Business growth does not always begin with a major investment or an entirely new venture. For some Filipino entrepreneurs, it starts with recognizing what customers need and finding practical ways to provide it.
That was the experience of Mark Limjuco, who turned a school canteen in Roxas City, Capiz into more than a place to buy meals, and Nieves Nale, who continued growing her neighborhood stores in Cagayan de Oro City despite setbacks.
Although their businesses serve different communities, both entrepreneurs found opportunities to diversify their services and generate additional income with Maya Business as part of their business journeys.
Their experiences show how digital services and access to working capital can help small business owners respond to everyday customer needs while exploring opportunities for growth.
How a social media discovery helped expand a school canteen
Mark Limjuco first learned about Maya Business, formerly PayMaya Negosyo, in 2019 after seeing it on social media. Curious about the platform, he downloaded the app and started selling mobile load to his co-workers.
His business journey took a different direction during the pandemic, when he saw an opportunity in online food delivery. The venture eventually developed into a school canteen inside Capiz National High School in Roxas City.
But Mark recognized that students needed more than food. He saw an opportunity to make essential digital services available within the school, adding mobile load, bills payment, and cash-in and cash-out transactions to his offerings through Maya Business.
As demand increased, he needed additional working capital to maintain sufficient load credits for his customers. He initially took out a ₱1,000 loan through Maya Business to purchase additional load credits.
"Kahit maliit ang unang loan ko, naging malaking tulong ito para masimulan ang negosyo at mas mapagsilbihan ang mga estudyante."
(Even though my first loan was small, it helped me continue growing my business and better serve the students.)
As he continued using the platform and managing his repayments responsibly, Mark gained access to higher loan offers. Over time, he utilized more than ₱160,000 in loans through Maya Business, which helped him sustain his services and explore additional business opportunities.
Today, Mark balances his work as a college instructor with managing the school canteen. He is also the school's sole provider of digital financial services through Maya Business.
His business has since expanded to include a shake drink stall and school supplies, adding new income streams to his original food and digital services offerings.
Rebuilding and growing two neighborhood stores
For Nieves Nale, entrepreneurship has been part of her life for more than two decades. She opened her first sari-sari store at home in 2002 and eventually expanded by establishing a second location.
Her journey, however, was not without challenges. A fire damaged her second store, forcing her to find ways to recover and keep her business going.
She relied on her business income and additional working capital through a loan with Maya Business to help support her recovery.
Nieves was introduced to the platform by a Maya representative who assisted her with registration. She began offering mobile load and cash-in and cash-out services, giving customers more options for completing everyday transactions at her stores.
As these services gained demand, she needed sufficient standby funds to accommodate customer cash-in and cash-out transactions while maintaining her stores' daily operations.
Through a loan with Maya Business, Nieves accessed additional working capital, which she reinvested into her business to maintain transaction funds and support store improvements.
Like Mark, she gradually gained access to higher loan offers as she continued using Maya Business and making timely repayments.
Over time, Nieves has utilized more than ₱556,000 in loans through the platform to help sustain operations, improve her stores, and support business growth.
"Proud ako na Maya Business partner ako dahil napalago ko ang negosyo ko at nakapagbukas ako ng pangalawang store."
(I'm proud to be a Maya Business partner because I've been able to grow my business and open a second store.)
Today, Nieves operates two stores in Cagayan de Oro, building on more than 20 years of experience as an entrepreneur.
Turning everyday business needs into opportunities
Mark and Nieves took different paths to discovering Maya Business, but their experiences share a common theme: understanding what customers need can open up opportunities beyond a business's original purpose.
For Mark, expanding from food to digital financial services, drinks, and school supplies allowed him to serve more students and develop additional income sources.
For Nieves, offering mobile load and financial transactions helped make her neighborhood stores more useful to customers while giving her additional ways to grow her business.
Maya Business provides services that allow eligible entrepreneurs to offer mobile load, bills payment, and cash-in and cash-out transactions. Qualified users may also access working capital through Maya Advance to help address everyday business requirements.
Their stories illustrate how digital tools and financing options can become part of a small business owner's growth journey, particularly when these are matched with customer demand and responsible financial management.
Entrepreneurs interested in exploring the platform can download the Maya Business app through Google Play or the Apple App Store. Registration requires one valid ID, subject to the platform's applicable requirements.
For more information, visit Maya Business and Maya Bank.
Maya Philippines, Inc. and Maya Bank, Inc. are regulated by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. Visit www.bsp.gov.ph for more information. For 24/7 assistance, call 1800-10-845-7777 toll-free or 0919-057-7777 using SMART or TNT.