November 2008 Issue by edlyn

MASIGASIG NOVEMBER 20 08

VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 11

OP FREE C

HELPING SMEs GET THE RIGHT CONNECTIONS

LADY

TWEETIE DE LEON-GONZALEZ exports eye-catching jewelry

LUXE Learn how TINA MARISTELA-OCAMPO turned her bags into A-list accessories

8 ways to BEAT the CHRISTMAS RUSH— STARTING TODAY!

NEW N! O I T C E S

IS HISING FRANCYOU? FOR

MASIGASIG Table of CONTENTS

14 COVER:

CELESTINA MAYNILANEW YORK INC. Tina Maristela-Ocampo is the toast of stars and socialites with her line of luxury handbags

GLOBAL ANG DATING

Nelly See’s search for cute hair clips led her to put up PinkBox, now a top brand for young and old alike

CELEBRITY RAKETS

Tweetie De Leon-Gonzalez turned her hobby into an export opportunity

HOT SPOTS

Eco-friendly businesses can ﬁnd a home in quaint and quiet San Carlos

IN EVERY ISSUE

STAFF

5Biz Tips 8Helpline 9Franchising 101 12Hot Negosyo 18Batang Negosyante 21High Tech 25Trivia & Round Up Jaclyn Lutanco-Chua Sunshine Selga Mari-An Santos Dino de Ocampo

Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Associate Editor Art Director

Katrina Tan Cecile Jusi-Baltasar Ray Andallon Jr. Bubbles Salvador Bridget Ng-Ting Abby Yao Paula Bianca Abiog

Writers

Ocs Alvarez Jun Pinzon Olet Ferrer

Photographers

Eric Maningat Cherry Pacheco-Uy Yen Uy Al de Leon

Makeup Artists

Junn delas Alas Dondi Limgenco

Project Managers

Globe Advisory Team Ailene Averion, Aldwin Co, Cielo Javier-Sonza, Alain Sebastian, Michelle Perlas, Barby Coronel

ma•si•ga•sig – determined, persistent or motivated, with a strong sense of direction in terms of goals to be achieved.

A special publication made by Summit Media for Globe Telecom. For special publication inquiries, please call 451-8888.

EDITOR’S NOTE What does it take to be a successful entrepreneur? Business books and magazines all tout the same things—passion, the willingness to take risks, and an eye for spotting opportunities. Allow me to add another trait: being masigasig. I realized this after reading this month’s three main features—Tina Maristela-Ocampo of Celestina, Nelly See of Pinkbox, and Charlene Leong of Baby Couture. At the onset of their business, each one encountered snubs, detractors, and rejection. Tina found that she was next to nobody when she pitched her local line of evening bags to New York City’s chi-chi department stores. Nelly was made to wait by the leasing manager of Glorietta for hours, only to be informed that there was no space available. And Charlene’s proposal to sell fashionable diaper bags in SM department stores was turned down not just once, but twice. What would have happened if these women had let these obstacles get to them? What if they hadn’t held their heads up, told themselves “My product is worth it,” and persisted in pursuing their business ideas? Then Tina’s bags wouldn’t have ended up in Vogue, the world’s most inﬂuential fashion magazine. Nelly’s stores wouldn’t have a presence in the major malls in the country today. And Charlene wouldn’t have become the toast of fashionable parents—even the dads! So you see, achieving success isn’t just about coming up with a winning idea; it’s also about being brave enough to back up that idea, no matter what other people may say (although be sure to determine which ones are constructive). If you’re in the midst of naysayers, we hope you can pick up some tips and inspiration from this issue. By the way, we've included some articles here on how you can prepare your retail business for the upcoming Christmas rush. It's never too early to get started.

Jaclyn Lutanco-Chua Editor-in-Chief Globe welcomes the newest member to the growing Masigasig family—the Association of Filipino Franchisers Inc. Since its inception in 1997, the AFFI has evolved into a venue wherein all interested entrepreneurs can network with colleagues to share the best practices and trends for their mutual advancement. Starting this month, AFFI partners with Globe—via the Masigasig magazine—by sharing franchising tips and insights in their Franchise 101 column (page 9). Topics will cover the basics that every franchiser, franchisee, and would-be franchiser and franchisee needs to know, from picking the right location for your outlet to avoiding common franchising mistakes. Globe’s tie-up with AFFI is just one of the many new avenues we constantly seek out to help serve you better. Whether it’s coming out with hot promos that are as affordable as they are fantastic, improving our products and services to be the most efﬁcient, or forging links with groups that matter to you—rest assured that we will never stop becoming better business advocates.

Maridol Ylanan Head-Corporate & SME Segments

Call the Globe Business Hotline at 730-1288 or 1-800-8-730 1288 for inquiries on Globe products and services, or visit any Globe Business Center or Globelines Payments and Services Center. ●

For inquiries, comments or suggestions on Masigasig magazine, e-mail sme@globetel.com.ph or visit www.sme.globe.com.ph. ●

ASKED & ANSWERED ● Sherbet or sorbet. This is basically gelato made

with water and without dairy ingredients.

Ice Cream Biz Ideas

● Frozen

yogurt. This is a hit among the growing number of health-conscious people today, and is so easy to make you can do it right from home.

Greetings! I got a copy of your recent magazine and found it to be a very useful tool for helping budding entrepreneurs. I’m currently employed but I have a small side business running an PHOTO BY HAROLD TAPAN ice cream store in San Pedro, Laguna. Since my business partner and I are new in the business, I would like to ask for some suggestions on what new products we can offer our customers. Also, we’re thinking of going into franchising as a way of expanding the business. What are the requirements for this? Any tips you can give will be most appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Regards, ARTHUR RYAN RECTO 0905-2996224 E-mail: ArthurRyan-P.Recto@AIG.com

Dear Arthur Ryan, Selling ice cream is a good business to get into because people of all ages love it, regardless of income segment. However, it is by nature a seasonal product; sales usually dip during the cold and rainy months, so you are right to think about expanding your offerings. The good news is there many kinds of ice cream. These include but are not limited to: Premium or super-premium ice cream. This kind of ice cream tends to have very low overrun (the increase in product volume created when a given volume of ice cream mix is aerated during processing), and of course you’ll have to use only the best quality ingredients. ●

● Organic

or all-natural ice cream. You use only organic ingredients. Exotic ice cream. Durian ﬂavored ice cream? Wasabi ice cream? Why not?

Frozen custard. Another popular substitute for ice cream. It is to regular ice cream what cream is to milk. Frozen custard is richer and creamier that standard ice cream because of a higher butterfat content, slower production time and less air blended into the mix. ●

Dear Masigasig,

A warmer temperature allows the taste buds to detect more flavor. Examples of soft-serve ice cream companies are Mr. Softy and Dairy Queen. Gelato. This is Italian ice cream made from a liquid, milk or water; a solid, sugar, fats or sweeteners; flavorings, pastes, fruit powders; stabilizers, guar gum, locust bean, etc.; emulsifiers, mono- and digylcerides; and air. The process in which gelato is made varies on the ingredients used as it can be made using a hot process, which includes pasteurization or as a cold process which doesn’t require pasteurization. Both processes require a gelato batch freezer, which makes the end product by mixing the ingredients and incorporating air. All these investments make gelato a form of highend ice cream. Gelato is typically made with fresh fruit or other ingredients such as chocolate (pure chocolate, flakes, chips, etc.), nuts, small confections or cookies, or biscuits. ●

Other products and services you can offer through your ice cream shop include: ■ Ice cream cakes ■ Hosting birthday and other parties in your shop ■ Catering services (providing ice cream and frozen desserts for off-site events) ●

As you can see, possibilities abound. The Internet is chock full of ideas, recipes, and instructions for those who want to start or grow their ice cream business, so you might want to do some research there. I also suggest that you talk to as many ice cream entrepreneurs as you can to get more insights into the industry. We featured Ian Carandang of Sebastian’s Ice Cream (see photo above) in the Hot Negosyo section of our July 2008 issue; try and get a back issue to find out how his experience was, or you can read it online at www.sme.globe.com.ph. Better yet, give him a call, he’s a nice guy. One last word of advice: selling ice cream is essentially a customer service business. No matter how good or interesting your products are, it won’t do any good if your clients do not enjoy the experience. So be sure to never let a customer leave your establishment without a smile on his/her face. Train your employees well, use only the highest quality ingredients, and make sure you follow correct manufacturing standards. Finally, regarding your question about the requirements to go into franchising—may I suggest that you contact a franchise organization to better advise you. The Association of Filipino Franchisers Inc. (www.affi.com.ph) is a good place to start. They also have a column with us starting this month— Franchise 101—where they will discuss common issues in franchising. Your question will definitely be addressed in a future issue. Good luck!

Regards, Jaclyn Editor-in-chief

●

Soft-serve ice cream. This kind is usually dispensed from a machine rather than served by hand. It is generally lower in milk-fat (3% to 6%) than regular ice cream (10% to 18%) and is produced at a temperature of about −4 °C compared to ice cream, which is stored at −15 °C. ●

4 • NOVEMBER 2008 • GLOBE MASIGASIG

Do you have any questions about your business that you think Masigasig can answer? Write to us at sme@globetel.com.ph and be our next letter sender of the month! Include your full name, name of business, contact number and e-mail address. The chosen letter sender will win premium Globe items! The winner will be notiﬁed via e-mail and will receive a call from Masigasig.

BIZ TIPS

SEAL THE DEAL How to haggle your way to a successful business transaction

‘‘W

ala na bang tawad yan?” is a commonly heard statement between a vendor and his customer. It has become a Pinoy trait not to immediately succumb to the ﬁrst price given by the vendor, because there is always a slight chance that the vendor will give a discount or throw in an extra service. Bart Corpus, owner of DGC Paint and Body, a custom and restoration car shop, enumerates the basic rules of haggling: Know the prices of your competitors. This way, you know just how low or high you can go. “If you know you’re within the price bracket, all you have to do is prove the quality of service or product you’re offering to justify a higher price.” A smile gives you an edge. “When clients find you nice and friendly, they’ll be more pleasant while bargaining.” Treat all clients equally. “The customer may be a well-known personality or a simple walk-in client, but you should deal with them

respectfully. Sometimes the flashy clients haggle more. But you never know what business your clients may give you in the future.”

B Y B U B B L E S S A LVA D O R

price, “you will be his suki,” says Kat. Repeat orders will mean more business for him. Let the supplier know he’s got competition. If the supplier knows that you are considering another company or individual, it is likely that he will make his offer competitive. “Then the supplier is likely to say, ‘Sige po, tatapatan ko na lang ang presyo nila,’” adds Kat.

Here are some statements that budding entrepreneurs may ﬁnd useful, whether dealing with clients or suppliers.

Ask for time to think about it. Kat advises, “Don’t show too much interest in the item you are actually interested in. Otherwise, the vendor may think he’s your only choice, and not give you a good deal.”

WHEN DEALING WITH SUPPLIERS…

WHEN DEALING WITH CLIENTS…

Feign disinterest. This is a common move, best expressed by saying, “Sige po, di bale na lang.” A vendor will most likely respond with, ‘Magkano po ba ang tawad ninyo?’, says Kat Corpus, owner of Kat Corpus Designs and Trajes, who shops for fabrics and other raw materials. “The vendor may actually realize that a potential sale is about to walk out.”

PHOTO BY MEMS GAMAD

“When clients find you nice and friendly, they’ll be more pleasant while bargaining...”

H i n t a t a possible longterm business relationship. If you say, “This may not be the last time I’m buying from you,” you may be able to convince your supplier that if he gives you a big discount or a good

Bargaining is all about reaching the best deal possible for both sides

Offer an additional service instead of a discount. Instead of giving in to a client’s tawad , Bart offers free service like body polishing, detailing, or a small thing that will surely get the car owner’s attention. “It works, because most of my clients are regular customers,” he adds. Give a better price for bulk purchase. FCR Business Machine Corporation, owned by Emma Tan-Liao, is an exclusive distributor of some big office machine brands. This is a technique Emma often uses to close a deal with a client. “The higher the quantity of the order, the higher your profit. Then, you can give a substantial discount,” she says. Offer better payment terms. For example, you can allow the customer to pay in installment. On the surface, this may not be tantamount to an immediate discount, but in the long run, “the client benefits because he settles the complete amount only after, say, 3 or 6 months, depending on your agreement,” Emma adds. ●

HAGGLING DOs AND DON’Ts

ome tips from Kat Corpus, fashion designer and owner of Kat Corpus Designs and Trajes; and Bart Corpus, owner of DGC Paint and Body. ■ Whether you’re a customer or

supplier, be courteous and friendly, but ﬁrm. Know how to sweet-talk your way into a deal.

If they like you, you will almost always get a better deal. You can even make friends!

■ This applies for customers and suppliers as well: Don’t be too serious; have a sense of humor.

■ Buying from a supplier? Know when to accept an offer. Don’t waste your time (or the seller’s

time) bargaining if you have no intentions of buying. ■ Master the art of conversing with clients. Experience is the best teacher of all, so suppliers should deal with clients personally. ● NOVEMBER 2008 • GLOBE MASIGASIG • 5

Pintaﬂores street dancers ready for this year’s festivities

The Center Mall is one of the ﬁrst developments in the city center

Prime properties at South Villa are targeted to OFWs and expats

SAN CARLOS CITY This ﬁrst-class component city on the eastern coast of Negros Occidental is raising the bar for green business B Y A B B Y Y A O • P H O T O S B Y O L E T

The ethanol plant will be operational in January 2009

an Carlos is located at the crossroads of four major cities in the Visayas: Cebu City, Bacolod City, Iloilo City and Dumaguete City. It covers 45,150 hectares—around two-thirds of which is agricultural land and one-fifth is protected forest. Cebuano is the dominant language, but English, Hiligaynon, and Tagalog are also spoken. A COMMITMENT TO THE ENVIRONMENT

Wherever you go, it is evident that preserving nature is taken seriously in San Carlos. The city is a model for efﬁciency and cleanliness. It is a Hall of Famer in the Galing Pook Awards, a program that recognizes outstanding local government initiatives that promote people’s empowerment and participation in local development despite limited resources. An example was last 2007, when the city was awarded for its “Water Levy for Watershed Development” program— San Carlos City charges a 75-centavo water levy, which generates some 6 • NOVEMBER 2008 • GLOBE MASIGASIG

FERRER

1.2 million annually for the city. The fund is used to preserve some 5.017 hectares of watershed and planting of 211,348 trees. Moreover, according to environment NGO Genesys Foundation, 70 percent of households in the city segregate garbage, which is then processed at the San Carlos Ecocenter for recycling and composting. Genesys, which has various projects in coastal resource management and waste management, is now concentrating on systematically turning idle and marginal non-food crop lands into useful lands for sustainable carbon capture. Ecologicallyfriendly industries will ﬁnd a conducive home here.

HOT SPOTS The city’s most famous peanuts brand lives up to the hype

SIPAWAY DIVERS PHOTO BY ANDREAS KAFFKA • PEANUTS PHOTO BY ABBY YAO

City Hall, home to some of Negros’ most innovative leaders Sipaway Divers takes you to pristine waters of Tañon Strait

With this in mind, businesses geared toward eco-tourism and hospitality, as well as suppliers of sea transport services and diving equipment, may be established here. Genesys Foundation’s sustainable crop mix

THE SPIRIT OF COOPERATION

The programs of organizations such as Genesys, as well as those of the local government, are attuned to the 20-year Master Development Plan monitored by the San Carlos City Development Board, an independent non-proﬁt foundation represented by different sectors to ensure that the city will reach its goals. The cooperation between civil society and LGU translates to transparent communication between organizations, dynamic relationships between business and the city government, and teamwork among citizens. The Kasipagan Association of Mothers’ Clubs (www.kasipaganmothers. org), made up of over 300 San Carloseño women, is one such group. The association exports handmade gifts, particularly cross-stitched and embroidered products, and holiday décor to various countries. It has been in existence, in fact, for almost 20 years, and has garnered awards from the Department of Health-GTZ HAMIS (Health and Management Systems) Awards and the Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation SIKAP Awards.

AGRI AT HEART

Despite its city status, San Carlos remains largely agricultural. The city is known in the region for its processed peanuts sold to nearby provinces. One of the homebased industries supported by the DTI One Town, One Product (OTOP) program The lookout point at People’s Park

is the famous ER’s Special Peanuts brand. Their salted garlic peanuts, made fresh daily in their home-based store on Burgos Street, are fast-moving, selling 1.5 million packs every year. There are still many agri-based opportunities in San Carlos City, such as dried fruit processing and, in the cooler areas, cutflower production. Organic farming is starting to catch on; the application of naturally occurring lime and limestone likewise hold some promise. Entrepreneurs who want to invest in these agriculturebased businesses will surely ﬁnd many sources.

SIGHTS AND SOUNDS

San Carlos is also fast becoming the go-to vacation spot for foreigners and locals alike. The white sand beaches of Sipaway (Refugio Island) is a famous jump-off point for numerous coral-rich dive sites. Other tourist attractions include the Choco Hills of Nataban and Alinsiyawan Falls.

A NEW BEGINNING

CONTACT DETAILS City Mayor’s Ofﬁce MAYOR EUGENIO LACSON City Hall, City Center cmo_scc@yahoo.com www.sancarloscity.gov.ph Genesys Foundation Emerald Building, F.C.Ledesma Avenue City Center genesysngo@yahoo.com www.genesysph.org San Carlos Bioenergy, Inc. San Carlos Ecozone Brgy. Palampas & Punao www.scbi.ph San Carlos Development Board Room 101, Consuelo Community Center Translink Highway scdbi.scc@gmail.com www.scdbi.org San Julio Realty Emerald Building, F.C. Ledesma Avenue City Center www.sancarlos.com.ph/SanJulio Sipaway Divers divecenter www.sipaway-divers.com Whispering Palms Island Resort Sipaway Island 09166516159 www.whispering-palms.com

With the ubiquity of Internet access and ease of mobile connectivity in downtown San Carlos City in recent years, residents have the world at their fingertips. Foreigners who have settled in the city have put up businesses, particularly in food and beverage, and accommodations. Pension houses are experiencing a boom, with occupancy rates of 70 percent occupancy or higher, and more rooms have been constructed in time for this year’s Pintaﬂores festival. Businesses that are in the hospitality industry are welcome to a piece of the pie. Also, by 2009, San Carlos will be home to the very ﬁrst ethanol fuel distillery and co-generation plant in the Philippines—the 2.28-billion San Carlos Bioenergy Inc. (SCBI). Designed to meet international standards, the plant can crush 1,500 tons of sugarcane a day and produce 125,000 liters of ethanol daily—10 percent of the country’s requirement for a 5% gasolineethanol blend. Businesses that use ethanol as a raw material can set up shop here or source the product from the city. With its carefully planned development, hardworking people and abundant natural resources, the future looks green for San Carlos City. ●

Incentives for investments

he San Carlos local government strongly supports business ventures in the city through the Investment Incentives Code of 1998 which gives attractive incentives to such businesses including: agri-business like dried fruit processing; tourism facilities like beach and mountain resorts; and marina trans-shipment facilities like airport infrastructures/facilities,

shipping facilities/seaport infrastructures, shipbuilding, and ship repair. Incentives include exemption from taxes and other fees, including ﬁve years exemption from real estate taxes. For a full list of priority businesses, log on to www.sancarloscity.gov.ph. ■

NOVEMBER 2008 • GLOBE MASIGASIG • 7

HELP LINE

Ring in the Season 8 ways to prepare your retail business for the Christmas rush P A U L A

B I A N C A

A B I O G

PHOTO BY VINCENT COSCOLLUELA

B Y

n the Philippines, it is acknowledged that right after Halloween, radio stations start playing Christmas songs, malls begin hanging up holiday decorations, and stores start enjoying speedy sales as people begin shopping for gifts. This “retail rush,” however, can be quite stressful— and even disastrous—for the unprepared store owner. Problems like running out of stocks, overworking the staff, and leaving behind a chaotic workspace, can not only affect sales, but also leave a bad image in the eyes of consumers (goodbye repeat business). The solution: plan ahead and get everything in order as early as this month! Here are 8 ways to do so:

Good forecasting. “We start making our Christmas

projections as early as June or July,” says Michelle Asence, President and General Manager of Zen Zest, a manufacturer and retailer of personal care products. “This allows us to determine any adjustments in terms of manufacturing, importing, and even hiring of staff.” Michelle adds that when projecting, they review sales from last Christmas and increase that figure by 200 to 250 percent— ”That’s how much we can expect to make this year,” she says. Also, take note which of your products were most popular throughout the year, research on current trends, and ask for suggestions from staff and regular customers.

Coordinate with your suppliers. Don’t

be caught with empty store shelves by mid-December, schedule and conﬁrm all purchasing requirements and delivery schedules before mid-November, then place your re-orders right before the second week of December to catch late Christmas shoppers and any New Year’s sales. There’s no harm in preparing much earlier, just like Cathy Turvill of Nurture Spa, who says she talks with her suppliers as early as September and just conﬁrms everything by November. And it’s not just inventory—don’t forget to talk to your marketing and advertising suppliers as well. 8 • NOVEMBER 2008 • GLOBE MASIGASIG

Christmas puts people in a spending mood—so be ready to grab the opportunity.

That said, make sure you order enough—and the right kind—of stocks. “To gear up, your stocks should be complete

in size and assortment, both at the selling area and in the storage,” says Jen Jimenez, Consumer Marketing Manager of Levi Strauss Philippines. Aside from your bestsellers, prepare a lot of your low-budget items (ranging from 100 to 500) as well, as these are popular with last-minute shoppers, those looking for exchange gift items, and those who want to give gifts in bulk.

Organize your delivery system. If you have

branches or franchises, arrange special holiday schedules with your delivery crew so that your other stores won’t suffer, and your drivers won’t get caught in the holiday trafﬁc jams . “Our delivery vans are on call 24/7 during the Christmas season. Apart from our regular delivery schedule in the stores, if the stores run out of stocks, they will just have to call the ofﬁce and we’ll deliver the stocks to them as soon as possible,” says Asence.

Dress up your store. Put up new items

on store windows, allow more space for additional merchandise, and add Christmas decor. “Graphics, props, and window displays are updated and made relevant to push the new collection as well as to be in line with the yuletide mood,” says Jimenez.

HELP LINE

Beef up your staff. Your sales staff are the

most important people in your business, especially during the holidays. Now is the time to talk to recruitment agencies or to advertise for staff. It’s better to get them early so that you have time to properly train them for the extremely busy weeks ahead. Asence also shares that most of her staff take their leaves before November so that they are in full force during the holiday rush. Shoplifting may also be a bigger problem this time of the year, so you might want to tighten security as well.

Give out promos.

It’s not just customers who will be in a spending mood; as a store owner, you will score points if you are in a generous mood yourself. Packaging your items and services into attractive deals can help reel in more customers. “Nurture Spa develops special Christmas party and reunion packages as well as

Gift Certificates for spa treatments,” says Turvill. Asence, on the other hand, packages Zen Zest gift sets according to various amounts, for as low as 99 to as high as 500. “We make sure that we have gift sets suited for every budget,” she adds.

When projecting, review your sales from last Christmas and increase that ﬁgure by 200 to 250 percent— that’s how much you can expect to make this year.

Clean up. Since you expect to receive a

lot of merchandise for your peak sales period, reorganize and clean up the stock receiving area. A messy workroom Christmas entails additional only creates chaos preparation and more and confusion. coordination. Save on As early as now, call costs with replace, repair or refinish worn store fixtures. Spend only 3.50/ minute for Schedule the outgoing calls to registered floors to be Globe Postpaid, Prepaid, and polished or have Globelines subscribers. the carpets cleaned. A fresh For details and inquiries, call coat of paint will the Globe Hotline 730-1288, or also go a long way 1-800-8-730-1288 to sprucing up (toll-free via Globe); or visit walls. Make sure www.sme.globe.com.ph or all the lighting is go to any Globe Business in proper working Center or Globelines Payments order. ● and Services Centers.

BUSINESS LOOP

FRANCHISING 101

Log on to www.afﬁ.com.ph

Is FRANCHISING For Me?

How to know if buying a franchise is right for you BY MARJORIE DUTERTE

UYING A FRANCHISE is not something to take lightly because of the investment and long-term relationship involved. So make sure to ask yourself the following when considering a franchise business:

1. “Do I know what kind of person I am?” There are many kinds of franchises to consider, including but not limited to fast food, service, business services, restaurants, and retail. Each type has its own set-up and rules, so you need to know which you are more comfortable working under. To do this, franchise consultant Armando Bartolome of GMB Franchise Developers recommends that you assess your likes and dislikes, the kind of people you’re comfortable with, and the kind of situations that will make you happy. Once you know yourself, look for a franchisor with the same goals and values as yours, one who is committed, dedicated, adheres to quality standards

and continually seeks to improve his or her business. 2. “Will I be a good follower?” Franchisees will be buying into a set of working systems developed by their owners from experience. Going into franchising may not be good for you if you don’t want to follow the rules set by another person. “If talagang mayroon kang sariling idea mo all the time, mahirap yun, baka mag-away lang kayo ng franchisor mo,” says Binalot and Association of Filipino Franchisers Inc. president Rommel Juan. 3. “Do I believe in the product or service?” A strong belief in the brand

is a good point to consider when choosing the right franchise for you. For example, when interviewing potential franchisees, Chichariﬁc owner Bards Montanido makes it a point to ask, “Do you really like chicharon?” If there is no product that catches your heart, you might do better producing your own product or service based on what you are passionate about. 4. “Do I know the perfect spot?“ With water refilling facilities saturating every nook and cranny, leading franchisor Aquabest is very particular about location. Franchise Director Neil Delgado says, regrettably, “If they have the

money and have the interest, but they don’t have the place, we would have to deny that [application].” 5. “Do I have the resources?” You must be willing to invest anywhere from 20,000 to 5 million, depending on the franchise of your choice. Fortunately, there are a growing number of banks that are willing to lend to wouldbe franchisees, some even collateral-free. “Mas less-risk kasi magpa-loan sa franchise kasi mas mataas ang success rate,” explains Rommel. Compared to starting your own business from scratch, the franchise system will give you a tested blueprint for success; it is now up to you to

make it work with the support of your franchisor. If you answered all the questions positively, then you might be the perfect partner a franchisor is looking for. See if they are the perfect fit for you by checking out the members of the Association of Filipino Franchisers Inc. at www.affi.com.ph. ● The Association of Filipino Franchisers Inc. (AFFI) seeks to professionalize and standardize the local franchising industry. For more details, log on to www.affi.com.ph.

CELEBRITY RAKETS

BAUBLES for BY

PAULA

BIANCA

ABIOG

•

BUSINESS

PHOTOS

JUN

PINZON

Supermodel TWEETIE DE LEON-GONZALEZ ﬂexes her creative muscles with a successful jewelry business

THE BIRTH OF ICE CRYSTALS

Tweetie says she has always loved working with her hands, and this included making jewelry for herself. “If I was going to a party, I’d make something to accessorize. Then it gets noticed, and soon people started to tell me, ‘Can I buy it from you?’ or ‘Can you make for me?’” she relates. So she started selling jewelry from home, making them as ordered. This home-based enterprise went on for about three years, until 2003, when retail chain Rustan’s invited her to to sell her jewelry at their department store. “I knew people there because of my long years in the fashion industry. And that’s pretty much how the business started,” Tweetie laughs. “If they hadn’t invited me, I would still probably be selling from my house.” She adds that she didn’t think twice about the offer. “Rustan’s is known for being a store for what’s nice, what’s tasteful; it’s the market that I seek for my jewelry, so it’s the perfect set-up.” Tweetie was given her own space in the department store’s Makati branch—a counter with a back wall that would serve as her display area. “When I ﬁrst opened shop, there was no major launch held, but I told my friends in the modelling industry and the media to help spread the world.” She describes her sales that ﬁrst day as “Fantastic!” and adds that she personally manned the shop for the entire day. “I knew I had to be visible in order to effectively bring awareness to my new brand.” In 2005, she opened her second shop at Rustan’s in Alabang Town Center.

GROWING THE TRADE

Tweetie did not attend any special classes when she ﬁrst started making jewelry. “I learned all the techniques, all the terminologies, [about] all kinds of stones from books,” she says. It was only in 2007 that she enrolled in a distance education program with the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), the world’s foremost authority on gemology. “I wanted to legitimize my newfound endeavor and have some credentials to back it up. Any additional knowledge is welcome; continuous learning is necessary,” she says. 10 • NOVEMBER 2008 • GLOBE MASIGASIG

When she started her partnership with Rustan’s, Tweetie also decided it was time to seek the help of other people. Today, her husband, Mon, heads the financial side of the business, keeping tabs on Ice Crystals’ sales performance. Aside from her sales staff at the department stores, she also has six people who help her make the jewelry. “I’m still part of production, I make the prototype. I start with nine pieces for each version of a particular style, which are all distributed accordingly to the retail outlets—one piece for display and two pieces for in-store stock. I normally produce more should the style do well in sales,” she explains. Pieces from Ice Crystals are special because they are made from semi-precious stones, mixed with wood, mother of pearl, and metals. This combination makes for an interesting—and unique—play of texture, color, and silhouette. Tweetie describes her jewelry as versatile. “It can be worn during the day or even in the evening,” she adds. The prices of each piece range from 1,000 to 2,500, and are bought by women in their 20s to 50s, mostly belonging to the upper and middle income segments.

HANDS-ON CELEBPRENEUR

Tweetie personally scouts trade shows abroad and looks for reliable suppliers both locally and abroad for stones and other natural materials. “It depends where the materials I need are available, and which is less costly,” she says. And unlike most other designers, she says she does not really dabble in research to come up with ideas. “I don’t want to get inﬂuenced by other people’s ideas of what’s beautiful, because there’s so many beautiful designs out there,” she explains. “And I Ice Crystals’ don’t want to be accused of imitation, unique and stylish lariats, necklaces, so I don’t really research, and I try to and bracelets refrain from visiting other stores. What you see is whatever I feel, what my mood was that day, and my personal taste—my own take on what’s nice, what’s affordable.” she adds. She also visits her workshop in Mandaluyong everyday. “In the morning, I check the sales, check on inventory, production, and materials. Then I start designing and producing,

MAKEUP BY AL DE LEON

weetie De Leon-Gonzalez is known for being a timeless beauty, fashion icon, mother, and wife. For the last couple of years, though, she has also started to become known as an entrepreneur, thanks to ICE CRYSTALS, her line of semi-precious jewelry.

“I market my items through personal means. I wear them, I have friends in the media who feature my designs, and I have my own website.”

CELEBRITY RAKETS because once I sit down and work on my items, I don’t stop, so I do everything else first so I’m not distracted,” she says.

CHALLENGES

In the starting stages of the business, Tweetie was working right from her bedroom, which became a ‘problem’ when Tweetie found herself enjoying the work too much. “I didn’t stop working until the wee hours of the morning. So I said to myself: ‘This isn’t going to be good for me,’” she shares. This is why, when she expanded her business, she chose to have a workshop out of the house. “The moment I moved it CONTACT DETAILS: out, it gave me a healthier Ice Crystals work schedule because I Rustan’s Department Stores became more aware of in Makati and Alabang the time,” she laughs. Website: Another challenge she web.mac.com/tweetiedlg had to overcome was expansion. “When I started making jewelry for other people, I would make as they’re ordered, so I just bought materials as I needed,” she shares. But when she decided to make the business bigger, the overhead expenses got higher. “I had to have more materials, more space, more people,” she adds. “So one of my constant challenges is to produce something that is unique and attractive, yet should be simple to manufacture so that costs are manageable.”

ONLINE OPPORTUNITIES

When it comes to operations, Tweetie relies on her mobile phone, as well as personal visits to her workshop. “I think everyone can run a business with a computer and a cellphone these days,” she says. She is also Ice Crystals’ one-woman marketing team. “I

market my items through personal means. I wear them, I have friends in the media who feature my designs, and I have my own website (web.mac.com/tweetiedlg) ,” she shares. She credits her website for opening her business up to export. This happened in 2006, when Paul Smith, a British design house that sells clothing, accessories, shoes, and fragrances, spotted her work and started buying jewelry from her. “It was the Los Angeles branch that contacted me ﬁrst,” she explains. “The people from London followed.”

INTERNATIONAL DESIGNER

Today, Tweetie supplies her jewelry collection to Paul Smith stores in Los Angeles, London, and Milan. Every year, she sends out three shipments of her jewelry to both the U.S. and Europe, and everything is transacted through e-mail. “Basically, they just look at my website to see what I have in stock, and they buy them from me. So whatever leaves Manila is already sold, and I just get repeat orders,” she adds. Tweetie is also proud of the fact that she gets to see her jewelry collection labelled ‘By Tweetie Gonzalez. Made in the Philippines.’ “They still use my name, even if they bought it from me already. Talagang heaven na yan sa akin.” Eventually, Tweetie wants to expand her line to include other accessories. “I will be coming out with personal accessories such as leather folios, credit card holders, and unisex jewelry very soon,” she says. ●

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TWEETIE DE LEON-GONZALES: “[My pieces] are my own take on what’s nice, what’s affordable.”

For more information, call (02) 730-1288 or 1-800-8-730-1288 (toll free via Globe); or visit www.sme.globe.com.ph or go to any Globe Business Center or Globelines Payments and Services Center. NOVEMBER 2008 • GLOBE MASIGASIG • 11

SONJA OCAMPO: “Cupcakes quench the thirst for nostalgia, looking like something Mom or Grandma might have made. Just the word conjures comforting childhood memories that make us happy.”

CASH IN ON THE

CUPCAKE

CRAZE These tiny treats are easy to make and are a hit with all ages

B Y K AT R I N A TA N • P H OTO S B Y J U N P I N Z O N

upcakes are individual-sized cakes, usually with decorative toppings. While they’ve been around since the 19th century—originating in America to help cut effort and baking time—it was only a few years ago that designer cupcakes began their rise in the Philippines. They are now part of the dessert menus of trendy restaurants, have made appearances in weddings, and are enjoyed by young and old alike. Why are they so popular? “Cupcakes quench the thirst CONTACT DETAILS: for nostalgia, looking like something Mom or Grandma Cupcakes By Sonja might have made. Just the word conjures comforting Sonja Ocampo childhood memories that make us happy,” explains 1 C03 Serendra Piazza, SONJA OCAMPO, owner of the Cupcakes by Sonja Bonifacio Global City, Taguig bakeshop in Serendra at the Bonifacio Global City. 0906-4770833 Cupcakes are also functional—they’re portable, cupcakesbysonja@gmail.com small, clean, and easily personalized. “There are endless options to what you can do with cupcakes,” says YUMI CASTRILLO of Yummy Piece of Cake, who bakes and sells cupcakes from home. “You can create so many ﬂavors and dress them up however you want.”

CATALYST FOR THE CRAZE

In Manila, it is acknowledged that credit for reintroducing this frequently overlooked treat goes to 30-year-old Sonja. Just six months after opening her little bakeshop in September 2006, local food bloggers were raving that her cupcakes were the best they ever had, and Metro Manilans everywhere were trooping all the way to Taguig to get their sugar ﬁx. Today, Cupcakes by Sonja continues to be as popular. Her kitchen operates 24 hours a day everyday to accommodate demand (which can reach as high as one thousand cupcakes a month!), and the shop closes only once during the entire year (on Good Friday). “I bake the cupcakes in small batches—the same way I would do it if I were just baking at home,” advises Sonja. “That way, I don’t overextend our resources and still maintain product freshness and quality.” Before long, other people began to take notice of the cupcake’s growing popularity. Big dessert chains like Go Nuts Donuts were adding cupcakes to their product line, and even home bakers felt it was a good business to get into. “Mass production will really entail a higher investment because you need to invest in professional equipment—ovens, mixers, etc.,” says Sonja. “These may not be easy on the pocket, but if you are serious about going into business, I advise that you buy the best, because they last a lifetime and can produce more than the ones for home.”

RISE OF THE BAKER/ENTREPRENEURS

Selling cupcakes is easy because just like any baking business, you can begin at home as most of the equipment needed (oven, refrigerator, pans, utensils) is right in one’s kitchen. You only have to spend on ingredients, packaging, and additional baking classes. And because of their small size, you can make many cupcakes in a day, unlike cakes. 12 • NOVEMBER 2008 • GLOBE MASIGASIG

REENA FRANCISCO: “I don’t think I would’ve survived everyone’s inquiries without the Internet and mobile phone.”

HOT NEGOSYO include the Cosmopolitan, CONTACT DETAILS: a lemon cupcake with vodka and Yummy Piece of Cake Bailey’s buttercream frosting ( Yumi Castrillo 55); and the Mojito, a lime cupcake 0917-8054063 with light rum and crème de menthe inquiries@yummypieceofcake.com buttercream frosting ( 55). www.ﬂickr.com/photos/ yummypieceofcake MARKETING THROUGH TECH

MAKEUP BY YEN UY

YUMI CASTRILLO: “There are endless options to what you can do with cupcakes.”

Concocting an initial line takes a few months, and the key to success, of course, is to find a way to make your cupcake different from the usual. Sonja, for example, constantly comes up with recipes that are as yummy as they are innovative. Her bestsellers include Goin’ Bananas (peanut butter-banana chocolate cupcakes with caramel glaze and a caramelized banana) and Chocolate Surprise (Valrhona chocolate cupcakes topped with either her signature vanilla butter cream or creamy chocolate frosting). She also makes it a point to involve customers in her creative process. Recently, she had customers vote for their preferred Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. “We followed suggestions, like adding nuts and making them bigger. The winning cookie is now sold in our store,” she shares. She notes that compared to Americans, Filipinos prefer cupcakes with less frosting and more moist. “Kids go ga-ga for sweeter flavors, while the adults prefer those not so sweet,” she says. On the other hand, cupcake entrepreneur REENA FRANCISCO CONTACT DETAILS: of Cuptails & Dreams decided Cuptails & Dreams to offer cocktail-flavored Reena Francisco cupcakes. Today, she sells 0927-5653261 anywhwere from 800 to 3000 order@cuptailsanddreams.com cupcakes a month, and some www.flickr.com/photos/ of her signature Cuptail flavors cuptailsanddreams

Once the recipes are down pat, promoting the product is easy. Sonja, Reena, and Yumi marketed their business without spending for advertisements or even on ﬂyers. Instead, they relied on word-of-mouth, features in magazines and TV shows (garnered for free once word about their products spread), and, of course, blogs. “Blogs are one of the biggest reasons people hear of our store and so much buzz is generated,” shares Sonja. ‘When people come in the store, they tell me, ‘I read it in a blog,’ so I’m really grateful to blogs.” For those who don’t have shops, like Reena and Yumi, SMS and e-mail come in handy. Bakers usually receive orders and communicate through these means prior to meeting for discussion or delivery of goods. “I don’t think I would’ve survived everyone’s inquiries without the Internet and mobile phone,” says Reena. Yumi adds that she sends e-mail blasts to her regular customers whenever she has new products, and uploads photos and press releases on photo management site Flickr (www.ﬂickr.com).

PRODUCT POSITIONING

Because cupcakes are specialty products, they are priced higher (ranging from 20 to 200 per piece) and therefore tend to attract more adventurous and trendier individuals from the A and B market. But Sonja ﬁnds that cupcakes are also for everyone. “My original target market was the young professionals in the area. But we get a lot of students during afterschool hours. Ofﬁce workers arrive starting dinner, while families come during weekends.” Cupcakes have also been proven popular for large functions, either as desserts or as giveaways, because they are easier to distribute among guests.

ON THE RISE

Cupcakes that are mouth-watering as they are eye-catching from (top to bottom) Cupcakes by Sonja, Yummy Piece of Cake, and Cuptails and Dreams

All three bakers agree that cupcakes are expected to continue their uptrend. Reena even says she plans to open her own store soon. “The store would be the most concrete form of advertising I could ever have for my brand,” she says. “Of course, I would ﬁrst have to look for the right location.” And instead of seeing others as competition, bakers are encouraged to help develop the entire industry. “There’s room for everyone,” says Sonja. “I foresee that there will be more dessert places opening over the next few years. This is fantastic because before, people had to go to hotels or restaurants to eat good desserts and pastries. Now they have more affordable choices.” ● NOVEMBER 2008 • GLOBE MASIGASIG • 13

BAGGING

ACCLAIM

Fashion retailer TINA MARISTELA-OCAMPO steps out of her comfort zone to make bags that are so unique, they are now in demand all over the world

tyle icon Tina Maristela-Ocampo surprised Manila society two years ago when her bag label, Celestina, hit the pages of the December 2006 issue of U.S. Vogue, the world’s most influential fashion magazine. “There were rumors ﬂying around that we were going bankrupt, and then all of a sudden, we have this new business pala!” Tina laughs. By “we,” she is referring to her husband Ricco, a businessman; between the two of them, they are responsible for creating some of the most popular brands in the Philippine retail and hospitality scene today, including The Black Shop, i2i, and Kitchen. How they ventured into exporting luxury handbags is the stuff of dreams for aspiring fashion retailers. BORNE OF NECESSITY

Tina is quite upfront when asked why she got into Celestina. “Madami akong pinapaaral,” she says, explaining that with her two older children studying in the United States and her youngest two attending an international school here, she and Ricco had to come up with a dollarearning business to sustain their lifestyle. This was in late 2005; the couple decided to explore various business opportunities separately, both keeping in mind that their strength and experience was in retail. Once, while visiting her kids in New York, Tina checked out Barneys, one of the city’s major luxury retailers, to see what products she could supply for them. As she made her way from the top ﬂoor downwards, she ruled out clothes and shoes, because of her unfamiliarity with American sizes. Eventually, she realized that what she wanted was to “take a bite of the pie of ‘It bags’ like Yves St. Laurent (YSL) and Gucci. She noticed that these brands’ evening bags—as well as all the other bags displayed in Barneys—were the same: 14 • NOVEMBER 2008 • GLOBE MASIGASIG

B Y A B B Y YA O • P H O T O S B Y O C S A LVA R E Z

shiny and embellished. This got her thinking about her own concept of an evening bag: “I decided I would stand out by offering something new. Sleek, no shine at all, very natural, very raw but very luxurious,” she explains.

A BAG FROM A BOX

Back home, Ricco was looking into exporting house wares and home accessories using natural materials such as shells, shagreen (pronounced sha- gren, a type of roughened untanned leather commonly made of the skins of sharks and rays), and wood. When Tina saw the materials laid out, she told her husband, “That box looks like a bag to me. Can I talk to your manufacturer?” Ricco agreed; Tina had the hinges removed from the box, placed the most expensive lining the manufacturer could ﬁnd (lamb skin), added magnets and folding lips so that the bag would not break open, and used tiger’s eye for the clasp. The result was a minaudiere (pronounced me no-dyâr ), a small ornamental case that is often carried as an evening purse. It was Ricco who suggested that they use Tina’s real name, Celestina, as the brand name. “It was not a capital-intensive business to start,” insists Tina, adding that they borrowed money from some of their other companies to fund the initial production. “If all else failed, I could always keep the bags for myself or give them away for Christmas,” she says. Six months later, 25 Celestina bags were ready for New York.

LUCKING OUT IN LUXE

But New York, it seemed, was not ready for them. The Ocampos sent their catalogue to stores, but no one returned their calls. It was already June, four months late for the Fall/Winter buying season, and the retailers had finished their budgets. Tina wanted to give up, telling her husband she was already embarrassed by their persistence and did not want to be a hard sell. Undeterred, Ricco offered to do the peddling and ﬂew to New York to try and secure appointments.

MAKEUP BY ERIC MANINGAT

COVER FEATURE

COVER FEATURE TINA MARISTELA-OCAMPO: “Our products have become conversation pieces.”

CONTACT DETAILS: Celestina Maynila New York Corporate Ofﬁce 3rd Floor, Ferigate Building EDSA, Guadalupe Viejo, Makati City Showroom Ground Floor, Greenbelt 5, Makati City marketing@celestinamlany.com www.celestinamaynilanewyork.com

NOVEMBER 2008 • GLOBE MASIGASIG • 15

COVER FEATURE Finally, with the help of friend and Filipino bag designer Rafe Totengco, the Ocampos were able to meet with the editors of Vogue magazine. While the magazine people examined the bags, Tina made her pitch by telling stories about the Philippines, particularly about its indigenous people and the materials found in their natural environment that were used to make the bags. After a few minutes of silence, the editors raved about the minaudieres; Celestina was an instant hit. But there was a second problem: Vogue could only feature items available in the United States, and Tina replied that she was having no luck with the stores there. Virginia Smith, Vogue’s fashion-market and accessories editor, asked Tina where she wanted them sold. When Tina said “Barneys,” Virginia immediately called up the top brass at Barneys and an appointment was scheduled for the following day. “I did not eat breakfast sa nerbyos,” recalls Tina. It was Barneys Executive President Judy Collinson who entertained them first, as the department store’s buyers were at another appointment. The wait extended close to lunchtime; hungry but afraid they would lose their appointment if they left, the Ocampos sat it out outside Judy’s office. Finally, it was an apologetic Judy who wrote the orders for the bags down herself—80 bags for six outlets. The Ocampos stepped out of the office feeling as if they were on cloud nine. And then they went to work.

SETTING UP

“Putting up the business was very quick,” says Tina, who added that some employees were taken out of their other companies to form a new team for Celestina Maynila-New York Inc. But exporting proved to be a different ballgame for the Ocampos. “When it comes to the overseas market, you have to be serious about delivering on schedule because you have to be on time with their seasons,” Tina explains. In addition, they needed to obtain permits for the skins and shells that would constitute their bags’ materials, and tried different shippers until they found a company that satisﬁed their needs. When the Vogue feature on Tina and her bags came out a few months later in December, the orders came ﬂooding in. The Ocampos eventually had to hire a publicist, Pampanga-born but U.S.based Artus Concepcion, a foremost fashion publicist who has done work for top designers like Calvin Klein and Anna Sui. Tina recalls hiring Artus one of the best business decisions she ever made. Today, Artus arranges the two-day press conferences Tina holds whenever she is in New York to promote her new collection.

STAR POWER

Celestina bags are produced depending on the orders received, so every season Tina only makes two samples of each design: one to bring to the 16 • NOVEMBER 2008 • GLOBE MASIGASIG

Black shagreen cuff from Bulacan

The white minaudiere is made of cracked eggshells, while the other is turquoise shagreen Hollywood actress Hallypurses Berry that totedmake this Tiny during the aminaudiere big statement 2008 People’s Choice Awards

Celestina shawls with mother-of-pearl buttons and ethnic embroidery design

These shell minaudieres were featured in the Last Look section of Vogue’s June 2008 issue

annual Paris trade fair, and one for Artus to give to Hollywood stylists. Among the celebrities who have been spotted with a Celestina minaudiere— and hence boosting the brand’s recall—are Drew Barrymore and Halle Berry. Locally, celebrities seen carrying Celestina purses are actress Ruffa Guttierez and political ﬁgure Loren Legarda. Despite the A-list wattage that her brand has achieved, Tina still encounters snubs and intimidation. For instance, a wellknown American retailer with an eponymous store once demanded that Tina make him “something different from Barneys.” Following his orders, they came up with a crocodile skin minaudiere, which cemented their relationship with the said store owner. This year, the Ocampos scored another victory when Celestina shell minaudieres landed the coveted Last Look page—one of the most prestigious pages—of the June 2008 issue of U.S. Vogue. That second appearance in America’s premier fashion publication—and on a prime page no less—made it clear that Celestina’s success was no ﬂuke.

DIVERSIFY AND CONQUER

Three of Celestina’s 15 staff make up the research and development team, while Tina herself reads books about bags and boxes, attends local trade fairs to look at the latest materials and treatment, and travels extensively to ﬁnd out the latest trends. Tina’s expansion strategy is to go beyond bags. Last year, Celestina started making handbags made of crocodile skin, the most expensive leather available. Tina sources the leather from Singapore and has those particular

handbags made there as well, although the prototypes are made locally. Elements such as the local ikat fabric lining and shell base and handles set her bags apart from the competition. In addition, Tina introduced a Bulacan-made jewelry line. This year, she is offering scarves and fur products sourced from Laos.

TO CYBERSPACE AND BEYOND

Today, Celestina is available in over 80 highend boutiques all over the world, including Australia, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, the Middle East, Russia, and the United Kingdom. In addition, 10 percent of their sales come from major online luxury retailers such as Net-A-Porter.com , Vivre.com and Couturelab.com . Celestina’s website (www.celestinamaynilanewyork.com) will eventually offer online shopping as well. continued on p26

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ICONS, PLACES, & EVERYTHING FILIPINO To showcase their Filipino roots, TINA MARISTELA-OCAMPO named her minaudieres after iconic places and people in the country. Some examples: ➤ Nora Aunor: (in photo) Beige shagreen with bone trim, named after the country’s one and only superstar ➤ Masbate: A tiger shell purse that also happens to be Tina’s personal favorite ➤ Maricel Soriano: The shell clutches featured in the Last Look section of U.S. Vogue

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MAKEUP BY CHERRY PACHECO-UY OF PAUL & JOE

CHARLENE LEONG: “We believed in the product, and told ourselves that if we didn’t go through with this, we would always look back and wonder what could have been.”

Designer Disguiser

CHARLENE KANG-LEONG’S bags are so fab, fashionable,and affordable— you wouldn’t think they’re diaper bags! B Y J A C LY N L U TA N C O - C H U A PHOTOS BY JUN PINZON

CONTACT DETAILS Baby Couture SM Megamall Bldg A Upper Ground; Glorietta 3 Level 3; Alabang Town Center Upper Ground E-mail: info@justcouture.net Website: www.justcouture.net 18 • NOVEMBER 2008 • GLOBE MASIGASIG

BATANG NEGOSYANTE

hen Charlene Leong first pitched BABY COUTURE—her line of designer diaper bags—to SM Department Store in early 2005, her proposal was immediately turned down. “They didn’t think it was going to sell,” she recalls. Such point-blank rejection from the country’s biggest retailer would have disheartened any other entrepreneur, but Charlene refused to be dejected. “I told my husband, ‘At least we tried,’ and then moved on to the next meeting.” Her next appointments were with Rustan’s Department Store and Babyland; fortunately, those CONCEIVING THE BUSINESS

Charlene got the idea to make and sell designer diaper bags when she was pregnant with her ﬁrst child in 2004. While shopping for baby gear, she discovered that there was a dearth of stylish, attractive-looking diaper bags in the local market. Everything was covered in baby prints—cartoon characters, teddy bears—and awash in dreary pastel colors. Her husband Desmond refused to be caught carrying them. “We both wanted something funkier,” Charlene explains. She saw trendier designs in Australia (where the Leongs lived for most of their lives), but those were expensive and not accessible to everyone. Charlene shared her frustrations with her sister, an owner of a preschool, who assured her she was not alone. “There are actually a lot of moms out there who are looking for diaper bags that are fab, functional, and affordable,” she says. She and Desmond then realized that they were looking at the perfect business opportunity. “Tamangtama, we were planning to move back to the Philippines after I gave birth, but had no concrete plans of what to do there. So we ﬁgured, why not just start a business making and selling affordable designer diaper bags?”

aby Couture is now also the exclusive Philippine distributor of Trunki, a luggage brand for toddlers. Charlene spotted it in a magazine ad in late 2007, and immediately felt the product would do well in the Philippines. She e-mailed the company’s head ofﬁce in the United Kingdom, but was brushed-off. “They said they were very busy, and that they weren’t looking for another distributor,” she relates. Undeterred, she tried another tack—contacting the brand’s

e n c o u n t e r s w e r e m o r e f o r t u i t o u s , a s were successive meetings with other stores. In a few months, she was even able to open a kiosk at the ShangriLa Mall in Mandaluyong. The next year, Charlene met with SM again, and got the same brush-off. But she went on to sign up more distributors, promoted her bags in the media and on shopping blogs like www.shopaholicuniverse.com, and opened her second branch in Glorietta, Makati. In 2007, Charlene and SM talked again. “But this time, they were the ones who approached me na,” Charlene beams. FIRST STEPS

Functional totes for fashionable people

Charlene and Desmond immediately dove into researching and designing their products. They attended bag fairs overseas, studied how other designer brands made their bags, and spent close to a million pesos to acquire their initial stock—10 designs of 400 bags each—from a manufacturer in China. “It was a huge risk, considering we didn’t have a store or any distributors yet,” Charlene admits. “But we told ourselves if we didn’t go through with this, we would always look back and wonder what could have been.” Once the bags arrived, the couple approached all selling channels simultaneously—they sought out distributors, pitched their bags to department stores, and applied for space in malls to put up their boutiques.

BUSINESS IS BOOMING

Today, Baby Couture enjoys nationwide patronage, thanks to its exposure in major department stores. To meet the demand in the provinces, they tied up with online distributors, who promote the bags through the social networking site Multiply.com or sell them via the online auction site Ebay Philippines.

ADDING TO THE MIX Hong Kong distributor. “I didn’t want to give up kasi Christmas was approaching and sayang ang business.” The Hong Kong office was a lot more accommodating. “At first, they said they would just send me whatever they have,” Charlene relates. “But I insisted that I also wanted their head office to accredit me as their exclusive distributor in the Philippines.” It took an entire week of e-mailing back and forth before an agreement was reached. “ Dinaan ko talaga sa kulit,” she laughs. “I told them

that Hong Kong is such a small country but you granted them the distributorship; eh my market here is so much bigger, why won’t you give it to me?” Today, her UK principals couldn’t be happier. Her initial order of 700 Trunkis was a hit with customers w h o l o v e d the product’s lightweight material and

attractive colors. “There will be new designs coming out this year, and we can’t wait to get them,” Charlene says. ■

NOVEMBER 2008 • GLOBE MASIGASIG • 19

BATANG NEGOSYANTE MARKETING TO MOMS… AND MORE

T h e Leongs have international distributors as well, so Baby Couture is now available in the United States, Singapore, and Malaysia. Deals to supply to Australia and Canada are currently being ﬁnalized. Charlene adds that that for a time, she also sold bags through their website (www.justcouture.net). It was a hit with hands-on moms who had no time to go out and shop, but became so popular that she and Desmond soon had no time to do other things. “So we awarded that service to our online distributors instead,” she explains.

BAGGING SUCCESS

“Our bags combine the best of fashion and function,” Charlene explains. “They are large enough to carry everything a baby needs, but are still compact enough to fit on a mom’s shoulder.” She adds that each bag has multiple compartments for easier organization, waterproof lining, a plastic pouch to store small items, and a matching changing pad. The stylish Charlene with The bags come in many her equally stylish bags models, colors, and materials— from hounds-tooth designs to compact totes, denim to faux-leather fabrics, making them fashionable enough for nappy bags. The final couture touch: each bag comes with its own miniature Eiffel Tower charm, which the Leongs included as a tribute of sorts to their ours for 700 to 1,750 each,” she says. She eldest daughter, Paris. admits that while they are more expensive Baby Couture bags are cheaper compared compared to local cartoon-character-printed with imported designer diaper bags, which bags, which can be bought for 150 to 500 range from US$100 to US$ 400. “You can get only, their quality is much better.

Baby Couture bags are now staple gift items in baby showers and baptisms; fathers carry them with pride; and students and ofﬁce workers buy them as well. “Some even use them as laptop bags, although of course we always warn them that the interior isn’t padded,” Charlene says. Charlene and Desmond review their collection every year, reproducing those that sell well and replacing those that don’t. And to make sure they can continue to sell their bags at affordable prices while maintain ing quality, they have a roster of suppliers, instead of relying on just one. “We let these suppliers bid for the job, then we check for quality,” she explains. To get design ideas, Charlene says she checks out other brands, but also solicits suggestions. “In our website, we used to ask visitors to e-mail us how else we can improve our products.” The feature was a hit. “People were actually sending us photos of their favorite bag, and they would say ‘Use this material,’” Charlene relates. “One of the suggestions we took to heart was our line of Daddy Backpacks—diaper bags in the form of a knapsack. We launched it a year and a half ago and today it’s one of our bestsellers.” When they recently introduced their new collection, they took down the “suggestion box” so as not to make the website look cluttered. But she says those who want to give inputs can still do so by continued on p26 e-mailing them.

“We want to be here for the long run, that’s why I keep my customers happy.”

SUCCESS IN CYBERSPACE

harlene attributes most of their success today to the Web. For starters, it was their website that opened up export opportunities. “We didn’t seek out any of our international distributors—they were the ones who found us,” Charlene says. Joining forums like NewlywedsAtWork (www.weddingatwork.com) are also an effective way to promote the brand. “We host competitions in their chat rooms, and offer promotions exclusive for their members,” Charlene relates. Technology has also been vital for this stay-at-home mom, who says she works primarily through e-mail. “Desmond is the one who goes to the ofﬁce, and he and my staff are all hooked up on e-mail. Throughout the day, we send each other ﬁles, instructions, and design ideas.” In addition, SMS is integral to the company’s operations. “Our delivery people have cell phones so we can keep track of them at all times,” Charlene shares. “Every night, we expect our staff to text us their daily sales before they go home. Of course, we can always check the next day by e-mail, but it’s nice to know instantly how business was for that day.” ■ 20 • NOVEMBER 2008 • GLOBE MASIGASIG

Group Flex Plan 300* Provide your employees and staff consumable postpaid mobile accounts at low costs. The most affordable wireless package offer available. Ideal for your administration staff, clerks, company messengers or drivers. *Minimum of 3 plans. For more details, call the Globe Hotline at (02)730-1288, or toll-free at 1-800-8-7301288; or visit www.sme.globe.com.ph or go to any Globe Business Center or Globelines Payments & Services Center.

HIGH TECH

MAKE IT A REWARDING BUSINESS Implementing a loyalty program can turn sporadic customers into life-long patrons B Y

R O B E R T

J O H N

O H

customer-loyalty program is any system you set up that rewards customers for faithfully choosing your products or services. It’s a win-win situation: the customer saves money and basks in the special attention he receives while you enjoy repeat business, increased proﬁts, and a system to track your shoppers’ purchase history. Some examples of loyalty programs are:

➊

Rewards and rebates. Under a rewards system, customers are awarded points when they spend a certain amount; once they’ve accumulated enough points, they can redeem a prize. This is a tactic most commonly used by airline and credit card companies, though some retail outlets also employ a variation of the rewards system. Clothing company Big & Small, for example, gives ﬁrst-time customers of any of its afﬁliate stores a “value card” that tracks their purchases; any time the customer makes a minimum 500 purchase, her card gets stamped. Every 5th and 10th purchase gets her a special gift item; by the 20th, she gets a company discount card. “We used to give away a discount card after a customer had accumulated a certain amount of receipts,” says Big & Small President Joanne Duarte. “But a year-and-a-half ago, we discovered that our customers found monitoring their receipts cumbersome, so we decided to use track cards instead. It’s more convenient, and people are now more keen to purchase from our stores because they can see their progress right away.” Variations to this system include giving out rebates, which is essentially a discount that is given after the payment is made. Health store Healthy Options gives all patrons a 5-percent rebate coupon for every 1,000 spent, which customers can use when they make their next purchase, thereby enticing them to come back.

➋

Partnerships. It’s common for businesses to tie up with other establishments to cross-promote products and services. For instance, new enrollees of playschool Gymboree receive discount coupons from baby store Chicco and child photography studio Picture Company as part of their “welcome pack.”

➌

Affinity. Within a businesses’ pool of frequent customers, there are those who

spend even more than the rest. These highvalue customers—commonly referred to as VIP, Prestige, Gold, or Premier clients—are usually pampered by the perks of an afﬁnity program. They receive added beneﬁts, special communications, bonuses, and gifts. Globe Telecom Platinum subscribers, for example, are treated to exclusive perks and discounts from various high-end establishments.

➍

Creating a community. This a good way to build brand loyalty and encourage customer participation. One popular example is the Nestlé Club, an online community developed by food company Nestlé. It provides articles and tips about household management, parenting, and wellness. Members interact with each other by sharing recipes, answering online polls, and giving feedback about Nestlé products and services. Members get to attend cooking demos for free as well.

➎

Member-Get-Member Program. Make your existing members advocates of your brand by rewarding them for every successful referral. Take the health facility The Spa, which rewards existing clients who bring in new business by giving them a special kit containing 3,750 worth of discount vouchers.

For small businesses, you can create your own loyalty program by making simple track cards or coupons. And you can put together a database just by asking customers to ﬁll out mailers and coupons detailing their purchasing behavior, and hiring one or two staff to encode their answers in a spreadsheet software like Excel or a simple database software like Microsoft Access. SMS can also be an effective way to set up a rewards program and at the same time gather information about customers. For example, diaper brand Pampers recently invited customers to join their Pampers Heart Club—for free—simply by texting a number indicated in their packs. Once they are members, they earn points for every purchase that they make, and these points are convertible to various gift items. In their text message, parents are asked to also provide their baby’s name and birthday—so voila! Pampers now has its database.

PERSONAL TOUCH

Finally, whether your loyalty program is simple or high tech, don’t forget to extend loyalty-boosting gestures, such as training your staff to shower customers with personal attention, or sending out greeting cards during birthdays or the holidays. It is these little practices—more than amassing points or getting discounts—that cement loyalty. ● Robert John Oh is Managing Partner of Quantum X, a company involved in web design and development of web applications.

HOW TO SET IT UP

A full-scale loyalty program that involves coded magnetic cards (used by airlines and big multinational companies) costs millions to implement, requires installing datamining software like Oracle, SAS, SPSS, and Cognos, and entails hiring additional staff. NOVEMBER 2008 • GLOBE MASIGASIG • 21

MAKEUP BY YEN UY

IN THE PINK OF

SUCCESS PinkBox has been the byword in kids’ hair accessories for six years—in the Philippines and, little by little, abroad BY CECILE JUSI-BALTASAR PHOTOS BY OCS ALVAREZ

hen PinkBox— the hair accessories brand for little girls and grown-up women— started in 2002, its owner, 36-year-old NELLY SEE, knew there was no turning back. Perhaps it would be safe to say that she’d been gearing up for this venture her whole life, even if the road leading to it wasn’t always straight. BORNE FROM BOREDOM

Nelly worked for a travel agency right after college, supplementing her income with a sideline business selling ready-to-wear garments in Divisoria. Marriage— and a succession of difficult pregnancies—forced her to retire CONTACT DETAILS: and stay at home. But by 2002, Creative Trend Inc. after having four children, she 11 San Luis St., Pasay City was bored and itching to go E-mail: back to work. In September info@pinkbox.com.ph; that year, just to take a break franchise@pinkbox.com.ph from the routine, she decided Website: to join her husband in one of his www.pinkbox.com.ph business trips to China . 22 • NOVEMBER 2008 • GLOBE MASIGASIG

NELLY SEE: “When I was starting out, I targeted young girls in the AB market. But now, PinkBox is attracting clients from zero to 99 years old!”

GLOBAL ANG DATING SERENDIPITY STRIKES

Before that trip, Nelly had been on the constant look-out for durable and unbranded hair accessories for her three-year-old daughter. But she couldn’t ﬁnd any in Manila that appealed to her. The only shops then that specialized in hair accessories sold mainly fashion hair accessories, not hair clips for kids. Department stores did sell these clips, but everything bore the face and logo of a cartoon character, which Nelly didn’t want for her daughter. In China, Nelly found a store that sold exactly what she was looking for, and in abundance. “I got so excited, I just kept pulling things off the shelf,” says Nelly. She ended up getting the minimum order for shipment of more than 10 hair accessory designs. “It was all for my daughter,” says Nelly. “I didn’t think of selling any, at ﬁrst.” Back home a few weeks later, Nelly received a call from her husband. “He told me, ‘Kinokolektahan ako ng 800,000 for hair clips you bought in China.’ I bought that much pala?” There was nothing else to do but to sell them, and so a business was born.

THE FIRST TWO MONTHS

Right away, Nelly lined up a warehouse to store these purchases, thought of a name for her hair accessory business, and found a graphic artist to come up with a logo and packaging ideas. She also knew that she had to open her store by December to take advantage of the high sales that come with the Christmas season. She showed up at her first mall—Glorietta— without an appointment, and was kept waiting for four hours. “When I finally met the leasing manager, she loved my products but told me they could not accommodate me because all the spaces were taken,” Nelly relates. “But I was very persistent, until finally, they relented.” So on November 1, 2002, just over a month since that fateful shopping spree in China, Nelly opened PinkBox’s first cart in Glorietta 2. Less than a month after that, she opened her first kiosk in Robinsons Galleria. A year and a half later, PinkBox SM Bicutan—Nelly’s first store—opened. Within PinkBox’s first day of operations, Nelly had received three franchise inquiries. And by the end of two months, she had earned enough to recoup her initial investment in Glorietta.

products. Deciding on how to display the products in her first kiosk (“We just put as many accessories as we could in every space we could find.”) and choosing which of her first employees would stand in for her when she had to step out (“My labandera was my reliever.”) was second nature to Nelly because she just had one goal: to sell products that she personally loved.

SWEET SUCCESS

Today, six years after PinkBox opened its ﬁrst cart, it boasts 50 stores nationwide, including 18 franchisees, concessions in SM Hypermart, Robinsons department stores and Watsons, and a distributor in Dubai. Since then, PinkBox stores have had, on average, a 12 to 15 percent annual sales growth. “Our edge is our reasonable prices and better packaging,” Nelly says. In 2007, to solidify PinkBox’s identity, Nelly started branding Pinkbox’s products. Each one, no matter how small, carries an engraved PinkBox logo. The packaging also holds the “Buy Pinoy” logo to give it its distinct Filipino label.

Ermita branch while waiting for his flight out. Nelly was then pregnant with her fifth child and on bed rest at home, but the businessman managed to contact her though her staff. By April, he had placed his orders, mostly personalized charms. He and Nelly would only meet in August, but the partnership was already strong by then. “In Dubai, PinkBox products are sold in department stores,” says Nelly. “We also supply my distributor with corporate giveaways.” Nelly attributes PinkBox’s fast demand in Dubai to the high buying power of young people in the United Arab Emirates. “My distributor says my products are catchy, especially the ones with the butterfly and flower designs. That’s why they’re a hit with the young crowd,” says Nelly. Today, PinkBox has also received letters of intent from Taiwan, China, Singapore, Malaysia, other parts of the UAE, Australia, and the U.S. Nelly is being cautious, though.

GOING GLOBAL

Nelly met the man who would eventually become her Dubai distributor in January 2006, when he stopped by PinkBox’s Robinsons Little details make PinkBox items stand out

Cute hairbands for cute customers

Nelly poses in front of her newest branch in SM Marikina— her biggest one to date. PinkBox’s hair accessories are for girls of all ages

QUICK THINKING

Launching PinkBox may have seemed to be an impulsive move, but Nelly disagrees. “Before that trip to China, I’d already known that I wanted to start a business. I just didn’t know what,” says Nelly. “So when the opportunity dropped in my lap, I grabbed it.” It helped that Nelly is a quick decisionmaker and that she genuinely likes her NOVEMBER 2008 • GLOBE MASIGASIG • 23

GLOBAL ANG DATING Before further branching out abroad, which Nelly aims to do in ﬁve years, she wants to make sure all her stores in the Philippines are settled—her staff can handle design tweaking confidently, product development is consistent and constant, the stores are completed according to the new design, and her management staff is on top of things. “I am very meticuous, obsessivecompulsive, even,” she shares. Since Day One, she demands that she know and have a say in everything that involves PinkBox—from the manufacturing stage in China to the ﬁnal design tweaking that’s done in the Philippines, to personnel management, store design, and customer service. “I always make sure I have a notebook and pen at my bedside so that whenever an idea pops up in the middle of the night, I can immediately jot it down,” she shares.

LONG DISTANCE TELECOMMUTE

Working with a distributor in Dubai and a manufacturer in China explains why communication technology is Nelly’s best friend. “I’m always online,” says Nelly. “Because there’s e-mail and text messaging, I don’t have to ﬂy to Dubai or China every time there’s a snag in the business.” Nelly has a secretary based in China who relays to Nelly, via the Internet—whether through e-mail, instant messaging, or chat—any communication with Nelly’s China supplier. Even new designs for accessories, and Nelly’s feedback, are sent via email. The internet also works for PinkBox at home. This year, Nelly stepped up the company’s customer service by initiating the “For Better or Worse—Tell us First” campaign, where customers are encouraged to send their complaints or suggestions directly to management through e-mail, the website (www.pinkbox.com.ph), or even with a phone call.

HEALTHILY PINK

The peak months in the Philippines are the ﬁrst two quarters and Christmas season. For the exceptionally busy Christmas season, Nelly begins preparing as early as June, when she develops new product lines and comes up with gift pack ideas. In 2006, Nelly tapped television host and actress Carmina Villaroel and daughter Cassy to be PinkBox’s endorsers since, like Nelly, the mother-and-daughter tandem embodied PinkBox’s personality—“which is kikay,” says Nelly. It turned out to be a good marketing move; sales “remarkably went up,” 24 • NOVEMBER 2008 • GLOBE MASIGASIG

ROUGH PATCHES

“There have been some bumps along the way,” Nelly admits. Costly mistakes were made—Nelly once invested in an inventory system solely on the word of a smooth-talking salesman. The system didn’t turn out like the salesman promised. Since then, Nelly has made sure to do research before subscribing to or buying anything. Piracy by the competition is also an inevitable obstacle. That’s why Nelly has decided that every ﬁve years, she would change everything—from store design to packaging—to give competitors and copycats a difficult time to catch up. Right now, PinkBox product rip-offs are being sold in various convenience stores and hypermarkets—the products are very similar, down to the packaging. “I once saw a stall that sold hair accessories that were almost exactly like what we sell,” says Nelly. “The stall even copied our logo, even the font and design. I wrote a letter to the owner demanding they change their look.” This rampant copying only assures Nelly of the success of her choice of products. But to keep her products Nelly is meticulous about every detail of her own, PinkBox is starting to branch her stores, down to out into novelty items like notebooks, how the merchandise cellphone charms, ballpens, and are displayed photocards. Right now, PinkBox has the basic line for kids, the chic line for moms, and the charms line for non-hair accessories. Nelly learned this strategy of making her products her own from her Dubai distributor. “He told me, ‘Don’t be obsessed about wanting to be like your competitors because you will end up looking like them. Find your own identity in the market. Do your own thing. Make the competition insigniﬁcant, and then conquer the world with your brand.’” ●

Today, six years after PinkBox’s ﬁrst cart opened, it boasts 50 stores nationwide, including 18 franchisees, concessions in SM Hypermart, Robinsons department stores and Watsons, and a distributor in Dubai.

says Nelly, adding that today, there are some customers actually think that it’s Carmina who owns PinkBox!

Billboards, print ads, magazine features, and school tie-ups make up PinkBox’s marketing strategy.

Ordering and processing inventory is now as easy as sending text!

INVENTORY ORDERING SYSTEM (IOS)

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For details and inquiries, call the Globe Hotline 730-1288, or 1-800-8-730-1288 (toll-free via Globe); or visit www.sme.globe.com.ph or go to any Globe Business Center or Globelines Payments and Services Centers.

DID YOU KNOW...

● MERCURY DRUG CORP. is the country’s largest retailer of pharmaceutical products, selling as much as 60 percent of all medicines sold each year in the Philippines. Mercury Drug’s pharmacies follow the American model, combining drug and medical equipment sales with over-the-counter medicines, personal care items, basic household needs, cosmetics and other beauty products, and the like.

through unofﬁcial, unauthorized, unintended distribution channels. In contrast, BLACK MARKET refers to goods and services that are illegal in themselves and/or distributed through illegal channels. ● According to a 2007 report published by news website www.cnbc.com, the world’s most expensive shopping street,in terms of rental space,is NEW YORK’S 5TH AVENUE, home of ﬂagship stores like Abercrombie & Fitch and Apple (photo below). Yearly rent is as high as US$1.5 million (or approximately 83 million) for every 93 square meters of space. commons.wikimedia.org

● The Ayala-owned TRINOMA MALL in Quezon City is not just another shopping center. It calls itself a “super regional mall” because it is home to the flagship stores of both local and international brands—including Bench and TimeZone—which are not only the largest, but also the best of the brand’s chain of establishments. It is also in TriNoma where one can find the very first standalone shops of brands like Rolex, Skechers, and Birkenstock; previously, these items were sold in other stores.

All I Want for CHRISTMAS Is... The holidays may still be a month away, but these entrepreneurs are already thinking of what to buy for themselves BY

BRIDGET

NG-TING JENKIN YU of MOX Shoes and Leather Manufacturing This Christmas, I would like to go on several different cruise trips, the Caribbean Cruise being the climax. A great vacation is what I need most right now.

JASON MAGBANUA of Jason Magbanua Wedding Videography I would buy really expensive suits, like Zegnas and Armanis, and wear a brand new one for every wedding I shoot in 2009 (that’s 130 as of now!)

JOSEF EPHRAIM LEE of Gamecrab Boardgame Cafe The perfect gift for me would be—gas! Given the means and the chance, I’m buying myself my very own loaded gasoline station.

● The CHATUCHAK (or Jatujak) weekend market in Bangkok, Thailand, is the largest market in the world. It covers over 35 acres (or about 35 American football fields) and contains more than 15,000 stalls selling a wide variety of products, including household items, clothing, Thai handicrafts, religious artifacts, collectibles, foods, and live animals. It is estimated that the market receives between 200,000 to 300,00 visitors each day. ● According to the BUREAU OF INTERNAL REVENUE, any business in the Philippines with gross receipts of less than 550,000 for any twelve-month period are not subject to Value Added Tax (VAT). These businesses are deemed VAT-exempt and they need not charge VAT to their customers. The only caveat is that once you are VAT-exempt, you also cannot claim the input VAT from your purchases.

● Shopping terminology: The GREY MARKET is the trade of something legal

COMPILED

Other places that made it to the top 10 of this list include GINZA in Tokyo, Japan, and CHAMPS ELYSEES in Paris, France.

MARK STEVE QUE of R&S Enterprises I would like to buy an island resort and private jet. Not only will it be my own private paradise, but once word gets around, it could also be a good investment should it become a haven for Hollywood celebrities one day.

BENLEY CAMELO of Bright Printing Press I just became a new dad, so I would like to buy a lot in a Class A subdivision and build my dream house, complete with a huge ﬁshpond and ample parking space for all my new cars.

NOVEMBER 2008 • GLOBE MASIGASIG • 25

BAGGING ACCLAIM

DESIGNER DISGUISER

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20

Celestina minaudieres cost $600 to $2,000 each, while handbags can run from $1,000 to $3,000. “Our products have become conversation pieces,” Tina says.

FUTURE PLANS

When asked about her plans for the future, Tina says, “We are still reorganizing and making our product development more efﬁcient. We’re hiring more people who are competent in export.” She keeps in touch with her staff through her BlackBerry, and they are expected to be on call 24 hours a day. Tina’s ultimate dream, though, is to have Celestina present in Parisian stores. “I would love for my products to be picked up by Colette and Maria Luisa,” she says, naming just two of Paris’ highly regarded retailers. She says she and Ricco travel to Paris twice year to attend the exclusive

Vendôme Luxury Trade Show (a three-day affair with the likes of Michael Kors and Judith Leiber), spending almost half a million pesos just to participate. Tina does the decorations herself, while she and Rico personally do the selling. Despite all their efforts, there have been no takers. “It’s very difﬁcult for a non-French product to enter their market, so we’re just continuing to do our best,” she says.

PROUDLY PINOY

In November 2007, Celestina opened its ﬁrst local boutique in upscale Greenbelt 5—home to international luxury brands such as Bang & Olufsen, Marc Jacobs, and Michael Kors. “Hopefully, the presence of a Filipino brand alongside these international brands will inspire other Filipinos to come up with world-class products as well,” Tina says. Celestina is also one of the few stores in the mall that has no signage, but the reason is hardly due to a logistical slip-up. “Ricco wanted it that way,” Tina explains. “He says a store’s success is not about the name displayed outside, but the quality of the Classy bags and baubles products inside.” ●

CUSTOMER CARE

“We look after all our customers,” Charlene says. “If they come back and say ‘Oh, there’s a little bit of damage here,’ we always replace the bag, no questions asked. Sometimes, we even have people come back six months after buying the bag and they say it’s broken—we still replace it!” she adds. “I don’t want to go to bed knowing that somebody out there feels cheated by my product.” “We also tie up with other companies—like Huggies and Gyne Pro—and we give out gift packs whenever people buy one of our bags,” she relates. “When we first opened our Glorietta branch, we gave out bottled water and snack packs for pregnant customers.”

the one who tells Desmond ‘Let’s bring in more bags, more designs,’ but he always reminds me to take things slow, to focus on quality. Our biggest challenge now is to build longevity. I don’t want to be sikat, but after two or three years wala na. We want to be here for the long run, that’s why I keep my customers happy,” she says. ●

FOR KEEPS

Charlene says she is always on the lookout for more distributors, but her main goal now is to build brand recognition. “I don’t want to say we’ve already made it,” she says humbly. “We’re still a very young brand. Sometimes, I’m

Customers browsing inside the store’s SM Megamall branch

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