Being Your Own Boss Makes Sense

One of the CMDC graduates is is 38-year-old Fidel Seño of Baclaran, Parañaque, who has lived most of his life in a wet market.

“I started my own business in the markets of Baclaran after I got retrenched from my job as a machine operator in a plastics factory during the Asian crisis of 1997,” he shared.  “I realized that being your own boss makes sense, so I started my own business using the very little money I received as separation pay.”

Fidel opened a meat shop, where he initially served as the butcher.  Later on, as money came in, he got involved in other business activities.  “I made profit from my businesses but I did not earn from them; money was always slipping out of my fingers even if I worked almost 24 hours a day.”

Fidel was recommended to take the training program offered at CMDC. He was at first skeptical as it will take him away from his business which meant losing profits, but was surprised that the days he spent attending the workshop proved to be life-changing.  “I learned a lot from our trainers.  I found out that managing your own business is not as easy as it seems.  One needs to instill discipline in yourself and your employees and learn how to properly designate work to people,” he said.

Some of the changes he implemented affected his relatives whom he employed in the business.  In particular, he applied lessons learned from CMDC’s training program on financial literacy.  “I told them to value their work and their salary.  I reprimanded them for not having the compassion to help the business prosper and for using their hard-earned salary to buy expensive gadgets or branded clothes that are mostly of decorative value.”  Some of them did not take this lightly and quit, but most of his relatives heeded his advice.  “I told them how important it is to budget expenses, from the house to the merchandise they are selling, even their salaries.”  He extended this discipline to his wife and kids, and taught them how to save.

Today, Fidel still maintains his meat shop, but he also takes care of his wholesale grocery business and sub-dealership of meat products from a well-known company.  “It is still not an easy road that I am treading, but at least I have the tools and the confidence to pursue the goals I want to reach, thanks to CMDC.

To date, Fidel has 14 employees. His enterprise’s assets have grown by 35% since he enrolled in the course.

Mr. Seño being a hands on entrepreneur as he helps sell his meat products.