Cebuano entrepreneurs conquer Manila

MANILA, Philippines - From the food service industry (coffee shops and restaurants) to manufacturing, enterprising Cebu-based entrepreneurs are slowly but surely making their mark in Manila. They offer exceptional products to the delight of picky and discriminating clients in Manila who are always on the lookout for something new, fresh, delightful and most of all, classy and sophisticated products.

This is exactly what Home Mavericks is offering to Manila so that clients here are given that extra choice for their furniture and home furnishing needs. With Eric Alvin Go Po at the helm together with fellow Cebuano entrepreneurs Eric Mendoza, Vincent Sandoval and Johann Escañan, they represent the present crop of Cebuano entrepreneurs who believed that doing business at our nation’s capital has a tremendous growth potential.

The decision to move to Manila was not in any way easy, especially for a then-struggling entrepreneur like Po. Aside from a limited cash flow – lack of experience and operating in an unknown territory were their main problems. “As a start up business, limited capital and a lack of experience as neophyte businessmen were among our challenges. It even meant giving up our social life. Though we had very steep learning curves, it proved to be a valuable crash course in running a business,” Po explains.

The first home for Home Mavericks was a small, 40-square meter showroom in Guadalupe along Edsa. Add to their woes was their inability to move to a bigger showroom because of lack of capital. “It was a struggle. We had to move three times in four years. After careful planning, we eventually moved to our present 200-square meter showroom along Arnaiz Avenue in Makati, which allowed us to showcase different collections using various materials like wood to shells, synthetic fibers, laminates, veneers and much more,” he says.

The phenomenal boom in real estate development in Manila was where Po and his partners saw the potential for success. “The rise in demand for real estate properties means more demand to furnish them. When before their wallets hurt by choosing high-priced furniture from Europe, now they have access to equally world-class Cebu furniture without having to travel all the way there and spend tons of money. Home Mavericks provided them that access,” declares Po.

He is glad to be able to follow the footsteps of other Cebu-based businessmen. He said that Manila gives Cebuano businessmen like himself a challenging opportunity to flex their entrepreneurial muscle. Credit, he says, goes to their “carpe diem” attitude, and because of their desire to provide Manila-based clients with the best of what Cebu has to offer like world-class products and attentive style of customer service, they were also able to learn a lot in terms of improving their business skills in a business environment as dynamic and as fast-paced such as Manila.

Right now, Po said their plan is to make Home Mavericks evolve into a trusted “brand of choice” among Philippine homeowners when it comes to furniture. “When people hear the words ‘stylish,’ ‘elegant,’ and ‘luxurious,’ we want Home Mavericks to be associated to those attributes because simply, Home Mavericks furniture and home furnishings are a cut above the rest. We would like them to put Home Mavericks as their ‘top-of-mind’ choice, and in the next few years, we will definitely expand to other locations in Manila, or perhaps even abroad,” Po said.

Definitely, he said, he will encourage other Cebuano businessmen to try it here in Manila. With innate resourcefulness and sharp business sense, Cebuanos have what it takes to shine in a competitive market like Manila. Coupled with a strong work ethic, he said Cebuano businessmen can make Manila their “entrepreneurial oyster,” so to speak.

Despite his young age, Po is the portrait of an accomplished entrepreneur, though he admits he still has a long way to go. “I love having my own business. For those who want to have their own, the most important thing is your choice of business should be something that you’re passionate about and will excel in it. Even if it’s hard work, I enjoy every minute of it because it doesn’t feel like work. My formula for success is to find out what you’re passionate about, pursue it and keep until you succeed.”

And why the name “Home Mavericks?” “Mavericks are independent-minded and often blaze the trail with innovative ideas. I’d like to think that I’m that way in my personal life as well: a creative and intuitive problem solver. We at Home Mavericks continually aspire to make our clients’ life at home a novel, exciting experience.”