Crisis transforms people into entrepreneurs

CEBU, Philippines - As the negative effects of the global economic crisis start to creep in, more and more people now develop interest in entrepreneurship looking at it as a hedge over the possible impacts of the crisis to their jobs and their future.

Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Cebu provincial director Nelia Navarro agreed that new business permit registration for the previous year has increased as well as the volume of clients they get in their office.

Navarro said that the increasing number of new businesses is usually in line with the service-related sector such as those providing ad placements, spa, and computer repairs which are usually single proprietorship.

She said that businessmen with this kind of venture do not usually get themselves registered but now more of these kinds of home-based businesses come to them to get registrations.

“More and more people now realize that some of their skills could be harnessed and be made into a good business enterprise. Before those engaged in these types of services do not get registrations, but now they are slowly making it a formal sector maybe also because times are hard now so people are pushed to do something to augment their situation,” said Navarro.

Other than services, businesses in line with retail are also increasing especially the small time business ventures.

She said that in line with the increasing interest on entrepreneurship, their office has also intensified their efforts of providing seminars on entrepreneurship and skills training to help start-up businessmen develop their enterprise.

“We are strengthening our enterprise development trainings and tie ups with other agencies to provide knowledge and trainings especially to those displaced workers and families of OFWs so they will have easier access to the market, technology, and so that everything will be in placed once they start their own businesses,” said Navarro.

She said that their trainings are free and anyone is welcome to come and participate to gain more insights about starting their own business or on improving an existing business venture.

“We have a lot of business concepts on our list that could be tapped by those who are interested to venture into business. They just have to go to our office to access them,” said Navarro.

Some of their trainings include a strategic game called the best game training which measures the skills and the potential of an individual to succeed in business.

Even in barangays, DTI also offer micro-entrepreneurship trainings especially on how to make use of technology in book keeping and other business processes to be more efficient.

With the rising number of workers affected by the current global situation, DTI is also taking the necessary interventions by offering entrepreneurship seminars to employees and displaced workers of companies in line with its Comprehensive Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program (CLEEP).

This February 13 and 25 DTI will conduct entrepreneurship and business planning seminars for employees of Taiyo Yuden and displaced workers of Janice Minor on February 27.

Also starting this month, DTI is collaborating with the creative sector such as those from the culinary sector to help enhance the food-based OTOP products of the province, which also another enterprise venture that could be capitalized on by micro-entrepreneurs.

“The growing volume of visitors in our office is a good indicator that more people are now interested to venture into business,” said Navarro.—Rhia de Pablo