Josephine Rectin of Legazpi City, Albay is a typical Filipino micro-entrepreneur who started with a small capital. Back in 1995, she sold vegetables on foot. She had Five Hundred Pesos (PhP 500) in capital. Twenty years later – and this is where her story deviates from that of most micro entrepreneurs – she heads a multimillion family business that encompasses a mini grocery store, rice farming and trading, livestock raising, hardware store, gravel and sand, hollow blocks and nipa shingles making, trucking and hauling service, and a computer printing shop. “We grew the business gradually in response to customer demands. Together with my husband, Robert, and our children, we pursued one new business after the other in tune with the market conditions,” says Josephine.

Poverty kept Josephine from pursuing education beyond elementary years. She was already helping her father sell goods at a young age. Poverty continued to hound her when she had her own family to nurture. She turned to what she knew – selling – to help Robert provide for the needs of the family.

“I started as an ambulant vegetable seller. When customers asked for other goods like dried fish, I would promptly supply them and then add these to my basket of products. From a portion of my earnings saved up over a period of time, I raised enough money to establish a sari-sari (variety goods) store. My store allows me to sell more and earn more. It also keeps me informed of what customers need and want. As I listen, I get ideas for new businesses. The hardware business, for example, came about when there was a house construction boom in the community. It helped a lot that my husband is keen to run it,” adds Josephine.

A good customer relation is key to a successful business. Josephine makes times for small talk to make her customers feel welcome. “I support the saying that the customer is always right. And if they are wrong, I make them feel alright by being patient when resolving issues that matter. A good entrepreneur should avoid being short-tempered and impatient with customers,” shares Josephine.

Josephine acknowledges her 10-year productive collaboration with SEDP as another key factor to her thriving businesses. Over the years, SEDP became a steady and reliable source of additional capital for existing or new businesses. Many loans were used for asset acquisition such as trucks for hauling.

A loan was also used for business rehabilitation after Typhoon Reming destroyed business properties and stocks.

Having attained this scale in operations, Josephine and Robert are no longer content at providing their children with college education. They are also intent at building houses for them, three have been built so far, and mobilizing seed capital for business ideas that the children may pursue. One child has put up a computer printing shop; another child has brought up the idea for the family to buy and operate a nearby beach resort. Josephine shares, “the possibilities are endless especially if you are your own boss.”