Mom finds stride in ice cream business

MANILA, Philippines - For years, Daisy Aricayos, a full-time mom, and her hubby, Amado, an overseas Filipino worker (OFW), have been considering what business they could put their hands on. As a captain of an international cargo liner, Amado was earning more than enough to fund a small venture back home in Rosario, Cavite, that her wife, a midwife before they married, could manage.

Initially, Daisy was set on building apartment rows because it was very viable then. They were within sight of a thriving export processing zone and to accommodate thousands of out of town employees and managers, apartment buildings mushroomed in areas near the industrial facility. Unfortunately, the bubble burst years later, with so many companies in the industrial area folding up, and leaving empty homes.

The couple decided that dilly-dallying was a blessing in disguise. Then another setback struck. Amado developed a heart ailment that forced him to temporarily leave his lucrative seafaring job. For two and a half years, Daisy got her husband back in shape . While waiting to finally get a clean bill of health so he could get back on board his ship, he worked as an instructor of a local maritime school. Expectedly, the compensation was a pittance, and barely enough to support the couple’s growing brood of four daughters. The upside is that Daisy’s years of prudent spending allowed the young family to sustain their needs.

The experience however, prompted the Aricayos to revive their plans of setting up a business. The couple did not want to end up like thousands of OFW families, who squandered their hard-earned money and ended up dirt-poor, just as they were in the beginning. They did not want such heart-breaking stories to be theirs as well.

“We both knew even before my husband got sick that we had to put part of our savings to a business that we could grow and rely on when he retires from his job. My children were also taught to fend for themselves, so I purposely did not hire maids. Amado and I became more aggressive in pursuing a business, and after a lot of research and consultation, we decided with our children that we wanted an ice cream business,” recalls Daisy.

At last year’s Association of Filipino Franchisers Inc. (AFFI) trade show, the Aricayos met other aspiring entrepreneurs and before long, they were negotiating with the owners of Milkin Corp., the franchisor, manufacturer and sole distributor of pure Italian style ice cream – Fiorgelato.

After being toured at the Fiorgelato facility and briefed on their options, the Aricayos decided to set up a Fiorgelato kiosk which is ideal for mall, food courts, supermarket lobbies, offices lounges and other functional areas with an area of three to five square meters. The package of P475,000 was within their budget. And right about that time, the SM Mall in Rosario, Cavite was still filling in their outlets. Everything meshed finally.

Amado last year put off another assignment abroad to help Daisy in the business, and even two of their kids were taking their turns in learning the ropes of the ice cream business.

Daisy became misty-eyed recalling how the family grew even closer during their start-up months.

“We were all so eager to pitch in. Imagine, my husband, a ship captain who is used to ordering his crew what to do and being served as well, had no qualms scooping up ice cream, serving customers and going over inventory. I really saw in his smiles that he was very happy with what he was doing. Our older children would help as well after schoolwork. It was a real bonding time for the family,” Daisy says with unabashed pride.

These days, Daisy is even more adroit in multi-tasking. Still refusing to get household help, she gets by everyday with the help of an older sister taking care of her daughters, preparing their meals, their uniforms and taking the younger ones to school, and then spending hours at her Fiorgelato kiosk at SM Mall in Rosario.

The task of going over inventory and balancing books is something that Daisy never imagined she could be capable of doing so well. Of course, aside from the Fiorgelato staff that she calls every now and then for guidance, Daisy is being assisted, albeit long distance, by Amado.

Daisy by now knows, that one needs to be tough to stay in the business, and have the creativity to wiggle out of the cyclical nature of the ice cream business.

“Not all days are good, just like in other businesses. But I am learning, talking to other AFFI members on how to survive and grow. I am not giving up, in fact, we are thinking eventually of setting up in another mall.”