Despite the fact that the coronavirus pandemic had an impact on business and how it is performed, food entrepreneurs continue to play a vital role. The number of people who cook at home is growing, as is the need for food. Restaurants, caterers, food product manufacturers, and meal delivery services have all worked extra hours to ensure that customers and communities are supplied during this tough time. During a pandemic, some people and families come up with the idea of launching a business to cope with the crisis’ impact on their lives. After the pandemic disrupted their work and rendered them jobless, this was also becoming their way of obtaining financial help or a source of income.
As you read this blog, you will know how a teenage entrepreneur earns five thousand pesos a day just selling kangkong chips and how this business helps his life during the pandemic.
Now, let me introduce to you the entrepreneur who started his business at the age of seventeen.
JOSH “JHELO” MOJICA
A 17-year-old Filipino teen from Mendez Cavite. His dream was to own a high-end laptop or personal computer, but his mother couldn’t afford one, and it became a point of contention between him and his mother. He needs the device to complete his modules. The laptop he needs is the high quality one, but his mother indulges in the laptop which costs 10,000 pesos which his mother would save anyway.
Josh started to plan and have an idea in selling kangkong chips in May 2021, the month of his grandfather’s birthday. The kangkong chips recipe was his Auntie’s recipe that was made for his grandfather. He started selling on Facebook and gained one loyal customer and just like other teenagers, Josh was distracted by video games which made him stop. Suddenly, his grandfather died in June of the same year and that’s when he pursues and pushes again selling kangkong chips with the capital of P3,000 only which is also his way to help his parents financially. He’ll never forget what his grandfather told him before he died “life isn’t simple, so don’t set your goals too low”. He asked his Auntie to teach him how to cook kangkong chips and he asked help from his mother to handle the finances since he was underage. From dipping the kangkong to frying and packing, he handled everything himself. The initial packaging of his Kangkong chips was in small boxes meant for rice meals. He also contacted public vendors to be their source of ingredients, especially the Kangkong to help them. He soon realized that he has a product that has the potential to go big. At 6 am, he will wake up just to prepare orders since his products became the trend and gave satisfaction to the customers that made them order again.
As time passed, the demand for kangkong chips grew, and Josh realized that he couldn’t handle all of the work alone any longer, so he enlisted the help of his cousin, who agreed to work as one of his employees. However, the task will not be simple for the two of them. He employed ten of his friends, all of whom were still in school so that they could earn money even if there was a pandemic. Even with a full load of work, Josh never forgets to study. He manages his time, in the afternoon he will help in the production, and then when the evening came, he will start answering his modules. He was now studying at Saint Augustine School-Mendez as a Senior high school student.
Josh earns P165K to P220K each month selling a thousand five hundred to two thousand bags of Kangkong Chips that cost one hundred ten pesos on Shopee and Facebook. He had his own kitchen where he made the Kangkong chips, and he plans to open pop-up stores in malls to inspire and motivate other teenagers like him to start their own businesses and for those who want to help their families. Josh has resellers in Cavite and Pasay, and Kangkong chips can be found all over the Philippines, as well as in the United States and Canada.
Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, a presidential candidate, ordered in bulk from Mojica and praised him on social media for his dedication at such a young age. Sen. Ping Lacson ordered Crispy Kangkong chips from Josh to be part of their Christmas gift-basket giveaways and said that he was proud of Josh even he doesn’t know him. Josh didn’t know at first that Lacson’s office was the one that ordered four hundred bags of kangkong chips and he just realized it when one of the senator’s personnel told him during the delivery.
And, like other entrepreneurs, Josh faced challenges, but he overcame them all with perseverance and dedication. He shared a lot of inspirational sayings that will help teens and entrepreneurs just like him. The first is that you will learn from every failure that you did. The second is, to go quickly, the hope of having a stable life is in your hands. He said that even he is young, he strives for stability and he thinks that should be the mindset of the youth. Move fast, especially in business. Then lastly, he said that if you’ve thought of a plan, don’t sleep until you have executed it. You have to be aware of what you know and what you don’t know and focus on being good. Whatever you do, do it well. Treat everything with excellence and watch how your life changes. He also believes that his business keeps on thriving was because of the guidance of his grandfather.
Josh kangkong chips retail for P110 per 120 grams and are available in various flavors: original, cheese, cream cheese, spicy, barbecue, and, sour cream & onion.
I hope you get inspired by how a 17-year-old teenager became successful and start earning a hundred thousand a month in the middle of a pandemic. Be confident in achieving your goals and don’t let your problems pull you down. Don’t let your troubles hold you back from accomplishing your objectives.
You may learn more about Josh Mojica’s journey to starting his own business by clicking on this link: https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/features/kangkong-chips-josh-mojica-a00293-20220103-lfrm2
Leave a Reply