"Our life is in scraps!", says Rosa 'Ate Rose' Gollaba, the proud owner of James Leathercraft, maker of quality handmade leather goods from Barangay Kamias in District III of Quezon City. What started out as a hobby became her family's main source of income as she turned scrap pieces of locally produced cow leather into coin purses, wallets, handbags, and using the fashionable leather-patched designs.
Ate Rose used to be a wage earner, being employed by Manel’s Shoes as Production Supervisor. She found that the salary she received was not enough for her family's daily needs so in 1999 decided to augment her income by starting her own micro-business selling simple coin purses and key chains made from scrap leather. In the early years, her customers were limited to her relatives, immediate circle of friends and neighbours. She then started experimenting and developing new product designs, particularly the mosaic style of leather-patched products, formed from different sizes and shapes of scrap leather, resulting in one-of-a-kind designs. With these product innovations, Ate Rose started joining bazaars. Not only did her retail customers increase but she started receiving bulk orders from other local manufacturers. The breakthrough in her business came when she started receiving orders from US-based buyers.
The road that an entrepreneur travels, however, is seldom smooth. For Ate Rose, the big bump started in 2002 when the financial crisis hit almost every major economy in the world. The cost of doing business became expensive and her income dipped. It was only her fast action in pulling out of the US market in the early months of its economic downtrend that saved her business. Recovery took time but she was slowly gaining ground. Unfortunately, Ondoy hit and like many families in Metro Manila, had devastating effects. That typhoon wiped out her inventory of raw materials and finished products.
Just like any other successful entrepreneur, Ate Rose has a 'never say die' attitude; and together with her whole family, worked to recover from this devastating loss. They pulled together and pooled their resources and abilities to make sure that the company started by Ate Rosa will flourish once again. Case in point is Ate Rosa's son Patrick, a UST Marketing graduate who left the company where he was employed to concentrate on the family business. They also participated in the business development programs of government, particularly the 'Husay Mag-Business sa Sikap Buhay' (HMBSB) Program of the Quezon City Government, where she received assistance in product design and development, among others.
From capitalizing on a hobby to augment her income, to being a small retailer, to a supplier for several established local manufacturers, to exporter of quality products from Quezon City to the world, Ate Rosa and her family have slowly but surely created and established their brand, James Leathercraft, and reputation for a tradition of making quality leather products from scrap.
Ate Rosa and the quality products of James Leathercraft will be at the Quezon City Micro and Small Entrepreneurs' Trade Show at the Quezon City Hall Grounds from October 10 to 15, 2011. Operating hours is from 8:00am to 6:00pm.
The Show is organized on behalf of the Quezon City Government by the Sikap Buhay Entrepreneurship and Cooperative Office. For inquiries on the Show and the HMBSB Program, please call 4447272 local 8731/8734/8736 or e-mail them at magsikapbuhaytayo@gmail.com.
