This is officially the 15th year that the "Tindahan ni Aling Puring Convention" is happening in the country. On May 18, 19 and 20, members of Puregold's organization for store owners, entrepreneurs, SME's and businesses will head on to the World Trade Center for more training and exchange of ideas so they could grow and expand their horizon. If you're a Sari Sari Store owner, Caterer, one who buys in bulk, Carinderia owner, a Bakery or one who sells online, being a part of "Tindahan ni Aling Puring" is essential.
The amount of discounts, perks and promos that TNAP members get these days are huge and can save them a lot. Recently, they also included cash backs by letting them earn points after purchasing things of a certain amount.
Puregold Price Club Inc. President Vincent Co wants to make sure that businesses grow with them especially after the hard pandemic times including SME's that are part of the TNAP. They are expecting over 30,000 of them to go to the venue, and take advantage of not just the perks and sale items, but the various seminars they are offering since it will include Chinkee Tan, Pocholo Gonzales, Rose Fausto, and people from TikTok and Globe who will share their expertise and utilize it for their businesses. Make sure you're there when it happens this May!
To help micro, small and medium enterprises, the Association of Filipino Franchisers Inc. just launched https://Buyanihan.shop and got several pros in the business hooked so they too could share their experiences and get PH back on track and be part of the running economy. Raffy Canare of AFFI hosted an online session to introduce the new website and their several partners who is part of their projects. AFFI President Jorge Wieneke says “This is important to handle employees, to benefit from it, this program is not a sales pitch but an offer to help MSME’s get through the hard times. These programs can be availed bu businesses and save a lot on operation costs, to help us all to recover. This is for all of us, we talk to them to help MSME’s.” They invited different groups and companies for the launch, and they all showcased their programs to help businesses weather this pandemic, hearing them optimistic amidst the economic slowdown felt so good to the ears.
LOCQ CEO Mark Yu (who also partnered with SeaOil) explained the concept of PriceLocq which is a mobile app to buy fuel for consumption later on. This gives the chance for consumers to purchase when oil prices when it’s low so you can save on fuel. This can be redeemed in 200+ stations. Aside from that, they also release exclusive offers and can be done on a fully cashless transaction. This has been launched in June 2020. Their mission is to provide certainty in uncertain times. This is part of the Buyanihan movement to mobilize msme’s amidst the COVID crisis.
One Town One Product author Asec. Dempha Du Naga of DTI says “The Buyanihan initiative is giving hope to Filipinos, to aspire them to continue their business no matter how big they are. The platform promotes physical or online selling while giving the country support for products. This reminds us we can hope for a better future for ourself and our families. DTI will continue to support entrepreneurs in the new normal, I believe this platform will bring new hope for all, we are not alone. Thank you for supporting and the work you do for your Buyanihan project. We are grateful for your help too.”
Joy Anne Kapunan FVP of Pioneer Insurance also says “The state we are in is because of COVID, and this pandemic is a health crisis we are all facing. The cost of hospitalization is no joke, it heightened the need for insurance and several requests for MSME’s that is affordable and we have the insurance that tackles that. Hospitalization during this period is excluded in most insurance policies and we have Hospicash Lite to answer to that. This will respond on top of PhilHealth and HMO, because we want it to be affordable. Covid is covered, and other non pre-existing conditions. 18-60 yo can be insured and is used also by production/film outfits who needed to work even at these times. We also have MediCash that covers Dengue or Leptospirosis (350, 80 pesos respectively). We also have 10k cash assistance given to ICU confinement of COVID related cases. We hope we have given you answers that would help you and your employees.”
Emy Arcero of Security Bank says “We can provide Business Accounts for Payroll accounts, a free payment system via cloud based hris partner, business accounts that can be opened via Skype Video. We only require 50,000 for it.”
Globe MyBusiness Frances Caluya says “We are your trusted digital partner, our goal is to offer much more than the usual mobile phone business, so that so our SME’s can be more successful. We offer konsultamd at a discounted rate, we encourage return customers with Rush our loyalty platform, we also have fixed budget plans for employees, managers, for owners, free postpaid mobile plans and free Facebook ad credits. We also have speed up broadband plans so you can go back to business fast. Call 121 if you have inquiries.”
Unionbank VP for SME banking Jaypee Soliman says “We at Unionbank are grateful for AFFI for helping MSME’s, and what we do, we try to change the future, innovations in banking, we take care of our customers. We want them to bank the way you live. Now you can bank in your home, open an account via app and get your atm delivered at home. There are a lot of things you can do with the app. Our Unionbank Globallinker can connect you with 300k SME’s in the platform, even if you don’t have a Unionbank account. We also have a free website, to put up free ecommerce stores, have different suppliers worldwide. You can talk to peers, have quick access to accounts and borrowing funds. We have relationship managers to take care of you, even have a business Bizstarter Account with freebies like online banking, a fully featured mobile app, to do the banking for your businesses. You can even have Payroll Management with our digital banking solutions. Bux also does Online Payments, SeekCap for loans. This is to make SME’s get help they need, the future starts with U.”
PLDT Ka-asenso’s Patrick Tang says “The importance of SME’s in rural areas is part of a whole picture, to develop the country. To help to grow, there are 1.5 Million businesses registered as MSME’s, and this pandemic affected us. How do we adapt? We shifted from nation building to rebuilding. We have a new range of solutions in supporting our MSME’s and the strategy to go online and contactless is our goal. We are committed to support you 100%. More power to you!”
Pascual Group of Companies Loraine Mora of GoCab “We want to provide services for business continuity. We just launched GoCab express to improve delivery, in best and affordable rates and prices. This go much to our partner drivers, we are new players to improve this, have efficient services and help consumers get their products fast and efficient. You can download GoCab now on Google Play or the App Store.”
There are more companies that are part of the Buyanihan program, to visit http://buyanihan.shop to know more about their efforts.
AFFI wants this project to continue businesses, protect workers in the MSME sector. They also are partners with SM and their retailers inside malls. Raffy Canare remarked “We also want them to survive not just the pandemic, but the businesses too so they could provide for their families.” The Buyanihan program is just the start, there will be more, but the partner offers are already phenomenal. They also launched the official music video called Pwede Pang Mangarap (You can still dream) sung by Gary Valenciano. Check this out!
I hope they continue supporting Filipino entrepreneurs, these guys at AFFI are good people.
Micro/Small/Medium Enterprises got a little cultural treat and a HUGE help as they opened the UREKA E-Commerce Forum in Mega Manila. At the SM Megamall's Megatrade Hall, they got MSME's to put up their own businesses online so they could grow their businesses together with Air21, AMTI their software partner, Dragonpay to support payments, Shopinas, Esquire Financing, Geiser, PLDT, and more champions like Facebook Asia Pacific, Microsoft Philippines, Taxumo, which all or in part would help their quest to sustained and inclusive growth in UREKA. It's a great equalizer and Ubion Bank knows how important this is so their customers achieve their dreams and their communities. It's an untapped market, (E Commerce) and it's a great equalizer. This means you'll get a 24/7 shop open, makes you earn while you sleep.
Unionbank CEO Justo Ortiz suggests there are tons of opportunities on the internet and people can earn more in e-commerce so you get more customers, some of which can get you big profit while in the comfort of your homes and offices. He adds "There are a lot out there, some of them don't know you, and are waiting to see what you have to sell. This is UREKA forum, and they want you to have the tools how to make this platform work for you. We have gone to Iloilo, Davao, Baguio, and now with the Mega Manila leg, they want business here to improve and start making bold steps and calculated risks. You are an integral part of the economy and this is just a start."
If you are around SM Megamall, make sure you drop by the SM Megatrade Hall to get your businesses started or improved with the services they have during the forum and even beyond the event. It's going to connect you to the best institutions to also lend you money, the government and these businesses are already there and all you have to do is work hard and show up!
UREKA has landed in Manila, and this is good news for SME's.
"This is a wholistic thing that we want to do. The UREKA Mega Manila Forum is going to happen at SM Megamall Megatrade Hall on February 25. We know how there is a growing trend of mobile phones and we already have those ingredients, who needs a platform that would be able to sustain financial inclusion, so we could stay there. We hope to have the SME's benefit from it, to promote your own brand from Baguio, Cebu, Davao and now Manila. This is a mutual effort and team learning so we see the time to do it in Manila because we have partners coming in like Microsoft etc., in order to share our best practices and further enhance the relevance of UREKA and our partners." says Genaro Lopez the Executive Vice President of Union Bank Philippines.
UREKA is a market place, Shopinas is included and any SME can get started on urekashops.ph as soon as they get to attend in the forum.
PLDT SME Nation aside from being an enabler, they joined this to educate SME's in the rural places to change Filipino lives. They teach people e-commerce to bring them online so the Philippines won't get left behind. Our neighbors are already heavy and are contributing to their GDP so just imagine the possibilities to our country. We are trying to educate them to promote themselves through social media platforms and how we could get in touch with SME's. We have followed up with our previous attendees and we're asking them to open new channels so while they have physical stores, they could offer it online and support them in their businesses.
UREKA has gone to different cities first because they want inclusive growth and happen first outsuide the metro. This program will also entail help from the consortium members and the government agencies who are now providing services to help them grow. They also have students who they call e-cadets so they help teach the system, so they too can learn practical business experience while helping people with theories of commerce and the things they learned in previous forums.
It's important to provide relevant technology so owners won't get frustrated and this consortium would tell you the ins and outs so you could grow your business in a sustainable way. You will get to disturb giants, but you will understand the whole process with mature technologies and take advantage for affordable, available on demand services so you don't have to spend a lot for technology. Hopefully UREKA will get entrepreneurs to try new technologies, an end to end platform that they offer. You will be asked to bring a few things in the forum so you can get started right away. If you want to register, visit urekaforum.ph/registration and follow the steps accordingly.
We had the chance to cover PLDT - SMART SME Nation's The Bozz Awards a few nights ago in the spectacular pool at the Palace. I was wondering what it was for and I only learned about it when they started calling nominees. Basically, it's an awards show for the SME's who have enthusiastically embraced social media, selling online, and creating above and beyond influence in their respective channels, then provide superior customer service. I think it's but a good thing to do that because these entrepreneurs not only give themselves a good name, but the country as well.
Aside from spectacular Smart business packages including laptops and stuff, they're also going to win a one of a kind Kenneth Cobunpue designed trophy to go with that. They also won trips to Silicon Valley just by being one of the finalists which was announced later on in the show.
My idol in anything videography related is Mr. Jason Magbanua (who I think is also my compadre) and he won the category or Social Media. Another winner was Kim of the popular Kimstore. So just imagine the level of nominees in this event right?
To cap it off, they also surprised us with the presence of my rock god Ely Buendia who sang some of his Eraserhead hits and his own compositions. I loved this night, thanks PLDT and SMART for having me! :) Visit https://www.facebook.com/SMENation for more details about the event!
We're in Ocean Park Subic today to witness PLDT SME Nation's Tech Island 2.0 together with IT professionals and tech media from all over the Philippines. Tech Island 2.0 is a meeting of minds called by the need to conquer transformation of business models, corporate expansion, improvement of business through adaption of technology.
Kat Luna Abelarde, the VP and head of PLDT's SME Group says "Technology is SME's greatest equalizer. PLDT will be a strong partner for growth, if you are thinking digital, think of PLDT."
"We build sustainable relationships with key business partners and have a nationwide campaign so we could turn technology into profit. We had a thought leader conference yesterday and got them to see various services that would make SME businesses competitive. We would like to share technological solutions so we could all go global. Transformational leadership in the digital era is emerging, leadership will be different in this day and age. Mastering the Digital Age means 44 Million active social media users and SME's should interact sufficiently to get their attention. We also need business continuity for brands in the Philippines. Everything is written in the wall, if you need digital, please think of PLDT. Tech Island 2.0 is ICT, catch your wave and bring your business to the next level. This is a trip to the future of business." says Amil Azurin PLDT's AVP and Head of SME Marketing, PLDT SME Nation.
SMART Communications Inc. was also there to offer SME's with SMARTBro plans with speeds up to 12/42 Mbps, also they have the SAMSUNG S6 EDGE available FREE at Plan 2500. PLDT also had some pretty good deals for catching the wave!
The PLDT SME Nation event had almost a thousand attendees and have partnered with Samsung, Microsoft and IBM. Some personalities from startups, FoodPanda and other tech corporations were there to talk about improving SME's and how they could do big things in the coming years.
IDC's Roger Ling who hails from Singapore says "Businesses will only survive with Mobility, Clouds, Big Data Analytics, social businesses and transformation. They also need to reduce costs so they could compete in the industry. IT spending is increasing as organizations realize how important it is. It is vital especially in ASEAN where we are 95% SME driven, and the demands are increasing in every organization."
CEO Mauro Coccieri talks about Food Panda and what they offer. He started with a selfie in front and marks this as an example. They are leaders in the industry and he says "In a country that's increasing internet usage such as the Philippines, if you're thinking about success online, you must have good product and service. The booming smartphone utilization and younger crowd means you must be investing in online platforms like targeted communications and still do good execution. Think about something new, but make a difference during execution. We partnered with PLDT, Smart and Sun and made it successful."
"There is always a better way. Education is important before you do any business. Our job as entrepreneurs is to find better ways. We work hard, it's what you do and what you have, it's a lonely job but you must focus, but there's alway a better product so we must always look for opportunities. Like if products are going the large scale, software is going to follow suit. You must have discipline in execution, even if you have scarcity. The phase of ASEAN is going to change in a few years, it can be local. The game has changed an this is one of the areas where the Philippines can excel. SME's can brand it and execute greatly." says Winston Namarillo who heads a few startup companies now in the Philippines.
"You can double the GDP of any company. IdeaSpace Foundation was made to build a better Philippine economy driven by technology, they fund them as well. If your idea includes passion, global competence with people and products, inclusiveness, sustainable and has scalable impact and integrity. We committed large capital to find the greatest science and technology ideas from the Philippines and Southeast Asia. Passion is not about talking, but getting your hands dirty and do the hard work." says Mr. Earl Valencia, VP for Innovations for SMART.
It was awesome in Tech Island 2.0. Had fun while learning a lot from inspiring people. Thank you for letting us ride the digital wave!
