It's been more than a year already since the emergence of the global pandemic. This crisis is definitely devastating reaching millions of deaths and hundreds of million cases all over the globe. Though there are already vaccines that experts claim to be effective against the virus, still it's not enough especially for those poor countries, say, for instance, India. It's true that pandemics brought a lot of negative impacts not only to our health but to the economy itself. However, we are all born with the capability to adapt to any kind of situation.
We can’t really deny the negative effect of COVID 19 but on the brighter side, it also strengthens online-based businesses and probably it’s the most positive effect during this pandemic. In fact, I also tried to establish a business like this to support my daily expenses in school. My aim for that business is to generate enough profit so that I can cover my tuition fee which is, to be honest too much for my elder sister to cover. Luckily, I acquired a 50% scholarship from the school, thanks to the student assistance program that they offered. But still, even if I had a half discount, the tuition fee is quite high so I have to find a way to earn more and help my sister with the expenses.
During that time, I have 2000 pesos in my wallet and decided to take the risk, together with three of my classmates, we establish a small business which we market our products online, our products include the following; Coconut macaroons, Pastillas, and cookies. Our first month of operation was productive and surprisingly we earn 21,000 pesos less for all the expenses and the capital.
Of course, base on our experiences and from our observation, businesses are profitable indeed during their first month or sometimes year but nothing is permanent isn’t it. The following months are productive as well until the government implemented a strict policy due to the increasing cases Of COVID 19 and because the four of us are below 21 years old, we are not allowed to go outside.
Because of that, we went to the barangay hall to ask for a certificate proving that we have a business and we need to go outside so that we can continue our operation, though it did not come so quickly and smoothly as possible still we manage to comply all the requirements needed and so the business goes on until the end of the year 2020.
If I’m going to recall our profit for at least 4 months, it's quite big but sadly during the late part of December 2020 our business has already reached its peak and because of personal problems plus the struggle with pandemic itself our daily operation were affected but still, we continued, however, orders also decline and it doesn’t seem so productive anymore so we decided to dissolute the business by January 2021 and on February 2021 the business was already done for.
It’s true that our business did not last long maybe because we still lacking in terms of experiences and decision making. Also, our marketing strategy is not effective for long term goals that’s why it ends up like that but then again I’m thankful because we experience on how to handle and manage our own business and the fact that we establish it and somehow make profit in it is already an achievement and the starting point for another business ideas that have yet to come.
Always remember that a business is just like a song, there is a beginning, sometimes it runs smoothly like a wonderful melody or maybe the other way around but still, it always has an end. A business that manages to catch and influence the mass will always be embedded and remembered beneath the customer’s heart just like a song that captures the heart of its listener, that song will definitely meet its end but always be remembered by everybody.
Maybe our business is gone and will never be established again but the learning it gave to us is enough to start a new one and try to make it productive in the long run through the help of our experience from our first business. Maybe we are not meant to be successful now because our biggest success is waiting for five (5) or ten (10) years from now or maybe it will come as early as tomorrow.
That’s all for my Pandemic business story, once again I’m leaving you this message and hope that it will help you reflect for some time, it is always better to try despite failure than to fail without even trying because trying to do it will give you experience and to do nothing will definitely give you NOTHING as in nothing!
