Selling home decor changes couple’s lives

By Aileen Garcia-Yap
Cebu Daily News


Perla Vidas and her husband were ordinary employees.

Perla was a store helper and her husband a security guard, before they started to make things different in 1991.

Starting a family with a child, Perla recalled life was no longer easy back in early 80s. They had to make ends meet and one day they finally realized that employment was not the best solution to augment their family's earnings.

“I was working for my aunt then who was selling different food items near the port area and also near Sto. Niño church. My husband's income and mine combined was not enough for us so we decided to start our own small business which could give us income based on how hard we work,” she said.

So when they noticed more and more tourists coming to Cebu in the early 90s, they decided to venture into the business of selling native home decorations and accessories.

“We don't have to prepare any capital investment as we only get stocks from a supplier and then sell them at higher prices as our way of earning income.”

Eventually, the business started to grow and the couple slowly earned and put aside enough savings to serve as additional capital for the business.

“We were able to put up P50,000 which we used to buy more goods not only from Cebu, but also from other places like Bicol, Baguio, and Negros,” she said.

The couple also started traveling and joining bazaars at festivals in other provinces and cities like the Pintados festival in Tacloban and the Jamboree event in Laguna.

“We go to every city that we think will have many people visiting during festivals and get a share of the market,” she said.

One of the biggest events that they never failed to attend every year is the Sinulog festival, during which they rent two slots along Jones Avenue near Abellana National High School – right where most of the tourists are expected to gather even before the grand parade on Sunday.

“We've been displaying here since the early 90s. And until now, we are still renting slots to sell a wide selection of accessories, home decoration and handicrafts from different areas in the country,” she said.

The couple hired only two helpers when they started. Now, they employ five people and get more help when there are several events happening at the same time in different locations.

“We have five regular helpers right now who are also our relatives and some friends,” she said.

The Vidas said that they are proud to have helped create employment for their relatives, saying they are just returning the favor they were given before by her aunt who employed her as a store helper.

The couple also helped their parents by having them live in their house and taking care of their needs.

SOURCE


COMMENT:
There is nothing sweeter than savoring your own fruits of labor, rather than working for other people. Building your own business and working hard and smart through it is one of the best ways to be successful..