Five years ago, during the uncertainty of pandemic lockdowns, the AB Bakery in Davao received a call that seemed like a dream come true. On the line was a representative from a multinational company with a big opportunity: provide daily snacks—morning and afternoon—for an entire year-long employee training program.
As a small business, the bakery saw this as an opportunity to scale its operations. From a modest menu, they dove into product development, sourcing new ingredients, upgrading equipment, and experimenting with different pastries to meet the client’s expectations.
For several months, AB Bakery delivered fresh snacks to the company’s office without fail. The feedback was encouraging, and the orders flowed. Confident in the partnership, the bakery stocked up on ingredients and supplies, preparing for what they believed would be a long-term engagement.
“They gradually reduced their orders until completely they stopped ordering. Hindi umabot ng one year yung naging engagement namin with this client,” shared Ana, the owner.
“We were left with a lot of ingredients, packaging, and equipment used specifically for them. You can only imagine the questions that went through my head,” she added.
The experience left them with surplus inventory and more questions than answers. “We really thought the contract would last a year. We could have verified the timeline, invested more slowly. That was a tough lesson to learn.”
Despite the setback, the bakery didn’t crumble. Instead, it became a turning point. The experience taught them that running a business is never about getting everything right the first time.
“The lesson? The first years of our business will be full of decision-making. Some will be right, and some will be wrong. But what really matters is what we do after the wrong turns,” she said.
“It’s about the courage to learn from our own missteps to show up every single day. When one door closes, another one can open. We just have to knock once more,” she concluded.
