A Filipina nurse based in the United States proved how resourceful Pinoys are when she turned her hobby into a lucrative business venture. Mia Uy turned her backyard into a garden and earned extra income by conducting “talipapa days” to sell her produce.
In a report by Vina Medenilla in Manila Bulletin, Mia shared how she grew up seeing her parents raising crops on their farm in Camiling, Tarlac. This passion grew into her that even if she moved countries away, Mia still found herself planting veggies and fruits.
Mia converted her backyard into a 208-sqm garden and grew ampalaya, kangkong, sitaw, kamote, saluyot, upo, sigarilyas, kamatis, okra, and other tropical crops. She also grows grapes, cherries, figs, persimmons, and other fruit trees.
The avid gardener admits that growing tropical crops is challenging in Maryland, USA. But determined to succeed, Mia specifically grows them during the warm weather of April to October. Mia spends time tending to her vegetable garden when she’s not working as a nurse. She uses rainwater to water her crops and horse manure and compost as organic fertilizers.
Mia conducts “talipapa days” twice a week so she can sell her garden produce. It’s become a good place for her Filipino neighbors to gather and enjoy her harvests. According to Mia, she earns around $700 to $900 or P40,000 to P50,000 from her garden produce. She has also invested in 3 farm lots in the Philippines.
The successful entrepreneur also launched a YouTube channel, Mia Uy. She shares tips on managing a garden, growing various crops, and even how to earn extra income.
Advice to aspiring entrepreneurs
Among her selling tips is to ensure you have a market for your products. You must first consider if your products are marketable, so you’ll not run out of customers. “Kapag nakaisip kayo ng gustong ibenta, dapat meron kayong market,” Mia advises in one of her vlogs.
Next, Mia advises that you should always ensure that your products are of good quality. Lastly, you need to be consistent with your supplies. “Sa panahon ngayon, kailangan natin ng extra pagkakakitaan para makatulong tayo sa ating pamilya. Kailangan lang natin maging masipag, matiyaga at madiskarte,” Mia said.
Mia’s story proves that you can earn while doing something you love. You just have to learn the tips on how to turn your hobby into a business.
You can watch Mia’s vlog on earning extra income by selling via her Youtube channel:
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