An Interview with Momtrepreneur Angel Cristobal, the owner of Keishables.

Angel is a full-time mom & wife and part-time online seller/momtrepreneur. She’s the mother of one adorable little girl named Keisha (26 months) and wife to a loving and supportive husband named Kirby. She is a self confessed lover of arts and crafts. She loves scrapbooking, photography, designing and event organizing (just for her family and friends).

Here is my interview with Mommy Angel.

Ginger: Hi Angel! Can you tell me more about Keishables?

Angel: My business, Keishables, is named after my daughter. What I do is I sell raw materials for making hair bows. It was only in the latter part of 2012 when we decided to join bazaars to sell hair bows ourselves. I founded Keishables in June 8, 2011. I’m proud to say that we are at 1 ½ old now.

Ginger: That’s pretty interesting. You are the first mom who I have encountered to have that type of business. So, who do you think your market is?

Angel: My market is mostly moms who also want to have their own business by selling hair bows online. I also have some clients who are crafters and moms who just want to make bows for their daughters and who do not intend to sell.

Ginger: I’m sure a lot of people would like to know how you came up with this idea, since it’s pretty unique. What made you decide to start this kind of business?

Angel: When my Keisha was born in 2010, I was really having fun making her fancy flower headbands and hairbows. Many people asked me “Where did you buy it?” and of course, proudly, I would answer: “I made it!”. That was when I thought of having my stuff available online. I went to Divisoria to buy hairbow-making materials, but unfortunately, I did not find any store selling polyester grosgrain ribbons (which is usually used for making hairbow). I found one store who sells nylon grosgrain ribbons and tried it out, but it didn’t work well because it wasn’t as nice and fluffy once you make it a hair bow.

During that time, my husband went to China and I asked him if I can order some ribbons there. I made my research and I found one manufacturer who happens to be in the same province where he was going. I ordered online and didn’t notice or even imagine that I ordered a lot! (I was thinking that the ribbons I ordered were just in small spools). When my supplier delivered it to my husband, it was 3 balikbayan boxes! He wasn’t able to bring it home due to its weight and we opted to just ship it here in the Philippines. Since I had all of these ribbons, I decided to sell some ribbons online. I was surprised with the how many people wanted to buy. Many crafters and moms were looking for it for a long time already so I started importing from then on.

 

Ginger: That’s a great story, Mommy Angel. With all of these successes, were there any obstacles that you faced when you decided to pursue becoming a momtrepreneur? What are these?

Angel: Working at home is a bit challenging if you have a toddler. My daughter wants to have “Mom and me time” for almost all of the day so when I’m working, she gets my attention by pulling my ribbons from the rack or playing with my resins or centerpieces.

Another challenge is having a permanent time for work. If you work in an office you often go to work from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, but in my case it’s usually between Keisha’s nap or sleeping time. I don’t have a helper, so that’s the only time I have for myself and work.

Ginger: What are three traits that you think a momtrepreneur should have when starting their own business?

Angel: I think every business starts with passion. Without it, you will not be successful in any type of business. Time management is also crucial for a momtrepreneur, because managing a household and business at the same time is really tough work. You also need the courage to be innovative when it comes to your service or products. Do not be afraid to introduce something new to your market and don’t be afraid of your competitors, as well. Competitors are there to bring out the best in you.

Ginger: What advice can you give to other Momtrepreneurs?

Angel: I think the best advice I can give is our word of life: Isaiah 43:5 “Do not be afraid for I am with you”. If there comes a point that you feel you have failed in your business or in any aspect of your business, always get the support of your family, most especially your husband. Pray to the Lord and claim that you will regain abundance and find solutions to your problems.

Ginger: Those are great words, Mommy Angel. Thank you for our time and I hope that momtrepreneurs out there get to be inspired with the story of how Keishables came to be.

Keishables Contact Information:

a. Email address: keishables@gmail.com
b. Mobile Number: 0917-5895570
c. Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/keishables
d. Twitter account: @keishables
e. Pinterest: keishables