“Wala pang nalulugi na nagtitiwala kay Lord.” (No one who ever trusted in God has lost.)
This is the realization of Tatay Joymar D. Olarte as he recalled his entrepreneurial journey with TSPI. At only 29 years old, the 2020 Citi Microentrepreneurship Awards Winner for the Youth Category has already inspired microentrepreneurs all over the Philippines with his story.
Tatay Joymar previously worked as a merchandiser in a mall and was a tricycle driver. One of his regular passengers owned a fried chicken business but quit due to the bird flu outbreak and low supply of chicken in the market. He shared his secret recipe to Tatay Joymar, who decided to try the business after the bird flu outbreak was over.
With a Php2,300 capital sourced from his earnings, Tatay Joymar established J&J Tasty Fried Chicken in October 2017. He put up his first outlet in Brgy. Sto. Domingo, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan and sold his delicious fried chicken at Php20 per piece. He borrowed all his equipment from his neighbors until he was able to buy his own. It didn’t take long for him to realize its potential, so he took a leap of faith and gave up his job to focus on his new business.
He became a TSPI client in January 2018 and availed of a Php5,000 loan under the TSPI Kabuhayan Program (TKP). He invested it towards his second outlet in Brgy. Unzad, Villasis, Pangasinan. For every year thereafter, he opened a new outlet in different locations within Urdaneta City: Brgy. Pinmaludpod, Brgy. Camantiles, Brgy. Cabuloan, and Pedro Orata.
By God’s grace and his entrepreneurial skills, Tatay Joymar’s business grew exponentially. From one outlet serving 20 customers and selling 15 kilos of chicken per day, J&J Tasty Fried Chicken now has six outlets serving up to 500 customers and selling 400 kilos of chicken daily.
Tatay Joymar shared one of the ways he experienced God’s faithfulness was through his membership in TSPI. “Sa lahat po ng aspeto ng buhay ko nararamdaman ko ang katapatan ng Diyos, tulad na lamang po ng pagiging kliyente ko sa TSPI. Naging tulay ito na mabago ang buhay ko at makamit ang aking mga pangarap sa pamilya at negosyo ko. Isa na yun sa patunay na hindi ako iniwanan ng Diyos. Noong ako ay manalo bilang CMA Youth Entrepreneur, mas nakilala ang aking negosyo at patuloy itong lumalago sa tulong ng TSPI at ng Diyos.” (I feel God’s faithfulness in all aspects of my life, like my membership in TSPI. This became my bridge towards transforming my life and achieving my dreams for my family and business. This is one testament of God’s faithfulness to me. When I won as the CMA Youth Entrepreneur, my business gained popularity and continues to grow with the help of TSPI and God.)
His advice to his fellow entrepreneurs? “I-enjoy at mahalin mo yung ginagawa mo at bibiyayaan ka ng Diyos. Samahan natin ng dasal at tiwala sa Diyos. Sipag at tiyaga ang kailangan natin!” (Enjoy and love what you are doing, and God will bless you in return. Let us pray and trust in God. We need to work hard and persevere!)
Practicing what he preaches, Tatay Joymar finds ways to continuously improve his processes and expand his products. His motorized food carts enable him to bring his delicious fried chicken to the distant vilages of Pangasinan, including those areas with heightened travel restrictions during the pandemic. He also added fresh and marinated chicken to his product offerings and found distributors who can bring his products all the way to Calasiao, Pangasinan; Asingan, Pangasinan; and Mabini, Pangasinan; Nancayasan, Urdaneta City, and Talavera, Nueva Ecija.
Aside from giving his 14 employees a source of stable income, his business also helped his three resellers earn an average of Php800 per day.
As a forward-thinking entrepreneur, Tatay Joymar has set his sights on opening five more outlets in his hometown of Bolinao, Pangasinan. He is also planning to diversify into an egg buy-and-sell business with operations in Bolinao and Urdaneta City, Pangasinan.
Indeed, the future looks very bright for this millennial microentrepreneur. With his humility, unwavering faith in God, and passion for his business, he has become a worthy example to the next generation of young entrepreneurs.