SUCCESS STORY OF YEM-YEM FASTFOOD

A Healthy Business with a Healthy Spirit

by : Junar B. Merla Success or richness of a person cannot be measured by his wealth alone; he must be also rich in Gods spirit, this phrase was emphasized by Mrs. Elvira Nene Cuizon Valiente, the owner of Yemyem Fastfood to her staff during a Team-building Seminar in Valencia City conducted recently. The activity was followed by a Bible Study to enrich the spiritual needs of her employees. Nene quoted Matthew 6:33 in the bible which says, But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. She exhorted that everyone should need to understand that in order for him to be blessed, the bible says that he needs to first seek Gods kingdom and his Righteousness. She stressed that it is really essential to know God, in order for one to be blessed and be satisfied with ones life. She further said that many individuals start looking for money in business or in work without looking first for ways to worship the Lord. It is important to have personal relationship with God in order for us to realize to be satisfied on what we have right now. We dont have to be very rich in order for us to be satisfied; we just have to learn how to have relationship with our God. And our relationship with our God will also teach us on how to be content on the blessing that we have, Nene stressed. Nene took a big risk when she decided to close her fastfood and bakeshop every Saturday and invested money for the spiritual and mental development of her staff on the said particular day regularly. But she said, for all uncertainties in life and as well as in business, she is always certain that the Lord is with her all the time because she puts Him at the center of her family and her business. I know that God is Good All the Time, All the Time God is Good, that is why I trusted Him so much, Nene articulated. Nene who popularized the juicy lechon manok and cheese stick in Valencia City is a native of this City. At a very young age, she helped her parents by working as a Tindera of their small cafeteria and eatery. With a limited capital, the pace of growth of the said business didnt help much in meeting the needs of her family. Unperturbed by poverty, she pursued her studies. She strongly believed that through proper education, she can reach her ambition to become a successful businesswoman.

After college, she worked in a private company as a vodex operator but later resigned and ran a small restaurant and lechon manok business with a meager working capital of five thousand pesos (P5,000.00). That was in 1990. Although she took a very high risk when she borrowed money from informal lenders in Valencia who charged exorbitant monthly interest rates, Nene was able to manage her resources well in the initial stage of her business. Eventually, she turned into a reasonable risk-taker and surmounted multifarious challenges. Nene became more focused after she met her lawful husband who has been one of her chicken suppliers. Their tandem escalated the growth of Nenes business which assets already reached more than P8,000,000.00. Both of them earned degrees in business management. This however didnt stop them on their quest to learn more management tools and techniques. They attended various seminars conducted by DTI and other government agencies. They were also receptive of the suggestions and recommendations given to them by their peers, business counselors, and business consultants. Because of these, the couple was able to avoid untimely business expansion, reduce operating expenses, and increase profit margin. With strong determination to succeed in her chosen field, strong support from her husband, and strong faith in God, her business grew and became popular in the city of Valencia. Nenes first outlet, Highway Eatery & Lechon Manok (Yemyem Fastfood former business name) operated in 1990 at Sayre highway, Valencia City. Business was brisk so the need to open more outlets was the order of the day. In 1997, a new branch was opened also at Sayre highway, about 50 meters from the original location. In 1998 and 1999, two branches were established at the public market of Valencia City. In 2002, the fifth branch was put-up at Sayre Highway, the main thoroughfare of the city. At present, Nene is one of the active members of the Valencia City Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Bukidnon Tripartite for Industrial Peace Council. She employs more than seventy people and inspires many persons by introducing new business ideas such as scorched rice cookies production, beef barbeque preparation and other concoction. She also sponsored various entertainment programs to unwind people from stressful activities during special occasions as part of her community service and feed street children roaming around the busy streets of Valencia City.

Nene succeeds in her business not through the easy and rosy path. She made it through the bi-way. Her love for her work, supported with unusual physical stamina, perseverance and determination, turned problems into challenges and opportunities. She has proven that poverty is not a hindrance to success as long as you have strong will and faith in God. She offers a great inspiration to the poor among us and business people who succumbed to money and forget God. And she wanted to share her formula of success with us which is a healthy business with a healthy spirit.