'After you start your own business, the monetary value takes a backseat'
Five years ago, Arturo “Macky” Katigbak had to make a decision: to accept a job offer and be an employee abroad or set up his own outsourcing company in the Philippines. Today, Macky’s e-Manage, Inc. has gained the honor of being recognized by the Business Process Association of the Philippines. As president and founder of his company, Macky helps clients who need finance and accountancy services. To reconcile a client’s accounts receivables and accounts payable, for example, his team of 30 CPA and finance employees convert the info from raw paper data and reenter these transactions into a system tailored to what the clients use. Macky sees his niche market as providing services similar to freelancers, with the assurance that data won’t be lost.
The 31-year-old bachelor shares his insights into what he has learned from the challenges of running his own business and the joys of marking his achievements.
The site that inspires me is Cocktales. Victor Agustin writes about the ins and outs of Philippine businesses, decision makers and rumors that are not disclosed in normal media. I find it has valuable information because it shows trends in a non-headline way and reflects where people are putting their money.
One of my goals this year is to get married. I know that I cannot get married for free because I want to have a home. In order to get these two priorities, I need to achieve my professional goal, which is to grow my business by 30 percent so I can be in a financial position to make both of my personal dreams come true.
My personal style signifier would always be clean lines that are easy on the eyes. Basic colors like black, white… nothing radical.
The last thing I bought and loved was an IWC watch. It’s significant because I marked it as a starting point when I achieved my goals in 2008.
The best gift I’ve received recently was my post-graduate studies at AIM. It is the best gift that I could ever receive. I learned the value of what it means to be a good business person: to look at all the angles, pay special attention to numbers and people management, plus how to improve what you are offering to your clients. The initial holistic theories became actual applications that I use.
The last meal that truly impressed me was in Cav. My friend and I had dinner there. We had lamb shanks, tiger prawns and a bottle of zinfandel. It was one of the better meals we enjoyed.
The last music I purchased was a CD by Al Jarreau. After a long day at work, I listen to jazz. It kind of soothes me.
A memorable place I have traveled to in the past year would be Tokyo. There I found that I could connect to a place without too much effort. Being there. Breathing the air. Seeing the faces of the people. It was something that energized me just witnessing how a city lives.
In my fridge you’ll always find water. A lot of water.
The thing I’m eyeing to buy next would be a home. I enjoyed living my life with a lot of toys because I was a big car fan, but I realized that my priorities have changed. I am setting myself up for the next stage.
My favorite websites are Bloomberg and eBay.
My style icon is a fictional character. There is something about the way James Bond carries a suit or a tux, a certain kind of presence without even trying. That is the look I want.
If I wasn’t doing what I do, I would be working as a financial consultant for a firm in Singapore. That was my crossroads. Either I took a job or stayed here and became an entrepreneur. I wanted to be close to my mom and my brother, so I decided to stay.
The grooming basic I am never without is a watch. I love my watch.
If a failure of elections is called, I would be disappointed. I am looking forward to change and having a leader who will enable that change. If it would not push through, the signals it would send to the business community would be negative. The international communities would ask, “How come we cannot get our act together?”
When my friends talk about politics, I listen to what they say and keep an open mind towards their beliefs. I am not the type that will engage someone in politics unless it is more like a healthy conversation rather than having a debate. I think that a political stand is like religion.
After having my own business, I realized that making an honest living is hard but brings a lot of fulfillment. After you start your own business, the monetary value takes a backseat because you feel more purpose in what you are doing. If you do what you love and do it well, then the money will follow. It takes a lot of time and patience. Once you establish what your values are and what you can provide, you will realize how difficult it is.
I choose my employees based on their integrity. There are always smart people whose credentials include the highest grades, but I find that many graduates have this get-rich-quick attitude. In a way this removes the passion and the drive to just work because they want to do it. Our rigorous training period helps us to weed out those people who work only for the 15th and 30th paycheck.
What helped me to conquer fear is my determination to just do it. I was able to develop the attitude that if I don’t do it now, I will never really know. Fear is still there but I also have to take risks and let it ride.
A recent setback I had was meeting a client’s expectations. Sometimes they demand and expect the world. Our challenge is how to keep the resolutions fair and for everybody so that no one is pushed against a corner with no area to move.
