Ideas & Opportunities

No matter how much capital you have, there’s a business to be had. Is one hundred thousand pesos enough to start a car-wash business? Yes. Is P200,000 good for your own clothing and accessories shop? Check. How about a bakery for 250 grand? Yup. Your own restaurant for P400,000? Uh-huh. Will P450,000 be enough to open a grocery store? Oh yes.

 

You can begin a business on a budget—and it doesn’t have to be a food cart or a fly-by-night business franchise (although food carts are great business concepts in their own right). Apart from ideas, each person always needs two resources available to start a business: time and money.

 

Clothing and accessories

Being well-traveled has its advantages. For Mathea Ang, one of the benefits is being inspired by new designs in fashion—and another is getting the idea to start a clothing and accessories business of her own.

Although Marmalade Fashion and Boutique, Ang’s clothing brand and store, officially opened on May 10, 2010, the 22-year-old was into business long before that. As early as 2006, she was joining bazaars and tiangges, honing the entrepreneurial instinct she boosted by enrolling in the University of Asia and the Pacific’s Entrepreneurial Management program.

She admits she started Marmalade “because of the (college) course, and the encouragement of my family to start my own business” so to show her commitment, she poured in P200,000 of her personal savings into the venture. She continued to join bazaars, selling mainly lingerie from both local and international suppliers, but when sales were slow she added some clothes of her own design and some accessories.

“First I started with retail, but I changed to wholesale because of (consignment) offers,” Ang says. But the chance to do retail presented itself again with a small, 11-sq m space at the Market! Market! Mall in Taguig City, and so she negotiated to rent the space at P26,000 a month. “At first I just wanted only a kiosk to sell undergarments, pero konti lang ang kita (the earnings were small),” she adds.

Apart from the rental expense, most of Ang’s capital went to her initial inventory (about a third of her initial funds) and merchandise like “hooks (for displaying the clothes) and store materials.” An additional P20,000 went to permits and license fees. She also pays the salaries of two regular employees, who also help out when Ang occasionally returns to tiangges to move her inventory and boost her income.

Of course, being a student entrepreneur has its hurdles. Apart from keeping up her academics, “I had staff problems in my first six months, and time management was really a challenge. I had to know my priorities and what I should do to complete everything,” Ang says.But the lady behind Marmalade isn’t in business just for the cash, she says. “I want to make a difference and be my own boss.”  An inspired thought, indeed.

Other Businesses from P101K to P200K
Mobile Photo Booth
Offer a customized mobile photo booth for parties and corporate events. Fabricate your own mobile booth with a computer, camera, printer, lighting equipment, tarpaulin backdrops, and add some fun props and you’re good to go.  

 

Gift Wrapping
Got a knack for wrapping presents? Invest in a wide selection of quality wrapping papers, ribbons, and cards and you’re set to create your own gift-wrapping station. Holidays are your peak seasons.

 

Party Place
Provide all the knick-knacks anyone throwing a party would ever need: from children’s parties to adult-themed ones. Be the destination of choice for balloons and toys, costumes and prizes, and even hosting and entertainment needs.

 

Begin a business on a budget (Part 1)

Name

E-Mail

URL

Comment

Email this article to a friend.

friend's email
your name
your email