Building your own business may be challenging but it allows you to realize your dreams and aspirations in life.
Melanie Paña, a 44-year-old microentrepreneur from Quezon Province, took the challenge and reaped the rewards of her hard work. Embracing the entrepreneurial spirit passed down by her parents, she and her siblings grew up nurtured by business insights and lessons.
“As we grow older, our parents taught us how to do business and the processes that we need to know. Knowing we would eventually navigate our family’s rice retailing business, they ensured we were prepared to sustain our business,” Melanie shared.
Though she was unable to complete her formal education in marketing, Melanie combined her academic insights with her parents’ teachings, making her competent at handling the family’s rice retail business.
Her initial attempt into business was not rice retailing but a computer shop. Adapting to the challenges of the pandemic, she transformed it into a general store.
Just like many others, Melanie encounters a lot of setbacks in running the business, such as a lack of business capital and supplies.
From capital shortages to supply chain disruptions, she faced them head-on. “To jumpstart our rice retailing, I needed a strong financial service provider,” she shared.
In 2017, Melanie became a client of CARD Bank. As the Philippines’ first microfinance-oriented rural bank, it empowers socially and economically challenged families with a wide range of financial products and services. For Melanie, CARD Bank was not just a bank but a constant ally.
“As our business continues to progress, CARD Bank stood by me by providing the solid financial foundation I needed to nurture both my family and business,” she said. For Melanie, to achieve entrepreneurial success, it is pivotal to have a blend of passion, perseverance, and an unyielding drive to thrive.
