This 23-year-old started a side hustle during the pandemic—now he owns a toy store in Greenhills
Even before he finished his civil engineering degree this year, Roberto Bedural III, or Berto, already had a flourishing income source ahead of the job-hunting season. The 23-year-old owns the newly opened RGB Toyzone in Greenhills Mall, the so-called “Mecca of collectibles and action figures.”
The business started as a side hustle in his home in Marikina City during the pandemic, selling Funko POPs "that don't give me spark anymore.”
Funko POPs are small figurines known for their bobbleheads and oversized eyes based on popular characters across all media. “At first, I was skeptical since I don't have any background or fundamentals in selling or maybe even in business. But still, I have decided to try my luck,” Bedural told PhilSTAR L!fe.
He went all in with his savings of P20,000 as capital. Later on, he borrowed an additional P20,000 from his mom, which he eventually paid back.
Live selling during the pandemic
To keep the money coming in, Bedural began live-selling and posting items on various Facebook community pages. “This was the time that social media [was] continuing to rise, and the concept of live selling was just booming. I think I was able to strike during the right time, so I was able to capitalize [on] the opportunity,” he said.
Bedural shared there were tough and challenging times juggling his studies and the business. “Being an engineering student requires a lot of focus and longer study hours, but online classes due to the pandemic helped me to multi-task because I can study and do my business at home,” he shared.
“The circumstances back then opened the opportunities for me to learn and explore, so I grabbed it rather than playing video games or spending time on social media.”
RGB Toyzone’s online reach began with its Facebook page, which he managed to organically earn a solid following of almost 12,000 likes.
“We are also now starting to penetrate other platforms like Instagram and TikTok,” Bedural added.
With hard work and support from its customers, RGB Toyzone grew its initial capital of P20,000 within an average 200% margin.
“This is when customers are actively buying, maybe during paydays or bonus season,” he explained. “The profit varies depending on the season– there are times that the sales are not that strong, so you also need to be creative to continuously draw customers to keep on purchasing.”
Opening a storefront
Due to the business’ fast growth, Bedural realized opening a physical store would expand RGB Toyzone’s reach and market, and grow stronger in this industry.
“We have decided to add a physical store so we will not be too reliant on online platforms, and this is another way to bring the brand closer to the customers since they are also demanding for this,” he said.
“Before, I could not accept too many walk-ins at home since we only had limited space. With having the store, we can accommodate more customers, not to mention that the location is now closer to them.”
He then tapped like-minded individuals to be his business partners. Among them is former customer Isaac Ern Galang, a transformation manager Bedural met to trade with his old Funko POPs.
RGB Toyzone
“Sabi ko ‘suntok sa buwan ‘to, baka ilang piraso lang kuhanin nya sa mga dala ko, baka hindi pa pumayag sa trade’,” Galang recalled. “To my surprise, he accepted all the Funko POPs that I have brought and immediately accepted a trade.”
Bedural said he was able to form a bond with Galang, "talking about dreams, life, and more toys (together with our other future partners John Raymond Cruz and Anton Mozo)."
With the three partners on board, RGB Toyzone gathered enough funds to construct the physical shop in Greenhills, San Juan City. Aside from that, their investment was also used to pay some fees to seek professional guidance from its partner agencies. The brick-and-mortar store formally opened in May.
“In return, we, as partners, also take the time to share our expertise with Berto and mentor him in the areas that he needs to be guided—marketing, communications, human resources, and technology,” Galang said.
A ‘life-changing’ journey
RGB Toyzone
Since opening the physical store, RGB Toyzone has doubled its profits which they attribute to the customers not being limited to online selling anymore. Bedural said he is yet to earn his first million from selling toys and collectibles.
“I am continuously working on achieving this feat, together with the help of my friends, my business partners, and customers,” he shared.
“But I can say that this business truly changed our lives. We were able to save money to pay our bills, extend assistance at home, and put aside some budget for relaxation.”
Roberto Bedural III
Soon, he will be taking some time off to review for the board examinations, but he still encourages young entrepreneurs to follow their dreams.
“Focus on your goal and don’t let other people affect you that may result in negativity. By focusing on the goal, you will be able to give you 101% in everything that you do, instead of drowning yourself with doubts,” Bedural said.
Relating to his experience during the pandemic, he said the whole endeavor taught him to be more responsible and laser-focused on his goals.
“Since we have started everything from scratch, we need to do anything in our power to protect what we have built.”