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By using Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software, many small businesses have become more efficient and have since fast-tracked their digital transformation. A CRM for small businesses provides one-stop shop to record customer interactions, manage communications, and align internal processes for an improved customer experience. But with varying features – from business forecasting, contract management, to call center handling – how do you make sure that your investment in a CRM system is worth its buck? In terms of return on investment, G2Crowd‘s latest survey reported that it could vary from as early as 3 months to as much as two years time. If you’re a small business owner, it’s especially important to choose a system that fits your needs and hits the ground running. When deciding which CRM to choose, you can’t go wrong in prioritizing these elements: Easy to learn and use Some are put off by outdated-looking user interfaces in legacy CRM systems. Confusing UI and cluttered forms add to the steep learning curve that makes many CRM implementation fail. Per data from G2Crowd, some CRM for small businesses have adoption rates that fall below 50%. As with anything, complex is not necessarily complicated – so simplicity is […]

The Philippine startup scene is booming, with around 500 promising companies recorded by the Department of Trade and Industry. Since technology is the focus of many of these startups, the business aspect is sometimes neglected to the detriment of their growth and long-term survival. To assist with this problem area, the Dado Banatao Incubator (DBI) officially opens at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) with support from Microsoft Philippines. “Our partnership with Microsoft is a strategic step in developing the startups at The Incubator,” said Prim Paypon, Executive Director of AIM-DBI. “Microsoft’s expertise in cloud solutions allows our startups to constantly improve its business processes and services to be customer-intuitive and responsive while being technologically advanced.” Physical space The partnership is a much-needed boost for Filipino startups intent on leveraging technology to expand and enrich their operations. The AIM-DBI is the country’s first incubator housed in a business school. It provides rent-free office space where startups create their technologies and run their businesses. Startups may also access to the graduate school’s campus facilities to better equip them in developing their day-to-day operations. The incubator is particularly interested to work with startups geared towards science, technology or engineering that introduce new alternative solutions to […]

A cog, no matter how small, is necessary for a machine to function. Similarly, in an online business, although each person’s degree of involvement may vary, everyone in your virtual team contributes to making sure that goals are reached. An online business, just like any sort of business, is dependent on people. A team is necessary for a business to take off and scale. Employing the right kind of people is half of the puzzle. Setting expectations and keeping them engaged are equally important. Here are some tips to create and sustain a dream team for your online business. Make sure they’re trustworthy Anyone can hide in the anonymity of the Internet. The concept of “stranger-danger” especially rings true when you’re not physically meeting the people you hire. How do you know if these faceless people can really be trusted? Background checks and screening can go a long way. A simple look at their accounts on various social media platforms can serve as your first impression on your potential virtual teammate. Professionally speaking, you can browse their LinkedIn profile. To ensure that you can trust their abilities as well, ask them to take a web-based test, depending on the tasks […]

Content writing is writing for online audiences to engage them in different platforms. Businesses and branding agencies look for content writers because they help increase credibility and sell more through the stories they attach to products. If you want to earn money, content writing is one of the popular skills to offer online. But is the freelancing potential behind content writing worth pursuing? After finding lots of free time to spend while she’s still in college, Melissa Cabral discovered content writing. Now, she’s a freelance writer/editor, illustrator, and content strategist. On the other hand, Tina Santiago-Rodriguez, owner of the award-winning blog TrulyRichandBlessed.com, tried content writing as a way to supplement her income for her family. After trying their hands in weaving words for online content, both didn’t let go of content writing ever since. Here are their reasons why. Work where and when convenient You can spend your free time doing whatever you want as long as you submit the commissioned content on time! Melissa takes this further, and admits that she also enjoys being able to work from multiple devices, thanks to cloud syncing. She would even write first drafts on her phone on her daily commute since the […]

If you have a tech startup or an online business, you’re most likely doing most of your work right in your own bedroom, on a neighborhood cafe, or just about anywhere convenient. At one point, however, you might be asked by clients where you’re operating. Or maybe you’re ready to formally register your business. Does it mean that it’s time to reconsider your setup? Don’t move out and rent just yet! A virtual office might come in handy. A virtual office is a setup where a leasing company would allow you to use their address for a fee. You can officially use their address even in your business registration and other transactions. Because there’s actually no physical office space involved, you’re just going to pay minimal fees. In effect, you’re renting yourself a mailbox. It’s a great way for getting yourself a prestigious business address that you won’t otherwise be able to afford in the meantime. Sounds great? Here’s when you should get a virtual office for your business: You’re wooing big deals From the perspective of your clients, a business address would make you more attractive to enter into contract with. Especially when you’re chasing after investment money, you […]

From the fixation of businesses in recent years with millennials (those born between the early 1980s to mid-1990s), many are now shifting their attention towards the millennials’ successors: Generation Z. How can products, services, and marketing approaches be devised to attract this new target population? Gen Z is generally the future of retail. Born after 1996, this emerging generation has a new worldview and different expectations as customers compared to generations prior. Marcie Merrimen, executive director of growth strategy and retail innovation at Ernst & Young mentioned to Business Insider that “if you see it from a spending perspective, teens or Gen Z are millennials on steroids.” Important Generation Z Characteristics that Businesses Should Know About Gen Z’s non-traditional mindset and different communication styles pose challenges to reach out to this population effectively. Gen Z are the most influential group of technology trendsetters, offering a prequel to predict upcoming trends in the aspects of retail, technology, and consumer behaviour. Hence, it is important for businesses to understand key characteristics that make them stand out from the past generation of consumers to identify effective ways to approach this generation. Despite sharing many similarities with millennials, there are also key distinctions that […]

Advocating for youth empowerment through education, specifically technical and computer skills, has been the driving mission of Code for Asia. Its founders have originally taught kids in traditional classrooms, remote villages, to where they would have waited for migrant-worker parents. From a Singapore-based society, it has now made wider impact across Asia. It is in settings beset by chaos, scarcity, and fear that the organization wants to promote computer literacy. “In practical terms, this means that our coding classes are not just about technicalities and the mechanics of making an app but getting these children to believe in their abilities to create as well,” reads the mission statement of Code for Asia. Why Coding? Code for Asia believes that technology (or the lack of effective use of it) can be a source of much inequality. Learning how to code flattens the digital divide, since it gives the youth “new literacy that is richly rewarded in our Information Age”. Without proper guidance, kids can easily fall prey to mindless entertainment when they could be designing and making their own apps instead. The Code-a-Thon The Code-a-Thon is a learning-intensive experience where beginners and experienced programmers, designers and business people alike come together […]

How does online content contribute to business growth? I was invited to talk about this topic at this year’s Jumpstart seminar of the Young Entrepreneurs Society – University of the Philippines chapter. From my talk, here are some highlights on the things that online content does for today’s businesses – be they brick-and-mortar or cyber-businesses, startups and established ones alike: 1. Make your business searchable The very first thing that online content should do is to make your business found by customers. On the Internet, you don’t exist as a business without content, period. Especially when you’re starting out, you have to invest time and effort to establish your online presence. To help you with “search engine optimization”, you need to research the keywords that your users are searching for. Your website should also be compliant with industry standards, making sure that metadata and correct tagging are in place. To increase the likelihood of your target customers finding you, you have to be in social media platforms where it makes sense. 2. Establish your credibility Content is also your key to gaining your customers’ trust. It’s how you can communicate that you’re a dependable business to transact with. To do […]

Productivity is the biggest elephant in the room when it comes to work, online or otherwise. Not everyone understands how effectiveness is far more important than efficiency. A hard worker who spends 8-hour days sending 1,000 emails with zero results is efficient in his e-mailing, but another worker that sends just 100 emails and gets results is effective. Productivity tips are a dime a dozen but listed are just four to systematize, prioritize, focus and eliminate distractions in order for you to perform in an optimal state to create high value work. Save the best for last The most precious asset we have besides our time is our willpower. There have been experiments conducted by researchers to exhibit the fact that we only have a limited amount of willpower each day. In one experiment, volunteers who were asked to suppress their feelings as they viewed an emotional movie gave up sooner on a test of physical stamina than did volunteers who watched the film and reacted normally. Having your least enjoyable task to be done early in the day utilizes your fully charged willpower. As you progress slowly to your most enjoyable task, your willpower depletes. The most favorable task […]

Challenging the big guys as a startup is no easy feat. Small businesses have their work cut out for them: obviously, they have limited funds and manpower to compete with conglomerates. However, there are many startup advantages that smaller businesses have over their larger counterparts. Most successful startups that were able to disrupt markets will tell you that it was their ability to listen to the market and the sheer speed of implementation that shaped their success. Ability to listen to the market You get what you focus on. When a company gets bigger, more departments are formed and more responsibilities are segmented. As a result, the larger the pie to handle, the more energy is needed to keep everything running. This leads to becoming more distant from personal contact. Jack Ma, chairman and CEO of Alibaba Group, said that whenever he goes to lecture in big companies, what he sees are concerns for numbers and KPI’s. But when he gives talks to small and medium sized companies, he sees passion and dreams. Get feedback from your customers, all the while considering what is best for the direction of the company. The next step relies on this. We are so […]

Everybody uses smartphones and tablets these days, making them the perfect tools to accomplish tasks that ordinarily you can only do on your computer. Now, you can sign contracts, make presentations, edit movies, and even manage your finances just by using your phone. Here are some of the best money management and savings apps which you can download that can help you with your finances. CoinKeeper This is an easy and simple budgeting app that allows you to track where your money goes and to plan for incoming expenses. Unlike other money management and budgeting apps, this one has a fun and nice-looking coin interface. It lets you create monthly budgets and manage your accounts, balances, and expenses without having to leave the app. You can set reminders for upcoming payments, and export your data so you can view them on your computer. It also provides detailed statistics of your finances, which is very helpful in managing your finances. (iOS, Android – Free, Premium paid version.) Fudget Fudget is a free app that lets you make simple lists of incomes and expenses. It’s very easy to add or edit items, and you can mark certain entries to repeat weekly or monthly. […]

Pokémon Go is nothing short of a worldwide craze. For the uninitiated, the game requires you to be alert to spot Pokémons and catch them with Poke Balls. There are stubborn Pokémons that can use up your Poke Balls and escape when captured. To get more balls and other helpful items (such as potions and eggs), you have to find Poke Stops. But there’s more to it than just an AR-enabled game. It’s turning out to be a business opportunity as well, especially for brick-and-mortar businesses such as restaurants. For cyberpreneurs, there are also great lessons to learn. Here are some. 1. Take more of the same to evolve A Rattata again? You may think you’re getting more of the same, and might even be tempted to pass up such leads. However, like your Pokémons, you can only evolve into something bigger and stronger if you’ve paid your dues (not necessarily with candies). For now, you may be struggling with your seventh blog post for a client about Creatine health benefits. But one day, you might have an online PR empire of your own to run. 2. Bring opportunities to where you are You can get the same opportunities without going […]

There’s constant competition between brands for market domination. When companies are small, this can be done with quality improvements and price adjustments. But as businesses grow, there grows the competition too. The market battle becomes tougher. This requires taking extra moves in order to maintain and keep the customers interested. Brand awareness comes into play due to customers’ most important requirement that they’re usually not aware of (at least not always) – the emotional need. How to define brand awareness? Put simply, in the words of Jeff Bezos (the founder of Amazon): “Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.” One of the key steps in promoting a product is creating brand awareness – or the likelihood that consumers recognize the availability of a certain service or product. It is a rudimentary form of brand recognition. It’s important to distinguish it from brand recognition, although the difference between them is subtle. If the purpose of brand awareness is having customers keep coming back to you and having your products as their products of choice, then increasing it is extremely important. Here is what you can do to increase brand awareness. 1. Engage in social […]

Profit is what defines business success. But to be more successful, profit needs to be reinvested in your company’s development. This is especially important when it comes to small businesses, including online businesses, since it’s often harder for them to overcome market challenges imposed by big corporations. There are many ways how cyberpreneurs can control business finances in order to save more money and grow their business with it. Here are some tips: Pay attention to financial statements For controlling your finances, you need to use different kinds of financial statements. These help you articulate your profits and losses, and make them more transparent. Transparency will enable you to create detailed financial plans and forecasts. For a start, make sure to prepare these important financial statements: P&L Statement. It summarizes your revenues and expenses in order to create clear picture on company’s profits and losses. Cash Flow Statement. It provides you information on cash amount and sources, as well as how you spent money for a certain period of time. Balance Sheet. It analyzes your company’s assets and liabilities, and tracks changes in a segment that happened in a certain period. Although it’s similar to your company’s market value, it […]

“Developers should code, while designers should study business.” Makes sense? Internet businesses, like every other company, simply couldn’t function without designers. In the digital landscape, visuals can make a business stand out. With the need for quality designers constantly on the rise, they need to focus on what they do best. Being skilled at coding might be one of the requirements for today’s designers. But it’s not a completely reasonable demand since there are a lot of people who have mastered coding without any major success in the field of design. The most successful designers are those who can see the big picture, and the only way to get there is to closely study business. 1. See the big picture When they first get hired, most designers just get a task (or several ones) with a vague explanation of what’s expected of them. Read: they’re to do miracles. Even though there are some exceptions, most designers, although obsessed with their work, seldom ask the question of “why am I doing this, and to what end”. Some may laugh at this thought, and even call such questions unnecessary and redundant. Don’t forget though that an understanding of a specific industry can contribute and drive design in many productive ways. 2. Stay relevant The most innovative companies in […]

The first thing your potential customer will probably do is visit your website. From that single visit, your customer will form opinions about your brand, product, or service. According to a Stanford Persuasive Tech Lab study, nearly half of all consumers (46%) said that a site’s design is the number one criteria when people are deciding whether a business is credible or not. If there is too much scrolling and clicking, or if the site is not well organized, the average consumer will navigate away after 60 seconds tops. Anyone can build a website these days, but it takes a skilled specialist to build a site that looks polished and professional. One glance could turn someone into a loyal customer, or force a person to click away. If your company is looking into the possibility of designing a new site, here are some of the ways it will help your business grow. Digital presence is everything A survey from Visible Logic found that almost 90% of respondents take a look at the website of every new product they purchase. People will turn to the Internet to research your brand and formulate their opinions – sometimes even long before they make a direct contact […]

The rise of the Internet age has given us far more than just the capability to connect with friends or upload selfies online. It has also given modern entrepreneurs capabilities not possible several decades ago. As an online marketing consultant, one of the perks of my work is that it gives me a front row seat on the evolving landscape of business, and how the Internet is helping businesses who take the initiative of incorporating online elements in their operations. It also makes those that don’t obsolete in a matter of years and even months. Whether you have a primarily online or offline business, chances are Internet tools, widgets, plugins, apps and features play an important role in ensuring the success for your business. The following are some concrete examples: 1. Cheaper start-up cost The Internet has made starting a business simple and cheap. With just a website or even a fan page, you can already start a multitude of businesses – such as a bakeshop, an apparel store, or a bookstore – without the need for a brick and mortar office or shop. This also makes it very easy for you to test the validity of your business idea.  […]

In today’s vibrant online market, it’s not enough to create content for your customers and audience through your website or blog. There needs to be an interaction done to establish your brand as a thought leader and as a trustworthy creator of yummy treats. But how do you reach your audience effectively at social media? Here’s a low down of some tips that you can use: 1) Take great photos of your products. The first impression you make using your products will be the first step of convincing potential customers to buy it.  This can be done by hiring a professional photographer to take art-directed shots of your food to make it appetizing on social media. For a more budget friendly approach,  you can get inspiration from food photographers online and take your own shots. Many free photo editing apps are available for smartphones to help you post-process your shots in an instant. This is also convenient since you can upload it immediately upon shooting and post-processing. 2) Follow influencers, media, and potential customers who fall under your target market. Doing this can not only make these people notice your brand, it can also help you gauge what type of content they like […]

Whether you’re posting on your social media accounts once a day or a few times each month, planning and plotting your activities in a social media calendar is a life-saver. A social media calendar gives a snapshot of when and what kind of content gets into which channel. It not only helps in publishing and tracking content, but serves to remind as well of business goals, target audiences, and expected outcomes. For the actual posting, you can easily automate the process using tools such as Hootsuite. Some businesses maintain a weekly social media calendar with details prepared in advance. They identify themes and organize posts around it. For others, a monthly social media calendar—with periodic and flexible updates—can be enough. Here are some basic rules when putting up your calendar. Post at the right time Any upcoming event (or trending topic) that your post could piggyback on? For ordinary days, what’s the best day of the week to engage your audience with the type of content you’re posting? “Monday” and “Friday” spell a huge difference in people’s psyche. People check Facebook 14 times on average and spend 30 minutes on it each day with peak times at bed time and […]

Who says that you cannot have the time of your life while working from home? Working from home is undoubtedly fun! With more than six years as a cyberpreneur, I’ve had my share of ups and downs. But nevertheless, about 70% can be linked with F-U-N. True story. So yeah, here’s my list of things to do or things to think about to have the best-est days as an online entrepreneur. 1) Define fun What does “fun” mean to you? Get clear with it and work from there. We surely have various perspectives, so what might be fun for me might be different from you. I might envision fun as curling up with a nice book or you might consider heading to the beach to spell “fun”. Mull over this for 10 minutes. Right down your answer. 2) Integrate passion with fun What is it about passion that makes people tick? And how is it connected with fun? Well, passion is all about what excites you. It’s all about what keeps you up at night without complaining at every bit of it. Whatever that is, keep at it. You’ll be amazed that work, when considered your passion, becomes stress-free. Passion […]

Being a cyberpreneur need not be hard. Considering the vast array of tools and techniques available to us web professionals, nothing can go wrong as long as we know the tricks of the trade. What could be that “little secret” to keep our online businesses flourish through time? The Power of “We” Having started my freelance writing career in 2009, I ventured onto the unknown path of a web content writer then. I racked gig after gig – writing over 5,000 words a day for a meager sum. Little did I know that there’s more to what I have been doing during that time. I would spend an average of six hours a day writing until my hands were sore. Well, not to worry, I thought, for by the end of the week, I would fill my heart’s desire – through new books I’d buy from the local bookstore (all from my hard week’s writing work). Months passed, and I realized how tough it really is to be a freelance writer. It took perseverance, commitment, and passion to weave through words. Months passed, and I realized how tough it really is to be a freelance writer. It took perseverance, commitment, […]

Cyberpreneur Philippines: Online Business Start-up Guide, the latest title from PageJump, is your answer if you want to become an online entrepreneur. Edited by Ray Calbay, Marv de Leon, and Paolo Lising, the book contains practical tips, insights, and noteworthy suggestions to start your venture. Startup founders, top freelancers, and company CEOs contribute chapters about the many online business opportunities that enterprising Filipinos can take advantage of. Topics range from skills assessment, business planning, to important Web skills such as search engine optimization and social media marketing. Readers are encouraged to log on to the book’s companion website (www.cyberpreneur.ph) for more content or discuss in social media using the #CyberpreneurPH hashtag. “We are confident that this book will help in the realization of our dream of spurring online-based start-ups, services, and other innovative and up-coming products in our country,” notes Senator Bam Aquino in his foreword to the book. The book launch is set on October 25, 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Fully Booked, Bonifacio High Street branch. Those who will attend have the opportunity to interact in an open forum with the book’s contributors. The event is open to the public.

A lot of local businesses are opting to use personal profiles as their business’ main marketing account in Facebook. This is very risky and ultimately counterproductive. Here are several reasons you shouldn’t do it: Reason # 1 This is against Facebook’s terms of service. Your account might get DELETED anytime. They have already deleted many of these the past couple of years. If you’re using your account to represent something other than yourself, you could permanently lose access to your account if you don’t convert it to a Page. via Facebook Reason # 2 Friend limit is only up to 5,000. Local pages can have 10,000 fans or more. Reason # 3 There is no engagement insights in your personal profile. You won’t be able to analyze how many people see your posts, the age range or location of most of your fans, the best time to post, the best content to post, and the like. Reason #4 Advertising features are very limited in personal profiles. You won’t be able to ramp up your business exposure, if so. Reason #5 Additional tabs are only available in Facebook Pages, such as business event calendar, top fans tab, quiz tab, polls, and more. . […]

Could your startup idea thrive despite the market competition? You need to check if there’s opportunity to gain ground in your area. See how you’re likely to fare, based on Philippine Roadmap for Digital Startups data!

As you become more hands-on in your cyber business, you’ll sometimes feel unequipped to tackle some areas. You may be weak on managing your funds or mastering a new tool. Rather than feed the “impostor syndrome” that cripple many budding cyberpreneurs, consider it as a learning opportunity to master new skills and ideas. Get inspired with words of wisdom from some of the greatest business leaders. What you were taught in school could be soon outdated. Then there are new trends that are fast shaping the future. Learn more, or get left behind. The learning process is difficult, but you’ll appreciate how it makes you a better prepared cyberpreneur in the long run. Sure, you might encounter bumps and even fail as you apply learning into action. But don’t be discouraged, and instead treat it as a great opportunity. Your mistakes are a great source of learning. Pay attention to what your customers are saying, and turn their pain points into your competitive advantage. At the end of the day, you can never go wrong with furthering your education. Not only will you deepen your understanding of the world as a cyberpreneur but as a person as well.

I’m a Filipino based in Taiwan, while my client is a Ukrainian located in France. We meet for the first time over a video call. I greet her with a “Good afternoon!”, and she thanks me for staying up late to meet with her. In my years of freelancing and working with multinational companies, I’ve dealt with clients in many parts of the world – the United States, China, and the Middle East – strictly online. Technology has eased barriers in communication across cultures. But we’re still fallible to misinterpret, misjudge and mistrust one another. The distance and time zone separation, the complexity of the work involved, and personal preferences make it harder to connect without the face-to-face dimension. So it’s really important to keep communications at a professional level. Try these 5 tips: 1. Have a work plan “What gets measured gets done” – especially if it involves billable hours. Spell out what your expected roles are, as well as your client’s responsibilities. It could be a short agreement or a detailed project plan complete with multiple milestones and deliverables. This sort of work plan protects you from out-of-scope requirements, sudden reshuffling of priorities, and other arbitrary demands. Have this plan signed […]

Ask what an OFW wants to get after his or her return. It’s very likely to get these two big answers: their dream house and a big capital for a profitable business venture. For the latter, OFWs can save a big amount of money in a span of 10+ years, and then come back home to start their dream businesses. This is the part of the story where we stop and call it a happily-ever-after. The reality for some OFWs may be this: After investing their life savings on capital-intensive businesses (for example, a restaurant franchise or a fleet of taxis), somewhere along the line, they make a wrong turn. They might have misjudged the market demand or trusted the wrong persons. Everything crumbles and the ex-OFWs go back to the job market for another overseas opportunity. If you’re an OFW really into starting your own business and still see yourself retiring in the Philippines, cyberpreneurship can help you get started. Here are some of its advantages. It teaches you the fundamentals of running a business Why should you wait until your contract expires or that X amount of savings before you find out if running a business is for […]