Certified mompreneur Buding Aquino-Dee, seated at center with eye glasses, is shown here with participants in the Mompreneurship motivational seminar held at JUMP, PLDT and Smart’s Experience Center at the Cyberzone in Megamall. 

How do you become a mompreneur?
Certified mompreneur Buding Aquino-Dee says you have to meet three important criteria: 1.The ability to actively balance the role of a mom and an entrepreneur; 2. Capacity to work in a Small Office Home Office (SOHO) environment; and 3. Competence in using the Internet as a distribution channel.

Mother of three and founder of SaYa baby carrier and Blissfulbabes nursing wear, Buding talked about Mompreneurship in a motivational seminar for moms which was part of a string of activities held at Jump, PLDT and Smart’s Experience Center at the Cyberzone in Megamall, in celebration of motherhood.

Starting small
Already a work-at-home-mom even before the term ‘mompreneur’ became a buzzword, Buding began her business in 1999 when her eldest son was born and her family was living in Canada. “Nursing shirts then were worth $40 and they were just simple t-shirts. So being inherently kuripot (thrifty) and sanay sa tiangge (accustomed to flea market) prices, I decided to design my own nursing wear and sell them to various stores. When the store owner saw the clothes, she was shocked because they were very stylish and were sold at half the price of their existing nursing wear.”

Doors opened for her. She learned how to do business in a first world country. “It was because ofabilidad (acumen) that I became successful. I experienced having clients from all over the world without really meeting them in person. My business, which was mainly conducted through the Internet, really boomed. I was able to get awards because of the innovations that I made.”

Buding’s recognitions include VanCity’s Entrepreneur of the Year (Home-Based Business category), Meralco’s Ilaw ng Tahanan award, and Absolute Water’s Absolute Mom award for her tireless efforts in working at home while practicing attachment parenting principles. Her successful business venture enabled her family to move back to the Philippines in 2006. 

To date, thanks to her wealth of experiences and the many opportunities presented by the boom of the local e-retail market, Buding continues to enjoy well-balanced success in business and at home.

PLDT KaAsenso
“I consider myself lucky because when I started my business here in the Philippines, local consumers have already embraced the concept of online shopping. It was easier for me to grow my business because all I needed was a reliable Internet connection to bring my business to the market which saved me a lot of time and effort,” relates Buding.

As a small business owner, Buding had the choice, whether to stay small or grow her business further. She enthuses, “Whatever the choice and the manner that I run my business, I know I can count on PLDT KaAsenso to provide the tools I need—not just landline and Internet—but also programs to help me on Financing, Networking, Education, and Extra Income. With all these available support, I get to run my business with maximum efficiency and therefore never have to give up time for my family to sustain my business.”

PLDT KaAsenso’s initiatives to help micro-entrepreneurs or minigosyantes like Buding address their needs in a holistic manner include programs and plans on connectivity, financing, education, networking, and extra income.

“I believe that mompreneurship is not a trend. It’s a response to the times, and it’s here to stay. Good moms make good business people. I can imagine less corruption and more idealism because we wouldn’t sell something we have never tried or tested with our families. That’s integrity right there. In our business endeavors, we need PLDT to provide us with tools in order to sustain and expand our businesses. And realize our ultimate dream of having a happy and meaningful life,” concludes Buding.