Mommy Ginger
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Will you be attending Sparkfest 2018?

I remember, a decade ago, there were not a lot of entrepreneurial events one can attend to learn about entrepreneurship. Please don’t compute for my age! haha! But seriously, I envy this generation as there are a plethora of choices that are available for them. One of the interesting events that I have come across is called Sparkfest and this was created by Patch Dulay, the founder of The Spark Project. I found it to be very beneficial and interesting that we even decided to sponsor the event, both for Manila Workshops and Taxumo!

So to help spread the word about this event, I decided to ask Patch for an interview. I know a lot of you are interested to see what this event is all about. Here is my interview with Patch:

Ginger: Hi Patch! Can you tell us more about yourself?

Patch: I’m Patch, the founder of The Spark Project, a crowdfunding website and startup community. I launched Spark in 2013 and since then I have found it my mission to enable creative entrepreneurs and change makers bring their awesome ideas to reality.

Ginger: What is Sparkfest 2018? When did it start?

Patch: It has always been a dream of ours to bring the community we’ve created online, offline. It was only last year when we found the courage to bring this to life. We crowdfunded the event and raised over P270K to make it happen. We saw how much people wanted it too, so in June 2017 we finally hosted the very first Spark Fest. It was amazing and is now the only conference in the city that intersects startup entrepreneurship, creative capital and social good.

Ginger: What encouraged you to create Sparkfest?

Patch: Crowdfunding Spark Fest last year really gave us a huge boost. Our community wanted it to happen, so did we. You see, Spark Fest can be a very transformative event for aspiring entrepreneurs. Seeing our attendees leave the conference with the much needed inspiration, courage and knowledge to bring their businesses to the next level, makes it easy for us to make it an Spark Fest annual event and do it again this March.

Ginger: What can people expect from joining Sparkfest?

Patch: Attendees can expect a whole day’s learning from a powerhouse lineup of speakers. We have 3 plenary sessions, 9 breakout sessions, 25+ exhibitors, and 30+ creative founders as speakers this year. Expect your notebook to be filled with fresh ideas and contacts. And you’ll be in the company of with like-minded aspiring entrepreneurs. Who knows, your next big business opportunity might be sitting right next to you.

Ginger: How much are the tickets and where can I buy tickets?

Patch: The learning investment for Spark Fest is only P3,500. But if you buy it before March 3! You can buy it at P2,500 and save a whole lot. So it’s good to buy your tickets early to get it at the best price. Tickets are available at www.sparkfestbytsp.com or through Manila Workshops. Please click here: http://manilaworkshops.com/events/sparkfest-2018

You can find the full program and speaker list at www.sparkfestbytsp.com.

Bounce Philippines – For Fit and Healthy Kids and Adults!

It’s so nice to be a kid in this day and age! There are a lot of cool things that you can do. One of the new cool things that you can do is to visit a trampoline park. The most impressive trampoline park that I have seen is a new on called Bounce! It is located at Las Piñas beside SM South Mall. Why is it impressive? This trampoline park is a huge expanse of 1,225 square meters of pure fun. The person who brought this here is British Founder, Mr. Mark Hogsden.

Inside Bounce, there are 18 activities that you can do! Don’t worry! You don’t need to be really fit to try it out. Upon entering, you can buy the socks that you will need. I love the neon colored socks that they have! There are

If you have a toddler, they have a kiddie playground where they can climb and slide into child-friendly structures.

If you’re competitive, you can have a battle beam match with your bff and see who can stay on the beam longer.

My daughter enjoyed playing in the Dodgeball area. She had fun throwing balls at me! hahaha! She also loved the basketball area, but it was still too high for her. There was also an are where she could try wall climbing, while not having to worry about falling (since you’d practically fall into a pit of foam! haha!).

Check out our video of what we did inside Bounce Philippines!

Bounce Philippines is also a great venue for team building! There is a relay that you can do that will make you feel like a ninja!

On Friday and Saturday evenings, you can celebrate and try out the Bounce boards, boxing bags, and LED bubble balls during glow-in-the-dark DJ nights!

When you’re tired, you can rest and have some snacks and a few drinks at Bounce’s fully air-conditioned party lounge and café.

If you are interested to try out Bounce, here are the rates!

My daughter had  so much fun that she wants us to book Bounce for her next birthday celebration. I highly recommend this place for family gatherings, corporate events, team building activities, etc. Bounce will soon release an annual membership package and a loyalty card that’ll provide amazing experiences at discounted rates and affordable prices all year round.

Bounce is open Mondays to Thursdays from 11 am to 9 pm, Fridays from 11 am to 10 pm, Saturdays from 9 am to 10 pm, and Sundays and holidays from 9 am to 9 pm. You can find them at the Ground Level of South Tower (right beside SM Southmall) on Zapote Road, Las Piñas.

For inquiries or reservations, call Bounce Philippines at 0949-3578357, 0927-9442860, or 0995-1490285 or email them at hello@bounce.com.ph. You can also visit their website at http://bounce.com.ph and follow Bounce on Facebook and Instagram @bouncephilippines for instant updates and special promos.

How Not to Overspend when Going to the Grocery

My husband and I avoid going to the grocery when we’re hungry. We notice that we tend to by a lot more than what we need. Also, I love going to the grocery to relieve stress? I don’t know, but for some reason, wandering in the aisles and discovering new products are stress relievers. I tend to overspend when I go to the grocery. So for today, I’ve listed down tips on how not to overspend when going to the grocery. This is because I also need to follow these rules for myself.

1. Don’t go to the grocery on an empty stomach.

When you feel hungry, everything looks appetizing. You’re bound to find everything delicious and you’ll end up grabbing “yummy” things that you see (which will be almost everything in the store).

2. Include in the list only necessary items to buy.

Another tip on how not to overspend when going to the grocery, is that before shopping, sit down first and list down the necessary items that you intend to buy. Check for used up or empty items in your refrigerator, bathroom and stock room. Take note that the list should only include the essentials, not the unnecessary ones. Only buy what’s specifically written in the list. Resist the impulse to get items based on what you feel at the moment (which is soooo hard to do, btw!)

3. At the grocery, don’t be deceived by promos!

There will be lots and lots of promotional items and marketing tactics (like bundling of things together to appear cheaper or to make the product seem more valuable), so be smart about it! If an item is bundled with a tumbler, think first. Do you really want the tumbler? Fine, if you were really intending to get that same product which so happened to have the tumbler. I fell into this trap and now, I have 6 or 7 tumblers that I don’t use (A big No-No for people who are following the KonMari Method which I am sincerely trying to do). My point is, think if you really really need that other item.

4. Calculate how much you can save if you buy bundled or bigger items.

I’m not saying all promotions are bad. If you are thinking of buying a bigger bottle of shampoo than a smaller one, calculate how you much you can save from it. Factor in your usage. You might be splurging if a smaller bottle is already enough in a month than a bigger one. For bundled items, make sure to calculate that it’s really cheaper. Some stores just lure you to buy 2 items in one go.

5. Set a time limit.

Do you know how it is in school when the teacher asks you to pass your test papers because time is up. Do that for grocery shopping. This will force you to go through your list first then later wander around IF you have enough time.

6. Pay using your paper bills – not with your credit cards.

You might not be aware of your daily expenditures if you use your cards instantly. Try to pay using your cash because it makes you realize how much money you are losing from your wallet. Ang sakit! (It hurts to see less money inside your wallet).

Let’s not set ourselves up for financial struggles in the future. If we can avoid financial pain and overspending, let’s avoid it! A life without worry is what we want for ourselves. We can sleep well at night and we can live a longer, happy life… and it all starts in the little adjustments that we make in the grocery.

 

 

Ferrywrites: Interview with Entrepreneur Ferry

One of the necessities for a new year is to have a new planner! I’m sure most of us already have planners that we can use. I always think of planners as a way to see the personality of a person, and I admire those who can actually decorate it well and write on it legibly. Today, I interviewed someone whose business is help you decorate and fix your planners! How cool is that! 🙂

About Ferry of Ferrywrites

Hi there! I’m Ferry, a blogger mom with a penchant for crafts. I am married to Raymond Ko for 6 years and counting, and we’re blessed with three (one on the way, yes I am 5 months pregnant now) children. I own a small online shop for planner needs, named Ferrywrites.

I started crafting at the tender age of seven. I started with creating scrapbooks, diaries, collecting stationeries and notepads until I discovered Filofax when I turned thirteen. From then on, I started using planners as if they were an extension of myself. Decorating planners and getting organized the way I like things to be makes me more productive and aware of the things I should prioritize and thing that I need to brush off. It goes hand in hand with my other passion, writing. I don’t see this as a hobby. I consider this as my life’s focal point.

Before I became a momtrepreneur, I was working in the corporate world at the age of eighteen. I would also do sideline jobs as a freelancer that involves writing, listing, calling clients to name a few, all while I was studying in College. Now, I am a full-time mom for almost four years and entrepreneur for a year.

My advocacy is simple, spread kindness. I was raised by a single father who taught me that whenever one can help, one should help. And living with his mantra, we (my husband and I) came up with the idea that part of our monthly sales, whether it’s coming from our partner merchant or online, will automatically go to our chosen charity of the year (World Vision Philippines).

Interview with Ferry:

Ginger: What is your Startup/brand/business? What is it about? How long have you been in business?

Ferry: I own a shop named Ferrywrites. It caters to planner needs such as weekly sticker kits, icons stickers, planner inserts, charms clips etc. I have been doing this for a year now.

Ginger: Who is your target market? Why did you choose this market? Can you give us the insight behind this market?

Ferry: Mainly, the Planner Community. Funny because only a few people really know that our community exists. We take planning and crafts seriously. It’s a very creative community where you will find girls who are willing to help the girls how to start up or hone their planning and all.

Ginger: Oh, I think I better join that community! I have a planning addiction! haha! So, how did you come up with this idea? What made you decide to start this kind of business?

Ferry: Making planner sticker kits is common in the community. I turned my passion into a small business, not only to gain profit, but to reach out to people too. Since I can doodle and I have a keen eye for what works, I’ve decided to give it a try.

Ginger: Were there any obstacles that you faced when you decided to pursue becoming an
Entrepreneur? What are these?

Ferry: Definitely! I used to get depressed whenever I cannot come up with cute or functional or unique design for my stickers. I would always compare my work to others who are doing this way longer than me. The profit was never an issue to me. It was more of how can I level up or get them to know my brand.

Ginger: What are the greatest challenges in putting up and maintaining a business in your country?

Ferry: Looking for materials. It’s been a challenge since day one to find a quality and affordable materials for the business. Of course, all business owners want good provisions at a low price that your clients will appreciate.

Ginger: What are three traits that you think an Entrepreneur/Startup Founder should have when
starting their own business?

Ferry: Vision, Resilience, and Faith.

Ginger: Unforgettable moments or lessons that you learned as an Entrepreneur/Startup Founder

Ferry: Love what you do, have fun and do not compare with your competitors.

Ginger: What advice can you give to other Entrepreneurs?

Ferry: You change the path never the goal. If the process of what you are doing right now is not working that much, think of another way to achieve your goal.

Ginger: Do you believe that everyone should become entrepreneurs?

Ferry: YES! because I strongly agree with what Guy Kawasaki, the author of The Art of Start said: “Entrepreneur is not a job title, it’s a state of mind of people who want to alter the future.” After all, entrepreneurship doesn’t equate to just having a business.

Ginger: What are ways that you can do to raise capital?

Ferry: Stay alert of the new things in the market and always look for ways to improve your products.

Ginger: How do you market your products? Growth strategy?

Ferry: I network as much as possible and I do sponsor craft events. By doing these, they get to know my brand, what I do and my advocacy.

Ginger: What are tech tools that you use for your business?

Ferry: Intuos Art, Procreate of Ipad Pro, Photoshop, Illustrator and Silhouette Software.

Ginger: Other things that you want to mention which you think are important

Ferry: Be observant but do not copy. Do not believe in the saying that imitation is the highest form of flattery. I think that is disrespectful. Observe the hype and the new things in your field then come up with your own twist to it.

Ginger: Thank you so much for your insights and for sharing your experiences, Ferry! More power to you!

Contact information about your business:

Website – www.ferrywrites.com
Email address – ferrywrites@gmail.com
Mobile Number – 0916-622- 2812
Facebook Page – Ferrywrites
Twitter account – @ferrywrites
Instagram account – @ferrywrites and @ferrywrites.shop
Pinterest – ferrywrites

Is It Too Late to Start a Business? Where can I Start?

I was filling out a survey for Fintech companies in the Philippines, and one of the questions there was how old each founder was. In the tech industry, there are a lot of young founders, so I find questions like these to be awkward. Obviously, there was nothing wrong by them asking that question, since it was a survey and they need data. It was my own mind that was making uncontrollable judgements. haha! It was my own self telling ME that it’s too late to start a business. I’m in my late 30s and I just seem old to be starting these very millennial-ish business.

Because of the voice inside me that was telling me to feel ashamed about my predicament, I decided to write about the PROs why it’s never too late to start a business. It can seem scary to start a business at an old age. But, it does offer a lot of advantages. Take for example Harland Sanders, who started Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) at 65 years old and became successful. At an old age, you have a bigger network and gained more experiences and knowledge. You also have more tenacity to make your business venture a success.

A bigger network

At 40s and up, you have already met many people during your professional career. You have already built stronger connections with peers and colleagues. You know who among them are reliable and trustworthy. Tap into their expertise and call them up in case if you need legal, financial, and marketing advice.

A wealth of knowledge and experience

When you’re older, you have gained more experiences and knowledge. You have been through many jobs and experienced failures. These guide you to make better decisions. By this time, you have gained more business acumen and expertise in your craft. Those learnings build you to become more prepared in your business venture.

More tenacity

You are more responsible to handle problems as they arise. You can make a firmer stand on important business decisions. You don’t easily lose heart in the face of problems. You understand that it takes patience and determination to make your business venture a success.

What are the business opportunities for you?

There are a lot of business opportunities for you. All of the things mentioned above make you more likely to succeed even. What really stops you are all of those personal judgements that you make on yourself. No one thinks that! So every day, wake up feeling capable. Each day, tell yourself that you can make things happen.

Believe that it’s not too late to start a business.