Ron Jan Rubia was an Information Technology (I.T.) engineer who trended on Tiktok when he shared how he resigned from his coporate job and decided to sell siomai.
Now, he’s able to sell enough siomai to earn a minimum of P5,000 a day.
How Ron’s Siomai Business Started
As an I.T. engineer in Ortigas, Ron had a decent income working from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
But why did he choose to resign?
“Gusto ko kasi yung talagang hawak ko yung oras ko para the more na mas masarap mag-harvest sa sarili mong oras,” he said in an interview with Chinkee Tan. (I wanted to have full control of my time so that I could really enjoy the rewards of the effort I put into it.)
“Imagine, di ba, eight hours kang nagtatrabaho.
“At least ikaw, hawak mo yung oras mo. Mas malaki yung mapapasok [na kita].”
(Just imagine: you work eight hours a day. At least [as a business owner], you hold your own schedule, and you can earn more.)
Why He Chose A Siomai Business
Ron and his partner have considered and discussed many business ideas. In the end, they decided to go into the food business.
“Kaming mag-partner, what if food industry. Siomai cart… mag-start tayo sa small. Sabi niya, ‘Go!’”
(We said, what if we went into the food industry, like a siomai cart? We can start small. They said, go!)
The inspiration comes from Ron’s experience as an Angkas driver: as a college student, Ron became an Angkas driver in order to pay for his education. During that time, he started to frequent food carts.
Ron recounts, “Lahat naman tayo kumakain. Naranasan ko po ring maging rider once.
“[Pag] nakakakita talaga ako ng ganyang food cart, humihinto po talaga ako para kumain.
“Yung isip po talaga naming mga rider, kung alin po yung mura, yun po ang kakainan namin.
“E, why not ako naman yung puntahan ng mga rider?”
(We all eat. I experienced being a rider before. When I see food carts, I really make it a point to stop and eat. When you’re a rider, you go for the cheaper food. So I thought, why not be the food cart that provides affordable meals this time?)
From I.T. Engineer to Siomai Vendor
Ron started his siomai business with a P20,000 capital, which he used to buy a second-hand food cart and other materials he needed to make a siomai cart.
“Sabi ko [sa partner ko], ‘Ako, mag-manage…Sige, sa akin muna lahat. Support lang yung kailangan ko.’”
(I told my partner that I would manage it… That I would take on all the expenses. I just needed support.)
Ron found his spot beside a tree in Mulawin Bend in Pasig City, and called his siomai business, Siomai Boulevard.
“First week of March, lahat iyon ginugol ko oras ko para mabuo agad yung cart.
“Nag-start first week of March… April, doon na nag-boom.”
(I dedicated the whole first week of March to put the cart together. I started on the first week of March, and in April, the business boomed.)
On his first day, his sales were just over P1,000, but in three months, he was earning at least P5,000 per day.
Ron also says that many of his customers know him from the Tiktok videos that he makes, which are all about his life as a siomai vendor.
When asked about his Tiktok videos, he says, “Naggawa kami ng video kasi na-inspire talaga ako sa mga influencers sa TikTok na gumagawa ng mga ganoong idea.
“Kaya di ko rin in-expect na magti-trending tayo. Bale fifty percent na kumakain diyan sa Siomai Boulevard, ‘Sir, nakita kita sa TikTok.’ Malaki pong impact.”
(We only made the videos because I got inspired by the influenceres on Tiktok who were doing the same. So I didn’t expect the videos to trend. About 50% of the people who eat at Siomai Boulevard tell me that they saw me on Tiktok. There’s a big impact.)
Currently, Ron has upgraded his cart to run on an e-bike.
Siomai Boulevard sells siomai (P25), siomai with Java rice (P40), and siomai with Java rice and drink (P50).
Ron believes that the key to achieving his dreams was to start his own business, which is why he decided to leave the corporate world.
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This story originally appeared on Pep.ph. Translated by Camille Georgia Uy. Minor edits have been made by Yummy.ph editors.
