Holistic business – Luces Living shines a light on how technology can help a woman-led business
For some, an idea for a business may be so compelling that they can’t help but set it up no matter the challenge involved. One such business is Luces Living, a holistic hub located across the bay in the picturesque city of Balanga, Bataan. It offers a holistic care suite, wellness classes and even a small eco shop featuring sustainable local brands.
Founded by Kit de Silva, Luces Living started as a dream spurred on by a chance encounter that gave her inspiration. Thanks to a combination of technology and a sense of entrepreneurship she got from her mother, de Silva’s dream soon turned into reality.
The concept for Luces Living started with a chance meeting between de Silva and a Venezuelan nun in 2014. The latter explained the meaning of de Silva’s family name “Fredeluces.” She specifically stated that “Luces” meant light and that she carried a light within her.
Combined with her existing advocacy for holistic health, the nun’s words planted the seeds for what would become Luces Living.
“I’ve always been an advocate of holistic health, whether be it through yoga, eating healthy, living with intent and making genuine connections through community building,
she explains. She noted that she realized that she wanted to make this kind of living accessible to more people.
From the beginning, technology has helped Luces get in touch with its prospective clientele, which is composed mostly of millennials. This generation has a strong online presence and is very comfortable using technology. (Read: From workout buddies to business partners: How SweatDay Active’s founders turned a hobby into a business—in the middle of a pandemic)
With this in mind, de Silva and her team maximized their social media presence. Through the use of tools such as Facebook and Instagram, they were able to cast a wide net while minimizing their cost.
Luces Living also partnered with local tech providers such as PayMongo to help smooth out their business processes. (Read: Sowing seeds – How PayMongo believes SMEs will drive digital payments in the Philippines)
“We would like to stay true to our story of supporting Filipino businesses and we are proud to be of partner with some of the most amazing ones.”
Women have an innate sense of entrepreneurship
In addition to technology, de Silva also credited the influence of her mother in her setting up Luces Living. Indeed, she states that mothers have an “innate natural sense of entrepreneurship equipped by their unwavering spirit and courageous heart.”
Because of this, she believes that women entrepreneurs will continue to emerge in the country. This is regardless of whether or not it’s ready for them. Indeed, a 2015 report found that there were around 28,000 SME’s that were either majority women-owned or led by women in the country. This figure has likely only grown in succeeding years.
“We (women) are constantly being presented opportunities to show up, step up, take space and create change, or at least offer solutions.”
That said, De Silva does admit that the path towards becoming an entrepreneur will never be easy, regardless of gender. She says that following a dream will “take so much of your time and energy, and it will demand so much from you.”
Even so, she would like to tell budding women entrepreneurs to “never ever give up.”
“Continue to show up and put all the work to make it happen,” she says. “The world needs to see the dreamer and doer in you.”
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