![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.cardmri.com\/cardsmebank\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Success-One-Step-at-a-Time.jpg\")
<\/p>\nPosted on March 19,2024<\/p>\n
Written by: Mary Rose Javier<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Optimistic about her chosen business, Sonia Torino remained steadfast and full of hope as she surpassed the challenges faced by her family and business. It was also a significant blessing for her to find a partner who shares the same passion as her.<\/em><\/p>\n When one is passionate about what they do, they tend to overcome all the challenges that lie ahead of them.<\/p>\n \u201cI’ve experienced numerous losses in my business due to unpredictable circumstances. However, CARD SME Bank always provides me with a solution to bounce back,\u201d said Sonia Torino, 44, from Dasmari\u00f1as, Cavite, owner of a thriving sari-sari store.<\/p>\n Among the six siblings, Sonia stands out as the one with a natural knack for business. Since childhood, she has shown a keen interest in selling a variety of products, a passion inherited from her mother and nurtured over the years.<\/p>\n Initially from Batangas City, she thought of moving to her sister in Cavite after graduating from high school. It was in Cavite where she further improved her selling abilities and crossed paths with her life partner, who shared the same interests and passions.<\/p>\n To start standing on their own two feet, they used their savings of PHP 10,000 to establish their planned sari-sari store in 1999.<\/p>\n Their initial attempt did not immediately go smoothly. With a limited range of products, they struggled to meet all the needs of their customers. There were days when their earnings were minimal, and at times, none.<\/p>\n \u201cThe income was very unstable at first. But because I put my mind into it, I never once thought of stopping. I know this is my passion, this is what I want to do in life,\u201d Sonia said.<\/p>\n Despite facing challenges, she maintained an optimistic outlook on her business and envisioned its potential for growth. She made the decision to join CARD SME Bank, Inc., a full-fledged thrift bank dedicated to extending financial support to micro, small, and medium enterprises.<\/p>\n \u201cI first learned about CARD SME Bank from friends. I was hesitant to join because the center meetings were held weekly, and I was reluctant to leave my children. However, when the opportunity struck again, I immediately applied for clientship,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n In the 15 years that Sonia has been a client of CARD SME Bank, all her loans were allocated to their sari-sari store until they grew their resources and expanded it.<\/p>\n The pandemic had minimal impact on their sales, as they focused more on selling vegetables. Despite occasional delays on the deliveries, they made sure to sell promptly without wastage.<\/p>\n Despite facing challenges such as her child falling ill and nearly depleting their savings and investments on medical expenses, Sonia remained determined to keep their business running. She persevered, relying on the financial assistance provided by CARD SME Bank to help them recover and stand back on their feet.<\/p>\n \u201cCARD SME Bank offers excellent services. Not only do they offer loans, but they also encourage savings alongside loan repayments. This promotes financial discipline and teaches individuals to manage their finances effectively,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n From a small sari-sari store, Sonia has gradually expanded its offerings to cater a wider range of products for customers. Through her dedication, she is able to send her three children to school and construct a home for her family.<\/p>\n Presently, Sonia’s sari-sari store is flourishing and continues to operate successfully. Looking ahead, she and her husband are planning to further expand their business by transitioning it into a grocery store in the coming years.<\/p>\n \u201cJust focus on the business and devote your heart to it. Losses are there, they happen. What you need to learn is how to pick yourself up to keep going,\u201d Sonia\u2019s advice to aspiring entrepreneurs,\u201d advised Sonia to aspiring entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Posted on March 19,2024 Written by: Mary Rose Javier Optimistic about her chosen business, Sonia Torino remained steadfast and full of hope as she surpassed the challenges faced by her family and business. It was also a significant blessing for her to find a partner who shares the same passion as her. When one is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2103","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-client-success-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cardsmebankph.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2103","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cardsmebankph.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cardsmebankph.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cardsmebankph.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cardsmebankph.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2103"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cardsmebankph.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2103\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2104,"href":"https:\/\/cardsmebankph.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2103\/revisions\/2104"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cardsmebankph.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2103"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cardsmebankph.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2103"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cardsmebankph.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2103"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}