Startup seeks to empower, elevate Filipino art entrepreneurs

By Miguel Hanz L. Antivola, Reporter

THERE is a growing recognition of the commercial value of creative work among Filipino artists, fueled by the emergence of online and offline showcase platforms, according to Ma. Roma Agsalud-Agsunod, co-founder of local arts and crafts retail hub Common Room PH.

Ms. Agsunod said that when she and her sister set up a hub in Katipunan, Quezon City, eight years ago, their primary goal was not to establish a community of art entrepreneurs but to expand their home-based craft business, Popjunklove.

The business grew its initial P5,000 starting capital in 2007 through profits from weekend bazaar hustles, she said in an interview with BusinessWorld. In 2015, they finally had their own brick-and-mortar space but realized it was too large for their needs.

“In other countries, you see a thriving creative industry, gathering together in one space,” Ms. Agsunod said. “Somehow that idea was planting bigger dreams for us, but we never really thought it was something we could do.”

“If together we can somehow make that individual smallness have an impact, then maybe we can give that bigger dream a shot,” she added, noting the 33 fellow art entrepreneurs whom she met through bazaars and first made up the hole-in-the-wall in Katipunan.

Even with four branches to date, there are obvious physical limitations to the roster of artists Common Room can accommodate, which is currently at over 200 from the more than 2,000 applicants the business has had over the years, Ms. Agsunod noted.

To address this challenge, Common Room introduced in-store popup spaces to its business model this year to showcase new makers on a rolling basis of three months, compared to the three-day duration of a typical popup, she added.

“For the top brands that we were able to welcome that year, they get a chance to come back for the holidays,” she said.

ONLINE OPPORTUNITIES
Alongside such an initiative, the business also invested in creating videos to strengthen its online and e-commerce presence — a lesson Ms. Agsunod mentioned they learned from the pandemic when the whole business almost closed down.

“We realized it was so hard to put all your eggs in one basket,” she said on previously relying solely on physical store sales.

“E-commerce helped us survive the pandemic years,” she added, noting the business’ pursuit to continue fortifying its e-commerce arm even when online profits are lower than those from their physical stores.

Aside from its marketplace website, Common Room regularly uploads videos on YouTube and TikTok regarding its business journey, craft and business tutorials, and artists’ stories, hoping to further cultivate the potential of the local creative industry and small businesses alike, Ms. Agsunod said.

“Common Room is also an incubation space, even for those not in our retail space yet,” she added.

“Our shoppers are very mindful now, seeing the importance of supporting an artist,” she said, highlighting the growing appreciation and support for local creatives in the country given the business’ successes.

Additionally, she noted how Common Room patrons largely contributed to the virtual fundraising campaign they held during the pandemic, which helped them weather through a few more months before they opened again.

“We have a very solid community of makers and both shoppers who really understand the story of the business,” she said.

GROWTH AND OUTLOOK
While physical growth is limited to an extent, Ms. Agsunod said the business aims to double down on its “temporary activations” for artists and patrons next year.

“Our plan is really to focus on our weakness, which is making space for more amazing Filipino makers and artists,” she said. “We see right now there are so many cons, art fairs, and bazaars popping up, and people are really going to see these experiences.”

However, she noted that Common Room will conduct such opportunities as gathering experiences in line with their advocacy, and not just buying events. “It’s most likely something that will involve workshops and talks with other makers.”

Ms. Agsunod has observed progress in local creatives recognizing the value of their work, especially amid exploitation through lowballing clients.

“It’s really a process… an artist’s journey of discovering their value,” she said on how some price their work low or settle for X-deals to build up their portfolio.

“There is still a lot of work to do on this front,” she added, noting that some brands, businesses, and government projects have rightfully started compensating artists fairly.