December 2007 Archives

By Gerry Plaza You've got it all set. A sound business plan. Expertise. Familiarity with the m arket. State-of-the-art tools. But no one is biting. What went wrong? Small businesses really played hard but they still stare at a huge deficit agai nst the competition. We've talked to people who went through the same perilous journey but came back a victor. Why the losses? These pundits see the same mistakes happen again and again. Her e are the most common: 1) Doing it all alone. Small businesses are prone to this pitfall. Entrepreneur s tend to wear so many hats that they end up unfocused on the essentials--devel op and market the business, provide leadership, and set directions. No the gene ral manager has no business troubleshooting the employee's rundown PCs. In this regard, outside or external help is needed. 2) No thorough market research. You may have the best product but will the mark et take notice? Small business owners think that a scan of a favorite business paper or magazine or a chat with senior colleague would be enough to know about the market. But there is more that meets the eye. The imperatives in this rega rd are: know your market, know your industry, know your competition, and of cou rse, know your target audience. 3) No openness to change. Entrepreneurs express passion in everything they do. Sometimes they become too passionate to a point that they lose the flexibility or the openness to change. This comes most glaringly when an original business plan does not work. No review is made to alter or reposition their business. En trepreneurs almost always stick to what they always believe in from the start. They keep the faith that their original strategy would work despite indications it really won't or ever will. 4) Most deals end up 'he said she said'. Almost nothing is black and white. Sma ll business owners always forget to put key decisions, deals in writing and fai l to archive pertinent documentation. This leads to terrible business managemen t, leading to potential problems in partnership programs, tax audits, and other processes.

Unconventional strategies for multiplying your sales By John Calub Imagine a salesman without a brochure, without a business card, and even withou t a briefcase walking out with a closed deal (worth millions) from a customer h e never met before. This maverick continues to make his sales calls wearing jea ns and he doesn't even carry a pen! What's so unique about this salesman is tha t when asked by a customer to write up the order already, this salesman objects âand the prospect is even the one overcoming the objections for him. Sounds like an urban legend? Not really. The above story is not unique in any w ay. This approach has been repeated over and over again in several large firms across the world by sales renegades who sneak past the gatekeeper and close the sale even in the toughest situation. And it's all because of âGuerilla Selling ,â the unconventional sales approach propagated by world-renowned guru Jay Conrad Levinson. Revolutionary selling strategies The guerilla salesman, although undermanned and under-equipped, sells to large corporations by using two weapons: information and the element of surprise. Read the full article in the November-December issue of SME Insight Magazin e

Photos by Christian Regis Owners and managers of small- and medium-scale enterprises took time off from t heir busy schedules last month to attend the last leg of the Manage You r Business Advantage (MBA) Roadshow held last November 13, 2007 at Dis covery Suites in Ortigas Center. The half-day free seminar was designed to educate CEOs and owners of SMEs about how information technology can be used to their enterprisesâ advantage. Speakers included Art Ilano, editorial consultant of SME Insight, who talked about Finding Your Business Advantage. Jerome G. Matti, marketing manager of Intel Philippines, spoke about Gaining Business A dvantage Through Technology. Jermyn L. Wong, channel account manager o f Intel Philippines, discussed Intelâs Core Micro-Architecture and how the Intel Platform Administration Technology can enhance business prod uctivity. Dennis Salvador, south GMA territory sales head of Globe Telecom, and Dino Bernardo, corporate sales and marketing supervisor of Canon, introduced t heir latest product offerings. The MBA Roadshow was made possible via a partnership between < em>SME Insight, the country's only magazine for small and medium enterpris e managers, and Intel Microelectronics Philippines, the world's largest and mos t influential hardware technology company. The roadshow has been to key cities nationwide, including Cebu, Davao and Cagayan de Oro, before reaching Manila.

By Karla Que-Sanchez Ever since Toyota pioneered the concept of just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing, Ja panese companies and large Western companies have followed suit with considerab le success. The original practice of JIT involves a demand-pull system, which m eans customer orders prompt production so the company does not produce inventor ies for stock. Raw materials arrive at the factory floor just in time for produ ction. Needless to say, JIT involves minimal to virtually zero inventories. Smaller enterprises are put off by the idea of JIT because it seems to entail h uge costs and process modifications. With the rising costs of transportation, i t is not always feasible for most companies to require their suppliers to deliv er just in time since this would mean more frequent deliveries of smaller volum e purchases. The company's suppliers may compensate for the additional transpo rtation expenses by a corresponding increase in prices that the company may eit her absorb or pass on to consumers. The bottom line is that businesses do not a lways benefit from mirroring JIT systems adopted by larger enterprises. What many fail to understand is that more than anything, JIT is a philosophy ra ther than a procedureâa philosophy rather than a procedureâa philosophy guided by key principles even the smallest companies can adopt to improve operations. Read the full article in the November-December issue of SME Insight Magazin e

P assionate R esourceful I nnovative D ynamic E thical It takes a lot of good and reliable personalities to make all HIP titles a very strong brand with a good following. It's about talking to our readers in a cle ar voice and making them feel that we have indeed met their needs and wants. It 's about being proud of what we've got: talent, skills, experience, drive, the works.Yes, it takes a lot of PRIDE, and we've got tons of that. Are you interested in charting a career with a talented and dynamic group of yo ung individuals? Bookmark this page for updates in job openings. You can also s end your resume and portfolio to info at hip dot ph. CURRENT OPENINGS as of November 2007 FOR IMMEDIATE HIRING Interested applicants may email their resumes to hrd_at_hip.ph or bring their r esumé, two (2) 2x2 photos, Transcript of Records, and any valid I.D. to our office at Unit 330, Mile Long Building, Amorsolo corner Javier Streets, Makati City, from Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 12:00 pm Tel. Nos.: 759-2284, 759-2024, 840-0196, 813-6848 Interactive Manager Qualifications: - A graduate of a 4-year communications course (or related degree) from UP, UST , Ateneo, La Salle or UA&P. - Between 23 to 32 years old. - Equipped with exceptional communication skills in both written and spoken Eng lish and Filipino. - Organized, resourceful and creative. - Willing to work overtime - Preferably with experience in digital content production and distribution. Web Administrator Assistant/Encoder Qualifications: - Knowledgeable in HTML - Knowledgeable in PHP (programming language) - Knowledgeable in Linux-based systems (server-side programming) - Must be able to install and update online PHP programs such as Wordpress (blo g software) and PHPBB (forum software) - First-hand experience in creating websites is a plus (personal page or otherw ise) - Basic Adobe Photoshop skills Graphic Artists Qualifications: - College graduate of a computer and/or designing course. Preferably with publi cation layout background. - Exceptional designing skils - Organized, resourceful, creative - Willing to work overtime and thrives under pressure. Marketing Assistant Qualifications: - College Graduate, Major in Marketing, Advertising, or Mass Communication. - Knowledge on marketing concepts. - Proficiency in basic computer operations (Word, Excel, Powerpoint) - Knowledge of basic design software applications an advantage. (Photoshop, InD esign) - Excellent communication, presentation, writing, interpersonal, analytical, pl anning, and organization skills. Account Executives Qualifications: - At least College Level, preferably with background in Marketing, Sales or any Business course. - Highly motivated, a team player, with good communication, negotiation and pre sentation skills, thrives under pressure and can work with minimal supervision. - Applicants must be willing to work in Makati City and do field work. - Preferably has at least 1 year experience in Corporate Sales/Advertising/Publ ication. Circulation Manager Qualifications: - College Graduate, Major in Management, Economics or Marketing. - Preferably with at least five (5) years experience in Circulation with three (3) years managerial experience. - Knowledge in product, price, distribution and promotion strategies. - Proficiency in basic computer operations (Word, Excel, Powerpoint). - Excellent communication, presentation, writing, interpersonal, analytical, pl anning, and organization skills.

Find a selling point that works By Art Ilano Ladies and gentlemen, our pet peeve for today: companies that claim to also off er what the leading brands provide, but at a lower price. Okay, to be honest, we're not saying that this strategy won't work. Of course, it will. For instance, if there is one dominant brand in the industry, and you happen to be the second guy to come up to the fore, then chances are that you'l l get a hefty chunk of the market to yourself by promising the same benefits wi th a lower-priced product. In fact, the rule of thumb for most sectors is that, in the long run, the typic al market leader will have 40 percent of the market, while the challenger will have 20 percent. So 20 percent of a product category, especially a big category , isn't anything to sneeze at. But what if you're a teeny, tiny company that steps up to a market that is alre ady crowded with competitors? Well, forget it then. History is full of examples of feisty little companies th at popped up, tried to challenge the entrenched leaders with a cheaper product, and failed to get a significant market share. Think Alert toothpaste, Pop Cola (before it was swallowed up by a larger competitor), and all those generic-sou nding cheaper detergent powders. For the full article, get a copy of the November-December issue of SME Insi ght Magazine.