Enviable homegrown business enterprise

Through the years we have established in this column our yearning to spotlight people, people movers, game changers, significant events, budding enterprises and the like to serve as possible inspiration to our readers and to ascertain ourselves that, “Yes, the Filipino can do it.”

Finding quality bags at an affordable price is quite a challenge nowadays. But thanks to home-grown brands that we are going to feature today, many people are now able to buy quality local products without having to spend so much.

There are different reasons why entrepreneurs opt to start a business in the comfort of their homes. For Jay and Sabrina Ferrer, owners of Eazy Peazy, it wasn’t only because they wanted to avoid the stressful traffic situation in the metro, but more importantly to unleash the creative in them.

Established in 2016, Jay shared that Eazy Peazy was initially a travel merchandise business, targeted to cater to people who have the passion for traveling.

As the business grew, they decided to produce travel bags, which is still in line with their goal.

Recalling the humble beginnings of their enterprise, Jay said that the feedback from their customers was very good even though they had limited designs due to their limited capital.

Speaking of their financial challenges during the early days of their business, Jay shared how they managed to put up the business with limited money. They started the business with only P40,000.

Since the travel bags were a hit, Jay and Sab eventually decided to put out additional bag designs and product lines. And because Eazy Peazy bags are for every kind of women, their customers come from different walks of life.

Moreover, their locally hand-made and made-to-order bags are designed by the very creative couple themselves. According to them, their bags reflect the Eazy Peazy label, which is inspired by the concept of creating something that is easy and convenient to use.

The price range of their bags matches the simplicity of the brand as well. Their tags retail from P800 to P1,200. Jay said that even though the bags are more affordable compared to other brands, they don’t fall short when it comes to the quality and to the customer service.

Like most homegrown businesses, Eazy Peazy’s first and only home was the internet. According to them, it was also a way for them to use their digital marketing skills and experiences. However, they said that starting an online business has its own challenges. Since they were starting online, the brand was not yet known. The challenge was to set buyers know that they offer a high quality product that is fashionable as well.

Additionally, the husband and wife team said that most Filipinos weren’t that keen yet about ordering and paying online during that time. They observed that Filipinos are not yet 100 percent sure about purchasing or doing transactions online. There are a lot of people who fear that they may be dealing with scammers. They had to prove to their customers that they are trustworthy, with a brand of integrity.

They also admitted that they faced certain challenges with regard to over demanding customers and shipping the items. Not having a physical store yet they had to rely on partner couriers and as such deliveries were not under their control with delays, and worst, lost packages which was frustrating.

Still, the entrepreneurs acknowledged how social media benefitted them. Jay said, “If you’re not online, you don’t exist.” That’s why they are very hardcore on putting up digital campaigns to reach out to people not just nearby, but also global as well.

Eazy Peazy delivers bags nationwide, although their products have reached some other parts of Asia, and they have also been receiving inquiries from the West.

Their goal is to expand the business in terms of adding product lines, creating new designs, and adding more features to satisfy their customers.

To those planning to start a business, as well as to budding entrepreneurs, here’s some words of advice from the budding entrepreneurs, “If you want to succeed, you really need to take advantage of what you are good at. But it’s not enough that you like or love doing this, what is crucial is for you to really excel in it,” emphasized Mr. Ferrer.  

Shopping’s made easy with Eazy Peazy! Just login on their website and visit their social media accounts.

Easy, convenient, simple, yet fashionable — that’s what Eazy Peazy is all about.

Mabuhay!!! Be proud to be a Filipino.

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