For many successful entrepreneurs, financial missteps are part and parcel of the job—at first. And retail shop owners Jim Bacarro of Linya-linya and sisters Roma and Maan Agsalud of Common Room shared in RCBC Boz Sessions that they had to learn it the hard way.
RCBC Boz Sessions is a video series featuring Filipino entrepreneurs who share their own journey, tips and insights on starting and growing their own businesses.
Linya Linya’s Jim Bacarro said their company experienced “a rollercoaster of hilarious financial missteps” before it became the renowned and popular apparel and lifestyle brand that it is today. In this episode which premiered on April 3, he shared on Facebook how their funniest financial mistakes became the company’s foundational strategies, entitled Nadapa, Natuto, Kumita.
‘Those epic fails were also the foundational parts of who we are as a company today,” Bacarro shared.
Kids in a candy store
The Linya Linya founder cited issues with cash flow and business capital as “bloopers” that eventually became “incredible lessons.”
Bacarro admitted that they were like “kids in a candy store with our cash” during their beginning years. “Sales meant celebration, right? Wrong! We pulled out cash without thinking twice. And guess what? When it was time to pay suppliers, our wallets were singing crickets.”
He added Linya Linya started their operations “undercapitalized,” diving into projects with their “pockets half-empty.”
“The result? We got smothered by interest payments and were left scrambling for funds.” Bacarro explained, adding that they were also prone to making unplanned and unnecessary big purchases that “led to us scrimping on our actual products—the T-shirts!”
Mixing business with personal
Sisters Roma Agsalud-Agsunod and Maan Agsalud of the arts and craft store Common Room also admitted committing basic mistakes during their first few years in business.
In their YouTube video “Three Mistakes When Scaling Up Your Business,” Agsunod and Agsalud shared the lapses they committed that prevented them from leveling up sooner.
The Common Room sisters said they did not know anything about the basics of business when they started. “Sa sobrang wala kaming alam sa negosyo, akala naming kumita na kami basta maibalik lang ang rental fee namin,” they said.
Their lack of business know-how made them commit other mistakes, such as mixing personal finances with their business earnings, and making decisions based on feelings instead of hard financial data.
“When Common Room was just starting, kami ang breadwinners ng family namin, so lahat ng earnings naming napupunta sa panggastos ng pamilya. Hindi namin alam na dapat paghiwalayin ang personal bank account sa business bank account. Pag hindi niyo sila pinaghiwalay, mabagal ang growth ng business,” they shared.
They also said: “Ang solution to not knowing the basics of business is to do simple self-studying. Kahit pinaka-basic concepts lang, pwede mo na matutunan sa YouTube videos. Manood lang kayo ng ilang videos at malaking advantage na agad yan.”
“Nakaka-stress ang mistake na yan. Kaya ikaw, study your data before you make any big decision,” the sisters added.
Don’t be afraid to try new tools
Bacarro believes that a financial misstep can translate to business success if one recognizes the mistake immediately, and turn it into an opportunity for growth and innovation. “Through these mishaps, we learned the hard way that managing a business isn’t just about making sales; it’s about smart financial planning,” he said.
For Agsunod and Agsalud, accepting the mistakes allowed them to make the necessary fixes and changes. “So, to all aspiring entrepreneurs out there, embrace your mishaps, learn from them, and maybe get a little help,” they said. Bacarro advised being in the know when it comes to new tools and technology for business owners as these could significantly make their lives easier. “Don’t be afraid to try new tools to help grow your business,” he said.
And so these bosses were all delighted to have found out about RCBC’s Boz app – something they wished they had when they were just starting out.
RCBC Boz is one of the bank’s newest apps specially designed for beginning entrepreneurs. It is a mobile banking platform that allows users to manage their RCBC business accounts separately from their personal accounts, to have an overall financial view of their business performance. It also has functions that allow users to pay suppliers, create and send invoices, and set financial goals. The mobile app has a Report feature that can provide entrepreneurs with weekly, monthly, and yearly financial reports—giving them access to instant and accurate business financial data.
“Entrepreneurship is fun. Having friends who can laugh and cry with you along the way makes it even better. What’s best though is a friend who can laugh, cry, and actually help you with stuff you’re not so knowledgeable on. An app like RCBC Boz is that friend,” he added.
Download RCBC Boz app now and tune in to RCBC Boz sessions for more practical tips and insights on managing your own business.
