Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in clothing but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Paulo Manaid, designer, and founder of Hatzumomo LLC., located in Astoria, NY, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
With my brand NATIBO ATBP. by Hatzumomo, I create contemporary fashion and accessories using handwoven fabrics indigenous to the Philippines.
I work closely with different native weavers and collectives from all over the Philippines, as we have the same goal: keep these traditions and the art of our ancestors alive.
Tell us about yourself
I went on a trip back to the Philippines in 2015. It was then that I rediscovered these beautiful fabrics they are using to make souvenirs and household goods with. That’s when I knew that I wanted to learn more about these handwoven beauties and somehow work with them.
A year later, I sewed the first batch of my tote bags and smaller accessories, using these fabrics, and started selling them at local pop-up markets all over NYC.
My business grew tremendously when I started making fashion with them. To this day, I still design and sew each of my items in a small corner of my home in NYC.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
The fact that I’m helping to create better livelihoods for my fellow countrymen back home in the Philippines, and at the same time sharing these gems to not only the diaspora here in the U.S., but to the rest of the country, whom many for the very first time have only heard of, and seen these textiles thru me.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
When you’re a sole proprietor, you have to wear multiple hats. Picking and choosing which tasks to do can be a challenge at times.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Research your niche first!
- Do something you love, so you don’t have to “work” for a living.
- Just get out there and show the world your wares.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Remember this: “If it’s to be, it’s up to me!” If you’re thinking about starting your own business, stop thinking about it and just do it. You really have nothing to lose but a lot more to gain.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.hatzumomo.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hatzumomo
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hatzumomo/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.
