I guess every Filipino knows this bakeshop. Now it has become a common bakeshop with more than 500 stores serving every Filipinos. The owner, Julie Gandionco and her sons as far as I remember was already featured on some TV shows. But little that we know how it started from a humble beginning.
The Julie’s Bakeshop story is the kind that hits close to home, particularly because it was born out of the needs of a family which something most people can relate to. When she reached the age of 47, Julie Gandioco’s duties as a mother were becoming less and less demanding. Her children – Bobby, Rico and Opep were already in college, and the rest Oding, Neil and Patty were in high school. Her kid’s educational expenses were going up and her husband’s sugar farm was not doing well. So she thought that there were something that she must do to help her husband.
The Opportunity Knocks
When she saw a job posting as a canteen concessionaire at PHILDACAN, a rattan factory, she applied and got the contract. Since lady luck has already knocking on her doors, it became a hit after one year and she was offered to run another on PHILDACAN’s sister company, Admacor and a year after at the La Union Carbide factory. The three factories were in the vicinity of Mandaue and the employees being fed daily by her canteen totaled 1,780 which is a big task for a neophyte. But despite of this she have the courage to face such a big task. As a true entrepreneur, she never refuse a challenge and she replicates success. She said so herself that “If you can manage one business efficiently, there is no reason why you can’t with two or three. All you have to do is duplicate what you are doing. This just need good organization hard work and a lot of prayers.”
The Birth of Julie’s Bakeshop
Julie noticed that her customers consumes a lot of bread which she bought from different bakeshops at that time. One of her bread supplier, Vicente Ruiz encourage her to put up her own bakeshop so she could supply her own needs. She realized that it was a good opportunity because the market was already there but she was hesitant at first because she have no experience in baking or bakeshop business.
Eventually she took Vicente’s advice on the condition that he joins her business and take care of all the baking while she took care of the rest. One of the keys for a successful business is hiring an expert which attributed to her success. By hiring an expert to help start her bakery business, she didn’t have to worry about the product. Again I would say that she was lucky enough that she have an expert on her side because if she hired an amateur, then that would hinder her success.
Julie put up her savings which amounts to Php19,000 to open up the family’s first bakeshop on January 6, 1981 in Wireless, Mandaue. She served staples like Elorde, Everlasting, Pan de Coco and Pandesal. Then she opened up another bakeshop in Aznar road near Southwestern University just six months after she opened up the first and she recovered her investment only in one year.
Based on the short success story, it is obvious that age doesn’t matter if we were given a break by our Almighty Creator. Just let us keep ourselves hoping and trusting in Him that someday we will have our break.
Source: Masigasig Magazine
Julie’s Bakeshop Website: www.juliesbakeshop.com.ph
Posted by Manuel
Manuel Montala was an online entrepreneur who enjoys blogging about entrepreneurship and gathering information for his blog to help budding entrepreneurs. You can also reach him on twitter: http://twitter.com/mmontala
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I wonder if salewomen hired by julie’s bakeshope particularly in punta princesa branch had undergone customer care seminar…She was so uncourteous to me as a costumer and was so slow in giving her service…poor me…I hope the management of that franchised bakeshope will take consideration on what i post here. because it was not only me that had encountered such unfriendly treatment from the saleswomen…
concerned buyer,
joy
i really inspired on this article especially the story of maam julie gandionco. may i use also this due to my case analysis assigment? i salute you maam julie coz you show that poverty is not a problem but an inspiration.
I really love julie’s bakeshop .
the success story of julies bakeshop is very inspiring.. ma’am julie is a woman of excellence..i salute you ma’m..ish that i will franchise on your company someday
i want to be a sucessful buisness women someday ..! hahaha ..
hope so ..
Hi Mam,
i m inspired of your business sucess, thanks i used this as my research study in MBA. Hope someday, i will franchise from your company
dong sison
I’m inspired of your business success…
love the story!so nice!it will serve as an inspiration to those who have the plan to indulge themselves in business..inspiring story..
hi,.,.,.,.
theres so many filipino`s that inspired on your story,.,..,.,.,
i wish someday,..,.,. im just like you,.,..,:)
hi…. iwnt to be like you…a sucessful..women..
“Strike while the iron is hot”
Ms. Julie just grab the opportunity knocking on her, a true spirit of a successful entrepreneur. So for us, who were inspired but this story, when opportunity arises, just go for it! don’t worry about the failures on your way through… worry about the chances, when you don’t even try.
@Rey John L. Veraque
I agree sir. There is a saying “you don’t have to get it right, you just have to get it going”.
Thanks for sharing this Manuel,
It’s just admirable to be inspired by a lady entrepreneur. If a woman can make it to that top, why not the guys. I just got great business tips from this post.
amm just wondering why are they aren’t putting here the story of the owner how she became that successful but even-though i still idolize her for her perseverance in her career..!!! true star..!!!!
wow..!!! julies bakeshop is really a successful entrepreneur..!!!! i wish that someday i would shine too like the owner of this bakeshop..!!!! hehehehe..!!! ohhh ..!!!!
do julie’s bake shop has their manufacturing plant here in bicol?
go entrepreneurs!!! show them what you’ve got!!!
Godbless
hehe
An awesome success story! Mabuhay Filipinos! Age doesn’t matter in terms of business. Don’t stop dreaming, keep on believing!
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