Open Talk 13 Tackles Entrepreneurship amidst the Pandemic

Three (3) graduates of the University of the Philippines Open University’s (UPOU) Continuing Education programs (CEP), and local entrepreneurs – Mr. Emilio B. Climaco, CHEFerd’s Farm Owner and a published author; Ms. Heidi Ricca Cruz-Del Rosario, Business Owner of Half the Price (HTP) Hub Women’s Clothing Store; and Mr. Joseph Erwin Frances R. Mituda, Owner of Frances Rapirap Mituda Review and Tutorial Center – shared their stories of entrepreneurship amid pandemic as resource speakers during the Open Talk 13: Pagnenegosyo sa Gitna ng Pandemya held on 22 September 2021, Wednesday, from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM streamed live via UPOU Networks Facebook Page hosted by the Faculty of Management and Development Studies (FMDS), UPOU. 

Starting Small and Shifting Online

The pandemic has altered the way everybody conducts businesses. Several changes were made especially by entrepreneurs to make their businesses stay afloat during a public health crisis.

Host, Jelaine Bagos of FMDS, and Moderators, Mr. Brian A. Belen and Mr. Ramon Manuel “RM” T. Nisperos, MBA

One common thing that the three resource speakers shared is to take one step at a time and start small. HTP Clothing owner, Ms. Cruz-Del Rosario, said that you can begin by simply being inspired by the things around you.

Ms. Heidi Ricca Cruz-Del Rosario, Business Owner, HTP Clothing

CHEFerd’s Farm Owner, Mr. Climaco, discussed that during the onset of the pandemic, as an entrepreneur, it was very essential to be decisive. He pointed out that he had to decide quickly on how he can offer his organically processed agricultural products to the market despite the lockdown. He did, eventually—by shifting his usual store offering to e-commerce and by selling it online and delivering within his community.  

The pandemic gave birth to various innovative ways on how entrepreneurs can conduct their businesses. Through the existence of e-commerce and the mandatory switch to online operations, business owners came to know the advantages of these online channels to help sustain the viability of their enterprises—and even more so, create new ones—like of Mr. Mituda’s Review and Tutorial Center which aims to help and empower flexible and independent online learners. 

The Effects and Business Challenges during the Pandemic

While the pandemic modified our lives in more ways than one, its effect to some was not all bad.

Mr. Emilio B. Climaco, Owner, CHEFerd’s Farm

Mr. Climaco shared that while there were challenges in terms of the market’s access to agricultural products due to the implementation of community quarantine, the business set up during the pandemic has also been an advantage. The idle time and isolation led him to develop more products and introduce other lines of goods, and even publish his own book—The Power of Journaling: Becoming a Better You.

Ms. Dela Cruz-Del Rosario also faced some challenges in her clothing business as the demand for fashion declines. The shift in demand also helped diversify her offerings to more sought ones like cloth masks and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

The timing has also been advantageous to businesses like Mr. Mituda’s Review and Training Center. As a graduate of the Graduate Certificate in Distance Education program of UPOU, he was able to apply his learnings and experiences to create an enterprise related to education. As an educational support service, the business coped with the situation of operating online.

Building Habits in the Pandemic

While these entrepreneurs were able to navigate their lives during the pandemic, there was still a lot they had to learn and adjust to. 

Mr. Climaco shared the importance of “fixing one’s mindset.” He shared that he took a  lot of his inspiration from various entrepreneurial books and started to develop habits just by simply waking up early every day. 

“If I want to be the person I want to be, I really have to change,” shared Mr. Climaco. On 29 November 2020, he started to take notes of his routine and monitor his behavior and thoughts through a journal—a passion project which was later published as a book. “If you do what is easy, your life would be hard; if you do what is hard, your life would be easy,” he added. Mr. Climaco also shared that if he wants to be an entrepreneur and a successful one at that, he relives it by being reminded of an energy drink tagline, “great things start from small beginnings.” 

Challenges to Opportunities

Financial stability and sustainability are essential to keep the business together and still provide employment to people especially in the midst of a public health crisis. 

According to Ms. Cruz-Del Rosario, HTP Clothing has been more aggressive in terms of marketing. Social media is the most useful online channel to sell products. The affordances of these digital platforms need to be  maximized especially if ones business is operated digitally. 

To ramp up sales and keep the business anchored, Ms. Cruz-Del Rosario added that, “every opportunity is really important. Every minute counts. Every day counts.” Hence, HTP Clothing also tapped several partner sellers—distributors and resellers—to expand its selling points. 

The aggressiveness in terms of marketing was also seconded by CHEFerd’s Farm owner, Mr. Climaco. According to him, he stepped out of his comfort zone and tried new things—he maximized the use of social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook, as well as e-commerce sites like Shopee to sell his products. He also noted that personal branding is fundamental to the business’s success. 

Mr. Joseph Erwin Frances R. Mituda, Owner of Frances Rapirap Mituda Review and Tutorial Center

Unlike CHEFerd’s Farm and HTP Clothing, Mr. Mituda’s Review and Training Center engaged in a more opposite marketing strategy by  being more conservative. Acknowledging that competitions may sometimes get in the way of planning, it helped him to focus on his specific target niche outside of the usual competition to leverage and differentiate himself from the rest of the market. 

Doing business in the pandemic may encounter more challenges than usual, but being innovative and passionate may aid you to try new things and turn your challenges into opportunities.

Watch out for part 2 of OpenTalk 13: Pagnenegosyo sa Gitna ng Pandemya on October 6, 2021, Wednesday, from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM on live on UPOU Networks Facebook Page.

Sustainable Development Goals

Written and Screen Capture by Alessa Shainne Hostalero

Edited by Joane V. Serrano and Anna Cañas-Llamas