Tags: Cottage Industries, Entrepreneurship, Wholesale and Retail
By KC Santos
MANDALUYONG CITY, METRO MANILA – This family’s soap business has been providing livelihood for the women of Barangay Addition Hills for the past 10 years.
SBM Handmade Herbal Soap, headed by proprietor Tita Sanquillo, has been selling and manufacturing inexpensive natural soaps and has tapped housewives in the local community to help in the business.
“Si Mama kasi, nagdaan din sa hirap, nakaranas din ng gutom. Kaya niya naisipang ibahagi yung mga natutunan niya sa paggawa ng sabon(Our mother has been through hardships and has gone through hunger. That’s why she thought of sharing to others her knowledge in soap-making),” shares Johnny Sanchez, son-in-law of Sanquillo.
Nanay Tita was fortunate enough to be chosen by their city government to be sent to a livelihood training facility for a free course on soap-making 10 years ago.
After a year of sharing her acquired knowledge, she made it her own personal advocacy to carry on the livelihood program by putting up her own business, the Samahan ng Bagong Milenyo, which eventually became SMB Handmade Herbal Soap.
Sanchez says from 10, there are now 50 women helping out and earning from the business.
But the company had to endure hardships when it was burned to ashes in 2007 after a huge fire ate the small community where the company’s factory was situated. Nothing was left except the family’s drive and persistence to continue the business.
The disaster was a blessing in disguise, says Sanchez.
“Pinulot namin yung mga sarili namin at nag-start ulit from scratch. Hanggang sa may nag-offer ng tulong sa panahon na kailangan na kailangan naming (We picked ourselves up and started from scratch, until someone extended help at the time we need it most),” Sanchez says.
The firm took chances and participated in bazaars and trade fairs. The soaps of Nanay Tita are now exported to Malaysia. The re-orders that the company gets from the foreign retailers is proof of the high quality of the products, Sanchez says.
Sanchez says there are challenges in promoting and selling the products locally because of the competition and skepticism of some consumers.
He stresses that the success of the company is due to the soap-makers of Mandaluyong and the family’s drive to be hands-on with the business.
“Me and my wife would sleep for only two hours and then wake up at the wee hours to re-pack soap. Entrepreneurs are required to be hands-on,” Sanchez shares.
He also adds that despite challenges, entrepreneurs should always embrace risks, must be patient with results and must constantly be on the lookout for trainings and seminars for constant learning.
For product and franchising inquiries, contact Mary Ignacio at 387-2435/ 0933-578-6003 / 0905-648-6495.
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