Analiza Virrey
- Business Location:
- Batangas
- Business:
- Pillow Covers, Garments, Beauty & Wellness Center, Lomi House
The story of Ms. Analiza Virrey is the story of every working Filipino trying to survive while dreaming of a better future for their family.
Transitioning from employment to entrepreneurship is no easy change as it entails fear. But it did not stop her and her husband because they are focused on their dreams. It was 1992 when the couple invested their savings for a unit of high-speed machine and PhP 500 worth of Chinese cotton cloth, which they planned to make into pillow covers and eventually sell for a profit.
Since they did not have previous experience with this business and because of many competitors, at first, they found it difficult to sell. The challenges they experienced did not discourage them nor lead them to giving up. As part of their learning strategy, they listed all the contact numbers of their customers, made follow-up calls, and sought honest reviews and recommendations for any product improvements. They gladly accepted the criticisms and used them as motivation to improve. Using those informal product reviews, they made adjustments on their sewing techniques. They even used finer materials to ensure the best quality of their products. They underwent quality control to see to it that the items will be worth buying.
The said changes resulted to the increase of their sales. They also broadened their product lines and added products like throw pillow cases, bedsheets, refrigerator covers, TV covers, iron board covers, apron, and high-end custom-made curtains. Because of the unexpected boom of their business, they added more sewing machines, which in turn required additional manpower, some of which were sourced from their community. They also added new service in their business. Delivering of their items to nearby provinces became possible.
With the success of their AVL Garments Manufacturing, they had spare time and resources to venture into food business. Since a construction site opened near their place, they grabbed the opportunity to try selling snacks for the workers like halo-halo, buko juice, pancit and other home-cooked meals. This proved to be fun for all of them while practicing their skills. With the help of KMBI for additional capitalization, they decided to formally open their first Elaiza Mae Lomi House at its first branch in Brgy. Calamias. Because of the affordable price and quality service, they eventually managed to add three more branches.
God truly blesses those who are faithful to Him. At the height of their business success, they managed to raise additional capital to open another business venture: AVL Beauty and Wellness Center located inside SM Taytay was established. This venture was a resounding success due to relatively low competition and reasonable rent.
Part of Ms. Virrey’s learnings in KMBI is to always save for the future, and this learning proved to be beneficial because last 2020, the pandemic occurred. CoViD-19 was a deal breaker for all of their business ventures. Because of the government’s restrictions, they needed to temporarily close all their businesses. During those hard times, they prayed and never abandoned their workers. They were able to continually provide for their basic needs because they managed to save in the past. They also managed to reinvent their products. AVL Garments Manufacturing produces washable cloth face mask to augment their sales and assist the government on its fight against CoViD-19.
Slowly, the government eased its restrictions on businesses, and Ms. Analiza managed to slowly open their Lomi House. They were also able to regain their customers by utilizing online order and delivery. On the other hand, their AVL Beauty and Wellness Center, which was permitted to operate, slowly picked up by giving discounts and other promos to their loyal customers.
The pandemic is far from over but they know that the worst has already passed. Whatever life throws at them, they believe that they would be able to overcome, not because they are business-oriented and skillful, but because they learned to hold on to the promises of God. They believe that God will renew their strength in every step of the way.