Former store clerk now a 7-Eleven franchisee

MANILA, Philippines - Edgar Amba started his journey with 7-Eleven back in 1987 as a store clerk. As a 20-year-old undergraduate with no experience, Amba is no stranger to the challenges of financially supporting himself and his family, while at the same time building a potential career with the then up-and-coming global convenience store franchise.

“As a crew member, I began at the lowest rank,” he said. “I have no college diploma, but that didn’t stop me from aiming for a managerial position. What I only knew then was that I had the talent and the will to make myself better. Through cross-training, I was able to land that position.

“All this has been made possible by the efforts and skills of one persistent dreamer,” Amba mused.

OPPORTUNITY FOR CAREER GROWTH

In June 1998, Amba became part of history in the making. “I was extremely enthusiastic and somehow challenged by the 7-Eleven system,” he said. “And to know more, the first logical and right thing that I did was to join the corporate ranks in Philippine Seven Corp. (PSC).”

While working at PSC, Amba found the right business culture — the perfect training ground for an upcoming entrepreneur like him. “President Vicente Paterno’s fatherly and nurturing nature served as the best inspiration for everyone in the organization, especially for a beginner like me. He took care of all employees, provided us the opportunity for growth.

“He is really a great fan of his company’s people, and he made sure to invest in their long-term professional development in such a way that he increased their sense of worth within the overall system.”

To achieve a solid platform for growth, Paterno, according to Amba, created a vision for the future, and then made sure that it was viable.

“When the Service Agreement (SA) or the now FC2 package was offered exclusively to employees, I immediately applied for it. Apart from my previous experience as senior manager, I underwent three months’ operations training to better prepare me for manning the 7-Eleven Burgos outlet,” he said.

A CLEAR STRATEGY

By August 2004, Amba was handed his 7-Eleven store as an FC. The first challenges that greeted him were the competition and low sales. “Of course these are very challenging at first but I never gave up,” Amba stressed.

Besides relying on his managerial skills, Amba also received the much-needed operations backup and systems by PSC.                                                

“We studied the population, careful to take note of their needs. Besides earning community support, the company’s marketing efforts are also effective in making the store more profitable and high-performing,” he said. “Especially with the recent implementation of the fast-food dining concept which is part of the Store of the Future design, my outlet’s sales increased significantly.”

REWARDS OF SUCCESS

Nearing eight years as a successful store operations manager at one of the top-performing 7-Eleven stores in the metro, Amba, now 44 and a father to four children, considers himself an accomplished businessman and mentor to his employees.

Continuously growing his career and at the same time reaping the fruits of his hard work, Amba is proud to have found a secure investment and ally in both PSC and 7-Eleven.

“Going to work every day, the store allows me to experience the positive side of a smaller reality where I can work with employees, teach them and train them as I was trained by PSC. A plus factor also is that now I have more time for my family, and for other personal and professional matters.

“Dynamism, energy, and the desire to do well are for me the main ingredients needed to reach these goals. By imparting these values, along with honesty, to my store team, we are all set to achieve our objectives, if not exceed them,” Amba noted.  

“Success for me is not just earning a big profit; it’s more of one’s ability to keep himself going and growing, despite the odds. It is also the personal fulfillment, of knowing how you inspired others to dream big for themselves, and help them achieve these via encouragement and faith,” Amba said. 

To learn more about 7-Eleven’s franchise opportunity offerings, call 726-9968, 0920-950-8651, 0917-871-1686 or e-mail franchising@7-eleven.com.ph or visit www.7-eleven.com.ph.