“If you’re going to do business, you need to be ready and be a risk-taker,” said Anatista Perez, owner of Don Narciso Café and one of the recipients of the Department of Trade and Industry's (DTI) mentor program.

One very essential piece of advice she got from DTI during and after completing many courses as a starting business was to find one's focus and brand.

“Gitabangan ko nila nga ma-market akong product. Makita man ko ninyo diha sa SM mamaligya, ako pa'y magbantay dinha (They helped me market my products. You can see me in SM personally selling my products). It’s not just a personal touch; you also need to know your business. You need to do it,” Perez said.

She encouraged other women who are considering starting a business or want to become entrepreneurs to use DTI's services in order to receive guidance and the chance to succeed.

Starting small with local producers

“About 98 percent of our coffee is local,” Perez said during the recent Talakayan sa PIA at SM City CDO Uptown.

Cheerful and with a strong pursuit of purpose, Perez may be considered a trendsetter when it comes to providing a unique experience to travelers and coffee lovers alike. Her café, which is located alongside the main road in Claveria, Misamis Oriental, overlooks mountains with lots of trees, greenery, and earth, something good to pair with a cup of freshly brewed coffee and some pastries or good food.

“I always go to the farmers, and mas gwapo man gud na maila-ila mo sila, how they produce their coffee, mahibaw-an nimo unsay origin sa coffee, unsay history sa coffee (and it is good to know them better and how they produce their coffee. You will know the origin and history of their coffee). So, it is also very important for us,” she said.

Don Narciso purchases coffee beans from  farmers, particularly local ones. Perez said they roast their own coffee and strive to innovate, aiming to offer coffee not only in the café but also in portable formats suitable for travelers, such as coffee-to-go packed in tea bags.

They also have coffee beans for those who own their own coffee machine, such as arabica, excelsa, robusta, and blended coffee.

Perez's journey from opening a simple café to now having to expand the footprint of the property with additional rooms for overnight stays and a complete function room for meetings, serving buffets, and making her own brand of coffee, Don Narciso, is not just a dream without action; it is a big labor with a whole lot of love.

“Daghan MSMEs nga nibarog nga mga women kay tungod majority kung makita nimo ang mga MSMEs karon are mothers. Mga naa sa balay, nag-stay-at-home, and eventually they will find their ways nga unsa may mabuhat nako sa akoang kinabuhi,” she said.

(Many MSMEs that exist today are women, because the majority, if you see them, are mothers. Those who are at home, stay-at-home, will eventually find their ways in what they can do to their lives.)

Discipline and courage in doing business

Perez said so many businesses have started and failed because of a lack of discipline and focus, but if they fail and cannot be fixed, “you need to have that courage to go out if needed,” she said.

Perez ventured into other businesses prior to Don Narciso Café and invested quite a lot, but they did not push through.

She expressed her stance against using Facebook and Instagram, stating that they often lead to unhealthy comparisons. Perez emphasized the importance of self-discovery and authenticity, urging individuals not to simply imitate others based on external perceptions or societal norms.

The entrepreneur also emphasized that each person has their own unique identity and journey, and attempting to live someone else's life is neither fulfilling nor sustainable.

For Perez, maintaining a sense of groundedness is crucial. She explained that the tendency of living someone else’s life is that you cannot sustain it and you get frustrated.

Don Narciso started with coffee. “That’s why we have a roasting machine and we conduct training on coffee, so coffee gyud nag-start ang (really started with) Don Narciso. A café nga ga-serve gyud mi og legit nga coffee (a café that really serves legit coffee),” she said.

According to Perez, coffee will remain Don Narciso's main brand moving forward.

As Perez continues to chart her course in the coffee industry, she remains grateful to DTI for its unwavering support and commitment to nurturing MSMEs. With determination and guidance, she stands as a shining example of how entrepreneurship, coupled with strategic intervention, can transform dreams into reality. (JMOR/PIA-10)