Simple But Still In-Demand Small Businesses
By hereandthere
@hereandthere (45628)
Philippines
May 15, 2017 1:38am CST
There are so many small businesses I see here now, as I walked around my neighborhood. The recent ones I saw were a spa and two self-service laundromats.
However, there are two small businesses that are still around and in-demand since we were kids - the bare barbershop with just mirrors, drawers, and adjustable chairs, and the cramped, messy and noisy shops of the modista and sastre.
When we were growing up, males went to the barbershop for their simple haircuts, while females went to the beauty parlor to have curls, a trim, manicure, pedicure, and hair and makeup for events.
The modista or mananahi (dressmaker) was where you take your fabric to be sewn into a blouse, skirt or dress, while the sastre or tailor specialized in pants (jeans, trousers, slacks). Both shops also repair and make adjustments on store-brought clothes.
Are there still small dressmaker and tailoring shops in your neighborhood?
13 people like this
16 responses
@louievill (28846)
• Philippines
15 May 17
Repairers now have a better chance of surviving than the makers because of stiff competition from cheap Chinese imports.
@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
15 May 17
i could never memorize the ins and out of divisoria, or the many routes to go there, after all these years. they also said you can buy much cheaper eyeglasses and sunglasses in quiapo, but i would prefer to go with someone who knows the place.
@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
19 May 17
the small simple barber shop here never seem to run out of customers.
1 person likes this
@ShifaLk (17811)
• India
20 May 17
@hereandthere actually that is great because they can earn
1 person likes this
@OreoBrownie (3755)
• Commerce, Georgia
21 May 17
I used to be married to a hair dresser but he had to rent his spot and eventually gave it up to be a CNA. It can be hard to run a small business.
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
22 May 17
how did he learn to cut hair? did he cut yours and your children's?
@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
16 May 17
when we were growing up, we had our uniforms sewn or buy it from the school. but i now see basic designs being sold ready made in the malls.
1 person likes this
@JustBhem (70555)
• Davao, Philippines
16 May 17
@hereandthere
Yes, but it would be much better if you have someone tailored your uniform. I see most of the malls now sells ready-made uniforms.
@almostoveryou (4954)
• Philippines
2 Jun 17
Yes, there still are and we try to patronize them as often as possible because they are important in our community.
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
2 Jun 17
i just took my pants to have the legs cut to knee length. i came back the next day and paid 40 pesos (less an a dollar)
1 person likes this
@much2say (57760)
• Los Angeles, California
19 May 17
There was one small Italian tailoring shop that had been in our area for years. When my kids were very little, we'd often walk by it and the owner would always wave to them. But they've been doing a lot of tearing down and rebuilding of structures all around here . . . that has been the end of many long time small businesses. And sadly, this little tailor shop also left that way. I do see shops here and there . . . and some tailoring is attached to certain dry cleaning businesses. In downtown, there are certain ethnic shops that will make fancy dresses for weddings and such . . . it's much cheaper than anywhere else around here.
@averygirl72 (38849)
• Philippines
15 May 17
Dressmaker and tailoring shops are far from our neighborhood. There is a catering business near our place with pavilion for special occasions
@OreoBrownie (3755)
• Commerce, Georgia
20 May 17
No, I don't see too much. There are more businesses in the malls and mini malls. I worked for awhile in an insurance company but it went out of business.
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
20 May 17
our malls here used to have just a supermarket, department store (clothes, shoes, houseware, school and office supplies) and cinemas. but now, there's much, much more it's mind-boggling.
@jobelbojel (36796)
• Philippines
15 May 17
There are about 3 tailorshops here in my place or probably more. Spas and laundromats are everywhere now compared to the early years.
@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
15 May 17
i guess people there sew and repair their own clothes, or just donate them and buy new ones.
@kevinakash (2084)
• Sri Lanka
15 May 17
yes actually there are three. but since we were young we used to go to one. i couldn't go there for a long time. thanks for reminding me the past
@ilocosboy (45155)
• Philippines
15 May 17
That's a sign of progress, your place is in the momentum of heading to industrialization. Even in our place, there are many business rising that includes department stores, banks, expansion of the malls and new roads are being constructed, even a water park is nearing its completion.
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
15 May 17
it's convenient for me that more and more goods and services are just walking distance here now, and it's a source of income for the owner and their workers. i guess people living here have more money now, except me. hehe.
