My Sari Sari Store Experience Part 2

         Hello everyone! Here I go again missing my blogging world, "hirap pala ng walang internet sa bahay, mas magastos sa binabayad kong P200 sa kapatid ko dati :).". Anyway, my post today is all about my new found interest. I never thought that life after my Big C Battle will give me a new direction in life, that a businessman inside me will be awaken, and that I'll be interested in running my own mini sari sari store.

My Mini Sari Sari Store -Front Side

My Mini Sari Sari Store - on the side

       

         The first three months was experimental. I needed to establish these primary factors first - familiarity, availability, variety, consistency and affordability.

Familiarity - I became friendly with my neighbors and have a little chat with them during my first few months - I need to know their wants, their needs and their interests. I think there are only 10 families in our area and most of them are working and only few are staying and consistently buying their basic needs in my store so I need to be familiar with the brand of products they want and the kind of products they need.

Availability -  I may not be able to offer all the brand and products they want and need but I try my best to provide it in my store - from coffee, milk, canned goods, soap, shampoo, detergents, fabric conditioner, basic medicines, softdrinks, condinents, charcoal, diapers, biscuits, monay bread, basic school supplies, etc. - everything should be present in my store. 

Variety - I have an approximate 1.2 sq. meter area in my store so I  maximize the area, took advantage of the height to display all the brand of products of every customer in my area.

Affordability- Our house is located in a bit remote area (medyo malayo sa main road at dead end area) , I also have a very small crowd of customer so I need to know their financial capability and align it to the products I'm selling. Basic products should be affordable and lower than price from of other sari sari store.

Consistency - The opening and closing time of the store should be consistent- 5:30am to 6am in the morning and 10pm -11pm in the evening. My mother and my kuya are alternately helping me with the opening and closing of the store. 

         Those were the basic factors that I established first when I was starting my mini sari sari store. The profit or earnings may not be much but I think it's enough to cover some of my financial needs and it's a big help to me since I am still on the process of healing both mentally, physically and emotionally as well.

         Indeed, God is so gracious in redirecting my lives. I may not know what lies ahead but I have faith that God will do amazing things in the future. 

        I'll be posting and sharing more of my sari sari store experience later.
       

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

                                                                                                                     Jeremiah 29:11

          

Guys, I am also open for suggestion here if you have any. Till then.

Have a great day!

The Dog and A Funeral - My 2012 Journal

          It was December 31, 2012, I wasn’t able to go to  church last Sunday so I set an alarm on my cellphone to make sure that I’ll wake up early in the morning and go to church before the year 2012 ends. So I was up @ 6: 30 am with a morning prayer alarm on my cellphone, took a quick shower and have a few minutes walk to Sto Nino Church. I feel so great that morning as I pass through the streets greeting “happy new year”to everyone I met. I saw birds flying  from one tree to another & a butterfly on top of the flower, & a dragonfly on the grass.

          Everyone's so busy that day preparing for the new year’s eve celebration but as I arrive at the gate of the church the atmosphere changed. It was so calm and peaceful there, as I enter the gate of Sto Nino Church I saw only four people, two were outside the church - one is sweeping on the right side , the other one is lighting a candle on the left side and the remaining two were inside praying (wala kasing misa that time).

          What caught my attention was the dog sitting at the hallway near the entrance of the church but he’s friendly enough to let me pass through and sit in the middle of those empty chairs. The atmosphere was so quiet that I can only hear the birds chirping inside the church.  So I just kneel , have a few minutes of prayer & a quiet moment afterwards. Then I began to wonder & think of what the year 2013 holds for me and to prevent myself from being pessimistic again I prayed again then afterwards decided to go home. But when I was about to step outside the church, a funeral band came. The quietness and stillness of the church was greeted by the sound of music from band and when the car and all its company stops they start to prepare for its entrance. That was the only time when the dog stood up and the church workers came to organize them.

          There was nothing extraordinary that day to make me write this journal but it made me realize something. Many of us we’re so busy preparing for the new year celebration while some of us were doing the usual routines. Some are happy because we'll be celebrating the new year with our family and love ones while some are sad because they’ll be celebrating the new year without them. And the dog - I wonder what the dog thinks & feels that day hmm... just kidding.

          Time flies so fast and its been 7 years since I wrote this journal. Its 2019 - earth is revolving faster, people are getting busier, and our minds are getting filled with worries and worldly stuffs, but let us be reminded of the main core of our existence – that God created us to enjoy our lives and to serve HIM with joy in our hearts. So we just have to be still & live our lives just like the dog sitting so relax in front of the altar because at the end of our lives we’re all going to face our creator and everything else will all be just hustle and disguise.

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”   Psalm 46:10 NIV

Till then.
Have a great day ahead!
God Bless Everyone!!!

#throwback series post