This story is part of Smart Parenting's new advocacy, For Parents, By Parents, which aims to help newbie mompreneurs and dadpreneurs promote their products and services to our parenting communities. Do you have great products or services for moms, dads, or kids and need a bit of marketing push? Email us at smartparenting@summitmedia.com.ph with the subject, "For Parents, By Parents."
When moms are faced with challenges, even a global pandemic cannot stop them from providing for their families.
Erlinda "Lhen" Arce, 31, is a mother of two from Muntinlupa City. She is one of the many whose job as a seafarer was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the uncertainty, she shared that she fell into depression and anxiety figuring out ways how to provide for her children.
“Minsan bigla na lang ako naiiyak, hindi ko alam kung hanggang saan aabot yung naitabi ko sa pagbabarko… sa mga gamit na lang ng mga anak ko, ayoko naman na kung ano-ano na lang, gusto mo yung quality pa din, yung trusted mo pa din ang brand kahit mahal," she said.
From 3 packs of diapers to earning up to P100K a week
Lhen, left with no choice, soldiered on. One day, while looking for cheaper alternatives for her baby’s diaper, her sibling who works for their LGU’s procurement got a hold of a local distributor of baby products who is selling her preferred diaper brand at a wholesale price. Upon learning this, she immediately bought 6 packs for her baby at P2,500, and the rest was history.
"Posible talagang kumita ng P50K a week, kasi 24/7 ang work ko bilang online seller."
"Nag-start akong magbenta online years ago pa, but not full time or serious, nagbabarko ako eh so wala naman talagang chance and time and I’m not the invested type na seller, minsan trip lang or pag may gustong i-dispose na gamit, kumbaga mas buyer ako, shopper ako, hindi nagbebenta talaga."
READ ALSO: 'Nabebenta Mo Talaga Yan?' This Mompreneur Grew Her Fashion Business From P3K To 6 Figures Monthly
Lhen thought of selling the other 3 packs of diapers without any expectations. The next day, to her surprise, an order was placed. She began enjoying selling online and decided to stock up on diapers.
"Dumating yung point na napanghihinaan ako ng loob kasi parang kumonti ang naging kita ko sa pagbenta sa selling app, kasi sa app na iyon may mga bagong policies sila and charges na ending wala ka ng kikitain. Naghanap ako ng other ways, nagpost ako sa "My Day" hanggang sa nadiscover ko ang GC Mart through one of my customers," she revealed.
Lhen, faced with the many pains of selling in the apps, learned that the best way to grow a business is to have full access to her customers and went back to the basics of building relationships.
GC Mart: A free FB Messenger-based selling tool
She tried GC Mart, a selling tool integrated with FB Messenger that makes it easy for her to update and engage with her customers.
GC Mart is the first free selling tool that helps online business owners and their customers have automated transactions using Facebook Messenger for checkout. It gives buyers a seamless purchasing process that is easy to navigate using Facebook Messenger without the need to download an app.
"When I created my account, I got impressed kasi customer service pa lang nila mabilis, parang nakikipag-chat ka lang sa friend mo kasi through Messenger din lang yung customer support. And kung icocompare ko sya sa ibang selling apps, wala siyang kung ano-anong mga charges, tapos sila ang pinakamababang transaction fee, mas malaki ang kinikita ko at resellers ko without compromising my prices sa customers."
'Online selling is work'
From then on, Lhen enjoyed online selling and it became her full-time job. She started earning 5 digits in a day to six digits in a week. She added more baby-related products and expanded her stocks to branded supplements and other items. She has also since been constantly tapped by local distributors to become a preferred seller of established international brands.
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"Posible talagang kumita ng P50K a week, kasi 24/7 ang work ko bilang online seller," Lhen told Smart Parenting.
She explained, “I just tried posting 3 packs of diapers sa selling app noong nag-start ang pandemic, tapos kinabukasan, ayon may order na... ngayon full time online seller na ako! At kapag passionate ka, makakaisip ka ng diskarte at aaralin mo kung paano mo ito palaguin, hahanap ka ng mga tools gaya ng GC Mart na free at puwedeng tumulong para mas dumami benta mo... online selling is work, kaya dapat equipped ka para mapalago mo business mo."
READ ALSO: This Creative Mom Started Her Biz With Just An iPad, Sold Over 2K Shirts In A Year
Her story inspired many online sellers, especially mothers. She opened her business to resellers from relatives and to other sellers who are as hardworking and as passionate as her. She did the necessary work, posted consistently on her Facebook page, learned the ropes on how to be a successful online seller, took risks and embraced her newfound passion. She became a perfect model for aspiring online sellers.
Lhen’s struggles are not different from what the rest of us is facing in this time of pandemic, but her determination, hard work, and her persistence to become the best online seller and mother to her kids are things that make her worth emulating.
Learn more about GC Mart here.
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