SME Insight

SME Insight goes high tech

2008-01-31T05:55:43Z

T hereâs much business and much money to make in the world of high technology, an d no, the possibilities arenât just for Microsoft, Yahoo and Google.

I n the January-February 2008 issue, SME Insight takes an in-depth look at successful homegrown tech companies.

T hereâs Seer Technologies, a lean-but-mean software company tha t has managed to rack in millions in sales from top clients like Skycable and P LDT. Find out how they made their mark with just a handful of people on board.< /font>

< strong>Level Up! Games Philippines is best known for its massively mul tiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG) Ragnarok. But thereâs more to Level Up than just Ragnarok, as CEO Jane Walker tells us.

T hen thereâs everybodyâs favorite Internet cafÃ©, Netopia. Did you know that it started as just a small place on

Katipunan Av enue

in Quezon City with just 8 workstations? Now they have 177 s tores and counting.

O nline buyers have been patronizing Regalo Service for its gift registry and shopping services. And all it took to get the word around was the power of blog marketing.

F inally, we zero in on a âperpetual trade fair onlineâ run by Global Tra de Philippines. The fact that the company is in turn run by two very y oung people whose mission is to bring foreign buyers and exporters together mak es this company particularly interesting.

E lsewhere in the magazine, get to know the pretty lady behind the hot Zen Zest s tores and Scent Station kiosks â Michelle Asence Dula â as she tells us how she started her empire and made it grow.

T hen Roberto CastaÃ±eda reveals how he stumbled upon making wine from yellow and green mangoes. As he says, âIf Europeans have the grape wine, the Filipinos ha ve the mango wine.â

A side from our features, we also have our meaty Toolbox section, with articles o n the art of closing a sale, availing of the tax amnesty, getting results with publicity, identifying leadership, using Six Sigma in operations, dealing with labor unions, and managing project quality.

I tâs another power-packed issue of SME Insight. Now at your favorite bo okstores and magazine stands.

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Secure and interpret your data

2008-01-08T06:59:46Z

By Gabriel Mercado New business intelligence software and ways to deal with viruses and ma lware Let's say your SME occasionally runs special projects that involve certain empl oyees dropping whatever they are doing so they can take time to do certain task s. How much money do you lose whenever they do that? Is the time away from work worth it? How much money is saved or made when they work on it anyway? Will it justify hiring new staff just for that purpose? What if your company warehouse is maintaining inventory of several thousand dif ferent products as well as caring for company equipment that cannot be stored a nywhere else. How much company resources are being spent on doing so exactly? I s it more cost efficient to separate the two? Sometimes it feels as if it's mor e trouble than it is worth so why not outsource the job? But wait, before you d o that, why not find out just how efficient it is so you'll know if you did the right thing? Most likely, the examples I stated above are simplistic. In truth, business peo ple have questions about their organization that range from the mundane to the scientific, with many variations in between. Or sometimes it's just a feeling t hat something is not right, that an issue is not being addressed or a task is n ot being efficiently done the right way. There are certain types of software built to answer such questions -- questions that go far beyond what typical accounting software and especially a spreadshe et can provide. Typically called Business Intelligence, Wikipedia describes the se as technologies, applications and practices for the collection, analysis, in tegration and presentation of business information. In short, it's a step beyond off-the-shelf accounting software where you will n eed to sit down with consultants and experts to thoroughly discuss what type of data you are looking for in order for them to customize a way for you to view information you need to make decisions. Information that can be simple or far m ore complex than the examples I stated above can be made more specific to the k ind of business you are running and the way you want to run it. Read the full story in the January-February issue of SME Insight Magazine

Common mistakes small businesses make

2007-12-26T09:36:17Z
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.

Guerilla Selling

2007-12-20T04:01:10Z
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

SME Insight readers attend MBA Roadshow's Manila leg

2007-12-07T07:07:58Z

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.

Simplifying Just In Time

2007-12-05T08:52:07Z

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

Jobs at HIP

2007-12-04T10:14:53Z

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 esumÃ©, 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.

Forget 'Cheaper'

2007-12-03T05:44:57Z

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.

Asean SMEs meet to develop sector in region

2007-11-23T06:06:12Z

A regional meeting of small and medium enterprises was held in Brunei to foster support and development of the sector in Asean countries. Discussions between Asean member-countries and dialogue partners China, Japan a nd South Korea became a focal point of the meeting wherein participants shared best practices in managing and operating SMEs. The 21st Meeting of the Asean Small and Medium Enterprise Agencies Working Grou p from Nov. 21 to 23, emphasized the need to further bolster specific developme ntal areas among Asean countries, which include entrepreneur education, governm ent assistance, outsourcing, and trade promotion. Also part of the agenda was a follow-up on previous meeting regarding SME polic y directions within Asean member states, which include host Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

SAAS model for Indian SMEs pushed

2007-11-21T05:53:31Z

Indian IT firms are targeting small and medium-sized enterprises for expansion, mapping out plans to tap what it describes as the fastest growing segment in a developing economy. According to a report by the Times of India, the local industry was aiming at s preading IT adoption through the software-as-a-service model (SAAS). Using SAAS, information technology services will be offered on a per-usage basi s, similar to paying a utility service such as electricity, water, or cable TV. This will provide affordable monthly pricing schemes attractive to the SME mar ket. Under the setup, an IT firm would provide an application platform and end-user help desk, while offering hosting and maintenance services. End-user SMEs would only need an Internet browser to access their services and will be charged bas ed on the services they would utilize. Several SME clusters in India were pilot-tested for the SAAS model, particularl y in Mallapur in Hyderabad and Adityapur in Jamshedpur.

New banking model mulled to check decline in SME lending

2007-11-20T06:03:19Z

A new financing model was being developed to stop a steep fall in bank lending to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). A partnership between the International Finance Corp (IFC) and microfinance ins titution CARD Bank would introduce a banking model, which they hope could becom e the industry standard in lending services to SMEs. Industry figures showed bank lending to SMEs was falling short by P67 billion t o P180 billion despite a Magna Carta for SMEs that requires banks to allot at l east eight percent of their loan portfolio to middle-market companies, the Phil ippine Daily Inquirer reported. The report said the model would depart from the traditional lending approach. The tie-up would concentrate on building SME banking products, which includes m arketing and further development. It also would look at adopting a robust manag ement information system which can support credit scoring and credit relations management, the report further said. Although the IFC would pilot-test the model with CARD Bank, the World Bank's pr ivate sector arm was expected to look at partnerships with other microfinance i nstitutions or commercial banks, which are keen to diversify its portfolio and tap the SME market.

SME Insight features young new entrepreneurs

2007-11-14T08:18:32Z

By Karen Galarpe Editor-in-Chief, SME Insight We're pleased to let you know that the latest issue of SME Insight (November-De cember 2007) is now out in bookstores and magazine stands. Our theme for this i ssue: YOUNG NEW ENTREPRENEURS. Learn business insights from our featured successful young business people: * Amina Aranaz-Alunan of Aranaz bags * Ino Caluza of Viktor jeans * Dick Balajadia of Cafe Half Moon and I Have Two Eggs * Quark Henares of Blow-up Babies * A group of friends who started Cerealicious They're young and passionate and reveal to us their secrets to business success . We're also taking a look at how Buena Mano Crafts made it in the international market with their Christmas decor. And of course, there's the info-packed Toolbox, our mini-MBA. Learn about just- in-time inventory, the why's and how's of giving the 13th month pay, how to cre ate an e-mail system for your company, and so much more. After you've read our latest issue, do drop me a line, will you? Send your e-ma ils to kgalarpe@hip.ph or post your comment here. Have a great day!

Business intelligence for SMEs

2007-11-13T04:32:15Z

Business software company Business Objects is targeting small and medium enterp rises, a market where it sees faster growth in the country. Previously the company had a clientÃ¨le of mostly large enterprises, including Unilever, Globe Telecom, Philippine Airlines, Bank of the Philippine Islands, a nd Cebu Pacific. Their current solution offers business intelligence for SMEs, in which data cou ld not only be stored, resourced or mined but likewise analyzed through busines s process automation. Business Objects' local partners include Sybase and ACW Distribution. According to Business Objects executives, a special pricing package is being offered to SMEs, which they classify as organizations with less then 1,000 employees.

Corporate Gift-Giving Made Easy

2007-11-06T04:15:13Z

By Sarah Velasco Gift-giving in business is one way of building relationships among clients, col leagues, and personnel. It is a means of strengthening ties and creating a posi tive image for your company. Gifts are usually given to show appreciation, to c ongratulate, to motivate, or to express an apology. Despite the goodwill involved, however, most of us find gift-giving to be a vex ing task. Deciding on what gift to give is already a challenge, but factor in t he need to remain within the bounds of professionalism and the fun fizzles out. Hopefully, these few simple guidelines will make it easier for you. 1. Think of your purpose Knowing why you are giving the gift makes it easier to think of what is appropr iate. For instance, a gold watch is traditionally given to retirees, or a box o f cookies may go with a sincere apology. 2. Give it a personal touch Pay attention and consider the recipient's interests and hobbies. Is he or she into the organic trend? Then why not include a book on growing an organic veget able garden? Or if the person is into golf, then put in a helpful book on how t o make that swing even better. The recipient will surely appreciate the thought that you've put into your gift. And don't forget to enclose a handwritten pers onal note with it. 3. Consider the company's policy Some companies have concrete rules on gift-giving and receiving, while others h ave informal and unwritten policies. Just to be sure, you may want to check wit h their HR first, or even with the secretary. Since it's still part of business, some companies opt to have their logos inclu ded. Although this is discouraged, if you really need to have your logo to go w ith the gift, keep it small. 4. Avoid going beyond the limit The company's budget limit, that is. Make sure that your gift is not too expens ive so as not to make the recipient feel uncomfortable. You also don't want to give the message that you're bribing someone! 5. Keep in mind the cultural differences What may be a decent gift in this part of the world may be offensive in another . For instance, the Japanese have more ceremonious gift-giving practices than t he Americans; while the Arabs and other Muslim countries find it offensive to b e given alcohol, knives, and anything that has something to do with pigs (leath er made out of pig skin, pork, pig figurines). 6. Consider a corporate gift basket If you really don't have time, then giving a gift basket may just be the soluti on to your gift-giving dilemma. Gift baskets can be customized and come in very presentable packages. They typically contain an assortment of little edible it ems that can be shared with the rest of the office staff. Not only that, creati ng a personalized basket by contacting a gift service company is just a phone c all or a few clicks on the Internet away. 7. Check the delivery details If you're having the gift delivered, make sure that you give the correct addres s and recipient information. You wouldn't want your gift to be delivered late o r to bounce back to your doorstep just because you wrote the wrong info. Instru ctions should also be given on what to do with the gift in the absence of the r ecipient.

How Flows the Wine Industry

2007-10-30T05:08:29Z

By Florian Cecil Torres Local wine consumption is growing, which is impressive for a nation of beer-dri nkers. Here's a quick look at the global wine market and how well we're imbibin g into it. Ninety-eight percent of alcoholic beverages in the Philippines are supplied by domestic producers. This figure includes the ubiquitous San Miguel beer product s and domestically produced liquors such as gin. The Philippines is in fact one of the cheapest sources of alcoholic beverages in the region due to powerful l ocal producers who are not subject to high import tariffs, thus their ability t o set alcoholic beverages at affordable prices; and is now operating in many lu minaries. But this accounts for beer and gin. Wine, on the other hand, is another matter altogether. Wine around the world In the last twenty years, the worldwide wine industry has become increasingly i nternationalized and sophisticated. At the same time, the market has also becom e more fragmented, multilingual, and information-intensive. The global wine industry therefore faces constant shake-up and consolidation. U nder these circumstances, the generation of mega wine companies has become inev itable as no single wine company, listed or private, currently has more than on e percent of the world wine market, in stark contrast to other beverages. Thus, the world's wine markets are also going through a fascinating period of struct ural adjustments. Global wine showed solid growth in terms of volume in recent years, reaching ne arly 25,066 million liters. The two countries that are leading in international wine production and consumption are France and Italy. In terms of the quality of exports as reflected in the average export price, France's strong position h as remained unchanged while emerging countries like Australia and New Zealand h ave improved their positions hugely over the past decade. More than three-quarters of the volume of world wine production, consumption, a nd trade involve Europe, and most of the rest involves just a handful of New Wo rld countries. In the late 1980s, Europe accounted in value terms for all but f ive percent of wine exports and three-quarters of wine imports globally. However, Europe's dominance is beginning to weaken. In the ten years to 1997, t he rest of the world's share of wine export dollars rose ten percentage points, virtually all from California and six Southern Hemisphere countries. When intr a-European Union trade is excluded, the decline in Europe's share of global exp orts is even greater over that decade: a fall from 88 percent to 70 percent. Here comes Asia The Asian market is also competing in the wine industry. Several growth foreca sts on the wine producers in China, Korea, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, and India ha ve been made, and are said to also possibly share a big part in the global wine market. The wine markets in Asia could be considered heterogeneous in nature. Each mark et is to a certain extent unique. This is due to the following reasons: 1) Very different tax and customs systems with regard to wine imports and c onsumption. One can be totally lost with the myriad of tax and customs systems that exist i n the different Asian countries. As a result of this non-uniformity, different wine consumption behaviors have emerged in these countries. For example, in som e countries like in Singapore, there is a higher demand for premium wines. 2) Different national perspectives in looking at wines Wine drinkers in Asia have different ways of looking at wines. Some view them a s a status symbol while others would consider them part of their new found life style. 3) Different industry structures Some Asian countries have an indigenous wine production industry. As such, fore ign wines will have to face competition from domestic producers. The Asian wine market can be segmented into the following: China, Korea, Taiwan , Southeast Asia, and India. China is the largest wine market in Asia in terms of volume. It is also the largest wine producer in the continent. China is taki ng a very aggressive approach in building up its indigenous wine production cap ability. It is working closely with foreign experts to produce wines and hopes to rival the best chÃ¢teaux in France one day. Furthermore, it has already show n proven successes in the right direction. In Southeast Asia, the principle growth countries are Singapore, Indonesia, Mal aysia, Thailand, and the Philippines, with growth rates ranging from 10 to 20 p ercent for the next five years. Note however that all of these countries starte d with a very low wine consumption base. Singapore has the most straightforward tax system while the other countries imp ose multi-tier tax systems which are fairly complicated to understand. Principal drivers of growth in Asian wine consumption are lifestyle and health, making brandy, gin, and beer the major competitors of wine. The health conscio us, for instance, are switching from brandy to wines. Women are also an importa nt wine market as they find wine to be a more acceptable alcoholic beverage tha n beers. The Philippine Wine Industry On a domestic scale, the Philippines has a growing wine industry, wherein much of the growth is attributed to the comparative advantage of its fruit exports. Furthermore, the market potential is good, and technology is making wines out o f the fruits that the country produces is not a far reality. Hence, several ini tiatives from educational institutions such as UP Los BaÃ±os and other wine act ivists are already aimed at putting the Philippines on the wine map. While the country has traditionally been a beer and hard liquor-consuming count ry, wine appreciation and consumption has shown reasonable growth over the past years, at par with its immediate neighbors. Hence a number of wine corporation s are already in place. While the total wine market in the Philippines is small in comparison to other Asian countries, demand is continually growing. Budget to mid-range priced wines are the most popular, as price is an issue for the ma jority of consumers. Local manufacturers of wine and flavored alcoholic beverages are now expanding their market to women and young urban professionals as they increasingly have t he predisposition, the money, and the inclination to spend on alcoholic drinks. The rising number of young consumers and women joining the workforce makes the wine market, currently dominated by Australian brands, promising in the Philip pines. The market for wine in the country increased between 2000-2005, growing at an a verage annual rate of 13.4 percent. The leading company in the market in 2005 w as Brumms Quality Wines, Inc. The second-largest player was E. & J. Gallo Winer y with Robert Mondavi in third place. Wine production in the Philippines, however, is mostly confined to niche produc ers who specialize in wine production from domestic crops, such as mango wine a nd rice wine. Echoing the state of the global wine industry, there are no signi ficant wine producers in the country with double-digit market shares. At best, Philippine wines are considered as novelties. And when it comes to grape wines, the local market relies primarily on Australian and European vintners. Market growth So what's the outlook for the Philippine wine market? Most economic forecasts o n wine consumption point to two distinct growth areasâNorth America and Asia. O n the average, North America is slated to grow on an average of five percent fo r the next five years, while Asia's growth is in the tune of 10 to 20 percent p er annum, with the greatest growths registered in China, India, Korea, Singapor e, Taiwan, the Philippines, and Malaysia. Bad news for Europe though: it seems to be in for a long-term gradual stagnatio n or even decline in wine consumption. While other areas will not see any signi ficant changes. In today's era of globalization, it is no longer possible to take a detached mi ndset in doing international business, and wine business itself is definitely n o exception. The new world players who are not burdened by any traditional prac tices seem to be making successful impacts in many markets dominated before by the Old World players. Published on SME Insight, July-August 2007 issue