The pandemic situation may not have changed, but everyone’s lifestyle and behavior have. This undeniable change came as a shock to many business owners and the entire industry. Many were left behind, closed down, or handicapped to adapt. Nowadays, it’s only the strong and well-equipped who survive. Customers are now rearranging their lives when it comes to retail, switching priorities, changing lifestyles, and developing new shopping habits.
The industry is now on a fast track to indoor convenience: If you can do it without leaving the house, why leave? Homes have become everyone’s new safe space. Distances have grown wider and that separates you from your consumers. The reliable and genuine connections between you and your customers become scarce.
This is what makes digital tools so valuable because digital is now preferred over physical. Cashless payments, instant virtual notifications, and wireless connectivity are the names of the game. In a time of confinement, nothing is worth more than a sense of freedom without anything holding you back.
These are the exact tools that Spruce Designer Network Inc. utilized from Globe myBusiness during the earlier months of the pandemic. As a relatively young business at the time, getting their name out was the top priority. How would potential customers know about them if they didn’t want to leave home? They took advantage of where their target market is — they used the internet and social media.
Spruce is a retail and distribution company. They specialize in bringing in global and local Filipino designer fashion lifestyle brands. They provide unique shopping experiences in several stores throughout northern and southern Mindanao.
With the pandemic, they worried about how to keep their customers safe while shopping. This affected their sales, but they quickly adapted with their top product — flip-flops.
“Our biggest challenge was how to keep our people safe. How to reach customers who were now at home,” shared Trisha L. Tamparong, Spruce’s Corporate Treasurer. Along with her team, they recognized the market’s behavioral change immediately and acted on it early on.
After identifying flip-flops as a home essential, they focused on its online marketing. “Because our number one product at the store is considered a home essential, all we had to do was get the product out there!” she added.
They decided to turn to their website and social media accounts to reach their customers at home. Because they already offered cashless payment options, sale inquiries came soon enough. “We are thankful for Globe myBusiness for encouraging us to set up and offer GCash services years before the pandemic started,” Tamparong said.
To the present day, Spruce’s business remains steady. They are currently in the final stages of further digitalizing their processes. This has been steadily increasing their online shopping services. Now they’re setting up their Human Resource Information System, nurture relationships with delivery partners, and applied other digital tools from Globe myBusiness.
“There are tough months and great months but overall, we are very fortunate and blessed to still be here and thriving in the new normal.”
Digitalizing traditional processes takes away the hassle of physical procedures like optimizing your business’ efficiency and streamlining internal operations. This made Spruce more agile and flexible, able to reach customers easier, deliver better, and take on the challenges that have come their way. Globe myBusiness ensures that businesses like Spruce are built better prepared and better equipped for adapting to anything. Digital solutions – ranging from simple to complex – gets you ready for this new age, and it’s a trend that’s here to stay.
As the new normal continues, so will the changes in consumer behavior. It’s time to strengthen and revitalize your business into the digital landscape with Globe myBusiness. Medical assessments for your employees, logistics tracking, or loyalty programs for customers? Globe myBusiness can fashion the right solutions you need.
If you’ve already invested in Globe myBusiness for your digital needs, the company has more to offer. Here’s an exclusive promo with an instant reward for your digital investment. Until March 31, you can get cashback via GCash when you avail of any connectivity product and any digital solution.
Globe myBusiness offers exclusive bundles to new and existing customers on any mobile or broadband plan. Digital solutions included in the bundle are M360, GCash for Business, KonsultaMD, Rush Royalty, Google Workspace, Cloud Payroll and HR Information System (HRIS), and Vehicle Tracker.
Reinvent your business and make it stronger with Globe myBusiness digital solutions. Make it ready for anything. Learn more here.
Don’t miss out on helpful tips to grow your retail business online, in partnership with DTI and the LGUs of Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, and Valenzuela.
If you missed the session, watch the full recap here.
Featured Speakers:
Joey Flores
Associate Director (AdSpark)
Love Magdoza
Business Development Manager (Globe myBusiness)
Rosanna Aligaya
Regional Director (DTI)
HELPFUL PRODUCT INFORMATION
Aside from accepting payments, you can also send your employee salaries or vendor payments via GCash for Business. Want to know more? Click here.
UPDATE YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION:
Exclusive offers, event invites, and freebies await when you update your contact details! Get these and receive real-time notifications on your account when you update now: glbe.co/Get-Updates-GmBA
In partnership with JCI Manila, find out how your business can get started on accepting digital payments.
If you missed the session, watch the full recap here.
Cathlyn Pavia
Assistant Vice President, Enterprise Team (Mynt – GCash)
Patty Buenaflor
Senior Account Manager, Enterprise Team (Mynt – GCash)
Love Magdoza
Business Development Manager (Globe myBusiness)
HELPFUL PRODUCT INFORMATION
Aside from accepting payments, you can also send your employee salaries or vendor payments via GCash for Business. Want to know more? Click here.
If cashless transactions were a rising form of preferred payment mode then, it’s all the more in demand now. Crises like COVID-19 can limit our movement, and going cashless keeps us safe while we meet our day-to-day needs. Here are the advantages of this recommended form of transaction:
Having a paper trail of transactions helps us budget and forecast better. You can quickly generate reports with the date/time, description, amount, and more. You have a tangible record that lets you easily manage and assess your cash flow.
Carrying a huge amount of cash is nerve-wracking. With cashless payment, you lessen your vulnerability to getting held up and physically misplacing your money. On the technical side, having your account password-protected gives you peace of mind knowing your transaction details are secure.
Social distancing includes lessening physical contact not just with people, but also with objects. Money passes through many hands and things. They’re effective receptacles of germs and diseases. That’s the last thing anyone wants to deal with at the moment.
Many facilities are not just payment gateways; they also let you perform other transactions. From paying bills to investing, donating to causes in need, and transferring money to loved ones. All this without the hassle of lining up in banks, withdrawing huge sums, and basically getting out of the house.
With GCash, you get all these benefits with ease. Being the leading digital payment platform in the country, GCash has 20 million registered users, is availed by over 63,000 partner merchants, and has 16,000 partner outlets.
Under GCash, you can also enjoy the benefits of GCash for Business. This online platform lets you transfer money in real-time from anywhere, anytime. It’s a convenient, secure, efficient, and economical way of sending salary to employees or loans proceeds to customers. Enjoy all these benefits:
Minimal third party coordination means you can add funds to your company account through any of GCash for Business’ 14 partner banks by 3pm, after which you can already transfer money to your employees’ accounts. Once you’ve made the transfers, you and your employees will get an SMS notification. Plus, with over 18,000 accredited ATMs nationwide, employees have more options on where to withdraw.
A safe and secure way to send funds to individual accounts, GCash for Business ensures that your employees receive the money they earned. By reducing the amount of cash involved in everyday operations, it protects your money from theft and fund mismanagement. Also, all transfers require an approver to make sure details are correct before processing.
Since GCash for Business requires no maintaining balance, it gives you the freedom to manage your funds accordingly. Consequently, cash flows freely through your organization.
Grow your market even more by expanding your business online. Get a head start by tapping GCash’s 20,000,000+ users when you sign up as a GCash merchant. Providing your customers with the option to pay by using their phone to scan a QR code (that you can post on your website or account as a picture) and entering the exact amount — they don’t even need to be in your store to settle the bill. Combined with using your own or a third-party logistics provider, your customers can order and you can fulfill them instantly from the safety of your homes!
It also gives you and your customers real-time SMS notifications, so you know that payment has been made immediately. Payments to your QR code are automatically added to your company’s GCash merchant account with transaction details to make it easier for your sales reports.
Expand your market, go cashless, and stay #SafeAtHome! Apply for GCash for Business or GCash QR code now.
IMPORTANT PRODUCT INFORMATION:
Send your salary, incentives or allowances to your employees, students, or even customers safely and securely with GCash for Business. Click here to know more.
As a Globe myBusiness customer, get priority access and submit fewer requirements when you get a GCash QR code as an additional payment channel. Click here to apply now!
UPDATE YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION:
Exclusive offers, event invites, and freebies await when you update your contact details! Get these and receive real-time notifications on your account when you update now: glbe.co/Get-Updates-GmBA
On August 17, 2018, Globe myBusiness, in partnership with Summit Media‘s Philippine Entertainment Portal (PEP), kicked off Star Bazaar 2018 — its much awaited star-studded business event for small and medium enterprise owners.
Star Bazaar is more than just a shopping and learning experience for its audience; it’s part of a bigger picture that Globe myBusiness has set its eyes upon for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) across the Philippines.
Globe myBusiness’ mission is to empower entrepreneurs in the SME sector by helping them acquire the knowledge and skills essential in reaching business success. Also, with its line-up of digital solutions, Globe myBusiness is helping business owners maximize the use of technology to make their operations more efficient in every way.
In an interview with Wish 107.5, Alvin Bienvenida, Globe myBusiness Segment Marketing Manager, said Star Bazaar perfectly ties in with this mission. Besides being a platform that showcases celebrity-owned businesses, Star Bazaar also served as a learning opportunity, where SMEs can learn a thing or two about entrepreneurship from experts in the industry.
“We believe in giving entrepreneurs the opportunity to learn from each other and help them get the technology they need through events like Star Bazaar. They can learn from our celebrity guests and get inspiration from their successes,” Alvin said.
Find out more about what people have to say about Globe myBusiness on the sidelines of this year’s Star Bazaar:
The Kitchen of Super Janice owner Janice de Belen (right) poses with Qbags creator Candy Pangilinan (left) in her booth.
We all know Janice for her work in film and television, but what most people miss is her career as an entrepreneur. The Kitchen of Super Janice, which she owns, is among the merchants that were present during Star Bazaar.
Like a dedicated, hands-on business owner, Janice was present in her booth all throughout the day-long event. In an interview with Magic 89.9, she was glad to be part of Star Bazaar, which allowed her to showcase her business.
“It is personally rewarding to be an entrepreneur. I am a chef by trade and I attend bazaars [like Star Bazaar] to showcase what I can do. I think I am fortunate enough to sell what I enjoy making and this is a great opportunity to share it with more people,” Janice said.
Chinkee Tan (left) sits down with MOR 101.9 to talk about Star Bazaar and his latest books.
For a lot of reasons, many Filipinos struggle with their finances, but only few ask for help. Chinkee Tan, a renowned motivational speaker on business and finance, made it his life’s mission to educate Filipinos on how to properly manage their finances and save.
As one of the speakers during Star Bazaar, Chinkee delivered an inspirational talk on entrepreneurship and how it can change people’s lives. He also mentions that Globe myBusiness is doing great in encouraging more Filipinos to see the endless possibilities of success as an entrepreneur.
“The problem now is people have limited income, but unlimited expenses. In this sense, we have to be more creative in finding another source of income. Globe myBusiness is doing great in this area. They inspire people to become entrepreneurs and create their success,” Chinkee told MOR 101.9 in an interview.
Anne David from Globe myBusiness (right) speaks with Magic 89.9 about empowering entrepreneurs in the supply chain industry.
A lot of businesses rely on an effective supply chain, which in itself involves different enterprises working on production and distribution of a particular commodity. Globe myBusiness is dedicated to empowering businesses that play a part in the supply chain, enabling them to improve their processes and effectively reach their objectives.
On the sidelines of Star Bazaar, Anne shared the initiatives that Globe myBusiness has pushed to better serve SMEs in the supply chain. In an interview with Magic 89.9, Anne highlighted digital solutions and technology that businesses in the industry can use.
“Globe myBusiness’ advocacy is to support businesses and take care of them through events like Star Bazaar, so they can succeed. We have product bundles that were carefully crafted to meet the needs of every enterprise,” Anne said.
As part of its commitment to explore innovative avenues towards microfinance and to leverage telecommunications infrastructure and mobile money platform, Mynt also came to Star Bazaar in support of Globe myBusiness’ mission to empower SMEs.
During an interview with Magic 89.9, Ana talked about GCash and how it is helping Star Bazaar’s line of merchants improve customer experience. As a mobile money solution, GCash allows shoppers to fast track their shopping transactions by giving them the option to pay cashless.
“At Globe myBusiness Star Bazaar, GCash came on board to empower celebrity merchants. We equipped each booth with QR codes, which provided hassle-free and secure cashless transactions. This way, we eliminate the need to bring cash and wait for change, thus giving customers a more convenient shopping experience,” Ana shared.
Star Bazaar is only one of the many events that Globe myBusiness is using as a platform to reach more SMEs and educate them on the knowledge, skills, and technology that they can use to transform their businesses into big-time successes!
To find out more about Globe myBusiness’ upcoming events, simply sign up to Globe myBusiness Academy. Be the first to get exclusive invites to seminars, conferences, and workshops that can help you create your own entrepreneurial success!
Although cafes remains a popular business venture to this day, the number of players in the market are limited due to tight competition. With the exemption of established names in the industry, only few stand out from the crowd.
This led to a ripple effect that sent chills to other would-be coffee entrepreneurs, even those who didn’t exactly have cafes in mind. Some of them shelved their plans for the time being, while others completely scrapped the idea.
But while most entrepreneurs looked away, Lorenzo “Lance” Castillo decided to continue with his own coffee venture, which is now known as Candid Coffee. Armed with a carefully planned out strategy, Lance turned his attention to building his business outside the cafe mold.
Candid Coffee is popularly known as a mobile espresso bar that serves specialty, third wave coffee for a range of events like business conferences and weddings. To different cafes, it is also a supplier that provides 100% premium local, roasted coffee beans on demand.
“I have been in the industry for a relatively long time and I have observed that the coffee market is already saturated, especially in the city. My strategy was not to compete with cafes, but supply them. That’s why my main business is supplying coffee and roasting beans,” Lance says. “I do coffee catering simultaneously, because it is less on overhead and I’m able to branch [out] anywhere. Also, I don’t have to worry about day-to-day selling, because people just book and I serve.”
In terms of branding, Candid Coffee stays true to its name. During events, it gets a lot of attention thanks to its menu, which features hilarious product names and descriptions.
Lance says the witty and relatable wordings were derived from his personality: frank, straightforward, honest and comedic. This made content about his business shareable online, helping generate brand awareness for Candid Coffee on the Internet.
“I kind of intertwined that personality to my brand, because I wanted to bring third wave coffee to a lot more people in a relatable manner. […] I meet people from all walks of life. Some of them are interested in third wave, specialty coffee, but some people don’t and just want to get their cup. [Candid Coffee] can talk to both of those people,” Lance says.
As a sole proprietor, Lance admits that it was difficult generating leads for the first few months of is business, but that didn’t stop him from going for his goal. He researched, planned and strategized ahead of time in order to always be prepared for anything.
“I already anticipated most of the things I encountered in starting my business. It’s like chess; I tried to be five steps ahead and ready for any possibility. Careful planning leads to success. You have to balance your ideals with practicality and sustainability,” Lance says.
Now that Candid Coffee has hurdled some of the most challenging obstacles in its business journey, Lance is turning his attention to improving customer experiences and making operations more efficient. One of the steps he has taken is to employ the use of GCash.
GCash is a secure mobile money service that lets Globe or TM users buy load, purchase items, send and receive money, pay bills, and more using their handsets. It turns mobile devices into virtual wallets, eliminating the need to bring cash while elevating customers’ shopping experiences.
“I was manning the stall myself in one of the events I attended. GCash lessened the burden of having cash transactions. It’s more hygenic too, because I didn’t have to [handle cash as I was preparing drinks]. People were just scanning the QR and [paying]. It was definitely helpful, especially in making everything more efficient for me and convenient for customers,” Lance says.
Since then, Lance always provides GCash as a payment option for his customers wherever Candid Coffee pops up. GCash not only helps him business-wise, it also provides a secure, convenient option for his customers to pay with.
With the right research, plans, and strategy, any business can be a success, even when the odds are not in their favor. Like Candid Coffee, businesses targeting niche markets can definitely flourish, especially with the right tools on hand and the proper mindset.
Learn from Candid Coffee’s success and take the next step to improving your operations and relationship with customers. Discover how GCash can benefit your business by clicking this link.
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