My Sari Sari Store Experience Part 3 - Random Thoughts and Updates

          Hello guys, how’s everyone! Well, days are passing quickly because I am getting busier than bee lately. I thought running a sari sari store was easy but it was quite tedious pala. Here are some random thoughts and updates about my sari sari store business:

• I started with only Two Thousand Pesos only (P2,000) as an initial capital.

• I took Barangay Clearance/Permit for my Sari Sari Store and registered it under my mother’s name. “Biruan namin sa bahay” – My mother is the owner, I’m the stockholder and my Kuya is the sales manager.” Three of us were alternately managing my small sari sari store.

• I do the “marketing”. From a minimum wager employee to a "palengke girl". I’ve been going back & forth to wet market today to buy pack products such as pepper, chlorine, tint, oxalate, laurel leaves, tawas etc. and I enjoy doing it.

• I do repacking of cooking oil (5 pesos/pack), dried tuyo (10 pesos/pack), mongo (20 pesos/pack), salt, flour and other products that I can sell in my store.

• I started with the profit gain of P50-P100 per day. So I estimated that I’ll be earning P1,500 to P 3,000 per month. Amazing di ba?

• I started giving my kuya P1,000 per month and paying his SSS contribution (P165/month). It’s one of my goals today that I'd be able to help my brothers establish financial stability. Atleast if anything happens to me I can be assured "kahit papano may konting stability yung dalawang kapatid ko."

• I encourage my Kuya to start business in my store. He is now incharge in “monay bread”, “uling" (charcoal) and smart load (puhunan nya na po yun) . My kuya has been jobless for almost 19 years. "Ewan ko ba masyado syang naniwala at umasa sa mga pangakong kayamanan ni Marcos at mga pangakong biglang yaman ng ibang networking". I’ve been telling him "na huwag umasa sa mga ganyang pangako at di baleng maliit ang kita basta sigurado at araw araw may kinikita."

• I started selling liquor and cigarettes. We had an exchange of opinions about these sin products. My Kuya suggested to sell liquor instead of cigarettes but I prefer selling cigarettes over liquor. He said we’ll be tolerating our neighbors in patronizing cigarettes and it’ll be bad for our health too. I told him that even if I don’t sell it they will still buy it in other stores, di ba? And customers usually buy cigarettes along with coffee, softdrinks, energy drinks and other products like candies, chips, artificial juices – “ika nga maraming kakambal na products ang sigarilyo at alak.” So we came up with an agreement - we set some rules in selling these products -1) Don’t sell cigarette  on minors, 2) Lighting up a cigarette in front of my store is prohibited and 3) Limit selling liquors – I only store 2 kinds of liquor that are usually bought during weekends.

• Candies are magic. I told my mother, "hay naku di ako magtityaga magtinda na centimo lang ang tubo but I realize lately that the gain in selling candies are higher than other products. For example: Frutos is one of the favorite brand of candies in our area while snowbear are the brand of smokers. Did you know that the profit I gain from Frutos is 50% and 33% on snowbear as compared to other products where I add 15-20% only. Again, little profit I gain daily when summed up for a month will have a huge addition to my income.

• “Credit is good but we need cash”. It’s a popular words and it’s actually one of my problems in running a store – I cannot avoid “utang”.  My mother warned me about it. My Kuya told me, “dyan ka mauubos kapag di mo na-control yan. At first, I allowed some customers to borrow but true enough some cannot be trusted with their promises but one thing I’ve learned from my  previous job – I have be diplomatic and civil to your clients  – “di ako naniningil ng direkta pero nakikiusap at binibiro ko sila,” sana po wag na pong umabot ng 5^th monthsary ang listahan ko kahit 100 or 200 kada linggo basta makabawas lang kahit papano, awa ng Diyos na-fully paid din bago ang 5th monthsary, heheh." I now set credit limits and due dates.

• I also endorse products to my customers. Whenever I saw new products in the grocery store that are on sale, I bought it and introduce it to my customers. Whenever there is a particular brand of product that is not available in my store, I usually introduce an alternative brand. Whenever I run out of a product that my customer usually buys in my store I recommend other products to them. ( I’ll try to make a separate post for this topic).

• I sometimes use my teaching skills to kids whenever they buy in my store. I let them think of the "change or sukli", the sum of the products they bought, or throw some multiplication or division question to them and reward them with candies afterwards. "That's the reason why they now call me "Ma'am", heheh.

• I always arrange the products on my store and take note of the expiry dates. Sometimes I would sell it as buy one take the day before it expires or we just consume it at home.

• I was a victim of fake money. You read it right - fake money. "Buti na lang P50 pesos lang, siguro ang sama ng loob ko kung one thousand yun. I now double check the money especially the one thousand & five hundred pesos denomination.

• I can work or rest anytime I want. It's one of the advantage of having your own business at your doorstep. You can eat, lie down and rest anytime you want without the time pressure and obligation to report to your boss. No hassle on traffic, no rush or deadlines and no pressure at work - I just have to provide the things that my customers wants and needs in my store.

          These are some thoughts and updates that I can share to you guys. Thankful to God that He opened another door of opportunity to start a business inside our house.

Till then.
Mamamalengke muna ko guys :)

Have a great day!

God Bless Everybody!