Entrepreneur eyeing to expand home-based business in a mall

CEBU, Philippines - Cebuana entrepreneur Jerry Gloria, 60, is planning to expand her home-based bam-i business of six years in a mall but doesn’t really have an idea on how to go about it.

Good thing Gloria is now among the first batch of entrepreneurs who will undergo the mentoring program led by Go Negosyo with the Department of Trade and Industry and Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the next 12 weeks.

In an interview last Friday, Gloria said she already has the needed capital to expand her business but she needs mentoring on how she can enter the mall market.

Currently, Gloria’s Mabolo Bam-i House only caters to people on the go, who orders her viands through phone and pick them up at her store in her house.

The Cebuana entrepreneur said her goal was really to cater to busy people especially professionals and those buying viands in party sizes, which is good for 8-10 people.

Now she said she also wants to cater to retail customers.

Mabolo Bam-i House started in 2010 after Gloria attended a business plan training hosted by the Kapamilya Negosyo Na (KNN) program of the University of San Carlos in collaboration with ABS-CBN.

Although she originally had no plans to start a food business, she was motivated to give it a try after that training.

The only thing she could think of that time was the bam-i dish, which was the only viand she considers herself as an expert in cooking, she said.

The noodle dish is made of sotanghon (vermicelli) and canton (egg noddles), vegetables and spices.

The KNN program involved a seminar and business planning.

Fortunately, she won P10,000 for her bam-i business plan and she received another P15,000 for being chosen as the grand prize winner.

With the prize money, she was able to start her bam-i business.

Aside from her main bam-i dish, she also now offers lumpia shanghai, chopsuey, empanada, and chicken lollipop, among others.

Prior to venturing into the food business, Gloria used to work for a private company as a secretary at the same time earn extra for making accessories.

Her husband also has an auto parts shop in their house.

Although, she only thought of becoming an entrepreneur at the age of 55, she said entrepreneurship is really a matter of timing and destiny. (FREEMAN)