There is a famous saying that 9/10 startups fail and what separates those that make it from those that don’t are the ones who never give up. Back in 2016, Fashion Designer, teacher, and entrepreneur, Mix Supetran, shared that it was never part of her plan to work in a corporate setting – a bold move that was afraid to pursue at first. However, with her passion for fashion designing and creating content, she knew that these skills could utilize her skills to establish her own brand.
Even before launching her first business, Mix that at a young age, she was already selling her old clothes. Since 2011, a time when Facebook and Instagram shops weren’t as saturated, this entrepreneur knew the power of selling.
“It would be sold out in 24 hours and I would ship it immediately! That’s the first time I actually earned from online selling and that’s when I realized the big potential in e-commerce.”
We asked Mix a few questions about her online businesses and her journey in the online business world:
What were your plans after college?
“I still remember the day I told my mom I wanted to open my own atelier and be a business owner when I graduate. I was scared to tell her because the life path most parents want for their kids is to graduate and look for a corporate job but I knew that wasn’t something I wanted to do. I am very lucky that I have a very supportive family and my mom immediately encouraged me to do it. This led me to open my brand, MS Label while I was still in college.”
This risky move taught her how to manage a business at a young age.
Just a few years after launching her couture wear line, she then took another risk of opening an online business far from her niche. Together with her business partner, Chef Dan Anastacio, they launched GOTBAKED, a novelty dessert shop, and GOODFULL, an online burger pub.
“While these two businesses are different from my field of work, running them isn’t too different. I’m lucky that I have a business partner, Chef Dan Anastacio, who made it easy for me to transition from the fashion industry to the food industry!”
What were the challenges you encountered at the start and how did you overcome them?
“I was only 22 years old when I opened MS Label.”
Part of her struggles were meeting clients because they would underestimate her skills and credibility.
“I still remember I had a meeting with a potential client and during our conversation online, she was praising my work and said that they’re excited to meet me. Of course upon meeting me they saw that I was fairly young and all the praises immediately turned to negative comments.”
“I used those comments to push me to do better at work and prove to them that I am good at my job and 5 years later, MS Label is still up and running and I have met a lot of clients that love my work!”
How did the pandemic affect your business and how did you pivot?
“Like most businesses, we had to close MS Label and GOTBAKED for months.”
There are various small and medium enterprises (SMEs) suffering due to the pandemic. Beyond the business owners, employees working for these SMEs were greatly affected. Mix experienced the same.
“It was difficult because I had a lot of cancelled meetings with potential clients and we did not know how to deliver our baked goods to customers. At this point, I knew there wouldn’t be much clientele since big events/gatherings were not allowed but a lot of people would buy food online since they don’t want to go out or dine in anymore.”
Her brand, GOODFULL, allowed her to pivot. GOODFULL serves savory sandwiches, burgers, and now offering delicious and refreshing drinks!
“The effect of the pandemic is definitely devastating to business owners and employees. Looking for different ways to make up for the loss is definitely something we had to do.”
Mix’s tips in building an online business:
- Fall in love with your business. Continue to have that passion and drive to pursue and continue no matter any setback.
- When developing a product, think like a customer. Ask yourself: will you wear it if you were the client? Would you order that if you were a customer? Will I be happy with my customer service if I was the buyer? If your answer is no to any of the questions, then you need to pause and think of ways to make it better.
- While I believe that “branding” can attract customers, your product and your customer service will make them come back and that is always the goal.
Ultimately, what we can learn from Mix, is that the life of an entrepreneur is not a smooth sailing ride. It starts with taking risks, loving what you do, and being able to constantly find solutions to problems that arise.
—alike.com.ph
Real stories. Real people.
We believe that life isn’t about a binary of ones and zeros – but about the sum of our hopes and dreams, our struggles and heartaches, our tragedies and triumphs.
The things that unite us are far stronger than the things that divide us.
And those stories are why we are alike
