MANILA, Philippines - As the economy copes with the global recession, in contrast, Filipino ingenuity is shifting the country’s gears to a nation of successful entrepreneurs.
Running a business is one thing and starting one up is another. It’s the former that most dream of but it’s the latter that challenges most small and medium enterprises (SME.)
Fast-paced information, technology, and communication make up the operation of SMEs. In such hard times, it’s the lack of and expense of such services that’s keeping businesses from growing, if not completely fading. Launching a means to resolve such a dilemma for starting “entrepinoys,” PLDT-SME Nation launched Negosyo Boost, a service directly formed to address the needs of starting up a business.
“Today, it is a must for business owners to embrace technology and take advantage of the many benefits it can bring, most especially for small and medium-sized entrepreneurs,” says PLDT-SME Nation vice president and head Kat Luna-Abelarde.
“Managing IT budgets is a key concern among them, with 37 percent of those surveyed saying that this is one of the major challenges that they face — the reason why we came up with packages that are very cost-efficient for them,” she adds.
It comes in packages with easy-to-pay monthly schemes that SMEs can afford to avail themselves of the conveniences it offers. With three affordable packages to choose from for business owners, each one just costs P3,000 a month, with a one-time fee of P2,000.
The packages are Negosyo Launch, Negosyo Advance, and Negosyo On-The-Go suitable for whatever stage the business is already in, whether just starting up or expanding.
“With small businesses, one thing that PLDT-SME has prioritized was how owners can acquire and avail themselves of the different things and services one needs in order to start a business. With Negosyo Boost, we bundled the basic things and services like basic hardware and connectivity services for entrepreneurs to start and run their business,” says Christian Lim, PLDT-SME product manager.
Negosyo Launch, for businesses that are just starting up, is packaged with a PLDT myDSL Biz, a business landline, Syvania UMPC netbook and an HP 4250 three-in-one printer.
Meanwhile, Negosyo Advance, for businesses that are already up-and-running, includes PLDT myDSL Biz, WeRoam Plan that provides 2Mbps of wireless connectivity, Sylvania UMPC netbook and an HP 4250 three-in-one printer.
On the other hand, the Negosyo On-The-Go package, has a WeRoam Plan, and two units of PLDT Landline plus a Sylvania UMPC notebook.
Though the packages are enough for a business, there is choice of upgrading the laptop unit to an MSI Wind U100LX for an additional P400 a month (Booster A package) or an HP Mini-note 1100 for an additional P800 (Booster B.)
Joyce Jimenez stays connected
Celebrity-entrepreneur Joyce Jimenez was one who tackled the challenge of setting up her own business, the direct-selling business of lingerie. Choosing to be hands-on in selecting, marketing and promoting those products, her business grew and stayed on the right footing.
Needing to be always connected with business partners, she considers smooth communication for consultation and updates as a key aspect in the success of her business. And the newly launched Negosyo Boost services play an essential role in keeping her constantly connected and her business in check.
Enabling SMEs to be more competitive in the market, the Negosyo Boost service bundles broadband connectivity and business-enabling hardware devices like netbooks and printers into one package. This allows managers like Jimenez to manage their businesses in the office or even on the go.
“In checking out potential lingerie products to sell, I need to see exactly how it looks like but I can’t always be physically present for my business partners and it’s during those times when one needs to make decisions right away,” Jimenez says. “With the laptop and a wireless internet access on hand, they can quickly send pictures of the products, and I can also receive them just as fast. It’s almost as good as being there.”
With how businesses start, the make-or-break of an enterprise relies on such a business to prosper.
“Start-up businesses and medium SMEs make up a large chunk of the current business landscape. And in these times of crisis, we at PLDT-SME Nation would like to encourage and support them in growing their businesses as they truly the backbone of our country’s economy,” says Luna-Abelarde.
With the usual case of SMEs being home-based, Rommel Juan, owner and CEO of Binalot, was no stranger to building his success from home.
Established in 1996, his business, which involved a lot of cooking, had no physical set-up then. He cites how such technological advancement and offering bundles of Negosyo Boost like the Negosyo Launch can readily appeal to entrepreneurs who are starting up.
“SMEs face a lot of hurdles when they’re just starting and most of them financial, and the competition these days can easily devour you,” Juan says. “I’m happy that PLDT SME Nation has introduced these programs especially for SMEs like mine, which cannot do everything by themselves.”
In the niche that Binalot has carved for itself through the years, Juan reveals that such a business continues to evolve in terms of operations and marketing platforms but its groundwork primarily revolves on its adapting to technology.
With PLDT being at the forefront of advocating entrepreneurship in the country, its continuous offering of products that are practical, relevant, convenient, and cost-effective puts SMEs at an advantage in this cutthroat economy.
Though such services and products work greatly to the advantage of SMEs, they still work greatly to the advantage of many well-established businesses.