Mad Pastry PH – a small and local food brand located at Santa Rosa City, Laguna – was started in the last quarter of 2020, with initial capital of around PhP70,000 to PhP100,000 to cover the equipment, baking tools, kitchen renovation and packaging materials.

It may just be new (since the business started selling on December 10), but Lloyd Jeremy Matias can say in hindsight that “during this time of pandemic, I discovered a lot of things about myself, and that includes the talent of baking. At first, it was just a hobby – baking cookies and brownies – and then sharing them only to my family and friends.” 

Lloyd is a graduate of Bachelor’s Degree in Electronic Engineering, which is really not aligned with baking; and “I came from a typical Filipino family, raised by parents who always inspires us to study, do well in school in order to find good paying jobs and the thought of business was really not taught,” he said. So “I was afraid to take risks.”

But then “there were a lot of positive feedbacks about my cookies.” It helped that his sister started giving out cookies – without Lloyd knowing of this – and these random people like what they got.

“I realized (that) maybe I should start trying online business, since it is trending nowadays. That is my trigger point on why I started this business,” Lloyd said.

Choosing this industry in particular, he added, was easy. “Food is essential and everyone loves food,” Lloyd said.

It’s only been weeks since the business started, so ROI has yet to be attained.

But “I am really hoping that this will be profitable. The reception of people is really overwhelming and I hope this continues since we will also continue improving our products and services,” Lloyd said.

So far, the only challenge for Lloyd is time. 

“I didn’t quite expect the number of orders coming our way on our first week of selling. We are overwhelmed by the acceptance of our customers and we do not have the right system and the right approach yet,” he said. “But of course, with extra brain and extra hands, nothing is impossible. I will commend my family for really helping me overcome… challenges.”

And for people who may want to also open their business, what tips can Lloyd give?

“Find your passion. Try exploring things aligned to your passion. Seek for business opportunities that is linked to that passion because nothing beats the feeling of doing what you really love and gaining something from it than doing things just for the sake of money,” Lloyd said. “Do whatever makes you happy.”

For more information or to order from Mad Pastry PH, head to Facebook or Instagram @madpastryph; call/text 09338649797; or email madpastry.ph@gmail.com.

Yuna’s was started around October 2019, with an initial capital of around PhP2,000, and only with baked mac and Korean chicken wings in the menu, recalled Marianne Rose Valera. 

But it was a field she was bound to enter. 

Marianne Rose noted that online businesses have been trending, and “I’ve been wanting to have a business but can’t think of a product to sell… until I got the idea of selling comfort foods.”

It helps, of course, that “aside from cooking, I love feeding people. I grew up cooking with my mom (who) taught me the basics of cooking. And I am a housewife with a two year old daughter. I am a nurse by profession but chose to be a hands-on mom, putting aside my career for a moment. I thought of using my extra time on this food business,” she said.

Now, her family inspires her to do good. “In this time of crisis, I thought I’m still lucky having this business. My husband works abroad but due to the pandemic, work has been temporarily halted leaving him with no salary for three months. This business helped us through financially.”

There remain challenges.

For instance, “I am running my business alone. Prep work and cooking are tiring especially if you work alone,” she said. 

Also, “I have a two-year-old daughter who’s being looked after by my older sister if I have to cook or go to the grocery store to get supplies.”

All the same, “it is just a matter of time management.”

But yes, Marianne Rose already reached ROI; and she said this is a “profitable venture.”

And for people who may want to also open their business, what tips can Marianne Rose give?

“Focus on something that you are passionate about when starting a business,” she said. “You’ve got to love and be confident about your products.”

Wanna grab the offerings of Yuna’s? Head to Yuna’s Facebook page.

Siblings Zoe Kimberly Santos and Paulyn Santos opened The Fifth Palate on July 12, 2020, with a startup capital of around PhP3,000 to PhP5,000. Offering (mainly) Japanese cuisine, the business started while the world was braving Covid-19, Zoe Kimberly said, but they were inspired by “small startup local businesses and frontliners (who are) being courageous and put themselves out there regardless of the uncertainty.”

Surprisingly, they did not actually imagine they would be going into this field/line of work/line of business. “We wanted a cafe, a hostel, or to design furniture design,” Zoe Kimberly said, smiling. Not that they regret being in this field now, since “we love our current chosen field of business.”

The great thing is, in a span of three weeks, and even when they were just getting started and offering their products to friends, they already gained ROI. Yes, this is a profitable venture, she said, “especially since people nowadays are craving/looking for something new.”

There remain challenges.

For instance, “managing the business while working full time, marketing online, and making your products adapt to (different) tastes,” she said. To deal with these challenges, “we do some research about Asian cuisines, as well as how to market online. We study and apply what’s useful/beneficial to our business. My sister and I do shifting schedules (cooking, delivery, etc.) to ensure that we have time to run the business.”

That they’re in this for the long-term is a given, considering the success that The Fifth Palate is experiencing.

For people who may want to also open their business, what tips can Zoe Kimberly give?

“You have to hold your vision/goal as real, love what you do, have faith/trust in your own product and the rest will follow. If you don’t know where to start, look for something you are passionate about and start small. Eventually, it will grow into your dream business,” she said. “Don’t be afraid to start, or do it scared anyway. It’s all about the mindset and perception. Also, enjoythe process.”

Wanna try the offerings of ‘The Fifth Palate’? Head to Instagram: @wearefifthpalate.