With only P5,000 from their own pockets, the two set up shop on the online networking site, Multiply.com. Relying on bazaars, they realized, would not have provided them the regular monthly returns they needed for additional income, while a mall space was just too expensive for such a small budget. “What we lacked in capital we made up [for] in labor and ingenuity,” said Roma.
PopJunkLove’s customers didn’t seem to mind, as the embellished handmade shirts they launched quickly became a hit among the online shopping crowd. Having no means to purchase printing equipment for their shirts, the crafty sisters turned to what they had on hand to breathe new life into basic garments.
That their parents were in the exporting business also helped, as it gave them easy access to art materials for their designs. “I guess because of that, we were more inclined to be in the business of crafting,” said Maan.
Soon, the duo began selling more “upcycled” products like Lego accessories and Scrabble pillows on their site. “Expanding our line was our way of making our brand competitive,” said Maan.
While the sisters’ contrasting working styles may be every entrepreneur’s nightmare when the production deadlines draw near--the older Roma is the more organized sister, while the more laid-back Maan is a self-confessed procrastinator--the two believe that it is this clash of personalities that makes them a good tandem. “I give our business structure, [but Maan] is not afraid to tame my sometimes impossible demands if it means producing more quality products,” said Roma.
Maan couldn’t agree more. “We may be polar opposites but we're both very determined, competitive, hardworking and stubborn,” she said.
Indeed, the two end up discussing their ideas until bedtime, and doing everything from buying materials from suppliers and stitching their designs to maintaining the online shop and selling their wares at bazaars.
But the venture’s growth has also turned the two-woman show into a full-fledged family affair: Worried about sacrificing product quality if they spread themselves too thin, the sisters decided that they could use a little help from their immediate family to lighten their load.
Their father, for instance, gets the materials from their suppliers, while their mom fashions the paper bags they use for packaging. Their younger siblings also lend the business a helping hand, as they earn extra allowance by stuffing PopJunkLove plushies with fiber. “We can say that PopJunkLove is now indeed a family business,” said Maan.
While its operations may have undergone some slight changes, the company’s main hurdle remains the same. “Capital is basically still the greatest challenge that PopJunkLove faces,” said Roma, adding that house expenses still eat up much of the store’s earnings.
But if there is anything that the sisters have learned from running their Web-based shop, it is that earnings aren’t everything. “No matter how much money you have, if you don't have a concept, then the business is still bound to fail,” said Roma.
PopJunkLove seems to have found that right idea to keep the venture competitive--whether on the Web or outside the virtual sphere. Set to participate in upcoming bazaars at the Powerplant Mall and in Alabang later this month, the business is likely to lure more pop culture lovers in with their quirky creations. “We will launch new products, so that's something our customers can watch out for,” said Roma.
For now, it seems that the pair is content with perfecting their craft, if only because despite the constant fights, they have found that tough love is needed to run an enterprise. But the setup does have its perks: “It’s not every day you find a business partner whom you can borrow clothes from
