Small business owners, especially women entrepreneurs, are important to both their immediate communities and the local economy. Research shows that there are around 28,000 Women’s SMEs (WSMEs) in the country or around one in four of all SMEs in the Philippines.
Entrepreneurs who are also mothers at home—the so-called mompreneurs—founded their businesses with the goal of improving their family’s lives. These businesses encourage creativity and empower women to be financially independent.
The online community Madiskarte Moms PH (MMPH) is one such support group for moms who are starting their own businesses or scaling up their existing ones. MMPH has its own Facebook group and YouTube channel that feature posts and videos of moms sharing advice and best practices in online marketing and selling. It’s very inspiring to see moms telling their own stories of how they started small and eventually scaled up.
These mompreneurs have created intensely personal businesses and, as such, their dedication shows in their products — proudly handcrafted, each one never the exact same copy of another. In a world of fast production, there is value in products made with skilled hands, passion, and care.
Mompreneurs are some of the most madiskarte and hardworking Filipinos hustling their way toward their financial goals. They deserve our support and applause for starting businesses from nothing, but more importantly, their products deserve our attention. Here are four of the best handcrafted products from the mompreneurs of Madiskarte Moms PH:
For those who like to write down their thoughts and prayers during their regular Bible readings, Madiskarte Mom Vannie Roxas’ Bible journals are a great get. Initially made for her own use, she started her business this year when her workload as a freelance social media manager became less demanding.
She joined a crafting workshop to learn how to print, and her husband’s T-shirt printing business made it easier for her to start since they already had the equipment. “At the workshop I learned that there are so many products we can do—it was a bit overwhelming,” Vannie says. “But I thank God because he led me to create products that are aligned with my passion and faith. I really use Bible journals to help my faith grow and I wanted to share it with fellow devotees who want to jot down their meditations.”
Vannie also now offers a Prayer Journal, Biblical Affirmations notebook and other products to help her customers in their faith journey. She says she feels very blessed as the business gives them additional income. “It’s not that big yet since we just started. We’re in the process of studying how we can grow it and expand to create more jobs in the community. I hope we get bulk orders for this year’s Christmas season so we can share the blessings that our products have showered upon us.”
Vannie’s journals are simple, usable, thick and long-lasting. They’re also truly affordable at P220 per journal.
Our skin could always use some extra TLC—which is why this idea from mompreneur Christine Joy Llameg is one of the more enticing products in the Madiskarte Moms PH community. Christine sells homemade balms and salves that help treat annoying skin conditions such as rashes and dry skin. The healing salves are made with all-natural ingredients, such as essential oils and botanical extracts, and they also avoid the potentially dangerous chemical camphor.
The idea of making balms came to the mompreneur when she wanted to make one for a friend’s son with G6pd or the lack of an enzyme (glucose-6 phosphate dehydrogenase) in the blood. “Anything minty is not allowed to touch his skin so I first made a salve for him, and that sparked the idea of eventually selling them.”
The business also helps fund therapy sessions for Christine’s four-year-old daughter Irie, who’s in the autism spectrum. “I had my first big order during my second month—100 pcs of aromatherapy balm as a wedding favor and that paid for two months of therapy sessions. Currently my sales are at a slow phase but I’m still fighting for it because I have to give the best life for my family, especially my daughter,” she says.
Christine personifies the mom who never gives up no matter the odds. She shares that this is her third business idea after two failed ventures. “Life is really hard but when I think about my daughter, I feel like I can do anything.”
Need floral decor for your events and spaces? Mompreneur April Baltazar’s paper flower designs, which imitate popular flowers such as roses and daisies, give off a very realistic feel. A Madiskarte Mom since 2015, she proudly shares that her home business has taken her to different places across the country to set up paper flowers for various clients.
April started her business eight years ago after she stumbled on a Facebook post about giant paper flowers. “I was intrigued and quickly became interested, so I decided to try making them myself. Since then, I have been exploring various social media platforms in search of creative ideas and online tutorials to gain inspiration. The positive feedback and encouragement I received from my friends, family, and early clients played a significant role in shaping my current path,” she says.
Madikarte Moms’ support motivated her to channel her creativity into a profitable business while social media helped her discover her target market. “Business has become our primary source of income. With it, we are able to pay our bills every month and even have some savings. Since I have been practicing my art for many years, I have seen significant improvement in my skills. As a result, I now conduct workshops to share my knowledge and expertise, which serve as an additional source of income for my family.”
April admits that the market is now saturated with numerous competitors, but “we are able to meet all our needs and wants solely by selling giant paper flowers. This business has truly helped my family financially.”
Want to change up your personal style? These handcrafted floral-themed polymer clay earrings by mompreneur Cess Tordes are colorful and vibrant, perfect to either accentuate a subtle outfit or complete a larger-than-life look. They’re also great for all ages! Mommy Cess offers a large collection of earrings, which she makes when she’s feeling stressed from her day job.
“I got the idea from Pinterest. I saw earrings that were so beautiful that I made some for myself. When I posted them on Facebook, a lot of people inquired where they could get them or if I was selling them. I couldn’t do it full time because I work full time for an AU-based company. Making polymer clay earrings is both a side business and a hobby,” Cess says.
She shares that the profit from the business goes to the schooling of her four-year-old daughter. “The income from the business is not a lot yet because I sell them at low prices, especially to momshies. But the fulfillment I get from creating them and seeing them worn by women to important occasions in their lives like their birthday, graduation or wedding is very satisfying.”
These awesome products by mompreneurs from the Madiskarte Moms PH community show that there’s no limit to the creativity and ingenuity of the Filipina. There are a lot more handmade products and items waiting to be discovered.
If you’re also a madiskarte mom who’s looking to touch base with like-minded mompreneurs, or if you’re an aspiring mompreneur who wants to channel your creativity and productivity into a small business, the Madiskarte Moms PH community is more than welcoming to new members.
To check out more unique products, connect with fellow mompreneurs, or start your journey to becoming a mompreneur yourself, you can join the Facebook group here.
