From Paper: Starting my own business + What I learned along the way.♥

by - December 23, 2018

This blog entry has been in the works for quite some time now and I'm so excited to write about it since its been forever since my last personal post. I am missing the old blogging days badly! This is definitely something very personal and close to my heart - my very own business. :)


If some of you follow me on Instagram, you would know that I recently launched my newest baby and business FROM PAPER.♥ I've always wanted to have my own business and this isn't my first attempt at it. In the past years, I tried so hard to make so many work. I remember when I was still in grade school, I discovered my love for making accessories and so I dived into it and back in 2010, I pushed through with it by creating KNICK-KNAXX - quirky accessories that I also poured my heart into. I initially tried selling via MULTIPLY(if you, guys even remember that or pinanganak na ba kayo nun?? LOL =P ) but it didn't really work out for me, so I couldn't thank enough my good friend Anagon, who was already so supportive of me back then cos she welcomed me into joining the bazaars she went to and also sold her accessories at. :) It's such a big deal for someone like me who is just a newbie and didn't really know anything about running a business. I also learned a lot from her! ^_^

Fun fact: I used to buy accessories from Ana during my college days and that's actually how we met! I used to call her 'Ms. Ana!' hehehe >_< 




I loved this business of mine, I really did. But I didn't see it go long term for me. I didn't have much goals for it nor was I truly inspired to continue, so eventually, I quit and didn't pursue it anymore and focused more on my blogging career, which I also love very much! :)

Now focusing on 2018, being 29 years old - not getting any younger and seeing a lot of people with their own business as well, I honestly got inspired and it sparked up the courage and creativity in me again to start my own. After all, I have to make sure that my hard earn money doesn't go to waste and actually grows.  It took me a while to decide on what I wanted to really do, but the work for FROM PAPER started early 2018. I badly wanted a business related to my art and I figured since I was so into doodling, why not turn my doodles into fun accessories? :)




Everything about FROM PAPER was literally made from scratch. I conceptualized everything on my own - I designed my own logo, products, packaging, Instagram feed and sourced all the suppliers on my own. It was hard work, but it's definitely WORTH IT. I have never felt this happy about any business that I tried to launch. I am proud of this and poured my heart, time and soul into it. :)

Hubby's candid shot of me packing every single patch lovingly :)

NAME OF THE BUSINESS - why FROM PAPER?

I honestly was able to think about my products first before the name of my business. I don't know if that applies to some, but it did for me! =P Silly as it sounds. I wanted it to be catchy and relate to the items I have. It took some time, but I dived into doodling, it originally being on paper and then turning it into something... why not FROM PAPER? It's basically means, I started out from paper and now it has turned into a product - From Paper to Patch / From Paper to Tote. :)

INSPIRATION?

My first collection was inspired by the 90s, my childhood and things that we obsess about. Which is why for the first collection, I doodled milk tea, Holga camera, Gameboy, and name tags. :) These are relatable to most of us in life and represent what we love/d. Main reason why the first 3 designs of mine have hearts on them. ^_^



Aside from patches, I also expanded to tote bags and pouches cos I want people to have options or a wide variety to choose from. I plan to do so more, but they're still in the works!♥

Also experienced my first ever bazaar for this business last December 15, which was Bloggers United 16! It was very timely and glad I got to expose FROM PAPER at a bazaar even though it's just in its baby stage. :)





WHAT I LEARNED ALONG THE WAY?

Having a business is never easy, but it is also one of the most fulfilling things! It will have a lot of challenges along the way and there will always be risks. It's just up to you to take the leap. :) But of course, you have to be smart about it! Here are some of the things I learned throughout all my attempts at having a business...

1. Start a business based on your PASSION - I call FROM PAPER my passion project cos it really did start out there. I love art and very passionate about it. Regardless of it being a business or not, I enjoy doing it. So, it had a big impact on how I conceptualized everything and how I would go about it. I truly believe that, if you love what you do, there is no hardship that you cannot tackle and there is no mountain that you cannot move. You will always have that driving force in you to be better at what you do. Always remember that you are only limited by the wall you put up on yourself. You're the only one who will truly know what you're capable of. :)

2. SAVE your earnings / PRIORITIZE - during my younger years or the time that I had KNICK-KNAXX and other businesses I had before that, I was young and foolish. I would invest in production, but when profits or my earnings came in a.k.a. people would buy from me, I didn't set the money aside. I mixed it with my daily expenses and eventually spent it. So, in the end, why did I really put up a business if I was just going to spend my earnings on nonsense things? Never mix your earnings with your normal or daily expenses like food or even shopping. Always keep it aside or put it in a different bank account. There you will see all your hard earned money grow and you can use that to even expand your business more. :)

Also, know what things you should prioritize more. Personally, I struggle with my WANTS vs. NEEDS. I get tempted to shop for things that I don't really need, but I keep asking myself what's more important? A new bag? a new ring? or to grow my business even more? Nowadays, I turn to the latter cos it gives me so much more purpose. :)

3. Be HANDS-ON - Any business, whether big or small will only thrive if you're hands-on with it. You have to to oversee that everything goes well according to your liking and be able to interact with your clients. This is important cos a business shouldn't just be about earning profits/money, but also giving your heart and attention to the smallest details.

4. You can't please EVERYONE - putting up your own business has many challenges and one of the things that you have to remember is that you can't please everyone. There are times that people won't like what you're offering, they'll find what you're selling expensive or they'll make comparisons, etc. Each person is different and will have their own demands. But never forget that, running a business will test your patience and perseverance. You started this for yourself and it's a learning process! There will be ups and downs and times that you have to tweak things and that's the beauty of it! You learn! :) If there are bad days, there are also good ones!

5. Always EXPLORE - new ideas can be difficult to come by and when I feel like I'm struggling, I continue to explore and find inspiration to spark it up again. :) You should continue to innovate and explore other concepts.


Like I mentioned, FROM PAPER is still at its baby stage and I  have so many plans for it. I'm grateful for all the support I got from my family and friends when I launched this. :) They made me believe in myself more and pushed me out of my comfort zone. 

My take in all this is never lose faith in what you do, always be creating, stay genuine, have fun in the process and be kind to yourself and others.♥


Leaving you, guys with this beautiful quote that I found from Pixel Paper Hearts cos it really resonates to what I feel when I started FROM PAPER.♥  :)

With that, I want to say to people who support my shop - thank you for letting me do what I love!

♥ https://www.instagram.com/from.paper/ ♥
Artsy Ava
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8 comments♥

  1. Janine KayeDecember 23, 2018 at 9:34 PM

    CONGRATS AVVVVAAAAA!! Cheeeers to FROM PAPER! TO more Kawaiiiii products! <3

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownDecember 24, 2018 at 3:29 PM

    Omg! These are sooo cute! ����❤️ You inspire many��

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AVA TE-ZABAT♥January 7, 2019 at 11:59 AM

      aww thanks, claudine! Hope to continuing doing so!! :)

      Delete
  3. Antonette PablicoJanuary 7, 2019 at 2:45 PM

    Very inspiring :) hihi happy to have one, ung isa po nasa sister ko hihi :) Will buy the tote bag soon! :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Lovely AngelFebruary 7, 2019 at 8:05 PM

    Hi! I'm new to this platform! And your blog was pretty interesting and informative especially for those teens who wants to open a small business. Aside from that, you have the complete details about how you open and how you decided to open you business. Your blog also have informative tips for those who already have their business! I am hoping for the success of your blogging career as well as you business! God Bless!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Lovely AngelFebruary 7, 2019 at 8:08 PM

    Hi! I'm new to this platform! And your blog was pretty interesting and informative especially for those teens who wants to open a small business. Aside from that, you have the complete details about how you open and how you decided to open you business. Your blog also have informative tips for those who already have their business! I am hoping for the success of your blogging career as well as you business! God Bless!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Kaycee EnervaApril 7, 2021 at 6:53 PM

    Hello :)

    ReplyDelete

Thank you so much for reading my blog and for leaving lovely comments. Will also try my best to drop by your blogs!:) xo


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