Homebased businesses are booming
as a movement, led mostly by resourceful mothers who are taking opportunities
to earn extra income while they take care of their families.
As more people stay at home to
keep safe, ordering online has become the norm. Having an online presence helps
move goods to more people and a growing community of online sellers enjoy the
ease of transactions through many digital platforms that are already available.
All it takes is a strong connection via a reliable provider such as PLDT Home
and a willingness to work hard at building a business from home.
The power of connections
Two inventive, yet practical or madiskarte moms who are harnessing the
power of strong connections are Vanna Reyes, an entrepreneur and online
influencer who also helps other businesses boost their sales, and Vania
Edralin, a talent manager who launched her baking business during the community
quarantine. Both are moms who are
balancing home life and their side hustles that are supported by the strong
connections provided by PLDT at Home.
Vanna Reyes, Home-based entrepreneur
“The pandemic has had a big
impact on mommies,” Vanna notes. Aside from the fact that they now have to
contend with their children’s online classes on top of managing the household,
there is also an uncertainty over the future as many households are affected by
loss of income. This is why Vanna supports many moms in the community that she
joins, not only by highlighting the products that she likes but also through
giving moral support.
Vanna describes herself as an
“accidental seller”, with her business starting out as a way to help
entrepreneur friends. “I just promote things that I personally use, and moms
who watch my videos start asking where they can buy the product as well,” she
says.
Among the items Vanna sold were
face masks, salt lamps, designer bags, and even children’s toys. “My story with
the children’s toys is a funny one. A friend with a physical store in Divisoria
told me that their stocks weren’t moving. To help out, I started posting their
items online and they made huge sales even out of season. My friend who was so
old-school has now started to migrate their business on selling platforms after
realizing the importance of having an online presence.”
For her part, Vania was doing
baking as a hobby before the pandemic hit. “My sister was the one who was
really into baking, using our mom’s recipe for cinnamon buns. I tweaked that
recipe to make smaller Cinnabites, and gave it away to family and friends,
until I realized that there was no one doing the same thing. I offered it on an
online selling group and it really took off,” she shares. From an initial
capital of P10,000 that went to bulk procurement of ingredients, she was able
to recover her investment within two months from baking only three times a
week.
Online advantages
There are many opportunities to
earn from a side hustle even through the pandemic, both Vanna and Vania attest.
“There may be other sellers out there, offering the same thing or something
similar to what you have, but there are also so many customers out there,”
Vanna encourages. “The main differentiation would be how you reach your market.
Some moms will have live selling programs, some will offer their products on
different platforms. What is important is that you find your niche.”
Mommy Vania turned her passion into a profit-making
business as she now sells home-baked mini cinnamon buns through her own shop,
Cinnabites.
Vania, who tried selling clothes
at a bazaar notes the difference. “You don’t need to spend so much on a space,
and there is no need to transport all your goods to a certain location. It is
easier to do business online. You can even target your audience by choosing a
location for your ads or by simply joining a neighborhood group.” She likewise
encourages budding homepreneurs to learn new skills such as taking videos or
editing photos, and making ad layouts that would attract more customers.
To support all these
transactions, one should have a stable internet connection such as PLDT Home.
Both moms say this is crucial and enables businesses to provide good customer
service, responding to queries and making transactions easy for customers, and
having reliable payment and delivery options. “If you don’t answer inquiries
right away, that would mean loss of business,” Vanna advises.
It all boils down to “sipag at tiyaga” (diligence and
perseverance), both moms say. There many side hustles that are available to
home-based moms, from creating your own products, to drop shipping or being a
reseller. “Diskarte ng mga Pinoy, walang
katulad (there’s nothing like the resourcefulness and strategy of Pinoys),”
Vanna says. Vania agrees and adds, “If you’re a mom, you’ll do anything and
everything for your family. That is the driving force of madiskarte moms, love for their family.”
With a reliable and powerful internet connection at home,
homepreneurs can take their business goals to the next level.
To know more about
how you can rediscover opportunities in-home business, watch this video
from PLDT Home.
