Finance specialist relieves stress through her ribbon business

Ribbons are imported from the US since the quality is better. Photo by Ma. Esther Salcedo–Posadas

Marjorie Joy Zapanta is a Senior Budget Specialist at Globe Telecom and she created her bow tie business in July 2012 out of a sheer obsession over all things crafty.

ZAPANTA with her husband Rey and daughter Gabrielle. Photo by Ma. Esther Salcedo–Posadas

A friend who was in the sewing business had a lot of scrap cloth that Zapanta felt was a waste if not put into good use.  Thus, she initially developed two dozens fabric clips that she tried selling.

By November 2012, she started consigning in bazaars through friends.  She got feedback that the textile clips were heavy.  So by January 2013, she already shifted to using ribbons.  At the start, she would just share booths at bazaars with friends until she could go on her own.

“I just started buying ribbons per yard.  Through Internet search, I discovered my suppliers.  I started with Sulit.com then moved on to Alibaba.com, Ebay.com, etc.  I get cheaper rates through bulk buying so I pool my orders with my hair bow friends,” Zapanta relates.

She sells big bows for P150 a piece.  Pink Bubbles by Gabrielle (her daughter’s name) produces handcrafted ribbon accessories made by Zapanta herself.

“I was looking for cute hair bow accessories for my little girl.  I only found simple designs.  I wanted head turner designs like big bows.”  Zapanta’s creations are targeted for very young girls 7 years and below.

According to Zapanta, the craft business requires attention to detail, artistic inclinations and good color coordination, as well as the willingness to think out of the box.

THESE ribbons are among her bestsellers and are called Korkers. Photo by Ma. Esther Salcedo–Posadas

“I take risks,” states Zapanta as one of her advantages.

The first major risk she undertook involved paying P16,000 for rent to cover eight days (four weekends) of selling at Eastwood Mall.  One way she mitigated the cost was to share a booth with a friend.  In the end, she earned approximately P40,000 from the whole exercise.

“I could have quit earlier because I have a job.  But the fulfillment and happiness that comes from seeing your artwork patronized cannot be bought by money.”  Zapanta also sells her goods on Facebook.  Customers can pay through BPI or G-Cash and requires a P50 mailing fee.  Purchases worth P2,000 and above are delivered for free.

Zapanta hasn’t considered mass production yet.  It is a business that keeps her busy during her free time and she is happy with the initial results.

“I don’t get tired.  When I’m stressed at work, this is my outlet,” Zapanta explains.