Heidi Alimios

Business Location:
Calinan, Davao City
Product:
Gown Rentals

For Heidi Alimios, this is the average budget she had to work with when she started out her wedding planning business 6 years ago.

“When I first started my business, I had to rent to my client the gown I used during my wedding,”

she said, as she reminisce the old days with a smile. Heidi would often find creative ways to find solutions to her client’s needs as she struggled to carve a name for herself in Calinan, Davao City.

Heidi came from humble beginnings - she had worked as household helper while pursuing her college education during the night. She knew that deep within that more than her talent, she was more smart and driven to succeed. After getting married, she convinced her husband to live separately from her in-laws and convert their room to a shop where she can entertain her prospective clients. Soon, Heidi found a market for her services in Calinan and other municipalities around Davao. She also went out to pre-marriage seminars and distributed leaflets to couples intending to get married and got referred by clients who were happy with her services.

Heidi first learned about KMBI through a friend who was part of an ENTREP center. The loan from KMBI helped her to obtain liquidity. Thus, enabling her to get more projects and save half of her profits.

I would often save 50% of my service fee and keep this for investments.

From her savings, she was able to buy a multicab that helped her mobilize her tables, chairs and other wedding paraphernalia. Heidi’s perseverance paid off when she leased a three-storey building in Calinan. She converted the whole building to a one-stop shop where she displays her gowns and souvenirs at the ground floor, a simple “chapel” for Christian weddings at the second floor, and a small reception area at the third floor.

Even with her success, Heidi never forgets to give back to the community. In fact, she often co-sponsors the mass wedding organized by the KMBI Branch in Davao. She would often lend her gown rentals, create the wedding invites and help in the setting of the event area.

On April 2012, KMBI invited Heidi to be part of the first batch of clients to pilot its Individual Loan Program (IL).

KMBI helped me a lot in growing my business. They taught me how to apply for a checking account. They also invited me to attend a convention in Manila that http://www.gyanpanti.com/p1/ enhanced my skills as a businesswoman. During my freetime, I visited Divisoria and found a wholesale supplier for gowns. This helped me bring my costs down and for the first time, use my personal post-dated check.

In 2013, Heidi was chosen as one of KMBI’s Microentrepreneur of the Year. She was also chosen as one of the semi-finalists for 2013 CITI Microentrepreneurship Awards.

Kwentong Entrep


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Kwentong ENTREP ni Heidi Alimios


Stories of Transformation