Ramil’s toy story

When doors close, windows of new opportunities open. This became a reality for Ramil Flores, resident of Brgy. Sto. Angel, San Pablo City.

In February 2005, a large toy factory where he worked for 15 years folded-up. Since he started working as a sewer, and eventually promoted as supervisor, marketing assistant, and finance coordinator, he is skilled enough to run a toy manufacturing business.

“From the very start, I believe in this line of business. There is a future in it. I have the experience, there is a potential market, so I took the risk,” shared Ramil.

He partnered with a former colleague Milo Silva and was able to raise P30,000 as start-up capital for their own toy making venture, the Pillows and Bears Gift Shop in May 2005.

The business partners purchased two sewing machines worth P20,000 from their former boss. They also asked four of their former colleagues to come on board. The remaining capital was used to buy plush cloth and fiber filling. They also rented a wood-and-nipa house to set up a makeshift factory.

“The capital ran out fast. We were in need of additional fund for the business. We applied for a loan at CARD SME Bank and was granted P12,000. Eventually, we were able to apply for bigger amount of financial assistance up to P500,000,” mentioned Ramil.

“Instead of borrowing money from loan sharks, we opted to become clients of CARD. Aside from the financial assistance, we also benefit from other services they offer including trainings that helped us improve our business,” he added.

Ramil also mentioned that the loans granted by the bank enabled them to expand the business little by little including a small working place. He also purchased a computer and a delivery van.

In addition to regular clients, new customers came in. These included gift shop owners, companies looking for giveaways, and event suppliers looking for personalized stuffed items. Their factory also distributes its products to some of the biggest and popular toy retailers in the country.

From 100 stuffed bears and pillows, the order grew to as many as 10,000 during peak months – September to January.

“Stuffed toy making has seven steps from cutting to packaging. To meet the demand, we bought three second-hand sewing machines and hired part-time workers,” said Ramil.

Amid the growing business, life has put Ramil and his faith to test. A P100,000 worth of stocks inside their stock room were destroyed due to typhoon Ondoy in 2009. This tragic incident forced Ramil to shut down three of his mall kiosks.

Despite this misfortune, life had to go on for him and his helpers. Ramil emphasized, “This is a business that we want to maintain and pursue for a lifetime.”

Ramil is very hands-on when it comes to managing the business. Aside from the marketing aspect, he is also in-charge of the finishing touches and quality control.

When asked for an advice to fellow artists and potential micro-entrepreneurs, here’s what he said: “Be open to trends. Monitor your competitors for an update. But never copy their ideas. Bring out the creativity in you. Always seek for originality. In Pillows and Bears Giftshop, we never imitate, we develop our own.” Now, Ramil is able to send his four children to school and support his family’s needs. At present, he has a store in Batangas City. He still has plans to expand his toy manufacturing business in the future.

CARD SME Bank is a thrift bank that offers a wide-range of banking products and services such as savings or deposit accounts, SME and business loans, agri-loan, and housing and car loan, serving more than 725,000 clients nationwide.