Consumers have become increasingly conscious of their impact on the environment. This shift is particularly evident in the fashion industry, where consumers increasingly seek sustainably produced and ethically sourced products. Home-grown Filipino shoe brand, Triloueva, offers trendy and comfortable footwear crafted from materials like vegan leather, locally sourced fabric, and exquisite wooden heels.

Triloueva, a portmanteau of its founder’s name, TRIna LOUisse EVAngelista, began its journey in 2014 with a minimal capital of only PHP5,000. Trina was determined to start a business that would solve her personal struggle: the quest for the perfect footwear for her size 10 feet without breaking the bank or compromising on style.

Sole Searching

Trina is very hands-on when it comes to managing all aspects of her business—from design and branding to advertising her products on social media and burning the midnight oil packing orders for delivery to customers. She also faced the challenges of sourcing suppliers willing to accommodate small orders while maintaining stringent quality standards. This led to her collaboration with the skilled artisans of Marikina, a city known best for the craft of shoemaking. Operating solely with the support of her immediate family, Trina launched her own online footwear business, attracting young professionals seeking a blend of sustainable and affordable work and business casual shoes. Her marketing strategy artfully straddled the line, presenting Triloueva shoes as luxurious yet reasonably priced.

The Triloeuva Trademark

What distinguishes Triloueva from other footwear brands is that Trina embodies the customer mindset herself. “I personally test each and every product to make sure I am satisfied enough for them to go into mass production,” Trina proudly shared. “My regular clients are a crucial part of my brand. I am always all ears for any input they have on my products. I even adapt some of their names for various shoe styles. By doing this, I want them to feel that they are a significant part of the brand, which then leads to their continuous support for Triloueva.”

The average lifecycle for Triloueva shoes is 3 to 5 years, a testament to the quintessential craftsmanship of the artisans Trina collaborates with. The brand gained popularity over time thanks to its top-notch quality and fresh designs.

When the pandemic hit, the brand skyrocketed in popularity as Filipino celebrities and influencers rallied behind local labels like Triloueva. Today, Triloueva products are not just sold online but are also available at major shopping malls in Manila and Alabang.

Going Global

With the ascent of Triloueva’s popularity, they started receiving orders from abroad. This made Trina realize the importance of collaborating with a reliable logistics provider that would prove vital to the success of her company’s operations. “For the past years, I’ve received requests from customers asking me to ship abroad but I had a hard time figuring out the logistics of doing it. When I turned to FedEx for support, I was pleasantly surprised how they were able to activate my corporate account within 24 hours. Since then, FedEx has helped elevate my brand to the next level by opening up more opportunities to ship our products to customers worldwide with utmost convenience,” Trina said.

As a strong supporter of small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) in the Philippines, FedEx takes pride in offering a robust platform for local entrepreneurs to venture into international markets. With a vast network serving over 220 countries and territories, FedEx empowers SMEs like Triloueva to amplify their global presence. Trina lauds FedEx for its convenient booking, pickup, tracking, and payment processes. “Since I am constantly juggling time between my side hustle and a day job, the convenience and flexibility of using FedEx services has provided great relief for me when needed to manage tedious tasks, giving me more time to focus on my work and business,” added Trina.

The Future of Fashion

Having built a solid name in the fashion world, Trina is even more motivated to expand her business beyond shoes. She envisions a boutique featuring diverse accessories and apparel and dreams of innovating Triloueva’s product line, contemplating the inclusion of unique heel designs through international collaborations with renowned fashion designers. Moreover, Trina is determined to expand her brand’s e-commerce presence and eventually conquer the Asian market.

For aspiring entrepreneurs, Trina’s advice is, “Do not force yourself to keep up with trends.” Amidst competitors shifting their manufacturing hubs for quick sales, she champions quality over fleeting trends.

Discover more inspiring stories from entrepreneurs across Asia Pacific and how FedEx supports SMEs at FedEx Business Insights.

As the digital landscape continues to reshape the business landscape, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are finding new avenues for growth and expansion. Among these success stories stands Casi’s Mushroom Chicharon, a local business specializing in snacks crafted from organic white oyster mushrooms.

With the rise of e-commerce platforms like TikTok Shop, this local enterprise has seized the opportunity to enhance its market reach and visibility, positioning itself for sustainable growth in the digital era.

Thriving in Adversity

Casi’s Mushroom Chicharon was founded by Josemartin Casillano during a challenging time, following a significant medical expense. Starting as a side project, Casillano’s commitment and hard work led to the rapid growth of his business. Initially employing a small team, the focus was on efficient mushroom cultivation, production, and sales. The nutritional benefits of oyster mushrooms, including being a source of protein, fiber, and antioxidants, attracted a health-conscious customer base.

Leveraging TikTok for Business Growth

Recognizing the potential of social media, Casillano launched a TikTok Shop to increase the visibility of his products. Dedicated to empowering local micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), TikTok Shop assists businesses in enhancing their visibility and creating growth opportunities in the digital landscape. Casi’s Mushroom Chicharon stands out as one of the success stories from this platform.

“Selling Casi’s Mushroom Chicharon has become easier because of TikTok Shop. Customers can now see our product. It doesn’t require a large capital, and you don’t need much technical knowledge to join TikTok Shop,” said Casillano.

Casi’s Mushroom Chicharon experienced a significant transformation after partnering with TikTok Shop. Leveraging the platform’s dynamic features, including content creation tools and shoppable content options, the business saw an unprecedented increase in visibility and consumer engagement. Consequently, the growing business boosted its sales by 50-60% through TikTok Shop.

Empowering Filipinos with income opportunities

The rise in Casi’s Mushroom Chicharon sales created new opportunities for many individuals. Starting with an initial team of three, the company has expanded to employ 19 people and now relies on 35 mushroom growers to meet the growing demand for its product.

“TikTok Shop helps small business owners like me through their programs like Buy Local, Shop Local. By providing vouchers and discounts, it further boosts the sales of small business owners and also helps local employees and farmers,” Casillano shared.

Launched in November 2023, TikTok Shop’s “Buy Local, Shop Local” campaign aims to enhance the visibility of local vendors and promote community pride and economic solidarity among consumers.

Reflecting on his business journey, Casillano acknowledges the collaborative efforts with TikTok Shop, citing its alignment with his goals to promote business and support local growers. Together, they contribute to positive change, fostering growth in agriculture and socio-economic empowerment.

Looking ahead, Casillano sees potential in continuing the partnership with TikTok Shop, recognizing its role in fostering growth for Filipino enterprises.

For many successful entrepreneurs, financial missteps are part and parcel of the job—at first. And retail shop owners Jim Bacarro of Linya-linya and sisters Roma and Maan Agsalud of Common Room shared in RCBC Boz Sessions that they had to learn it the hard way.

RCBC Boz Sessions is a video series featuring Filipino entrepreneurs who share their own journey, tips and insights on starting and growing their own businesses.

Linya Linya’s Jim Bacarro said their company experienced “a rollercoaster of hilarious financial missteps” before it became the renowned and popular apparel and lifestyle brand that it is today. In this episode which premiered on April 3, he shared on Facebook how their funniest financial mistakes became the company’s foundational strategies, entitled Nadapa, Natuto, Kumita.

‘Those epic fails were also the foundational parts of who we are as a company today,” Bacarro shared.

Kids in a candy store

The Linya Linya founder cited issues with cash flow and business capital as “bloopers” that eventually became “incredible lessons.”

Bacarro admitted that they were like “kids in a candy store with our cash” during their beginning years. “Sales meant celebration, right? Wrong! We pulled out cash without thinking twice. And guess what? When it was time to pay suppliers, our wallets were singing crickets.”

He added Linya Linya started their operations “undercapitalized,” diving into projects with their “pockets half-empty.”

“The result? We got smothered by interest payments and were left scrambling for funds.” Bacarro explained, adding that they were also prone to making unplanned and unnecessary big purchases that “led to us scrimping on our actual products—the T-shirts!”

Mixing business with personal

Sisters Roma Agsalud-Agsunod and Maan Agsalud of the arts and craft store Common Room also admitted committing basic mistakes during their first few years in business.

In their YouTube video “Three Mistakes When Scaling Up Your Business,”  Agsunod and Agsalud shared the lapses they committed that prevented them from leveling up sooner.

The Common Room sisters said they did not know anything about the basics of business when they started. “Sa sobrang wala kaming alam sa negosyo, akala naming kumita na kami basta maibalik lang ang rental fee namin,” they said.

Their lack of business know-how made them commit other mistakes, such as mixing personal finances with their business earnings, and making decisions based on feelings instead of hard financial data.

“When Common Room was just starting, kami ang breadwinners ng family namin, so lahat ng earnings naming napupunta sa panggastos ng pamilya. Hindi namin alam na dapat paghiwalayin ang personal bank account sa business bank account. Pag hindi niyo sila pinaghiwalay, mabagal ang growth ng business,” they shared.

They also said: “Ang solution to not knowing the basics of business is to do simple self-studying. Kahit pinaka-basic concepts lang, pwede mo na matutunan sa YouTube videos. Manood lang kayo ng ilang videos at malaking advantage na agad yan.”

“Nakaka-stress ang mistake na yan. Kaya ikaw, study your data before you make any big decision,” the sisters added.

Don’t be afraid to try new tools

Bacarro believes that a financial misstep can translate to business success if one recognizes the mistake immediately, and turn it into an opportunity for growth and innovation. “Through these mishaps, we learned the hard way that managing a business isn’t just about making sales; it’s about smart financial planning,” he said.

For Agsunod and Agsalud, accepting the mistakes allowed them to make the necessary fixes and changes. “So, to all aspiring entrepreneurs out there, embrace your mishaps, learn from them, and maybe get a little help,” they said. Bacarro advised being in the know when it comes to new tools and technology for business owners as these could significantly make their lives easier. “Don’t be afraid to try new tools to help grow your business,” he said.

And so these bosses were all delighted to have found out about RCBC’s Boz app – something they wished they had when they were just starting out.

RCBC Boz is one of the bank’s newest apps specially designed for beginning entrepreneurs. It is a mobile banking platform that allows users to manage their RCBC business accounts separately from their personal accounts, to have an overall financial view of their business performance. It also has functions that allow users to pay suppliers, create and send invoices, and set financial goals. The mobile app has a Report feature that can provide entrepreneurs with weekly, monthly, and yearly financial reports—giving them access to instant and accurate business financial data.

“Entrepreneurship is fun. Having friends who can laugh and cry with you along the way makes it even better. What’s best though is a friend who can laugh, cry, and actually help you with stuff you’re not so knowledgeable on. An app like RCBC Boz is that friend,” he added. 

Download RCBC Boz app now and tune in to RCBC Boz sessions for more practical tips and insights on managing your own business.