Kwentong Negosyo (Jon Bantigue Story)

“At the Age of 23, I’m Already a Businessman!”

Story of Jon Bantigue 

Jon Bantigue, owner of Azta Urban Salon, grew up in an entrepreneurial family. His dad, Willie, spent the last 17 years in the distributorship business. “My dad came from a poor family. He experienced driving a tricycle to earn his daily allowance,” says Jon. His father’s entrepreneurial experiences shaped him up.

Young Entrepreneur

Jon was taught different entrepreneurial techniques while growing up. “I remember my dad gave me P20 when I was a kid. He said, ‘We will build a small stall in our house and sell whatever you buy using that money.’ So I went with my mom to the grocery and bought chips and nuts. My first customers were our house helpers,” recalls Jon. “I earned from it, but I lost them. I had this jar where I place my earnings. As a child, I also love to eat hunk food, that’s why I bought from my own merchandise. My only mistake was I used my earnings from the jar to buy my merchandise. My first business failed when I was 5 years old.”

Jon’s next business encounter was when he was in Grade 2. “I love drawing. I drew cartoon characters on bookmarks. My Math teacher saw me and confiscated my bookmarks. It was timely because we were talking about problem solving in class. She used my bookmarks as example and said, ‘Jon has 20 bookmarks. If Jon is selling each for P 5, how much money would he have if he sells all 20?’ She gave my bookmarks back, but then all of my classmates wanted to buy them. That’s when I first experienced free advertising,” Jon happily recalls.

Jon’s entrepreneurial mindset continued until high school. Before going to college, he still wanted to pursue his dream of becoming an architect; but his father’s influence won over. He graduated as a Business Administration degree-holder in UP Diliman.

First Business Venture

Jon did not build his own business at once. He tried his luck in the corporate world as a Marketing Trainee instead to gain enough work experience. “After a year or so, I decided to quit corporate world and put up my own business. I wanted to be my own boss; I want to be in control of my time,” he said. While having his hair done in a barbershop, he started a small talk with the barber and asked him about the business. That’s where he got the idea of putting up his own salon business. “I learned that for every P50 worth of haircut, 50% goes to the barber while the other 50% goes to the shop owner. If the barber makes 20 haircuts a day, he would earn P500, and the barbershop would also earn P500. Not bad, right? Build 10 barbershops earning P500, then you will have P5, 000 a day,” Jon explains.

Using his learnings from school, he conducted a feasibility study and market research about the salon business, together with his partner, Jop. At the age of 23, Jon and Jop put up a salon in 2004. “We learned that first, there was a fad for Korean hairstyle. Second, girls are willing to pay more when it comes to grooming their hair. Third, customers don’t really mind if there are girls or guys in a salon. So we became a salon for both men and women. We used these learnings to create our edge. We give very good service for a reasonable price; very hip, innovative and we offer personalized styles for people between the 16-30 age bracket.”

In 8 years of doing business, Jon and partner now own 7 branches of Azta Urban Salon; 4 are franchised while 3 are company-owned. “Based on the feedback of customers, we realized that the reasons for their loyalty are first, they have tried the service of high-end salons, and we give the same good quality at almost half the price; second, we offer the total experience like serving drinks and free massage, and third, we also offer personalized hairstyle.”

Importance of Education

Now that he has his own business, Jon appreciates the value of the things he learned in college. “I apply everything I have learned in my business. There are times when I review my books and notes in college and assess how I use these concepts in my business,” says Jon. Aside from school, his dad’s training is also a big factor for his Jon’s success. “I am very blessed to have a dad who is a business consultant. People pay for what he has to say, and I get it all for free. It’s a big factor that during my formative years, he groomed me to become the entrepreneur that I am now.” 

3 Business Tips from Jon Bantigue:

1. Start small – Start a business with just a small kiosk. It’s easier to start a business using just a small capital instead of wasting years of saving for capital; when you could already be earning from your business during those years.
2. Think big – Don’t settle with just one kiosk. You need to have a visionyou’re your business. Ask yourself, “How much do I want to earn 5 years from now?” It’s important to have a vision because it gives you just the right amount of motivation. Knowing that you have a business goal, the more you will work hard and achieve this goal.
3. Act and learn fast – You need to learn fast to achieve your business goals. Welcome every mistake and learn from it.