Even at a young age, I got a taste of what it's like to run a business. My parents struggled to provide everything I needed for school, so I turned to entrepreneurship! Here are a few of my early, shall we say, less-than-successful ventures:
The Sugar-Coated Sourball Saga:
In fourth grade, I sold sugar-coated sour balls at school for five centavos each. A box of twelve cost me 35 centavos, so I made a 25-centavo profit per box. I'd sell maybe two boxes on Mondays, one on Wednesdays, and if I was lucky, one on Fridays. This sweet business turned sour when the cost of the sour balls went up, and my classmates' tastes changed. Lesson learned!
The Not-So-Fruitful Venture:
Sixth grade saw me hawking fresh guavas at school. These were free, except for the time and effort it took to pick them from the hillside. I sold some and even traded others for paper. The problem? Guavas aren't always in season, so this business dried up pretty quickly.
Sidewalk Fast Food Flop:
During high school, I'd cook up whatever I could think of on weekends and sell it on the sidewalk near my house. Eventually, people got bored with my limited and unchanging menu. They walked away, leaving me standing there alone with my unsold food.
The Rotten Fish Fiasco:
Also in high school, I tried my hand at selling fish on weekends. This wasn't your typical market fish mongering. I carried a basket of fish from house to house in neighboring towns. Being a teenager, I often prioritized "pleasure" over business (lol!), which definitely didn't help my sales. Let's just say this venture didn't exactly smell like success.
College brought a dose of reality: I needed a job. I became an employee. I didn't realize how addictive it could be. It felt safe, with no hassles, problems, or risks.
Even after college, I was still under the influence of this "employee drug." I tried, along with other "drugged" friends, to break free, but we failed. I've realized that I can't recover while surrounded by people who are also hooked on the same thing.
I'm not giving up, though. As Thomas Edison said, "I haven't failed; I've found 10,000 ways that don't work." And George Burns' words resonate with me: "I'd rather be a failure at something I enjoy than be a success at something I hate."
I need to find someone who hasn't taken this "employee pill," or someone who has but has successfully kicked the habit. I have to find that person. Are you out there?
maganda na nung bata ka pa ay natuto kana sa bisnes pero hindi naman maganda kung nalulong ka sa "slavery pill".. (kung tama ang nasa isip ko) tigilan mo na iyan kung nakasasama sa ikauunlad mo. di kaya ako na ang hinahanap mo? haha. ingats salamat!
ReplyDeleteKung ikaw man yong hinahanap ko dencios ibig sabihin nakita ko na ang hinahanap ko... hahaha.. ang dencios dito sa amin ay isang kainan..
ReplyDeleteThank you for visiting and leaving your footsteps here.. God bless you.
well, are'nt you glad, a person rich with experience. but don't we all have or are still enjoying some sort of addiction that made us all feel good? but no worries, we will all outgrow them,... or need a higher dosage. it's all our choice. but I suggest we keep our feet on the ground, for we are connected to the earth, and not the sky. that's how I see it. nice one!
ReplyDeleteThank you partofyou, not all addicts want to stay addicted even though they're enjoying being addicts... hahaha!
ReplyDeletewow nice post. iba yong na-expose sa businessworld. at iba ang nasa business. masmalaya at hindi ka nakatali sa systema ng kung sinong amo!
ReplyDeleteisa sa mga goal ko ngayon ay ang magkaroon ng business.
Sana mag succeed tayo this time.. I pray for you and me. Update na lang tayo.
ReplyDelete