It was around August 2017 when Gem Zapanta established “Put It In Paper”, with a start-up capital of PhP5,000. It was an easy decision to make, since Gem was the “go-to person for stationery and DIY (for) my peers,” she said, adding that “I had too much stationery so I started selling those I didn’t use.”

But now a successful business, “Put It In Paper” tries to be unique, according to Gem. And this uniqueness is what sets it apart from others.

“I create value and experience for my clients,” she said, adding that with “Put It In Paper”, a client does not “just buy stationeries or have your invitation or wax seal made. Instead, I involve the clients in the process. thereby making it a unique experience for each and every item/parcel/project.”

Gem added that with “Put It In Paper”, what’s produced is “made specifically for you.”

Curious to try some of the offerings of “Put It In Paper”” Must-grab are the customized wax seal stamps, selling from PhP1,200.

But there’s more, so head to Instagram: @putitinpaper (https://www.instagram.com/putitinpaper/).

Lia Monica H. Chua established The Holy Crab PH (with a business partner; who happens to be her mentor) in October 2018 with a starting capital of PhP50,000.

“There’s no big difference in terms of flavors or the cooking style we do in preparing our seafood versus others, since our bestselling platters can also be prepared from (other locations),” Lia admitted. But still, “what sets us apart is our attention to detail, receptive customer service and how we value customer feedback.”

These approaches have been helping define The Holy Crab PH.

To start, “I can say with certainty that our products are prepared in the most meticulous way possible, as we value consistency in the quality of our products… We (also) take great pride in the cleanliness and quality of our products. Similarly, all ingredients that do not pass are immediately withdrawn from the preparation line, and these are not to be served to our customers.”

Secondly, The Holy Crab PH takes pride in its customer service, including “how you engage with the customer, how fast you reply and how you address their concerns. We go by the statement that ‘customer is king’. We treat our customers as a part of our business, and we make sure to treat them with respect and to address their concerns and inquiries in a timely manner.”

And thirdly, The Holy Crab PH focuses on customer feedback. “Feedback from customers are the best indicator on which aspects you are strong in, and which you need to further improve on. In The Holy Crab PH, we make it a point to understand the customer’s experience with our service and product. You can never avoid criticism, but it is essential you learn from them.”

These are the reasons, too, why The Holy Crab PH was able to get ROI after operating for just a few month.

Curious to check the bestsellers?

Try the Crabs and Shrimps Platter in the signature butter garlic flavor. A tray costs PhP1,399, and this contains a kilo of crabs and 400 grams of shrimps.

Must-try, too, is the Baked Salmon topped in creamy cheese sauce. Regular size good for four to five people costs PhP1,499, while the party size good for eight to 10 people costs PhP2,399.

And yes, there’s the Surf n’ Turf rib party platter, which includes a combination of crabs, shrimps and the American back ribs. Prices range from PhP2,999 to PhP3,999 depending on the size.

For more information about The Holy Crab PH, head to Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/theholycrabph) or Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/theholycrabph/); or email holycrabph2018@gmail.com.

Andrea A. Austria’s partner had been watching bee-keeping in YouTube for a while, “and he got interested with how wonderful and hardworking bees are,” she said. And since “we were really thinking of starting a business,” this became that biz idea.

In July 2018, they established D’s Hive Bee Farm.

“A dear friend knew someone – seasoned beekeeper Mang Sendo – who offered us 15 bee colonies,” Andrea recalled.

Roughly, they spent PhP90,000.00 to start the business.

But ROI has already been achieved. Though also, there’s “self fulfillment since we are working with nature.”

On offer are different varieties of honey (from cultured honey bee, wild honey bee to stingless honey bee). “We also provide affordable yet quality and real raw honey. The location of our farm is not saturated with bee colonies, which results to easy foraging for our honey bees. They collect pollen and nectar from but not limited to: dragon fruit, passion fruit, coconut trees, corn, mango, makahiya and kamias. In addition, we also produce beeswax and honey vinegar.”

The bestsellers are the Cultured Bee Raw Honey (Laywan); Stingless Bee Raw Honey; and Pre-ordered Honeycomb. Prices vary depending on the weight of the honeycomb.

Want to savor what nature offers? Check out D’s Hive Bee Farm on Facebook and Instagram. You may also call or text 09566688805.