Being a mother or an entrepreneur are two of the hardest jobs in the world, but many people are managing to do both at the same time, thus the rise of the word ‘mompreneur’. The rise of eCommerce platforms such as Lazada allows entrepreneurs to sell products and services anytime and anywhere, empowering more and more women to fulfill their dreams while playing the role of a full-time parent as well.
Deciding to make the jump in juggling multiple roles is not an easy feat. But just like many mompreneurs have proven, it can be done with amazing devotion, passion and pure determination. Here are some of the most motivational stories we’ve learned from mompreneurs to date.
Anna Liza: From a full-time working mother, to a self-sufficient business owner
The advent of ecommerce has allowed Anna Liza, a full-time virtual assistant and a single mom of two, to finally put up her own business and start selling without a huge amount of capital. She started selling via social media but decided to quit and explore other platforms since she spent so much on ads yet it did not translate into sales.
Once her Lazada store was already setup and orders were already coming in, she found out there were no pickups in their area, so she did her research and signed up for Lazada’s FBL (Fulfillment by Lazada) service wherein seller ships its items to Lazada’s warehouse and from thereon, Lazada is responsible in processing, packing and shipping these items out to customers. In the recent 11.11 sale, she sold more orders than she expected and didn’t encounter any problems since a drop off point was already available in her area.
“As a single mom, I always want to be able to provide the best future for my kids, and with the help of Lazada, I am able to save more money for myself and for my family,” she says. Her store, MustHavePH, selling turmeric tea, serums, and body scrubs have at present, far surpassed her initial capital.
Check out Anna Liza’s MustHavePH store here.
Maylyn Bartolome: Fostering quality family time – thanks to a shift from retail to ecommerce
To provide for her family, Maylyn Bartolome had to move to China as an overseas Filipino worker tutoring the children of her employer and doing household chores. She was earning enough money but could not bear being away from her family. After a year, she decided to move back home to the Philippines and used their family’s savings to set up their own customer printing business at a shopping mall in Quezon City. But with the high cost and low traffic, their earnings were not enough to break even, so they decided to pull out after two months.
With no means of providing for their growing family and barely paying their monthly rent and utilities, Maylyn needed a plan B. So she made use of the printers on hand selling custom shirts, bags and backpacks on Lazada. From then on, their business continued to take off—able to send their four children to private schools, invest in mutual funds, and pay their monthly bills on time.
Beyond generating additional income for Maylyn, Lazada has allowed their family to be together. To this day, DesignPlus on Lazada is the Bartolome family’s bread and butter.
See more products from DesignPlus here.
Nina Dizon: A former graphic designer turned big beauty brand owner
Selling was innate for Nina, a proud mom of two and a former graphic designer turned make-up line owner. She was a micro-entrepreneur back in college commissioning graphic logos for online sellers, venturing into selling ukay-ukay, then owning and operating her own online skin care brand Fairness & Flawless. Nina took three courses namely BS Nursing, BS Accountancy and BSBA in Marketing but decided to drop out because she was determined to build and focus on her business, thus the birth of Colourette. Today, Nina takes pride in her locally-made lipstick, eyeshadow palettes, face powder, brow pencils and the like suited for Filipino skin.
Since the brand first set foot on Lazada, Colourette has grown a lot receiving over 3,000 orders a day. “Lazada really paved the way for greater brand recognition, the platform has aided in setting up the stage for Colourette to be among the top beauty brands of today.” An advice from Nina, “Don’t be afraid to venture and get out of your comfort zone. You’re a mom and we all know we’ve got super powers, so might as well channel that into something that would help bring food to the table or even finance our future. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain!”
Check out Colourette on Lazada here.
Balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship is difficult, but you need not put your dreams on hold or wait for the “right” time to launch a business. Don’t be afraid to take the first step; learn from mistakes and missteps, grow, expand and develop as a mompreneur.
Lazada is having a Women’s Festival Come celebrate Lazada’s Women’s Festival sale on May 17-19 and snag the latest fashion and health and beauty items up to 90% off. Catch our in-app livestream of our fashion show on May 17; come and see our different fashion and beauty booths open to the public from May 18 to 19 in the Eastwood Mall Atrium afterwards. Download the Lazada mobile app or visit the Lazada Philippines Facebook page to find out more.