s innovation and entrepreneurship agency, made it available on its public learning platform in November 2024. The course became freely accessible to all entrepreneurs in Colombia.
Promotional image of the Digital Transformation Tool for Businesses. Since November 2024, this learning opportunity is available to all Colombians.
