Balancing Art And Entrepreneurship With Velbe

Self-made freelance traditional illustrator Beatrice Joy Velasco, Bea for short, shows us the value of balancing art and entrepreneurship through her stationery shop, Velbe.

Bea started by taking a chance – she joined an organization in college and started going to sticker conventions (sticker cons) to sell stickers.

In 2018, Bea said her first “Yes!” as an entrepreneur during the first sticker con when she was commissioned to make art.

“I’ll just try,” she said.

At the height of lockdown restrictions, Bea had to learn to produce her stickers and resort to online selling in Shopee.

Doing everything was hard at first, from making a lot of merch, printing, buying equipment and materials, worrying about logistics, and catering to what the customers wanted.

But Bea persevered and managed her own time and budget well. From that transition, she learned what to focus on.

“I learned from Ara Villena (Ilustrador ng Kabataan) and other artists that it’s better to improve customer service and products to sustain returning customers rather than enticing new customers or clients,” she shares.

When asked how to thrive in the sticker business industry, Bea shares that “more designs, more items, more chances of winning” can help you earn more returning customers in the long run.

“Produce original art because it’s timeless, and artists will be recognized more because of this,” she added.

In 2023, Bea plans to expand her sticker business internationally. She also plans to try digital illustration since she has only used watercolor for her works.

Check out Velbe’s (https://velbe.contactin.bio/) sticker art on different online platforms. You can also catch her at SM Megamall for Komiket 2023 in March.