Husband earns more for family with ‘Clean More’

Inspired by his elder brother who earns extra income from a part-time business at home aside from  his regular work,  Jose B. Cuerquis thought of also starting his own business last year.

Inspired by the quote “I’m working full-time in my job to make a living and part-time in this business to make a fortune in the future,” he hopes that one day, the small business he started now will benefit his children’s future.

Working as a branch editor of a personal care brand here in Cebu, Cuerquis is often in  out-of-town trips.

“It’s my job to go around our branches and audit,” said Cuerquis.

Sometime in August last year, he learned from the Internet about a detergent-making training in Las Piñas and thought of joining in.

“The training only cost P1,500 and the venue was near our branch where I was also scheduled to visit then. So I asked permission from my boss that I will go on leave that day to attend a seminar on soap-making and he allowed me,” Cuerquis said.

In 2000 while attending college, he stayed with his elder brother who was also into soap-making. There he gained some background.

“He makes his own soap, so I also learned from him. I see him as someone that inspired me to make other ways to earn for my family,” Cuerquis said.

With the training in Las Piñas, Cuerquis improved his skills and broadened his knowledge in soap- and detergent-making.

A week after the training, Cuerquis made his first product right from his kitchen, a  dishwashing liquid.

“If you know how to follow directions like that in a recipe, you could make your own soap at home,” said Cuerquis.

He invested P500 for his first production, which earned a  P300 profit.

“My first customers were my neighbors in Tisa, my friends and my officemates. And now I’m already supplying some of my products in Ellenitz Carenderia, which is still in Tisa,”  Cuerquis said.

With a brand name Clean More because of its affordable prices, Cuerquis produces dishwashing liquid at P65 for the one-liter container and P35 for the smaller bottle, which  come in two scents—lemon and calamansi.

He also makes powder detergents at P65 per pack, and hand and body wash at P75 in rose scent. Right now, he is developing his own brand of fabric conditioner.

Cuerquis said the raw materials for his products are bought locally while the scents are from  Manila.

Last December, he received a number of orders for his hand and body wash in personalized packaging as Christmas gifts.

“We got P8,000 worth of sales for that month alone although I still can’t say that we are already enjoying a steady income from this because it’s really still in the start-up level,” said Cuerquis.

They now accept orders for products in personalized packaging, usually for wedding giveaways.

“There’s that market for personalized products here in Cebu because. We have demands for it, so we are thinking that we can tap and grow our business along the way,”  Cuerquis said

Cuerquis is one of the top winners for the Kapamilya Negosyo Na program of the University of San Carlos College of Commerce Alumni Association and ABS-CBN.

He got P10,000  fund assistance last year, which he invested in his business.

Cuerquis said it is his and his wife’s dream for Clean More to be a major supplier of personal care and detergent products in retail chains in the country.

“That’s our long-term goal that I really hope would come true, not only for me but also for my children,” said Cuerquis.