By Marjorie Gorospe
INQUIRER.net

HOW can you sell a “sustainable lifestyle” and help save the environment? Answer: Echostore.

Founded by Reena Francisco of the Figaro Foundation, Jeannie Javelosa–writer-artist and Board of Trustee Member of the Yuchengco Museum, and Chit Juan, co-chair of the Philippine Coffee Board, Echostore offers products that are proudly Philippine made.

Echostore offers green products from “Malunggay” pesto to biodegradable detergents.

During my interview with Juan, she confesses it is a challenge putting up a store that sells green products. So far, however, they have received an overwhelming response.

“We are espousing a sustainable lifestyle,” Juan said.

Echostore, however, goes beyond selling green products. To budding entrepreneurs, the store hopes to be a venue of showcasing locally made products.

The store is open to offering products made by prisoners from the Correctional Institute of Women and the Gawad Kalinga beneficiaries.

“We felt that our knowledge in marketing can really help this people,” Juan said.

The Echostore also prefers “Gawang pinoy,” or Philippine-made products.

Juan said the country has a host of green products that needs to be marketed.

“What we are doing is empowering the Filipino small businesses and women,” Juan stressed.

Before our conversation ended, Juan shared three key points to consider when putting up a business:

1. Business profit or the monetary profit
2. Social profit (Ask yourself if you are helping others in your business?)
3. And environmental profit (Are you sustaining the environment as you make your products?)

“As long as you consider the two key points and not the business profit alone, you are on the right track,” Juan said.

“You may get good value for money but I believe people come back here not because it is cheap but because of the quality of the products. Not only that you are pleasing yourself, you are also pleasing the environment,” she said.