01/02/2026
A student [Ulan] once sent me this questionnaire for a school project and I am thankful for it allows us to share why we do what we do.
Q & Answers:
• What is your business?
4Dygrees Icy Treats and Snacks [Food Stall Business]
• What is your beginning capital?
c/o Mic [estimate to follow…]
Initial investment was about Php___K that we used to purchase supplies and equipment. Refurbishing the shelves and tables from the previous trade set-up was necessary to minimize outlay and allowed us to use those for other essential needs for a smoother transition to basic operations. Whatever earnings/profit we had gained on the first few weeks were returned back to the capital fund. Additional capital infusion were periodic [8-week intervals] after the third week that were used to purchase more supplies and to introduce different items/products. Full operation was obtained after the sixth week.
• When did you start your business? and why?
c/o Mic [she knows when we transitioned from Shoes-to-Chews]
We transitioned from “Shoes to Chews” on 2017
Because our previous one [dry goods/footwear store] was no longer viable. Others begun copying or selling similar items we were selling which dropped our daily sales target.
• What type of business do you have?
Food Preparation and Service
• What services or products do you offer?
Ready-to-eat Snacks & Meals [Sandwiches/FritongFranses/Cheeztix/Nachos/Tacos/Dinamita /ShomaiKanto]
Cold Treats [Fruit Shakes/Choco Shakes/Sinkers (Sago’tGulamen)/ Floaters(MaizConHielo, SaguingConHielo)/Scramble]
RiceToppings
[Egg, Beef Patties, Ham, Dogs]
Rice Topkings or Budol-Dubol
[All the above toppings + 3-cup Pyramid BaconRice, Good for a 2-Man Boodle/Double Fight]
Beverages
[Soft Drinks/Energy Drinks/Fruit Juices/Hot Coffee]
• What is the ownership of your business?
Sole Proprietorship, a family business
• How does your business been legalized?
RA 6977 was enacted by the Philippine Congress of 1991, so as soon as we opened shop, as a micro enterprise, we were automatically legalized.
• What are your business documents?
The Barangay Business Permit initially obtained in 2018 and renewed annually.
• Why did you decide to become a business owner?
Even before marriage, buying and selling of different goods or retail trading has always been the means of livelihood. Having all the decisions, gaining financial freedom and not having to work for anyone has always been the mind-set.
• How did you establish your business?
From selling several types of goods on different periods, it was finding the right product that people would heed and would create a larger impact on both ends [needs & wants for the customer and profit & good service for the business owners]. Once we have determined that, it was streamlining the processes to ensure that the product that comes out of the store would be the best of what we can offer.
• How did you secure funding for your business?
Earnings from our previous trade which was, as mentioned earlier, dry-goods/footwear trading. A small part was sourced from personal loans from immediate family members that were interest free, a welcome arrangement that we truly appreciated.
Another part of the funding was also obtained by financing from the Loyar(sic) Bank of Bumbay for an exorbitant interest of 20%, payable for a period of 60days by daily instalments. A penalty of 20% of the day’s instalment is added for each day an instalment is missed. Almost all of us members of the informal economy at one time or more had obtained additional financing from these two-wheeled loan facilitators because of the ease of application and with zero collateral. It’s a source of a quick fund for any capitalization requirement that’s why it thrives in every corner of the economic community.
• How much time did it take for your business to earn profit?
c/o Mic
If we disregard the payables and by payables we mean the loans necessary to begin the operation, after that first day of operation we already profited. From that day’s sales we were able to take 2 days’ worth of loan instalments, 2 days’ worth of house/living expenses and some coins to feed the pig. The rest was cycled back to the operational fund/petty cash. And that was how we structured the cash cycle with additional fund infusions after every 60 days […because we would renew our loan with the Kings of Bumbay every 60 days].
We could say that the return of investment was attained after six months [the time we finally paid off the ______].
• How much time do you spend working on your business day?
The operational cycle goes this way:
Procurement = Buying foodstuff and packaging materials
Setting-up = Arrangement of chairs and tables, displays,
equipment, utensils and refilling of condiments
and flavourings.
Production = Taking in orders, food prep, order release and
Setting-up activities as the need arises.
Cleaning-up = Washing up, wiping-off, housecleaning and closing-down.
Accounting = Determining daily sale, profit or loss, listing operational requirements for procurement.
So, total average time at work is 12hours a day, 7days a week.
• What is your strategy in keeping your business on the run?
Any kind of business, be it service oriented or product distribution, the operator/owner would always strive for customer retention. I believe this is the ‘bread and butter’ of our business. You have to look for strategies to make them come back and keep coming back. If you are able to do that, it only means that they are pleased with what you are offering and that they trust you. It could be the quality of your work or in our case, may be the way we cook and the taste of the product. Creating loyal customers is like having free advertisement: they are sure to talk about their experience to others and this may translate to new customers.
If you would visit our page [4Dygrees Icy Treats and Snacks – o plug in yan!], you will see there the words: Hygienic, affordable and hearty.
Why hygienic? We are dealing with food, so we make sure that we clean everything; that we handle and keep foodstuffs carefully. During food preparation, a spilled product even on the counter which we often wipe clean after every use, goes straight to the garbage bin. Same thing with cups or any tray or plate that are used to make a direct contact with food, if it’s accidentally dropped to the floor, those too go straight to the bin. No 5-second saves for the nimblest hand, if it hits the floor for even a second, out it goes. We also make sure that the containers are sealed tightly. That way, as we close the shop at the end of operations, pests and bugs have no reason to slip in.
Why affordable? People basically look for the best deal; we window-shop to compare prices of similar products before buying what we feel is the best item for the hard-earned money we have. So in this we understand our customers because we ourselves are customers. Our pricing is based on the quality of the produce that we prepare, but this does not mean that we would procure the poor quality produce just to be able to set a less pricey product. Bulk buying is the key. It unlocks the quality difference between affordable and expensive.
It might mystify others, as I was before, that some people would go to the mall, walk by a shake kiosk and fall in line to await their turn and pay for their cravings without any qualms, but you would hear them complain that the pricing on their neighbourhood shake stalls are too much even though the price for the same volume of shake is higher by 86% in the mall, that’s nearly double: both having the same powdered shake base, same PPE containers, both having purified water and purified shaved ice. The only difference? The thing they call the sweetness factor.
Commercially prepared shakes are made sweeter on purpose. A sweet treat makes a person feel satisfied and happy because once sugar hits the stomach, it is absorbed by the bloodstream and sent straight to the brain where the ‘happy’ hormone called dopamine is released. Now, taxes on sugar and sugary products had just been increased to regulate use and to lessen the incidence of obesity, which the gov’t believes lead to health hazards. What the commercial producers of shakes do now is to use a sweetener that is several times sweeter than table sugar. Although this type of sweetener, called fructose, is being taxed higher than table sugar, using a mere portion of this would still be sweeter. So by volume, using fructose would save them more than using common sugar. But there’s a devil residing in there. Fructose is absorbed differently by the body and ingesting this in excess would result in fatty liver and more sugary cravings as the effect of dopamine could be addictive. Such cravings in turn may lead to diabetes.
And in comes my third word…hearty! As in nourishing, healthy and sizable. We always use the common table sugar. Our blend may not be as sweet as the mall shakes, but simple sugar is healthier and without the guilt. But not just with our shakes and other Icy Treats…we use lean beef for our BTBurgers. You will notice that the more the hot oil splatters, the more fat it contain. We cook as you order so always listen to the splatter, and we guarantee it would be negligible. You’d get lean burgers on buns that by it alone are nourishing.
This is how we retain our customers; these are how we hope to attract new ones. So come and take a seat, have a bite, enjoy a sip…and tell us your concern. We love to hear them! Tell us your complaints. We welcome feedbacks! We’ll find ways to keep you satisfied.
• What are your typical responsibilities as a business owner?
Everything! Question 13’s answers answer this question and more. We always look to perfect our processes…to do the steps easier, lighter and better. This would exert less energy on our side without compromising the basic, tried and tested products we provide. Because we also believe that less energy exerted means a more effective process.
•How do you measure success at your business?
You can say that you have reached success in business when the business runs itself instead of you running it. We are still running. Running a business is like having a delivery every day. You push and push but once you see your child’s face, once you hear the cry of life, the pain goes away. If that’s not motivation enough I don’t know what love is.
• What makes your business unique?
you nick in time
There’s nothing unique anymore. That’s the bane of free enterprise. Once you find your niche, along will come some pretender to divide up the pie and take a bite. You can’t complain because the humanity in us would reason out and silence the voice of protest. Says Sir Paul McCartney,” Live and let Live”. The worse thing is when the narrative is reversed if you ignored the knife that cut the pie. You’d be bared as the pretender. That is why rebranding is tricky: you’re gunning for the top but don’t forget that it’s a slippery slope. Fail to plan, fail to prepare and your business might fail too. So choose your name, your brand well, something that identifies you and your beliefs and hold on to it. It’s your livelihood, your life, your love.
You’re asking what is unique…Look at us, our shop. It’s not built to look like a commercial kitchen, rather like a kitchen you’d see in a home. That is what we are, we are welcoming you home. Tuloy po Kayo! So come bring your friend and take a seat, have a bite, enjoy a sip. Salamat po!
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