My Sari Sari Store Experience Part 1

         It's been 4 months already since I had my last chemo and I was getting really bored at home. I wanted to find a job, I wanted to do some hard work at home, I wanted to do something else aside from the usual chores at home but my mother keeps on telling me - "Magrelax ka lang, magpahinga o matulog ka lang pag gusto mo or kelangan mong magpagaling muna bago ka magtrabaho." but I can't relax . "Pag nakahiga ako ramdam ko lalo ang sakit ng katawan ko at feeling ko nagsisimula na naman kumalat ang cancer sa katawan since may microscopic element ng cancer na naiwan pa nung nagka-surgical spill during the operation." I think more of cancer recurrence when I'm lying on my bed.  I told my mother I needed to do something else that would occupy both my mind and my body instead of thinking about the cancer inside my body over and over again. That's when I decided to put up a small sari sari store.

           Yes I now have a sari sari store in a small entrance area in our house where our washing machine, shoe rack and other stuff are located. So instead of accumulating some stuffs there I put on a built in cabinet to make the area productive. The built in cabinet materials and labor cost around P 1,600+ and my start up capital on my store is P 2,500+. The profit may not be much since I only put P1.00+ - P3.00+ mark up on every items but its enough to keep me busy.

             I have two major suki in my store - my family and the kids in our area. The concept of self buying is primarily the reason why I put up a store. I've seen the credit card bills of my mother go up and my father and brother usually buy products from other stores. So to control my mother and myself too from unnecessary spending in grocery store I just sell the basic products that we use and buy it in my store when we need it of course with a few cents added on its price ( kelangan may konting kita kahit kami kami ang bibili, heheh). My second reason is for leisure."Nakakalibang sya since a lot of kids were always shouting "Pabili" with one peso on their hand buying only one candy or one stick-o, heheh." And my third reason is for income generating. My family were all against the idea of putting up a store - malulugi ka lang, mauubos ka dyan, uutangan ka lang dyan but I answered them, let me  give it a try. Sari sari stores are everywhere, if others were putting up their store even if they are renting the place why not do the same - siguro may kita sila kahit umuupa.

          I've opened up my store last week and I'm in a process of knowing what products and brands are saleable. Yung tipong bumili ako ng Nescafe 3 in 1, ang hinanap Nescafe creamy white, pagbili ko ng Creamy White ang hinanap, Kopiko Brown, pagbili ko ng Kopiko Brown ang hinanap Great Taste White, Pagbili ko ng Great Taste white, Kopiko Blanca naman, then LA Coffee, then Kopiko Black and so on and so forth, the same goes with other products. That's why I always have notebook on my store to list the products and brands they want. But I am enjoying it and I'm getting more customers lately. I'm getting busier attending to my store and searching for grocery stores that offers the lowest price.
           There goes my new experience in putting up a sari sari store. I hope I'd be able to roll over my puhunan and be able to grow my little sari sari store. Give me some tips and wish me luck guys!!!

            Thank God for giving me an opportunity to enter this new business and pray that He'll continue to guide me.

Have a great week ahead!
God Bless everyone.

ALWAYS TO GOD BE THE GLORY!