Here’s one of the videos from the first plenary session with Willy Arcilla, INQUIRER.net’s consultant for business mentoring in this blog. Coming next, video and short introductions from our “contenders”. Enjoy!
Last Friday’s plenary session with Willy E. Arcilla, Open For Business’ consultant for business mentoring, was a showcase of big dreams, big hearts and high hopes.
Twelve of the applicants for business mentoring made it to the event, while two were scheduled to be hooked up via phone and instant messenger. Unfortunately, my MacBook was not up to the task because the owner was not tech-savvy enough (sorry) so the interview with Rica would be scheduled this week instead. Two of the applicants found out about the event too late, but would still be included in the short list.
It turned out so well that I could sense Willy didn’t want to have to choose only eight from the 14 businesses that made it to the shortlist. But we had to limit the number to eight, so I’m afraid some of those who came will have to be dropped from the year-long business mentoring activity. 
On the bright side, at least they had one plenary session to remember, and a free invitation to a Marketing For Entrepreneurs seminar at the Hotel Sofitel, courtesy of Willy, who was a speaker at the event.
I was craving for ice cream yesterday, so I excitedly approached a Nestle scoopery stand to buy two big sugarcones of ice cream for me and my friend.
To my surprise, the girl at the counter refused to sell us big sugarcones. She could only sell two small cones for P10 each because that was the standard promo of the day.
“Can’t you sell two big cones to us? Just charge us more?” we ask, with our tastebuds already complaining about the delay.
(Very few people can resist something when it’s out of the ordinary. Photo from AFP)
Customers like nice surprises. Shopping at Iora one day, the lady at the counter packed my blouses in a nice cloth bag instead of the usual plastic or paper bag. It probably cost the store a few more pesos than the plastic or paper ones, but it certainly made me remember the brand and decide to come back again.
Of course, the nice packaging wouldn’t matter one bit if the products they sold were no good. But since I loved the blouses, it made Iora stand out from the crowd. This reminded of an article recently published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer that says “To keep customers loyal, offer more than what is expected.”
NOW that dollar-spending foreign tourists are rediscovering the Philippines, local retailers and mall operators are bound to experience a noticeable increase in sales as well as competition from one another.
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This article is too important to miss for those who are planning on starting a business or thinking of expanding an existing one. But don’t forget, this is still in the works:
MANILA, Philippines — President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has ordered a study on the feasibility of cutting interest rates on government loans to micro, small and medium-scale enterprises (MSMEs), an official said Thursday.
Presidential Management Staff Cerge Remonde said that he had asked officials involved in lending to MSMEs to do the study after the President issued the directive.
