Over its almost 3-year existence here in the Philippines, Tala has gained a customer base of over 1 million Filipinos nationwide. Two thirds of which are women — mothers, business owners, and those who stand as their family’s breadwinners.
In honor of these women, we launched Kumare Corner — a celebration of entrepreneurial women in the Philippines. By inviting business-minded women over at the Kandle Cafe in Quezon City, attendees got the chance to come together, engage with fellow customers, and learn from celebrity speakers Tintin Bersola Babao and Nene Tamayo.
EXPERIENCE IS THE BEST TEACHER
An intimate corner set up at the Kandle Cafe welcomed the kumares in what proved to be a close discussion with celebrities Babao and Tamayo. The two idols, who have extensive experience in both showbiz fame and in business-building, shared the many lessons they’ve learned regarding financial education.
“Hanggang ngayon, ongoing pa rin ang business journey ko,” Babao begins with. According to the TV personality, success takes continuous work. That even after reaching success, her goal is still to improve how she operates her businesses.
It’s a trait that she’d carry on from her early childhood days. “Maliit pa lang ako, businesswoman na ‘ko. Sumasama ako sa mommy ko magbenta-benta sa mga bazaar, nagbebenta ako ng Voltes V sticker. Ay, pinapa-rent ko rin yung Archie Comics ko,” Babao happily recalls. And although anime stickers and Archie comics have been replaced with different, more profitable products – Babao still portrays the same values in her negosyos.
The same holds true for Pinoy Big Brother Season One winner Nene Tamayo – who, through her willingness to maximize her talent – created Nene Prime Foods. Tamayo’s secret to business success is her attention to detail. According to her, every jar upholds the prime standard of what good old homemade products should have.
“Quality over quantity. Dapat ‘pag maglalabas tayo ng product, dapat sigurado tayo sa quality. One time may nag-order ng 400 bottles [ng bangus] sa akin, ‘di ko in-accept. Ang sabi ko, ‘ma’m hindi ko afford ma-sacrifice ang quality ng product ko,” shares Tamayo.
LAUNCHING A COMMUNITY
As lessons were shared, another surprise came to Kumare Corner’s participants as we launched the brand new Tala Community Platform, a website where users can learn, engage, and interact with other fellow Tala members.
Our community platform aims to create a safe space where customers can have access to the education and support that will help them advance their financial lives!
A COMMON GROUND
Most importantly, Tala’s Kumare Corner gave participants an open space to interact with each other, talk about their dreams for the year ahead, and their goals looking forward. As our event went on, kumares from all walks of life exchanged names, stories, Facebook accounts, and even business ideas.
And for moments at the Kandle Cafe, every kumare who had a business was eager to share their secrets to success with one another. As Tamayo puts it, “Itong relationship natin, alagaan natin. Tayo-tayo naman ang magtutulungan, tayo-tayo naman ang mag-aangat sa bawat isa.”
Without a doubt, Kumare Corner’s success lived in the hearts of those who came to celebrate the power of these women. In celebrating them, the brand too learned from the shared stories about enduring life’s challenges, triumph, and how to navigate through their successful businesses.
Tala is operated by Tala Financing Philippines Inc., a licensed financing company with SEC Registration No. CS201710582 and Certificate of Authority No. 1132. Always study the terms and conditions and the disclosure statement before proceeding with any loan transaction.
