The past year has been tough on our livelihoods and many of us had to find ways to keep ourselves afloat. Some took on side-hustles to somehow augment their incomes, while others shifted to pandemic-friendly businesses to keep up with the needs of the new normal.
For makeup artist and plantita Jing Carigma, it was her plant-growing hobby that keeps her busy and surprisingly paved the way to turn her setback into an opportunity. At the height of the pandemic with her makeup gigs becoming fewer and clients canceling their bookings left and right, Jing decided to monetize their family’s hobby of growing plants and started Crash Planting On You (yes, inspired by the famed K-Drama, Crash Landing On You.)
According to Jing, “Natutunan ko na magpropagate ng plants. So yung mga trimmings ganyan, pinapaugat ko. Then dun ko na siya naisipan isell. Kasi wala naman akong pinagkakakitaan nun eh.”
With only the trimmings of their existing plants at home as her starting capital, she earned around 10,000 pesos from the first batch. She saw this as a sign to carry on with this business venture, but she noticed that meeting the demand won’t be as easy as she thinks. “So sabi ko dapat kasi gusto ko ipagpatuloy lang magsell lang ng plants—house plants, kaso kasi di siya sustainable kasi ang bilis niya maubos eh.”
Jing then shifted to selling soil amendments and gardening supplies, and started curating what she would later refer to as “grow kits." But that didn’t end there, she saw an opportunity to sell these kits to homeschooling moms as a homeschooling aide and even added a painting component to keep the activity fun.
“It works hand in hand with their schoolwork kasi pinag-aaralan dun yung plants. At least makikita nila kahit sa bahay lang sila nag-aaral. They see a grow kit [and find out] kung paano nagogrow from a seed to a plant, so parang nagkakaroon sila ng visual aid,” she said.
According to Jing, she earns around P20,000 a month from Crash Planting On You. Her business has also since expanded to corporate giveaways and events. When asked about what her major takeaway in running this business is, she tells Female Network, “Marami palang ways to bounce back. Dito talaga ako natuto to think outside the box. Kasi parang ang layo diba, makeup tapos plants. Pero the opportunity presented itself. At least meron pa palang ways to earn. Nagawan ko ng paraan to find another source of income.”
