At some point, you may be in search for a food events venue to hold your small business occasion, client meet-ups or even simply, your last dining stop to cap a busy day.   If you happen to be within the heart of Metro Manila, particularly in closely-woven areas of Taguig-Makati-Ortigas commercial business districts, finding a venue seems not to be a problem at all with numerous restaurants found in the place.  But getting the right one with an extraordinary treat could be quite a task.  

For an urban location where meat can be the usual and easy option, seafood dining may prove to be somewhat special. Though bits and pieces of seafood recipes may be traced at mainstream restos, still a completely authentic seafood dining could be a rare catch. When you feel for this craving, why not try Dampa sa Libis? 

Fresh seafood dining experience at Dampa sa Libis 
Photo courtesy of Go Entrepinay     

Dampa sa Libis simply just have almost the whole crustacean family right in its in-house wet market.  It boasts of the widest array of seafood.  If you love shelled creatures that quickly open, there are mussels, oysters, scallops and clams to choose from.  But if you’re open for some time cracking them up before feasting on your meal, the prawns, shrimps, crabs and lobsters may just be right for you. And of course, don't forget your staple seafood like fish and squid.  And what’s more? You’ve got all these seafood plus a choice of your favorite recipe.  Whether plain boiled, grilled, stuffed, buttered or just any way you want it cooked, the place can do it for you. 

Take time to explore Dampa sa Libis and find out for yourself why this specialty seafood events place is a crowd favorite, given its favorable central location to business districts in the metro.

Excited ka na bang mag-sarili? Going full-time with your own business definitely presents itself as  a very attractive option---no time ins and outs, no bossy bosses, no deadlines, etc.  Best of all, there is unlimited potential to earn at your own pace. But remember, being head-in-charge is no easy task!  It requires taking on the steering wheel and leading the enterprise to its course. 

Consider safety nets before plunging into entrepreneurship.
Photo courtesy of Unsplash via Pixabay

And so before getting to be your own boss, consider some tips below before quitting job to start your own business. These safety nets could buffer up the tough ride during the enterprise's birth stage and growth pains. 

1. Read up & Learn.  
Nothing beats the student who studied his lessons. Similarly, you're most prepared if you've mastered every in and out of your business. Unfortunately, that doesn't happen overnight when you open shop since you're now dealing with reality where everything is not controlled.  

Hence while still at your job with funds to afford learning opportunities, don't hesitate to attend seminars and workshops which would narrow the knowledge gap between you and the industry you plan to join.  Learn not only business knowledge but more importantly, the actual How-To stuffs since you wouldn't want to be laughed around at by your employees right?  Being the boss requires not only acting the part, but also doing the part.

2. Socialize & Network.  
Come on and move around to meet up with industry gurus, major players, main customers and lead suppliers.  First-time entrepreneurs are practically industry outsiders and so getting actual inside information about the business, such as secrets of the trade which are learned through time, can be most valuable and helpful.  

There are many other venues that offer chances for networking such as forum participation via internet, shopping at "tiangges", attending trade fairs/exhibits, joining clubs/associations, etc.  Knowing how to run a business entails not only the technical knowledge but also the market dynamics which is basically made of and made up by people interactions.  

3. Polish the Business Plan.  
At the least, the marketing plan lays down the road map for your enterprise. Hence, it's vital to have one before taking the big leap out from the corporate world. With wealth of information from the internet, various business plan templates are easily downloadable.  You may even access one easily by requesting assistance from office colleagues in Marketing and Business Planning. Regardless the format or template, the business plan should virtually contain 3 essential business concerns simplified into layman's terms:  Where are we? What do we want? How do we get there?

4. Beef up Savings.  
Admit it, everything takes time to be hatched. And so before you see your enterprise actually earning already,  there will be some time first when you will have minimal, or even zero sales at all!  From practical experience, a business' average gestation period ranges from 2 to 3 years before really getting into full earning mode.  Hence, smart entrepreneur wannabes think it's wise to beef up their savings account before actually leaving their jobs. 

5. Invest in Office Equipment.  
You would obviously require office equipment to become operational.   Business machine essentials that should top your list include a computer set, printer and telephone. These three machines could suffice for necessary word and spreadsheet processing involved in basic business documents, transmitting correspondences and contacting potential clients and suppliers.

6. Eye your Workspace.  
Even before resigning, head on to plan your work location.  Whether home-based or renting space, it is a must that you have your own place where you could focus on working with your daily tasks and activities.   Wherever it may be, your work station should provide reasonable comfort, light, ventilation and space to move around with.  An environment conducive for thinking and working will be most wanted too.

7. Develop Product Samples/Mock-ups.  
Don't wait up until your first day as a self-employed before you get to see what your products or services consist of.  Find help from your nearby carpenter neighbor, local market craftsman, or even "kumare mananahi" on product design and for developing samples of how you envision your product should be.  Remember that initial mock-ups wouldn't come out perfect right away and so again, time is critical. 

8. Headstart with Business Registration.   
As everyone knows in the Philippines, going through government services take up some time.  As much as possible, start early with the paper works and legwork of registering your business so that official documents like business certificates and receipts are ready once customers require from you and sales start coming in.

9.  Produce Contact Flyers, etc.  
Marketing yourself and the business comes right next once you finished up planning. Again, it is most ideal that everything is up and running already once you take hold of your business with all waiting time eliminated.  Producing and distributing even just the basic contact cards, flyers or brochures could help spread the word around and get your business known to potential clients already.  Hence once you decide to leave the office, you have already built your client pool.

10. Get Online Presence.  
Another basic essential marketing task is to get your business online.  Nowadays that everyone has gone hooked up with Tweeter, FB and other social media applications, it is vital to be present at those consumer touchpoints.  As marketing principle dictates that you need to be present where your customer is present, start tinkering now with the computer to discover the many ways how the world wide web could help you in marketing your business. 

Even local celebrities find it wise to start up and invest in their own enterprise! Here, we take a peek at our Celebrity Entrepinay Feature Kim Chiu and her venture into ready-to-wear (RTW) wedding gowns business.  

Bride For Rent star Kim Chiu also with her bridal gown shop, Adorata Weddings+.
Photo courtesy of Tilly Holland via Flickr Creative Commons. 

Called Adorata Weddings+, the bridal gowns shop is a partnership with Manila's leading fashion designers namely Pepsi Herrera and Edwin Tan. What the boutique definitely promises to deliver are convenience and affordability vs. traditional made-to-orders (MTOs) when shopping for the ultimate wedding gown of one's choice. Aside from bridal clothing, it also offers tuxedo wear for the male counterpart. 

Do you have the making of a successful entrepreneur? From livelihood seminars, trade fairs, government consultancy up to personal networking, you may have done probably everything already just to make sure you start off right with your dream enterprise. 

Check traits to get a fit with entrepreneurship.  
Photo courtesy of Unsplash via Pixabay

But before plunging into the entrepreneurship pool, try to inventorize yourself and check if you possess any, some, or all of what may be considered as major traits of successful entrepreneurs. Becoming an entrepreneur could be a life-turning event and so there's no harm from taking a real, hard pause to find out what makes a successful one.

1.  Smart Self-starter  
Undoubtedly, a genuine entrepreneur is someone who takes action without being told to do so. There is initiative down behind those folded sleeves. You may act with urgency but without any bit being impulsive as you move only after thinking out what the expected results will be. Part of being a self-starter is also not being afraid to innovate by introducing a new way of thinking that may result into a new product or service which can address a gap in consumer demand.  Thinking out-of-the-box also requires that you're a risk-taker.  Surely, the act of innovating requires stepping out from the comfort zone which definitely faces opposition from many.   

2.  Resourceful Problem-solver
An entrepreneur's life will be filled with countless concerns and hurdles which shall certainly call for decision-making efforts.  On these occasions, what is required is a strong mental aptitude that is inclined towards sorting out and spotting relevant issues, drawing up feasible options, and then finally deciding on the best course of action given all information presented before you. The process also calls for resourcefulness to be able to recognize all available options while drawing up possible action plans to take.  At the end of the day, the successful entrepreneur must reach a decision that is both tactical at the moment but strategic for the long term.

3.  Rock Resilient
A strong mental aptitude must be matched by inner resiliency that will allow you to cross barriers through time.  A successful entrepreneur doesn't stop at setbacks but only views them as part of the journey towards business goals.  Classic brands that endured the test of time such as the likes of Coke and Levis have been built definitely with the counting of decades, and not just merely with months and years.  So sis, work it!      

4.  Charismatic Leader  
An enterprise virtually would require direction and this has to emanate ultimately from the owner. Hence, you also need to be a strong communicator who is able to clearly and logically articulate thoughts while striving to establish a credible presence. But equally important at the same time, you have to be able to exude genuine charm to evoke likability from employees. Once the right mix between credibility and likability is achieved, people can be convinced and led, and thereby, get results done.

5. Financially Prudent 
A successful entrepreneur is someone who exercises wise spending behavior. You should recognize and value the concept of savings which entails sacrificing the present in exchange for future consumption. However, you must stray from being stingy for you likewise see current generous investment as an instrumental tool to build greater earnings in the future.

Valuable benefits of corporate giveaways can’t be truly undermined.  It could serve as the crucial marketing vehicle to achieve your business objectives if properly planned and implemented. But first-time purchasers may just be overwhelmed with abundant ideas for corporate giveaways found in the market today. 

Just as time-tested experiences provide the most valuable insights, it may take some months and occasions before you can master what giveaway items click with your customers. Hence, purchasing newbies may find helpful a bird’s eye view to set off the right perspective about this market. A general industry framework can likewise guide the meticulous decision-making process which goes with the buying of corporate giveaways.

Plan ahead for a successful corporate giveaways program.
Photo courtesy of aiia via Pixabay

Corporate giveaways may be broadly classified into mass-made and customized types. Especially during events, there may be targeted receivers for your giveaways which you have in mind. For general crowd visitors, you may go for mass-market types that can create branding awareness such as pens, fans and button pins.  Meanwhile those with special roles such as key opinion leaders (KOLs) and industry authorities who may serve your business some form of representation, selected made-to-order (MTO) items are ideal.  These may include bags, planners, aluminum cases, etc. directed towards more specific marketing purposes like brand imaging or loyalty.

The pricing that follows from these two classifications likewise threads the same reasoning. Mass-produced items have more affordable pricing that comes with its greater availability due to the easy production involved. On the other hand, customizables certainly require greater craftsmanship and longer lead time to produce.  Hence, MTOs demand higher price for its finer quality.

But on the other hand, several giveaway items may have proven to be all-time favorites across customer types and budget considerations. For marketers who are in quick search for hardworking promotional freebies, here's a fearless forecast on leading choices for corporate giveaways and why these marketing collaterals remain as preferred gifts to customers.   

With the above in mind, you may think about the proper budget, quantities and timings associated with the giveaways type you plan to order.  In office settings, the purchase process for giveaways may be made more complicated given the several layers of approval for design and financing concerns.  Thus, early planning is also essential for any successful corporate giveaways program.  

While thinking about that business you want to put up, have you also wondered about the steps how to register your business in the Philippines?  To register your business with pertinent Philippine government agencies is the same as taking the route to legitimizing your business existence.  Business name registration grants you license to operate, which thereby in effect, gives your customers the trust and confidence in pursuing business transactions with you.  Accomplishing your business registration puts you at far advantage versus "non-legal, fly-by-night" operators, who can easily scamper away with client's money and vanish simply because their existences aren't publicly registered.

Make business legit with proper business registration. 
Photo courtesy of PourquoiPas via Pixabay

There lies three forms of business existence: single proprietorship, partnership and corporation.  Among them, single proprietorship is the simplest form and most straight-forward to register, with the process starting off with the Department of Trade & Industry (DTI).  And indeed true to the saying that big surprises come from small packages, most start-up businesses in the Philippines begin as small and medium enterprises (SMEs) before they flourish to become major business players. 

According to Philstar.com business article, DTI data showed that SMEs comprised 99.6% of the total 820,255 registered businesses that operated in the country.  More significantly however, Go Negosyo pointed out that 70% of SMEs in the Philippines are started by female entrepreneurs.  This strongly indicates most women's unceasing desire to remain economically active from their homes despite responsibilities for child-rearing and household management.  It also undeniably suggests women's significant contribution in  nation-building despite functioning from the grassroots level.  And so, our hats off definitely go to all Entrepinays out there!  

And to other still aspiring Entrepinays, below is a simple 3-point guide to remember on how to register your future business. Additional requirements from other government agencies may follow depending on the nature of your business but once you hurdled through the major government offices below, accomplishing the rest will just come at a breeze! 

1. Get Business Name at DTI.  

Of course, everything starts first with a name.  When thinking of a business name, you may want to have something short, unique, and related to your business' line of activity for easier customer recall.  Remember to come up with at least 3 name options since you wouldn't want to be held up at DTI for hours thinking of name replacements in case there already exists something similar to your first choice.  

Several DTI satellite offices now offer business name registration so this wouldn't be much of a hassle.  The process is also quite simple as it just requires filling up the application form, lining up for name encoding, and finally, payment.  You may check out DTI'S website for more updated guidelines on business name registration.

2. Accomplish Mayor's Business Permit.  

Once done with DTI business name registration, you now return to the place where you intend to operate your business for the Mayor's Permit.  You may check out the Business Permits and Licensing Office at your local City Hall for the Application Form which also lists several requirements you need to first comply with such as the following:  

• Homeowners' Village Permit
• Barangay Clearance

• Zoning Clearance

• Sanitary Permit
• Engineering Clearance
• Fire Permit
• Environmental Seminar
• Residence Certificate

3. Register Tax Identification Number (TIN) with Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) for Certificate of Registration. 

When finished with Step 2, you're down to the last major requirement at the BIR prior to formal business operation.  For SMEs, this step is also done at the local BIR Regional District Office (RDO) in the same municipality where you secured your Mayor's Permit. The entire procedure of securing the requirements listed below is quite lengthy similar to Step 2. But don't worry, you will be guided by the BIR staff in case you missed out on something.  

• BIR Form 1901 or Application for Registration for Self Employed and Mixed Income Individuals Estates/Trusts together with DTI Certificate of Registered Business Name, Mayor's Business Permit, Marriage Certificate, Birth Certificate of Dependents, etc. Other requirements that may be asked of you depend on nature of business (i.e. with branch offices, franchising, etc.).
• BIR Form 605 for Payment of Annual Registration Fee
• BIR Form 1906 for Authority to Print Receipts
• BIR Form 1905 for Book of Accounts
• Attendance in Taxpayer's Seminar

I felt a bit of disappointment for having missed this year's SME week which was capped last July 11-12, 2014 at the Philippine Trade Training Center in Pasay City. 

Small businesses' contribution recognized during DTI's SME week. 
Photo courtesy of StockSnap via Pixabay

I was late by just a day or two when I saw DTI's print ad from Philippine Star dated 07/08/2014 showcasing the full list of activities during the said 2-day celebration.  Each day was filled with various topics on business management and demo-skills training starting from around 8am and finishing to 4pm.  All these were provided for FREE but to make sure you can avail of seats, you have to make your way early to the venue as it was indicated the seminars were given on first come, first served basis. 

I listed here a rundown of my hot picks that caught my interest from among the topics included during the SME Week Celebration. These business ideas present bright earning opportunities due to current positive trends on  health and wellness, tourism growth and environmental concern in the Philippines.  For July 11: Herbal Soapmaking, Coffee Barista, Massage Oils,  Food Cart Business and Assorted Cupcakes.  For July 12:  Photography, Food Packaging, Scrap Recycling, No-Bake Cookies, Health Breads and Healthy Meat Products.

I thought what an excellent chance to add further to my entrepreneurship knowledge and learn more new possible business ideas if I could have made it to the event.  But then anyway, I can always look forward to the same event again in 2015. And so to all aspiring Entrepinays out there, make an early earmark for the timing of around mid- to end-June next year to learn about and catch up with the activities lined up for DTI's SME Week Celebration.  

Hope to meet you there!

To all Marikina-based businesses, I'm sure you will all be relieved to learn that BIR (www.bir.gov.ph) and SSS (www.sss.gov.ph) have recently set up new offices here.  This development definitely brings great convenience as these government agencies are now located near downtown Marikina.

The new SSS Marikina-Malanday branch has based itself at the 2nd floor of Graceland Mall along J.P. Rizal or Lamuan, as the place is more commonly known.  The building sprawls a wide frontage and runs across a Shell gas station so it's definitely hard to miss.  Many public vehicles like FXs, jeepneys and tricycles also ply along this route so it's no problem going there.  Daily passers-by at Graceland Mall are the Parang-Lamuan-Marikina or Montalban-Lamuan-Marikina PUJs with terminal stops stationed at Marikina Sports Center.  I chanced once at SSS Marikina-Malanday branch and they may be reached at the following contact numbers:  920-64-46 to 55 or 917-77-77.        

SSS Marikina-Malanday office in Graceland Mall, J.P. Rizal St., Lamuan
Photo courtesy of Go Entrepinay

Meanwhile, BIR Regional Development Office (RDO) 045 has transferred from the previous Marcos Highway site to its new office building at Antonio Luz Arcade located behind Amang Rodriguez Hospital from Sumulong Highway or also, at the back of Marikina Health Office near SM Savemore if one is coming from Shoe Avenue.  The new BIR office occupies two floors with the regular monthly tax filings housed at the 2nd level while other transactions processing are done at the Ground floor.   It also now has wider parking space for just almost adjacent to it is the Blue Wave Marquinton Mall.

New BIR RDO-45 Office at Marikina City
Photo courtesy of Go Entrepinay

BIR Marikina Branch at Antonio Luz Arcade Building
Photo courtesy of Go Entrepinay

This red, pocketbook-sized prayer book was given to me by my loving mother-in-law one afternoon in June last year.   The book "Straight From The Heart, A Prayer Companion" is a 360+-paged collection of prayers compiled and edited by Rev. Fr. Mario Jose C. Ladra and published by St. Paul's Philippines in 2007. 

A treasury of prayers from this little red book. 
Photo courtesy of Go Entrepinay

From the looks of it, with the book fully clad in rosy red and heart visuals slightly embossed in between its title phrases "Straight From The Heart" on front cover, it proved to me as a gift really special for it opens up a wealth of various prayers from which you could draw out peace, inspiration and strength during one's down moments.  

Found inside of course are our common prayers like The Lord's Prayer, among others, and prayers for various parts of the day. Other prayers included those directed to Jesus, Holy Spirit, Mama Mary and popular saints.  It also has inspirationals and Psalm Verse Prayers, foremost favorite of mine is Psalm 23: The Good Shepherd.

Straight From The Heart also comes handy and useful for church ceremonials like Holy Mass and Novenas, and during Holy Week's Stations of the Cross.  The book seems endless with prayers for one can also come across a prayer for almost every need --- for families, for healing, for depression, for protection, for generosity, for serenity, for peace, for strength, and so on.

My favorite part is the list of prayers rolled out for students, religious and people from different professions.  I was amazed to find a couple of prayers exactly fitted for my current pursuit of entrepreneurship, and so I decided to share them as well to all Entrepinays out there. May the prayers below help articulate all hopes and aspirations for our businesses' success.

A Businessman's Prayer (from page 311)

Almighty Father, thank you for the business you have enabled me to begin and sustain.
Enlighten my way in leading and inspiring people engaged in the business organizations,  industry, and communities that I serve.
Allow us the mastery of your will for the role you would want this business to play in your divine plan.
Provide us all the resources, human and material for this enterprise.
Sustain us financially for growth and development, and keep us humble with our successes and innovative and creative in our endeavors.
Help us in our crises, and guide us in every step we take as we run and manage our business.
Let our business involvements be models of inspired integrity  and allow it to bring good health, wealth, and prosperity among your people.
Bless our business partners, clients, and suppliers.
Give us the faith and confidence that we can accomplish even what seems to be impossible.
Move us to dispense all our actions to be full of love for you and the rest of mankind.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.

A Consecration Prayer for an Enterprise (from Page 342)

Heavenly Father, you tell us in the sacred scriptures that any house that is not built on firm rock cannot withstand dangerous storms and tempests.
You are our rock and salvation.
Without you, our efforts at building up our enterprise will come to naught.
Without your grace, everything we touch can easily crumble into nothingness.

We humbly come before you to acknowledge all the many blessings we have received---                   all these come from you,
for in you do we live and move and have our being, and that without you, we can do nothing.
All our success comes from you.
Thank you for the countless favors you have showered on  (Name of company).

Loving Father, in gratitude, allow us to consecrate (Name of company) to your loving heart.
We consecrate to you our stockholders and business partners that they may be guided by Your will in their decisions.
We consecrate to you our officers - may they continue to faithfully serve you as they carry out our company's mission, vision, and goals.
We consecrate to you all our employees as well as their families.

May we all continue to do our best as we go about our work and commit ourselves to the betterment of our company, our community, and our country.
We consecrate to you our clients and customers.
May they continue to patronize our products and services.

Bless and protect all of us in our dealing with one another.
With the help of our Blessed Mother, we make our consecration to you.
In the name of your Son, Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

It had been almost a month since schools opened and news from PAG-ASA ended summer officially. But I can't help look back at the summer that just passed with special regard and soft spot in my heart.  It was my best summer ever.  It was the summer of 2014. 

Create your best summer ever. 
Photo courtesy of Unsplash via Pixabay

Admit it, it isn't always that we find strength to push ourselves from our comfort zones.  It just feels so convenient and secured to do that which we are most familiar with--- no questions, no doubts and most of all, no worries. But just last summer, I once again found myself stepping up to try something new and taking action to actualize it. And finally, making a turnaround into something real from a mere aspiration, just a dream. 

The last time I did the same was back in 2012 when I formally registered my biz.  But this time around, I knew and felt it was much different. Getting into the internet as a publisher for the first time was like venturing into an unknown space. It also ushers in a totally different experience as your actions do not affect only yourself, but a wider public audience as well.

I've long been wanting to bring my business online with its own website and to level up promo efforts via social media marketing with the highly visited facebook site. But the downside is, I'm neither the hard-core techie who understands all those HTML computer programming languages, nor the computer savvy Gen Z-er who is much hooked with the web that navigating through facebook, tweeter, google+, pinterest, linkedin, and other social media sites seems just so much like a simple task as malling or strolling by the park perhaps.  At the least, I consider myself a computer literate person with quick learning abilities and above average mental aptitude.  If these assets alone would suffice to compensate,  then I thought I can also do internet marketing just like others.  From the overall view of things, it appeared to me the world wide web was the ultimate frontier to conquer.

And so I tried and carried on.  It was the mere thought of seeing my future blog entries and business website that pushed, pushed and pushed me.  I had no choice then but to do lots of googling, reading and learning from relevant websites to help me put pieces of the big puzzle together.  Sometimes, it was also a frustrating hit and miss thing....trying out a new site and finishing on a dead-end, then try again.  It was totally a self-learned endeavor. But amazingly, one click just led to another, and another, until all my questions were answered and my thoughts were cleared on how to go about with things.  Then finally, the full picture came into view. 

And now from the time I started trying around March this year, I finally went live with my own Facebook business page last May 17, posted my first own blog entry at Go Entrepinay dated May 29,  and published my events marketing website last June 28.  Best of all, I did all these without spending a cent!  Quite trivial they may seem, but these outputs give so much sense of accomplishment to a humble and regular netizen like me without any high-flung computer expertise at all.  Couldn't believe it?  Well, I really DID!

Thinking back, what a co-incidence that all these nice developments happened during last summer.  And as we know, most people look forward to summer for good things to come their way as all the time and the world are theirs during this sunniest season of the year.  Summer means breaking away from homeworks, fun late-night hanging out with friends, finding new love, travelling to far places, finding new discoveries, and still a whole lot of possibilities one can think of!
 

But for me, I remember most the summer of 2014 as the time I rose above myself and totally evolved into another new, different, but definitely, better person in the end.  And this came about starting just from a dream, a try, a struggle, a learning, and finally, a reality. I guess that translates into an excellent analogy for the making of an entrepreneur.

So how about you?  When was your best summer ever?