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How we work from home

��ý — Fri, 26 Jun 2020 04:11:21 +0000

The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting global lockdown has forced people to work from home (WFH) more often.

Already, experts are saying that telecommuting is here to stay. “Nobody in the future is going to take a job where they are measured by whether or not they show up at a certain time at the office and then check out again at 5:30 or 6 p.m.,” said Lars Wittig, country manager of IWG Philippines, Vietnam, and Cambodia, during the Asia Future-of-Work Forum 2020 held on June 25.

Investors, too, are basing their investment decisions “on how considerate companies are to their employees and clients during the coronavirus pandemic,” and favoring companies that allow employees to work from home.

But what does working from home look like? This photo essay is a glimpse into the increasingly necessary WFH culture. Subjects were requested to complete the statement: “The most important part of my home-office setup is _______, because _______.”

Risa Barcelona, Creative, MAD Market

The most important part of my home-office setup is my laptop because it has my whole life in it (it is literally my work’s bloodline, lol), and Eggs because he can easily de-stress me, no effort!

Frances Barsana, Business Development Manager, Kickstart Ventures

The most important part of my home-office setup is the designated space because it allows me to focus my energy during working hours and differentiate when I am needed to attend to home matters.

Pia Bernal, Community Manager, Kickstart Ventures

The most important part of my home-office setup is my second and larger screen because it helps you to multitask and work faster: the ability to open multiple tabs! You especially feel the benefit of a dual monitor setup when composing an email and you need to view other emails in your inbox as reference.

Christian San Jose, Founder and CEO, 8020

The most important part of my home-office setup is my chair (and its footrest), because that’s where I spend most of my time. The chair has to be right in the middle of comfort and sturdiness: It can’t be too comfortable as I don’t want to fall asleep while working.

Sally Ponce-Enrile, Chairperson, JoJoCare

The most important part of my home setup is its location. It is up in my attic adjacent to my indoor garden/art studio. I get both the privacy I need as well as a relaxing ambience so I can focus on my work without anyone distracting me. I call it my “happy place.”

Dorelene Dimaunahan, founder of DMD3D Enterprises and CAD Concepts and faculty member of DLSU, ADMU, UA&P, and CCA

The most important parts of my home-office setup are my piano nook and my green screen room. My piano nook is where my creativity works best. In the middle of a long day at work, I find time to play a piece or two, just to break the ice. As for the green screen room, this is where I usually stay when I need more concentration or where I do my hosting and writing projects.

Victor Jeffery, Editor of Enrich magazine and CEO of Skittles-Brooke Media

The most important part of my home-office setup is creating the right environment to work in — that gives me the freedom of working in a relaxed atmosphere, and at the same time, allows me to adhere to my professional office style way of operating, because otherwise, I know that my normally strong focus could become too easily distracted.

Melissa Profeta, Brand Strategist, Digital Dynasty

The most important part of my home-office setup is I being able to easily get whatever I need right away. If I need a hug for a quick break, I can easily walk up to my baby’s crib before going back to work. If I need major references for work, I can just pick out my go-to book from my mini-library.

Emily Brown, Executive, Telum Media

The most important part of my home-office setup is my charger station, as I’m always on the phone and my laptop. I’ve got to be contactable at all times. Also, snacks to distract my cat whenever she bites my screen and charger!

Five ways to keep employees engaged during the lockdown

��ý — Thu, 07 May 2020 07:54:59 +0000

Social distancing has become the norm for the general public these days– and unfortunately, it’s creating more than just physical distance. The lack of physical interaction among employees may create a strain in their relationships, thereby challenging the dynamics and productivity of organizations.

Fortunately, there are ways to compensate for this lack of contact. Angeli Recella, startup incubation manager for non-profit organization Makesense Philippines, shares five kinds of activities that your team can try.

1. Weekly alignment

To help set goals and track past results, set a weekly alignment with your team. Before you start, put up a public Objective and Key Results (OKR) board for everyone’s awareness and appoint at least one OKR “shepherd” for the meetings. They will be accountable for making the meetings more efficient every time you hold them.

Your team can try holding quick meeting—composed of all updates without explanation—based on the , especially if you’re already applying it. “They will just say, ‘This is what I’ve done, this is what has not moved, and this is what I need help in,’” said Recella.

She also suggests using EOS Worldwide’s , when delegating tasks. GWC stands for “Do they get it, do they want it, and do they have the capacity to do it.”��

“This is a good time to nurture people and make sure that they grow within your culture and capacity,” Recella said. “And how I translate that is that if operations are on a halt, or if it’s slowing down right now, this is a good opportunity to upscale or rescale your employees.”

2. Online game nights

As they say, work hard, play hard—and that definitely doesn’t stop just because there isn’t any outside nightlife to enjoy after work with colleagues. Following this tradition, online game nights will help your team relax from work and get to know each other better.

Before every session, assign a game master who will pick a game—such as which work well on video-calling apps—and organize the logistics. This includes setting the time, which Recella suggests to be around two hours sandwiched between operational work hours.

“Now more than ever, you cannot separate the individual from their work, because they’re literally working from their homes,” she said. “If you want to get to know each other, this is a really good time because it mixes the work and the personal life, and you see them in a very different context.”

3. Virtual coffee chats

In lieu of the “water cooler conversations” in a physical office, holding virtual coffee chats can help your team forge new work relationships. Choose two random employees who could be from different teams or departments, provide them with some discussion points, and leave them to chat for 45 minutes up to an hour. These sessions can be held twice a week or just every other week, depending on your team’s time and capacity.

As a manager, it’s also a good time to conduct a stay interview among your employees, which will help you find out why they’re still with your company. Recella suggests using EOS Worldwide’s . “This usually gives you a good gage on how well [your employees] align with not only their jobs but also the overall mission and vision of the company.”

4. Pre-meeting icebreakers

In case you can’t afford to hold virtual coffee chats, pre-meeting icebreakers are a great alternative to stay updated with the team. Before getting down to literal business, each team member will be given a minute to answer a question, which can be taken from websites such as this .

“When you do this before you start the meeting, it reconnects you to the people that are actually behind that decision-making process,” said Recella.

It also helps iron out any conflicts between teammates. “I always remind people this: Conflicts are not bad. There are healthy conflicts, and most of the time, you really have to get through conflicts so that you can breed creativity and increase employee buy-in.”

5. Disconnect hours

These uncertain times have bred on mental health and productivity, “[These are] usually because of information overload and something that is now being called ‘’: The usually relatively smaller decisions that we used to make before… now more of big decisions to make because of the context,” said Recella.

Because of these factors, it’s more important than ever before to set boundaries for work and personal life. She suggests mandating employees to disconnect from the internet for a few hours a day. “You can just watch TV, cook your own food, read, or bake… This is really just for you to have a clearer mind before you restart for work.”

How to get better at video conferencing

��ý — Thu, 07 May 2020 02:38:09 +0000

The world is on lockdown. But while stay-at-home directives are in place, work must continue, bringing rise to the necessity of conference calls. Overnight, video calling went from infrequent, emergency measure, to the daily driver of corporate communications.

Successful video conferencing is a combination of etiquette, discipline, and good will. Here are tips on how you can transition smoothly from face-to-face to virtual calls:

Choose a software

The most popular video conferencing solution today is Zoom, but there are a lot of other mainstream choices as well: like Cisco Webex, Skype, and Google Hangouts. Each has their pros and cons, with a combination of free and premium options. So download the apps or desktop clients and find the one that fits your firm’s needs best.

Test the software

Check if your equipment is working. Get a feel of the software even before your meeting. Don’t be the person who disrupts a presentation because your dog starts barking and you don’t know how to mute your microphone. Utilize Zoom’s test feature. WebEx has a Personal Room that can also be used for testing. In Skype, click your profile picture and then select Settings > Audio & Video Settings. There should be a camera preview under the Video section. You can also look for Sound Test Service in your Skype contacts to test audio quality.

Minimize bandwidth use of others

Poor bandwidth equals pixelated screens and choppy audio. If you’re expecting a video call, make sure the smart devices in your home aren’t hogging the connection. If you have a family member bingeing on Netflix, you might want to invite them to take a break.

Mind your surroundings

Avoid harsh, direct light and make sure that the light source is in front of and not behind you to avoid plunging your face into a shadow.

“Soft fill on your face is all that matters.” Choose a neutral backdrop or at least avoid one that is too distracting.

Ensure your face is zoomed in close enough so everyone can read your facial expressions. Keep the web camera within your line of sight.

If you’re the organizer, be clear from the start that videos will be on during the meeting so participants have ample time to prepare.

Avoid audio feedback

Close the door if you’re near a noisy street. Inform your family about your scheduled calls so they know when to turn the volume of the TV down. Use equipment such as a bluetooth headset or gaming headphones if available. And avoid rooms with high ceilings or other features that create too much echo.

Inform everyone of the agenda

and schedule are better because they keep things more efficient. People come in prepared with their insights, questions, and suggestions. Plus, it allows for more regimented turn-taking and thus reduces the possibility of people talking over each other.

Engage your audience

If you’re set to make a presentation during the call, create audience engagement by changing the pace and tone of your voice. Emphasize key words and use pauses for effect, .

He also advises using simple and easy-to-read visuals, as well as showing your face as often as possible and your PowerPoint as little as needed. Keep an eye out too on the live chat feed and answer relevant questions.

Focus on the conversation

It’s obvious when someone mentally checks out of the conversation to check their email – even if they try to be subtle about it, so don’t do it. Besides, studies show that trying to do multiple things at once cuts into performance. Researchers at Stanford found that . Close any tabs that might distract you and stay present.

Mute your microphone

As much as possible, mute your microphone when you’re not the one speaking. This is important because most tools for group video conferencing prioritize the visual feed of the person speaking. When using platforms that automatically switch videos to whomever’s talking, your face will be popping up every time you make a noise, even if it’s just you munching down on your afternoon snack.

Break up a large group

Moderators will struggle in video calls with more than five active participants. Virtual conferences are challenging enough as it is, and things can get unmanageable when people start interrupting each other, especially if there’s a lag in the connection. Consider breaking up a large group by assigning participants into smaller breakout rooms for a portion of the meeting. . Zoom and Webex both have this feature.

Have a backup plan

No matter what program you use, have a backup plan in case something goes awry. You and your team can choose to use an alternative app, for instance, or just switch to an audio-only call. Remember too that not each and every collaboration requires a video conference.

Even beyond COVID-19, it seems that video calls are here to stay. Make it work for you and your team by mastering the basics of virtual meetings.

Real estate firm Signet pioneers property crowdfunding with Flint

��ý — Tue, 24 Mar 2020 03:39:26 +0000

While Andre Mercado worked as an employee at online real estate marketplaces Lamudi and Zipmatch, he noticed the gaps in the local property market – particularly in lead generation. “Brokers are not into marketing or business development. We do the marketing for them so they can focus on building relationships,” he said.

So in 2018, he established , a data and tech driven lead generation provider that aims to be a household name in real estate.

By utilizing latest technologies such as 360-degree aerial views of neighborhoods, 3D modeling for units, and commute map integrations with Sakay.ph, the company delivers an end-to-end solution catering to the needs of property sellers while also connecting them to property buyers.

Today, Signet is one of the fastest growing lead generation providers in real estate and has grown its employees to 35 in only a year. The platform currently has more than 500 broker subscribers and over 5,000 registered brokers. It is also quickly growing its database of real estate developments from all over the Philippines and has partnered with Megaworld and Suntrust Properties.

Flint, a “Grab for real estate”

One of the company’s flagship services is , the Philippine’s first real estate crowdfunding platform. In partnership with Seedin, Southeast Asia’s leading crowdfunding platform, the investment vehicle allows Filipinos and foreign investors to invest in real estate for as low as P1,000, with guaranteed returns for investments.

Mercado explains that real estate crowdfunding is a concept that has been around for some time now. Flint has simply stepped in to digitize it. (The government’s last year opened the doors for them.)

“In the past, people would usually need to save up until they’re finally able to pool together enough money to buy a property to rent out or resell,” he said. “Flint makes it convenient for users to purchase a share of a real estate property regardless of whether total Flint user investment has reached the investment amount of the property selected. That’s because we’ve pre-funded all our real estate properties in our portfolio.”

Real estate crowdfunding compliments REITs (Real Estate Investment Trust), Signet’s CEO adds. REITs are a longer-term investment and would need a great exit plan for one to profit, whereas Flint is a short-term investment with low risks and low investment cost.

Innovating and creating impact

Over the next three years, Signet plans to roll-out brand new innovations to complement Flint, including an e-commerce platform for real estate currently in the works.

They also aim to increase visibility for their proptech services in the Visayas and Mindanao regions, as well as countries such as Singapore and Taiwan.

“We’re all about doing innovation and creating impact,” Mercado shares. “As a founder, I deal with collaborators and not competitors. To create more impact, we need more collaborators who have the same vision and the same heart as our company’s.”

Stronger ties: how to nurture a multigenerational workforce

��ý — Fri, 20 Mar 2020 07:56:00 +0000

As more millennials and Gen Zers begin climbing higher and higher rungs of the workforce, organizations may find their proverbial corporate comment sections heating up with disdainful ‘kids these days’ remarks met with flippant and devastating ‘ok boomer’s. While intergenerational conflicts can’t be completely eradicated, it’s possible to lessen them and even create a more inclusive environment. TELUS International Philippines (TIP) shares how they do it.

Making the right fit

As with most big changes in the workplace, it begins with fostering the right culture and mindset—in this case, recognizing and respecting diversity among employees and their ideas. For example, when TELUS observed that the younger generation employed a “fast is better than perfect” philosophy, and defined success as finding the right role rather than climbing the corporate ladder, they came up with initiatives that would complement these qualities.

Inspired by the principles of , meetings were made shorter to encourage quick ideation and faster decision-making. Apprenticeship programs encouraged employees to explore new roles in the company, and not necessarily the ones vertical to one’s designation.

They also have their own educational program, TELUS International University (TIU), so that employees can continue learning through a course of their choice. “It is rare to get an opportunity wherein a company supports working students like me to help earn a degree and still become a successful employee,” said Catherine Libante, part of a customer self-service outbound team, who earned a communication arts degree through TIU.��

“Self-fulfillment means a lot to me. Because of the initiatives and programs that my company provides, I see greater value in staying since I can still reach my goals and continue to develop my skills.”

Weaving threads together

But adapting to one generation is only half the formula. Recognizing the baby boomers and Gen X-ers in the company, TELUS devised initiatives to strengthen team dynamics.

Through continuous coaching programs, employees are able to receive regular mentorship from their bosses and discuss how best to improve their operations. “The timeliness of our leaders in providing feedback [helped me become] a leader that knows how to handle difficult situations at work,” said Kimberly Catu, a learning services specialist. “[It] also helped me fuel my desire to always improve myself as part of the workforce and as an individual.

They also have regular employee engagement feedback programs where team members can share their concerns and insights, even those that aren’t necessarily work-related.

“Some of the most impactful improvements we’ve implemented in the past years were fueled by team members’ feedback,” said Anne Muñoz, site director for TELUS Araneta and TELUS Discovery Centre. “These include the introduction of gender-neutral washrooms across all TIP sites, expanding our health benefits to cover same sex and domestic partners as dependents, and introducing benefits and programs to support mental and financial well-being.”

In the long run, listening to and engaging with employees pays off—and .

“More than focusing on just succeeding business-wise, it is vital for every company to promote collaboration and respect in all aspects of the workplace,” said Muñoz. “Initiatives focused on marrying the needs of the multigenerational workforce with the culture of the company will more often than not, engage everyone and promote a healthy, happy work environment.

HR startup Workbean is making hiring smarter, more dynamic

��ý — Thu, 30 Jan 2020 06:03:01 +0000

Working closely with HR professionals across multinationals in Singapore and Malaysia, Kassandra Monzon saw firsthand just how difficult hiring new workers has become. Traditional processes don’t work with Gen Z applicants. These young entrants to the workforce come complete with an entirely .

The problem, she theorized, wasn’t that Gen Zers weren’t fit for the workforce. It’s that company practices and methods needed an update. And Monzon believed she knew just how to help.

Monzon returned to the Philippines and, after several consultations, validation tests, and a full pivot, founded , an HR-cum-mediatech platform for navigating the of hiring and showcasing what makes your company a great place to work.

If you got it, flaunt it

By keeping up-to-date on what perks and benefits are in demand, Workbean assesses companies to help them put their best foot forward when engaging with potential hires. Their hope is to be the first place applicants go to for information on a company’s employee experience.

On Workbean, a company can show off photos of their office, share testimonials from their employees on work life, and display a rundown of their benefits and amenities. It’s a great way for companies to flaunt what they have. Monzon cites a client whose company has an in-house chef, and another one with fast promotion opportunities even for fresh graduates.

“These stories are what we unearth, and that’s what we want to share,” she said. “So that’s what we really want to address: Awareness that these opportunities exist.”

This is just the tip of the iceberg for opportunities in the HR industry. If a company’s “culture page” helps with recruitment, Monzon also wants to address retention. Soon, they’ll be launching a product to measure employee happiness, not only for employee satisfaction but also to help employers cut down on .

Ultimately, Workbean aims to make employment a more exciting and educated process by utilizing new tools and showcasing the possibilities for the workforce.

“In the advent of information everywhere, we lack information on companies that will make us dream bigger and ask bigger questions,” said Monzon. “That’s the problem that I want to solve.”

How to structure your day like a professional freelancer

��ý — Fri, 17 Jan 2020 03:59:24 +0000

For every productive day we power through, there are dozens plagued with unnecessary meetings and hours lost to scrolling through timelines. VA Bootcamp’s Jason Dulay shares three tips for breaking the cycle and supercharging your productivity.

1. Plan out your days.

Most of our hours spiral into “busywork”, or work that keeps you busy but has little actual value. This could be “research” that’s really just pointless web-surfing, or an innocent chat message that morphs into a two-hour feed scroll fest.

The solution to eliminating busywork? Planning.��

“[It’s] seemingly so simple, but planning makes the difference between pointless days and intentional days, where you work with purpose,” said Dulay.

Before you start doing anything, take ten minutes to list down and organize your tasks. From this list, aim to accomplish at least one major task. And make sure to use a tool that suits you, whether it’s a classic bullet journal or one of the countless productivity apps on the market.

2. Maximize your ultimates and cooldowns.

If you’re a gamer, you might be familiar with “ultimates” and “cooldowns”. The former is a skill or time period of max power, while the latter is a recovery period before the player can use their ultimate again.

We, too, have our ultimates and cooldowns for work– it’s just a matter of determining proper mechanics. Some people, for example, have sworn by the , which breaks down the workday into multiple 25-minute work and 5-minute rest periods.��

Do note, however, that different things can work for different people. Experiment with several time increments to see which ones you’re most comfortable with.��

“Find the right balance so that you can use your ultimate powers more often in the day,” said Dulay.

3. Use your power-ups.

At some point during the day, you may start feeling the tell-tale signs of burnout. This is a good time to enjoy a “power-up”, an item or activity that makes you feel happy and energized.

By rewarding yourself with power-ups, you can do a lot for your .��

The trick now is to identify what uniquely gives you a boost–whether it’s listening to music, a little exercise, or something as mundane as organizing your desk–so that you can truly feel recharged and ready to take on the rest of the day.

Moving on: How to leave your company the right way

��ý — Tue, 25 Jun 2019 10:33:05 +0000

Have you ever had days where you dragged yourself to work? Or have you looked at your pay slip and felt like you’re just not earning what you deserve? If you have, then it’s time to pay close attention to your work life: These are just some of the many reasons for leaving a company.

Once the workplace honeymoon is over, it’s tempting to draft and file your resignation letter as soon as your shift ends. But leaving a company isn’t a single decision. It’s a process — one that requires much introspection and consultation.

Losing one’s spark

When you first joined the company, you might have signed on because the opportunity matched your expectations for responsibilities, work arrangements, or professional growth. At some point, however, you might have found that those expectations weren’t being met. For most, that’s due in large part to less than savory co-workers.

In her first job, Vivian* dreaded going to work because of one of her bosses. “I felt like we just didn’t work well [together]. Instead of getting inspired, I was more afraid of her which was affecting my work,” she said.

Over time, these issues could affect you so negatively that you become apathetic. Absences and tardiness cases pile up; tasks are done with mediocrity. Once an employee reaches this state of “brownout”, it becomes difficult for them to find joy in their jobs. No reason is enough for them to stay, always canceled out by justifications for quitting.

Every employee reaches the point where they want to move on to new prospects. While this may be a ubiquitous occurrence, it’s still something that must be approached with rationality and patience.

“Resigning is a big career decision,” said Gina Jusay, managing director at SFI Career Center. “So make sure that it’s really a wise decision, and make sure that it will benefit you.”

Make time to find some clarity.

“Brownout” is reason enough for most employees to leave. But some still teeter on the decision because they’re afraid of change. Career Coach Malou Treñas-Del Castillo says this fear can be overcome by a good action plan.

“Have information that makes it clear to you that you should resign… based on what is important to you, what you enjoy doing, and what you want long-term,” she said. After this process of discernment, you can start identifying which of these needs you would be willing to compromise (after all, no workplace is 100 percent perfect).

Danielle Cruz, career coach and counselor at SFI Career Center, says reaching out to friends and family could help in that introspection process. “[They can help] in giving not only moral support but also different perspectives,” Cruz said. “There might be things that you don’t see that others can.”

The end goal of this process isn’t to find peace with your current situation, but to arrive at some clarity as to why exactly you’re professionally dissatisfied. At the end of it, you may find that the reasons for leaving stay, but the anxieties around quitting go away.

Live in the present.

Once you’ve formalized your resignation, your last 30 days could go in a blink of an eye. To keep a happy and proactive mindset, try using :

Positive emotion – Stay optimistic about your future and remind yourself constantly of everything that you’re grateful for. This is good not only for your mental well-being but also for your .
Engagement – Maintaining a state of keeps a person satisfied and motivated, something that may have been lost due to busyness with work. Recover your flow by doing activities that you’ve long wanted to do or that make you happy.
Relationships – You may have missed out on some reunions because you were too busy with work. Use this time to genuinely reconnect with friends and family.
Meaning – Instead of dwelling too much on the negativity that drove you to resign, focus on the good things that you got out of them. For example, if your boss wasn’t a very good mentor, acknowledge that this may have helped you to become more independent.
Accomplishments – It takes guts to quit a job, so be proud of your bravery and celebrate it. A gesture as simple as treating yourself to your favorite food not only makes you feel good about yourself but also helps you look forward to the next chapter of your career.

Of course, anticipating the future doesn’t mean that you should forget the present. Ensure that you turnover properly in your last days as an employee of the organization. Fulfill last requests from your supervisor, organize necessary documents, and fill out the necessary paperwork for a smooth transition.

The relationships that you’ve formed are just as important. Maintain your close friendships, promise to keep in touch with stakeholders, and keep things civil even with colleagues that you may have clashed with in the past. “We think that we move in a big world, but when it comes to the professional world… it’s really small. That’s why it’s not good to burn bridges because in the future, we might get to work with those people again,” said Cruz.

Find the next thing.

The work doesn’t stop after you’ve cleared your desk– at least when it comes to your career. No doubt you’ve already been casually searching the job market well before you left. But now it’s time to hunt in earnest.

Check multiple job-finding platforms to ensure a wide selection of options; not all employers are present on every website. You can also ask across the professional connections that you’ve formed through the years.

Use this time as well to learn more about your craft. Accomplishing certified online courses, for instance, can boost both your skillset and your CV.

“If you perceive your vacant period would be much longer, employers will ask what you did during that time,” said Richard Monteverde, career coach and counselor at SFI Career Center. “It would be good to justify that you accomplished something. It shows your initiative and dedication to the profession.”

Leaving a job may seem daunting. You may be frozen by the fear of uncertainty, or guilted by the workload you’re leaving behind. But at the end of the day, an ill fit hurts everyone in the workplace, not just you. Find clarity by taking inventory of your priorities. Cut cleanly and amicably. And let your passions move you forward and upward to the next thing.
________________________________________

Editor’s Note: Some names changed for privacy.

Why innovation should matter to creative entrepreneurs

��ý — Wed, 24 Apr 2019 05:53:21 +0000

While creative businesses may seem different and more exciting compared to those in other industries, they also go through the same motions that every enterprise does. Go Negosyo’s Mentor Me on Wheels aimed to shed light on this important matter.

Mentor Me on Wheels is a series of free mentorship programs in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), which gathers seasoned professionals to act as mentors for aspiring and existing MSMEs. The latest rollout was held last April 8 at the SM Mega Fashion Hall, hinging on the theme “creativity and innovation”.

Focusing on the different arts industries such as visual arts, fashion and lifestyle, and culinary arts, MSMEs were advised one-on-one by the likes of Pepe Dioko, director, producer, and writer; Rajo Laurel, fashion designer and founder of House of Laurel; and Margarita Fores, chef and founder of Cibo.

Mixing creativity and innovation

“With the right mindset and level of creativity and innovation, most of you will shine and persevere in the business community,” said Joey Concepcion, founder of Go Negosyo. “The government, with the help of DTI, Go Negosyo, and the private sector, will be here to mentor you especially in areas on how to use and source money to grow your business and on how to reach more markets for your products and services.”

Before everything else, creative entrepreneurs must reflect first on their objectives. “The first thing… is to really have an introspection and align your personal goals and your business goals… because that will [determine] the difference in terms of what you will need to do to prepare yourself for business,” said Jay Aldeguer, President of Island Souvenirs Group.

In setting these objectives, creative entrepreneurs also need to integrate innovation in their DNA. According to Bernie Liu, CEO and President of Golden ABC Inc., innovation keeps businesses evolving and growing.

“To magnify the creativity of Filipinos, we need innovation,” he said. “Creativity alone will not bring us to the global platform. It is a good foundation, but we need innovation.”

Five ways to advance women leadership in the workplace

��ý — Wed, 24 Apr 2019 05:42:10 +0000

The past few years have been great for gender inclusivity in the workplace. Just this January, Willis Towers Watson Data Services reported a 12 percent decrease in the gender pay gap among employees aged 30 to 40, compared to data from 2018.

Despite these efforts, however, women are still a minority in high leadership roles. of the 2018 Fortune 500 companies had female CEOs — this, effectively robbing their companies of the potential advantages of better representation, such as .

With such an enormous gap to close at the top level, companies have to go beyond a passive attitude towards equality. Here are five concrete ways you can boost female leadership in your organization, based on the IBM Institute for Business Value’s “Women, leadership, and the priority paradox”.

Make advancing women a formal business priority

Gender equality must become a strategic priority and not simply a “nice-to-have”. It must be included in a company’s mission statement and have KPIs, budget, and assigned resources like any other business plan. And to further cement the company’s resolve, senior leaders must be put in charge of the initiative For example, Johnson and Johnson’s Chief Diversity Officer to their Chairman and CEO.

Get leaders involved and accountable

It’s one thing to make plans and another to execute them. Making your leaders accountable for these plans will help ensure that they’re implemented. But instead of harsh penalties, leaders can instead be offered incentives for achieved objectives. For goals that aren’t met, action plans for improvement must be created so that they aren’t just glossed over.

It’s also important that both leaders and employees concretely share their commitment to the cause. Professional services firm EY has an dedicated to women advancement, which includes interviews on company leaders on the topic.

Co-create goals for measurable progress

Having a sense of ownership over a project goes a long way. Instead of mandating goals, have your leaders get proactively involved by helping set them. They can start by auditing their respective teams to determine which ones have a deficit of women in leadership roles. A subsequent investigation will shed light on the reasons why, which will help in creating measurable goals.

Once that’s done, check that these goals are consistent with legal requirements and truly promote a culture of inclusivity. Note that timelines should be included to help make your employees more aggressive. For instance, set a 2025 deadline for their goal to have female workers comprise 40 percent of their leadership.

Embrace initiatives and policies to alleviate unconscious gender bias

Despite good intentions, there are times when our judgments are clouded by an unconscious gender bias. Companies can identify these perceptions by investigating groups with consistently fewer acknowledged women outperformers. In a similar fashion, P&A Grant Thornton Philippines conducts surveys with their female employees to identify possible barriers to promotion. “[It helps us] see the additional specific interventions that we may have to do to address these,” said Marivic Españo, chairperson and CEO.

Salaries must be equal for all genders, which includes adjusted compensation for old female employees. And recruitment and promotion must be just as gender-blind. For instance, companies can mandate at least one female candidate for every leadership opening, followed by proper documentation if she’s not chosen for the job.

Foster a culture of inclusion

At the end of the day, the goal is to create a truly inclusive culture for every employee. This means extending a hand to male workers as well, who face stifling traditional expectations like women do.

For example, there’s a presumption that they prefer to work long hours in the office rather than go home. Flexible work hours and paternity leave will not only free men from this expectation but also reinforces that domestic responsibilities are for both genders. Accenture Philippines offers 30 consecutive calendar days for paternity leave. Female employees can also transfer 30 days from their 120-calendar day maternity leave to a secondary caregiver such as a spouse, life partner, or relative.

High demand and common needs: A look at today’s office space market

��ý — Wed, 24 Apr 2019 05:27:08 +0000

Last quarter, real estate services company Pronove Tai International Property Consultants forecasted��a growth in the office space market for 2019, with a projected added supply of 1.04 million square meters. Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) were also foreseen to increase their demand for space, considering that they had already taken up 45 percent of pre-leased transactions for 2019.

Now that the first quarter of this new year has passed, how are these projections shaping up? Pronove Tai shared their reports on the market’s current progress.

Healthy growth rates

The predicted growth of the office market seems to be on track. 276,000 square meters were added to the total office stock (or accumulated completed buildings from 1965 to Q1 2019), an increase higher than in any quarter in 2018. And while Makati, Taguig, and Ortigas still take the top 3 spots, Ortigas grew the fastest among all of the districts at a rate of six percent. It saw an added supply (or annual completed supply of space) of 110,100 square meters, solely attributed to the Podium West Tower by developers Keppel Land and SM Prime Holdings.

The four minor office districts (San Juan, Las Piñas, Pasig, and Parañaque) and Mandaluyong follow in terms of added supply. Each area brought in 68,000 square meters and 28,000 square meters, respectively. While the total office supply is 31 percent higher than the 2018 quarterly average, an ongoing cement shortage is already causing delays in building completion. For instance, only 15 buildings were completed during the quarter when the projection was 21 buildings.

Still, vacancy rates are increasing to healthier levels. It rose to 6 percent — up 2 percent from the last quarter — with Quezon City and Mandaluyong offering the highest vacancy rates.

Increasing demand

Demand for space continues to grow strong, having increased by 39 percent year on year (YoY). IT and business process management firms (IT-BPM) and traditional firms remain the biggest demand drivers at 36 percent and 35 percent, respectively. But in terms of the greatest YoY increase, it’s POGOs with the highest figures.

Already taking up 29 percent of the demand, YoY increase went up by a staggering 118 percent. The need is so urgent that POGOs are already exploring Pasig, Parañaque, and Quezon City to set up camp, considering that there’s no more space in Makati and the Bay Area. Previously, POGOs weren’t looking at these districts because of their unfamiliarity to their foreign employees.

A need for convenience

If there is a common denominator that demand drivers across industries consider, however, it’s convenience. According to Monique Pronove, CEO of Pronove Tai, POGOs will always choose locations with easy access to residences, retail, dining options, and transportation. And while not all of these facilities are requirements for traditional firms, it’s definitely a plus factor looking at options.

It’s for this reason that township projects are becoming more appealing for tenants. The past fe years have seen more of these developments cropping up both within and outside of Metro Manila. Aside from the more recent completions like Nuvali in Laguna, more projects are already in the pipeline such as Megaworld’s Arcovia City along C-5.

“When tenants choose a location, they are now looking at partners who can build for them when they grow,” said Pronove. “There’s more challenge[s] for single-detached building[s] and smaller developers to compete with the big developers now. Because what they’re looking at are immediate availability of space and solutions to their needs when they grow.”

Five reasons investors may not be interested in your ‘profitable’ startup

��ý — Wed, 24 Apr 2019 02:44:09 +0000

The most common path to building a great tech company is gaining early traction, raising money from top investors, and then scaling. But it’s never as simple as one, two, and three. Many founders are puzzled by the fact that they have achieved substantial profitability for their business – and not just the “ramen profitability” some early stage startups hit – and still cannot get any investor to sign on the dotted line.

What, then, is the hold-up? As someone who has helped startups raise every round from seed all the way up to Series E, these are the most common issues I’ve observed in the Philippines.

The profitability is artificial.

In an early stage startup, certain sacrifices are made. Key employees may be taking a reduced salary, the founders may be drawing none at all, and marketing efforts may have not started in earnest. The startup will thus appear to be cashflow positive, if only because the founders are not considering all the costs necessary to deliver revenue.

The size of the market is too small.

Even if your startup is profitable, there is the possibility that the market is not big enough. In this case, the startup is not be investable because investors are unlikely ever to see the exponential return they want from their investments.

To combat the market size issue, local founders need to think regional. While the Philippines may be our home and provide us with first-hand exposure to very real problems, we need to ensure that such issues exist across Asia Pacific, or at the very least, Southeast Asia. On its own, the Philippines is rarely a big enough market to convince investors – especially institutional ones – that the pay-off will be significant.

The market may be saturated.

Your startup may be profitable, but only because it has concentrated on a very small niche in an already large, crowded market. As soon as you try to move beyond that initial niche, you will face stiff competition from the market leader and other incumbents. Without a compelling value proposition to seize market share, investors will not be convinced that the return on investment is attractive enough.

There is no growth trajectory. Investors want to see high probability of hockey-stick growth. They want to know that as soon as they infuse your startup with capital, it will start to skyrocket upward in growth. Some startups may be profitable, but show no hint of this kind of growth trajectory. This startup, then, may work fine as a lifestyle business, but not be compatible with investors who want to see the valuation of the business to exponentially increase.

The founding team may not be right.

The importance of the founding team is stated often, but it bears repeating here: It’s easy enough to evaluate your market size, competitive landscape, growth, and other external factors. It’s comparatively much more difficult to turn a critical eye on yourself and the cofounders at your side, even though this is the principal concern for any seasoned investor.

Investors look for “viability” in their founder. They need to know that the founder can build the team and grow the business. Of course, scaling a startup is not just the job of the CEO alone, so they are also concerned about the team composition, including co-founders and early employees. Investors want to know that the startup has the right plan, and more importantly, the right people to execute it once they decide to invest.

In short, even if your startup is profitable, this profitability will be interpreted in a much wider context. Investors will evaluate whether you are in the right industry, with the right market size and competitive landscape, and have the right team.

If your startup falls short on these measures, you’re more likely to stay self-funded, and that’s fine too. You have succeeded where most fail: Creating a small business.

If your startup does check all those boxes, then congratulations. You’re well on your way toward getting the capital infusion that can turbocharge your growth.

________________________________________________

Maggie Po is the chief strategist for Full Suite, a finance concierge for Singapore’s top companies catering to their fundraising, runway management, and mergers and acquisitions needs.

Growth from the grassroots: The care and keeping of your workforce

��ý — Wed, 06 Feb 2019 06:25:55 +0000

If people are the lifeblood of a company, then the care and keeping of employees should be top priority for any firm. This goes well beyond simply hiring the right people. It’s in promoting lifelong learning — creating a culture of growth that helps workers become the best versions of themselves they can be.
A recent study by the Association for Talent Development (ATD) found that lifelong learning leads to heightened individual and organizational engagement levels.
ATD found that only 37 percent of organizations actively encourage lifelong learning. Those that do, however, observed “better organizational performance, improved talent retention, enhanced ability to respond to changing business needs, and greater competitive ability as organizational-level benefits of encouraging lifelong learning.”
That’s where programs like TELUS International University (TIU) come in.

A culture of lifelong learning

Launched in 2011, TELUS International Philippines (TIP)’ continuous learning program provides over a thousand employees every year with opportunities to pursue their passions, building skill sets beyond their corporate careers.
According to TIP, their continuous learning program has allowed employees to develop competencies useful to both the company and their personal lives. Participants gain access to coursework in language programs and training in fields like fashion design, performing arts, and information technology.
“We put a premium on work-life integration at TELUS International Philippines,” said Frederick Estacio, TIP manager for learning and development. “The caring culture that we foster and cultivate helps us become better in what we do and an important part of that is creating a work environment that is conducive to continuous learning.”
Among the most popular courses TELUS International Philippines offers their employees is a barista training workshop they’ve designed in partnership with the Center for Culinary Arts Manila. From pulling the perfect espresso to frothing foam just right for latte art, participants gain a skill set that’s not only personally fulfilling, but potentially lucrative as well.
And through TELUS International University, employees are given opportunities beyond simply developing special interest skills. Through partnerships with University of Asia and the Pacific, Asia Pacific College, and Philippine Women’s University, participants are able to pursue full degree programs while they’re employed at TIP.
The program provides special discounts and flexible payment terms (with 50 to 85 percent of fees subsidized by the company), shuttle services for select campus classes, guidance counseling, and an in-house library of reference material. TIU has even expanded the program to offer short courses to employees’ families and friends.
“Our company’s goal is to have a hundred percent of employees with college degrees,” said Carl Angelo Espiritu, a general analyst at TELUS International University.
Thanks to their continued learning program, TIP benefits from a self-driven workforce that’s eager to take on new skills — skills that they take back into their jobs, opening up new opportunities even within the company. “We have a lot of graduates from operations and customer service that took up courses like IT and psychology that have moved on to other departments like human resources.”
“Through the program they can expand their careers professionally, and pursuing their interests personally,” he said.

Ten ways to invest in people for a brighter future for work

��ý — Tue, 29 Jan 2019 05:52:30 +0000

Entrepreneurs know that making the right investment is key in growing their businesses. A simple technology or infrastructure upgrade can completely transform operations for the better. Unfortunately, human capital — that is, the people behind the economic model — are often overlooked in those investment decisions. This can pose problems not only in the workplace, but also in society-at-large.
Both the private and public sectors need to take steps today in order to avoid these problems escalating in the future. Providing specific action points, the International Labor Organization (ILO) Global Commission on the Future of Work outlined to help address these problems. By improving the labor sector, ILO hopes that the positive effects of a truly comprehensive, collaborative effort will help alleviate the quality of workers’ lives.
“Governments, trade unions, and employers need to work together to make economies and labour markets more inclusive,” said Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven, co-chair of the commission. “Such a social dialogue can help make globalization work for everyone.”
Here are ILO’s recommendations in a nutshell:

Recognize a universal entitlement to lifelong learning

If there’s anything that the fresh graduate or even the seasoned executive knows, it’s that learning doesn’t stop after school. The ILO recommends a lifelong learning system that teaches not only technical knowledge but also foundational, social, and cognitive skills. This system would aid workers in reskilling and upskilling when necessary, and even teach them to anticipate the need for continued learning as they progress in their careers.
The establishment of an “employment insurance system” or “social fund” will assure paid time off for workers to engage in training. Education and training funds must likewise be provided for the informal sector. While technology will certainly be a useful tool in these efforts, it must be used more as a supplement rather than a replacement for the expertise and mentorship of real-life teachers.

Support people through future-of-work transitions

Transitions in work can bring about mental and emotional challenges that aren’t often discussed in classes or training sessions. Quality apprenticeships can serve as a good training ground for the youth who are anticipating employment in the near future.
As for older workers, flexible work arrangements such as reduced hours and remote work can help keep them productive as they transition to retirement.

Implement a transformative and measurable agenda for gender equality

Women need an open and safe space for their thoughts and concerns to be heard. The public and private sector can provide this by ensuring active female participation in work operations and eliminating violence and harassment in the workspace.
Companies can further strengthen their initiatives by being accountable for their progress on gender equality, which includes adoption of pay transparency policies. Expansion of leave benefits can also encourage the sharing of home responsibilities between men and women. In the case of women who want to start their own business (especially those in rural areas), access to finance and credit through mobile banking can help provide the funding that they need.

Strengthen social protection systems to guarantee universal coverage of social protection from birth to old age

Problems like hunger and poverty have been realities for many workers since birth and continue to persist even past their retirement. Since these problems distract them from giving their 100 percent at work, their careers are often stunted, keeping them from actualizing their full potentials.
A strong social protection systems will help alleviate these burdens from workers. The government must guarantee a “social protection floor” which they can complement with contributory social insurance schemes. Companies can also provide their own social insurance to increase protection for their employees. With so many new work arrangements cropping up, it’s important that these systems cover those outside the traditional employment setup as well. This includes the informal sector and workers who move between wage employment and self-employment.

Establish a Universal Labor Guarantee

Regardless of social circumstance or sector, every worker has basic needs that need to be addressed. Much like a social protection floor, a “labor protection floor” will ensure the protection of their fundamental workers’ rights, such as the right to organize and freedom from forced labor. It will also guarantee basic working conditions, namely adequate living wages, a limit on hours of work, and safe and healthy workplaces. ��

Expand time sovereignty of workers

Time is a resource that many workers aren’t able to maximize or control. A mother may become “time-poor” due to juggling work and home responsibilities, or an on-call remote worker may be getting work beyond their compensation due to “flexible” work hours.
Since these are problems that employers may not personally realize, it’s important to hold dialogues with their workers in order to determine an arrangement that still benefits both parties. For example, time-poor employees may be afforded shorter work hours if they can guarantee that they’ll produce the same amount of output. Or remote workers can request to work only during a specific time period as long they’ll be able to service their clients.

Promote collective representation of workers and employers and social dialogue

History has shown the power of representation in the workplace by giving workers the voice to criticize questionable policies and guard against corporate corruption. Unfortunately, several factors such as disregard of corporations for labor representation have contributed to its weakening over time.
To overcome these challenges, workers’ organizations can start by utilizing digital technology to grow their numbers and communicate with workers in other areas. On the end of enterprises, they must establish consultation and information arrangements with their workers, placing worker representatives on their boards.

Adopt a “human-in-command” approach to harnessing technology in support of decent work

Technology has been mankind’s tool in improve their quality of life — and the same must hold true for the labor sector. This doesn’t stop at using equipment to do the dirty and dangerous work. Technology can also be utilized to provide valuable insights (such as data mining to identify improvements for labor inspection systems) and guaranteeing compliance with regulations (such as blockchain double-checking that employees are paid at least the minimum wage).
While it has definitely become more intelligent and sophisticated over time, the final say in any decision must still come from the worker. By adopting this “human-in-command” approach, technological decisions are kept in check by the human touch. For instance, algorithms used for job matching may reproduce prejudices which can only be identified by a human being.

Create incentives to promote investments in key areas for decent and sustainable work

Infrastructure, if neglected, can stunt the growth of the labor sector. Poorly-constructed roads can reinforce the urban-rural divide, while slow telecommunication connections can cost work opportunities abroad. Governments need to invest in high-quality infrastructure which ultimately will positively impact all kinds of industries.
Once achieved, further investments should be done in key economies that promote decent and sustainable work, such as the care, green, and rural economies. These investments will not only create work opportunities but also affect positive social change. For instance, the care economy is expected to not only generate 475 million jobs by 2030 but can also. By strengthening these economies, both economic and social needs of society will be satisfied.

Reshape business incentives to encourage long-term investments in the economy and develop supplementary indicators of progress towards well-being, environmental sustainability, and equality

Because of their large scale, enterprises must be held accountable for the impact of their activities on sectors such as the environment. Unfortunately, strong pressure to meet short-term financial targets may keep them from seeing the bigger picture.
To help encourage long-term planning, corporate governance must extend stakeholder representation in operations and establish incentives for long-term success. This way, businesses can focus on making their operations more sustainable instead of worrying about meeting the bottom-line.
In the same way that profit isn’t the sole standard of a company’s success, GDP alone shouldn’t account for the country’s progress. New supplementary indicators need to be developed, such as those measuring household income growth and access to education and health care.

Looking for office space? Property consultancy shares their 2019 forecast

��ý — Thu, 17 Jan 2019 02:06:08 +0000

The spirit of entrepreneurship is growing stronger in the Philippines, with over recorded in 2017. With more and more businesses popping up, demand for suitable office spaces has never been higher.
The question of where to establish one’s headquarters is often top of mind for entrepreneurs. And rightly so, as setting up an office is more than just renting a vacant spot. Much like choosing a home, it’s a decision that is influenced by various internal and external factors.
In their annual report, real estate services company Pronove Tai International Property Consultants revealed how the office market fared in 2018 and what to expect in the new year.

Highs and lows for 2018

In terms of office stock, or accumulated completed buildings recorded from 1967 to Q4 2018, Makati remained the largest office district with 3.4 million square meters of office space. Taguig and Ortigas Center followed with 2.2 million square meters and 1.7 million square meters, respectively.
However, Taguig took the lead in terms of office supply, or annual completed supply of space. 280,000 square meters were constructed in 2018, followed by Makati with 121,000 square meters and Quezon City with 118,000 square meters.
However, more office supply doesn’t necessarily translate to more vacancies. Despite having the lowest office supply among the three districts, Quezon City recorded the highest vacancy rate at 13%. Mandaluyong’s 10% vacancy rate increased by 2% from 2017, while Taguig maintained its 7% rate.
Meanwhile, vacancy rates in Muntinlupa, Ortigas Center, Makati, and Bay Area slipped in 2018, dipping below the healthy 5% vacancy rate. Bay Area in particular is essentially at full capacity, hitting a tight 0.4%. ��

Different drivers, different needs

Different industries have different specialized needs that they need their office locations to satisfy.
Quezon City’s bad traffic and lack of competitive infrastructure projects repelled potential tenants who were looking for locations that were accessible and boasted complete amenities. The city’s average rent, which was significantly lower than other districts, wasn’t enough to convince businesses to set up shop in the area. Grade A buildings in Quezon City cost P850 per square meter per month to rent, much cheaper than Makati’s P1,570 or Taguig’s P1,310 for buildings of the same grade.
On the flip side, Bay Area and Makati’s issuance of Letters of No Objection (LONO) to Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) drove up the demand for spaces under this sector. Their employees’ familiarity with the districts was also a consideration for POGOs. “Given that these are mostly foreign workers, they’re not as familiar just yet with Quezon City as compared to the two other districts [which issued LONOs],” said Monique Pronove, CEO of Pronove Tai.

Further growth for 2019

Overall, the office market is expected to grow in 2019, with office stock projected to hit 11.7 million square meters, with 1.04 million square meters coming from new office supply. Quezon City is expected to be the fastest-growing district with a 31% year-on-year growth rate. “We will be seeing competitive pricing within this area,” Pronove reported. “The top developers [SM, Eton, Robinsons, Ayala, and Araneta] are represented there with developments that will be completed in 2019.”
POGOs are also expected to increase their demand for space. The industry has already taken up 45% of pre-leased transactions for 2019, surpassing IT and business process management firms (IT-BPM) and traditional firms at 36% and 19%, respectively. Pronove expects these firms will also be expanding to different districts like Mandaluyong and Taguig, as well as cities like Clark, Davao, and Cebu.
To help support these developments, the government is called to fast-track proclamations of economic zones, vital for industries like IT-BPM when choosing their locations. In 2018, approval time for economic zone applications took up to 14 months, too slow to fully actualize the growth potential in the sector.
For landlords, Pronove Tai encourages them to acquire tenants from different sectors. “We always say that landlords should diversify their tenancy mix and should not be focused on just one demand driver,” said Pronove.

Part of their world: Four actors on bringing fairy tales to life

��ý — Mon, 17 Dec 2018 04:44:24 +0000

Storytelling performances bring magic to any occasion. With beloved characters coming to life ��singing and dancing to classic tunes, kids and even adults are whisked away to the fairy tales of their youth.
But before each production comes rigorous preparation. Before they can don the costumes of creatures and princesses, actors undergo their own transformations — days of memorizing, rehearsing, and honing their craft.
So what is it like to be real-life fairy tale characters? We found four actors to tell us some stories — this time, their own.

Name: Alex Reyes (IG: )
Number of years as a character performer: Two years
Background:

Alex’s first exposure to acting was by chance; a friend invited her to join a musical theater workshop. But after landing a gig performing at a Christmas mall show, getting paid, and realizing she could make a living out of work she enjoyed, Alex decided to pursue it. She’s taken on a wide range of roles since then, from Mimi Marquez (RENT!) to one of the leads of the local adaptation of “Hi-5”.
It was during her stint in the latter when a co-actor suggested Alex audition for Madison Events. She was booked the next month to play Disney princesses, portraying Moana, Jasmine, and Belle, among others.

What is your most memorable experience as a character actor?

Performing for sick children in hospitals tops Alex’s list. “There were no lights and no microphones to amplify the singing,” she said. “I had to perform the script five times each for five rooms in the cancer unit, but I didn’t feel tired at all. The encounter felt a lot more genuine than any other P10 million-budget party.”

What challenges have you faced at work?

More than technical difficulties like faulty mics or sudden adjustments in choreography, Alex has had her fair share of encounters with unsavory characters. One time, she and her co-actor had a photo-op with barangay officials during a barangay fiesta. “There was a drunk official who came running up the stage and immediately put his arm on [my co-actor’s] shoulder and firmly pressed it. I had to come up with two tactics to remove his hand off of her,” she said.

How sustainable is character acting as a career?

Since there are more slow months than peak seasons for events, Alex finds that it may be better as a part-time job. Being a freelance actor herself, she makes it a point to always stay busy by getting performance gigs like recording for radio ads and teaching theater to kids during summer.

Do you have any advice for those who want to get into this line of work?

Basic performance skills like singing, acting, diction, and dancing should be honed. Alex recommends continuously joining workshops so that the learning never stops. It’s also important to appear physically appealing, so learning how to apply makeup and maintaining a fit physique are musts.

Name: Jessette Namin (IG: )
Number of years as a character performer: Three months
Background:

Jessette has been singing since she was four years old, largely influenced by Barbra Streisand and Lea Salonga. Her passion for performing pushed her to attend theater workshops growing up, even choosing Theater as her college degree in UP.

What is your most memorable experience as a character actor?

As a fresh graduate, Jessette has so far played Charity Barnum from “The Greatest Showman” under Jive Manila. She especially loves how she can put smiles on her audience’s faces through her performance. “It replenishes my passion to do more freelance work,” she said.

What challenges do you face at work?

With so many gigs going on at once, managing a schedule can become a headache. During a particular week, Jessette had to juggle two theater plays for Dulaang UP and three events at the same time. While this amount of work would’ve driven anybody crazy, she just takes it all in stride, choosing instead to focus on the lessons she picks up along the way.

How sustainable is character acting as a career?

Freelancing gives Jessette the benefit of making a decent living while being able to pursue her passion. To supplement her earnings from acting, she also works as a stage manager for shows.

Do you have any advice for those who want to get into this line of work?

According to Jessette, it’s a matter of plucking up the courage to pursue your goals against all odds. “You have to trust your gut,” she said.

Name: Nini Torres
Number of years as a character performer: Eight years
Background:

While Nini has been a fan of theater since she saw “Annie” in fifth grade, she never really saw herself performing onstage. She started out with backstage work like management and props-making for Make Believe Productions, but it was the company’s creative director that encouraged her to take up acting. From background roles, she was eventually entrusted with more important characters such as Max from “Where the Wild Things Are” and Rapunzel and Flynn Ryder from “Tangled”. ��

What is your most memorable experience as a character actor?

Nini got to fly for real thanks to her role as Peter Pan for a private party. While she described the whole experience as “invigorating”, it was also challenging since she had to sing while being pulled around the venue on a harness.
Villain roles have likewise given Nini great memories. One time, kids started throwing small pieces of paper at her when she played the Mouse King in “The Nutcracker. “I love when they hate me as the villain because that’s when I know I really play the character to the hilt,” she said

What challenges do you face at work?

Anything goes once an interactive live show starts, so a performer always has to be on their toes to make sure that the ball goes rolling smoothly. Whether it’s a volunteer who gets cold feet or throws the story off-script, he or she needs to get creative in order to bring the story back on track.
With so much effort put into this kind of performance, Nini has also experienced feeling drained physically, mentally, and emotionally. Rigorous preparation takes place way before the show starts. “From the first script-reading all the way to the dress rehearsals, every minute demands one hundred percent of your presence,” she said.

How sustainable is character acting as a career?

Performing is more of an additional opportunity for Nini, since she works mainly as Make Believe’s workshop program lead. But for those who want to pursue character acting as a full-time job, she recommends affiliating with a production company to help make gig-hunting much easier.

Do you have any advice for those who want to get into this line of work?

Since work can already get so tough on one’s morale, Nini recommends not taking oneself too seriously. “I believe I owe my success… to the fact that I love laughing at myself. So whatever role I play… I make sure that I have fun doing it because the joy I feel translates to how I perform and the audience really see that.”

Name: Ivy Wong
Number of years as a character performer: 5 years
Background:

Just like Nini, Ivy was exposed to acting only when she entered Make Believe Productions. She credits the team for being her rock during her learning process. “[They have] always been supportive of my physical, emotional, and mental transformation when it comes to studying and portraying characters… which makes my experiences always incredibly healthy and holistic.”

What is your most memorable experience as a character actor?

Ivy found a kindred spirit in Rose from “The Little Prince”, one of the characters that she’s portrayed. Through this role, she was able to face her personal issues and accept herself. “[Rose] ultimately allows me the space to be vulnerable and embrace emotions that I personally wouldn’t allow to the surface on a normal day,” she said.

What challenges do you face at work?

The roles that she plays doesn’t stop with her performances; aside from being an actor, she’s also a production manager for Make Believe. With such different temperaments needed for both jobs, she exerts extra effort to reconditioning herself when switching from one role to another.

Do you have any advice for those who want to get into this line of work?

Ivy’s rule of thumb is simple: Always have fun!

Stronger together: Embracing the hard-of-hearing in your business

��ý — Tue, 11 Dec 2018 04:45:49 +0000

How inclusive is the Philippine workforce? When it comes to persons with disabilities (PWDs), specifically the hard-of-hearing community, that becomes a complicated question to answer.
The deaf are a part of the Philippine workforce, and the law recognizes this. states that the private sector plays a role in promoting the welfare of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) and requires PWDs be given equal opportunities for employment. calls businesses to reserve at least one percent of their positions for PWDs.
However, there’s still much to be done in turning legislation into reality. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, , with a large number being PWDs. To that end, some firms — like Helping Hands Cafe and Fruitas — have taken it upon themselves to jumpstart the integration of the deaf in the workplace.

Lending a hand

Since opening Helping Hands Cafe in 2015, Lorie Anthony Ortiaga committed his business to hiring and empowering deaf workers. A former teacher handling 30 children with disabilities, Ortiaga was forced to retire in 2015 when he suffered a mild heart attack and was diagnosed with lateral ischemia.
Refusing to end his advocacy of helping PWDs, he opened and managed the cafe’s first branch along Taft Avenue. When the branch closed, Cez Diamse, a DLSU alumnae who shared Ortiaga’s advocacy, took over as the company’s president. Since then, Diamse expanded the business with two more branches — in Makati and in Ortiaga’s native Antique.
Since many of the deaf workers at Helping Hands had never worked in food service before joining the cafe’s team, more experienced staff members train them on the job.
Joshua Mariveles, barista and cook, said it was initially a challenge interacting with his deaf co-workers. “At first, we had no idea on how to use sign language, so we couldn’t communicate properly,” he said. But with a little patience on the part of his deaf teachers, he eventually picked up signing the alphabet, and later on communicating through sign language.
In return, Mariveles and the other, more experienced employees taught them the ins and outs of cooking and serving, which they took on with gusto. ��“They asked us to teach them when there’s free time,” Mariveles said. “They watched at first, then then they tried to do what they just saw.” He shared how one of their cooks — a deaf employee — started off silently observing, and now helps develop entire recipes for the cafe.

Shaking up the status quo

And while Helping Hands Cafe began with the advocacy at its core, Fruitas Holdings, Inc.’s support of the PWD community began by chance — with a resume passed in 2007 by an applicant with a mental disability. The applicant was deemed qualified, and subsequently hired. Since then, Fruitas has gone on to employ 41 employees with disabilities — 32 of which are deaf and hard-of-hearing — in both corporate and service departments.
“We just treated everyone like everyone else, and we saw that they do have the potential,” said Teresa Trujillo, Fruitas’ human resources director. ��“Even our evaluation processes didn’t change, and they passed the evaluation.”
The team, however, admits that there are internal challenges to an otherwise fantastic practice. Some of their store managers, for example, hesitate to hire deaf employees because of the glaring communication gap it introduces to their team.
So, to address these concerns, the company decided to bridge it.
In August, they partnered with Unilab Foundation to launch a series of workshops on basic sign language and workplace inclusivity and sensitivity. Immediate superiors of employees with disabilities are required to participate and help cascade learnings to the rest of their team.
Training Manager Chermaine Laceda said this is par for the course in creating an inclusive workplace. Just as they adjust to communicate with their hearing co-workers, “we also need to step-up our skills to communicate with them,” she said.

‘Just like us’

Fully embracing PWDs in the workplace opens up many new possibilities for its employees. “There’s more collaboration, more opinions are shared, and you see different perspectives,” Laceda said. “This makes the company’s culture more sustainable.”
“They’re just like us,” Mariveles said. “They just can’t communicate with us verbally. But everything that a ‘normal’ person can do, they can do.”

Cutting your commute could save the planet 214M tons of CO2: Regus

��ý — Thu, 29 Nov 2018 08:25:03 +0000

A new economic study found that continued growth in flexible workspaces could save over 3.5 billion hours of commuting time every year across 16 countries by 2030. That translates not only to an immense productivity boost, but as much carbon dioxide (CO2) kept from the atmosphere as 5.5 billion trees can sequester over a decade.
The economic study, commissioned and published by global workplace provider Regus, estimated the growth of flexible workspace between now and 2030. The study looked at 16 countries around the world and predicted that a rise in flexible working in these countries would contribute over US$10 trillion to the global economy by 2030 — more than the current GDP of Japan and Germany combined.
The Regus study analyzed the socio-economic impact of flexible working in 16 countries: Australia, Austria, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Singapore, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and the United States.
In the United States alone, flexible work could save almost 960 million hours in commuting time. That’s equivalent to nearly an entire extra day of holiday for each working person in the US.
China sees the greatest potential gain in time saved, with as much as 1.4 billion commuting hours claimed back via flexible working. The study projected this could translate to a 193 percent jump in economic output in 2030 compared to 2017 — an overall boost of US$1.4 trillion.
“Simply changing the dominant culture of commuting to a central office for work could contribute towards climate change goals,” said Lars Wittig, country manager of Regus for the Philippines, Vietnam and Cambodia.
“According to the UN Environment Program, the world needs to slash its annual greenhouse gas emissions by an additional 12 to 14 billion metric tons by 2030 to have a chance of limiting global warming,” he said. “By allowing workers to set up at a location closer to home, and cut down on commuting, millions of tonnes of carbon could be saved each year.”
“With an environment in crisis, offering flexible working isn’t just a business or personal imperative, but one that also benefits the planet,” he said.

Staying Alive: Employee Engagement in 2028

��ý — Mon, 26 Nov 2018 13:34:41 +0000

With rapid digitization and tech adoption heralding the future of business, the human touch is needed more than ever. According to the latest of the World Economic Forum (WEF), soft skills like creativity, emotional intelligence, and resilience will be essential in bringing the workforce into the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Artificial intelligence can replicate, and exceed, a human worker’s productivity. But tomorrow’s companies will need to ensure that, in their endless bids to optimize, people aren’t streamlined out of the picture. In some companies, initiatives that help keep this “humanity” intact are already being practiced.

Taking a breather

For TeamAsia, a local integrated marketing communications firm, their monthly Pop-Up has been an integral part of their culture since 2013. The employee engagement activity was designed to give the employees a breather from the fast-paced daily grind of advertising. A team comprised of representatives from each department conceptualizes and organizes the activities for each month, all of which follow a yearly theme based on one of the company’s five philosophies.
Their theme for 2018 was Project Live, which revolved around giving back to communities and the environment. One Pop-Up called Spring Cleaning had each department invent a new product using recycled materials. For another, each employee was given reusable utensils to avoid plastic usage. Every October, they celebrate a special Halloween Pop-Up called TAkot which extends the participation to the employees’ families through trick-or-treating.

Bea Lim, the company’s Managing Director, observed that these Pop-Ups strengthened their community spirit. “We all come together each time to be together and enjoy each other’s company to discover and explore from one another. The environment is not only a place where people can just relax and recharge, but it’s also a place where you can discover more about your teammates and your family members.”

Forging connections

According to a recent PwC Consulting , 59% of consumers feel that companies no longer have a human element in their customer experience. Furthermore, 74% of non-American consumers want more human interaction in the future. Bea finds that this will carry on to employees’ attitudes toward their workspaces in the future. “In the midst of all that technology can achieve, at the end of the day, people would want to keep in touch with their humanity… This is why it is crucial for companies to prioritize employee engagement activities.” And this doesn’t only inspire employees to be better, more creative workers, but it reflects in the way they interact with clients, she said.
“It starts with the Pop-Up. Aside from the events that we mount, you really see the teamwork here because [the entire department’s] complete,” said Abigail Bibat, senior exhibits and production associate. “Sometimes with work, we have to divide it among ourselves. But when it comes to the Pop-Up, we all really work together.”
The initiative also touches employees on a more personal level. Aire Desamero, a newly-hired account executive, said that the Pop-Up not only helped welcome her to TeamAsia but also made her feel closer to her colleagues. “It’s a really fun experience because we’re family with work and we’re also family in terms of… getting to see all the kids, and their personal side. It really brings out the camaraderie and the relationship.”

With heart, at the heart

As the demand for technology and the human touch rise, both elements are foreseen to interplay closely with each other. Human creativity, further powered by data and technology, will produce more meaningful and impactful innovations. This will make engagement all the more valuable for employees. “It is a sacred space where people can keep in touch with their humanity, hone their creativity, and cultivate relationships,” said Lim.
Genuine employee engagement, therefore, should be at the heart of a company’s culture from the very start. “Executives and management should build meaningful relationships, which is crucial to cultivating stronger teams that are committed to a shared vision.” said Lim. “Managers can learn more about their teams’ dreams, aspirations, and passions, which they can transform into fun, engaging, and meaningful activities. In turn, these activities will help in strengthening workplace dynamics and team productivity.”

Why you should embrace PWDs in the workplace

��ý — Wed, 14 Nov 2018 13:05:13 +0000

“You’re hired.” These are powerful words. In the case of persons with disabilities (PWDs), they’re powerful enough to change lives.
My life was forever changed the first time I said those words to a PWD worker applying to work at our family business. For the last two years, I’ve been working as the head of Human Resources for PWDs, particularly for the deaf and hard of hearing—a role I take very personally.
It’s always an emotional moment when they find out they’ve been hired. The look on their faces, it’s like they’ve won a million bucks. It’s not about the money. It’s about acceptance. I know because I was born deaf. And I’ve spent my life fighting to be accepted.
Always on the outskirts, these men and women have spent years, if not all their lives, sitting in the dark, alone with their doubts. They work like there’s no tomorrow, because for all they know, there may not actually be one. As a person with a disability, you get used to being locked out of opportunities. Not many workplaces are welcoming towards us. Given a chance to prove what they’re capable of, these men and women often outperform everyone around them.
Growing up, I always wanted to build something for myself. I fought through therapy, through school. Graduating was a huge victory for me. But then the real challenge began: Getting a job.
PWD workers know this all too well, and many of them are incredible workers for it. Those who find themselves in a position to open doors for them, you might want to keep an open mind.
Experience is expected in the workplace. You gain that experience by learning from small tasks to build skill sets that ready you for greater responsibilities. No group of people are as observant and innovative as PWDs, constantly studying the world around them in order to better understand it.
And when things get rough, you need workers that know what it’s like to persist in the dark. To confront challenges, think outside of the box, and get things done. That’s the kind of perseverance PWDs bring to the table. If you can manage to look beyond their disabilities, they’re not too different from the rest of your workforce. It so happens that some can’t hear, some can’t see, and some can’t move around as easily. But they find ways to thrive and shine.
Ironically, even abled people can be disabled by choice. Some don’t hear, some don’t see, and some don’t move when things go awry. The difference is, we overcome.
Of course, it’s not always easy working with PWDs. Like with any collaborative effort between groups, it takes a lot of communication. And communication means compromise. If your employee is deaf, be open to learn sign language. Know that they make the same effort reading your lips and writing on a notepad. Working with a PWD is a fantastic opportunity to learn how to be more observant, more protective, more patient. Characteristics that make one not only a great worker, but a great person.
PWD workers aren’t liabilities. Give them a chance and, with a little adjustment, a little sensitivity and creativity, you’ll see just how productive your company can become. These workers don’t only do things better, they do them differently, and that’s an asset you’ll never find anywhere else. Give them your support, and encourage them to be proud of being who they are as people, beyond their disability.
The divide between PWDs and the rest of society is wide and runs deep, and made worse by the societal and environmental barriers we have created. But we can remake these barriers into something more inclusive, something better.
Seemingly simple things like a lack of communication, a lack of empathy, a lack of understanding or the willingness to. These have resulted in a cycle of silent struggle—of settling for less than what we deserve. It’s high time we break that silence. So here I am, a person with a disability, reaching out.
The talent and the work ethic are there. You just need to recognize it.

Cristina Guanzon is a tech entrepreneur and young professional advocating for the inclusion of PWDs in the workplace.

Help wanted: Accountants in the auditing industry

��ý — Mon, 15 Oct 2018 10:27:56 +0000

Last May, the Philippines saw less than a third of 9,830 accounting graduates pass their licensure exams. That meant accounting firms had to compete over the 2,843 new licensed accountants. Even more alarming for the local industry, not everyone in that pool was applying.

Instead of joining the auditing industry, a large chunk of these graduates chose to work overseas, or in the accounts departments of multinationals and the like.
According to P&A Grant Thornton Human Resources Director Rhia Girmendonk Dee, some accountants decided to leave the profession altogether, shifting to law or opening their own businesses.
And this isn’t only happening in the Philippines. The auditing industry is facing a talent shortage on a global scale.
Citing a study by the ManpowerGroup, Dee said global talent shortage in six industries across 43 countries and territories posted a 12-year high. Out of all the skills employers look for, accounting and finance ranked as the 7th most in demand globally.
Latest data by Monster.com showed that finance and accounts professionals posted a 31% growth in online hiring activity in September, one of the highest across all job roles.
Local accounting companies face stiff competition in the Information Technology and Business Process Outsourcing Industries, where accountants are in high demand to work in financial processes.
“It’s tough being up against BPOs that offer higher pay, fewer tasks, and where everything is pretty much automated,” Ms. Dee said.
While BPO is among the industries at risk of being highly automated in the near future, it’s not expected to go down so easily. In fact, some experts believe automation will actually further its growth.
Despite challenges in recruiting and retaining accountants amid the talent shortage, P&A Grant Thornton Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer Maria Victoria C. Españo said quality will always be kept at a premium.
“We need to attract people who have the same values as we have and would flourish in the kind of culture and environment,” she said.
The firm hopes to continue the development of its employees through a graduate school program, and attract younger prospects through partnerships with students groups, schools, review centers, and job platforms.
As part of their drive to create an inclusive environment for workers, P&A Grant Thornton has also developed flexible working arrangements for their accountants and a non-discrimination hiring policy.

“We start with competencies and skills, not with age group,” Ms. Dee said. “Don’t set the tone for segregating people – whatever package they come in, accept them if they fit the bill.”

Today’s tech revolution needs leaders with the right ‘heartware’

��ý — Fri, 12 Oct 2018 06:13:26 +0000

In the past few years alone, new technologies have changed nearly every aspect of every industry. A smartphone in every pocket means any service needs to be on-demand to be competitive. Social media has completely rebuilt the advertising and journalism business models. Bleeding edge frontiers like artificial intelligence have turned computer science from a specialized course into a basic component of today’s high school curriculum.
They’re calling it the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). If the past few years have seen new technologies change nearly every aspect of every industry, the next few will see monumental changes in industries that haven’t even been invented yet.

Designing humans into obsolescence

According to of the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) “The Future of Jobs Report”, four new technologies in particular will largely affect business growth until 2022: ubiquitous high-speed mobile internet, artificial intelligence, widespread adoption of big data analytics, and cloud technology.
The report found that Filipino companies have already been utilizing these technologies in one form or another. Big data analytics was the most commonly implemented at 92% of businesses surveyed; the internet of things and app and web-enabled markets followed at 83% and 81%, respectively. Rapid adoption of these technologies have created new openings in many of these companies looking for data analysts and software and applications developers.
And now, the elephant in the room: job automation. A majority of businesses surveyed by the WEF reported that streamlining workflows by implementing new technologies will inevitably cut down on their manpower. For the jobs that survive the tech-culling, massive reskilling will be required — with tech and programming knowledge in high demand.
At first glance, these trends paint a bleak, robotic picture of the future. But while humanity seems to be designing itself into obsolescence with each new advancement in technology, some experts project that these massive industry-shattering changes may make humans and human work more essential than ever.

From working with tech, to working alongside tech

A by Oxford University revealed that routine jobs — like those of telemarketers, loan officers, even runway models — had a 98% chance of being automated due to their routine nature. A machine can run a spiel, or process your financial history, or follow a route down the catwalk.
So what will keep humans in the playing field? Two things.
First, soft skills. As of today, machines are still incapable of capacities like . But more than soft skills, are the character, drive, and core values that make human beings human.
That’s the second advantage human workers have over tech. Delane Lim, Chairman of the ASEAN Youth Community (AYC) calls it ‘heartware’, and believes these will be vital in managing the transition from humans using tech, to humans working alongside tech.
The advent of 4IR poses overwhelming challenges. Tons of new information and rapidly advancing technologies will affect interpersonal relationships in ways we have yet to anticipate.
With these huge developments happening so rapidly, it would be easy for most to sink. It’s the heartware that will keep humans afloat.

Developing your ‘heartware’

This is the drive of the AYC, the Singapore-based regional empowerment program that aims to prepare the young Southeast Asian not only for 4IR but also for the lofty economic goals of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC).
The development of one’s heartware will mean identifying and solidifying one’s purpose and personal value. This in turn, also develops one’s “personal leadership” — the figurative lighthouse that guides one through periods of personal and professional struggle. When one’s heartware is strong and sound, then the individual is resilient enough to push through in the right direction. After that, the acquisition of soft and hard skills will naturally follow.
For workers thrust into the fourth industrial revolution, well-developed heartware will be a powerful asset in their careers. For leaders guiding entire organizations through these particularly tumultuous times, it’s absolutely essential.
“Without heartware, we’ll just be electric,” Mr. Lim said. “That’s why humanity is important. There is a need for a human touch. Because today, employers are not just looking at you being technology-savvy, but for the ability to connect with people, the ability to communicate with people. I think these are two very important gaps we have to close.”

Working flexibly, sustainably: How to be a professional freelancer

��ý — Sat, 06 Oct 2018 12:01:01 +0000

Working 8-to-5 at a desk job for a big corporation — for most, that’s what work looks like. And as if the job in itself wasn’t tiring enough, bumper-to-bumper traffic and long lines at the stations make exhaustion and stress inescapable.
In an increasingly competitive world, more and more of these sacrifices need to be made. Filipino workers trade in control over their time and energy for economic stability. At least, that’s the traditional model. But what if there were an alternative that could not only eliminate these downsides but also possibly offer a more prosperous lifestyle?

Work locally, compete globally

Freelancing isn’t a foreign concept for most Filipinos, but its nature may not be inviting for the majority. Without a steady employer, a monthly paycheck isn’t guaranteed. It just doesn’t seem practical for workers struggling to make ends meet in today’s economy.
Professional freelancers like CJ Maturino-Cajoles, hope to shatter this misconception. Maturino-Cajoles is the CEO of Online Filipino Freelancers (OFF), a network of Filipino freelancers that claims to be the “biggest, most active, and most influential community in the Philippines.”
Countless online tools and resources have opened a world of opportunities in today’s global gig economy. And Filipinos have the means to capitalize on that market. “[Especially now that mastering] Facebook, SEO, and Google are the trends, a Filipino can definitely start to be an online marketer, or a writer, a blogger, or you can do web design for clients abroad not only in the US but the entire world,” Maturino-Cajoles said.
And if you’re working for clients abroad, that translates to the figures you’re paid. “If Americans can earn 50 dollars per hour, why can’t Filipinos?” she said. In 2017, the PSA recorded working abroad, leaving their families to find better paying work elsewhere. Being an online freelancer, Maturino-Cajoles says, means being able to reach those same clients, without ever leaving your home.
“Zero to six figures in seven days — now that sounds like a headline or something. But that’s true,” said John Pangulayan, an email copywriter and OFF-member. “It’s doable. I’ve done it.”

Taking back control

Lish Aquino, an Amazon seller and fellow member of OFF, shared how she achieved work-life balance, particularly with her role as a mother. “Ang ganda-ganda nung you’re just working two to four hours a day, you’re working part-time, you’re just at home. Tapos you’re being with your kids, and you’re earning very well.”
(“It’s great that you’re just working 2 to 4 hours a day, you’re working part-time, you’re just at home. Plus you’re being with your kids, and you’re earning very well.”)
The global gig economy offers more and more Filipinos opportunities to earn well and work flexibly. Those who have mastered the tools of the trade, as the members of OFF claim to have done, are nurturing highly competitive careers, without ever having to clock in at an office or sit through traffic. Now these professional freelancers are coming together to pool their resources and share that expertise with the Filipino people at large.
On Oct. 13, OFF will be hosting the first-ever Online Filipino Freelancers Conference (OFFCon) at Le Pavillon, Pasay City. The whole day affair features an experienced lineup of speakers such as Glenda Victorio, Gawad Amerika 2018’s Youngest Filipino CEO in the field of Skincare, who received the award at age 21.
A wide array of topics will be covered, from filing taxes as a freelancer to maximizing earnings from international clients.
Financial literacy will be another core topic at the event. Floi Wycoco, founder of financial literacy advocacy group and OFFCon co-presenter, The Global Filipino Investors (TGFI), lamented how much money Filipinos are losing due to bad investments. “For the last 10 years, there’s almost around a hundred billion pesos scammed from Filipinos,” he said.
OFF and TGFI hope that the conference will open doors for freelancers and OFWs interested in matching their salaries abroad while working back at home.
“The gig economy is really booming, and a lot of Filipinos are being opened to the idea of ‘It’s possible for me pala to work from home’,” Maturino-Cajoles said. “For OFWs to go back to the Philippines and just really stay home, makita nila yung milestone ng mga kids nila and they don’t have to leave at all, Maturino-Cajoles said.
(Like Sir JJ mentioned, the gig economy is really booming, and a lot of Filipinos are being opened to the idea of ‘It’s possible for me to work from home’,” Maturino-Cajoles said. “For OFWs to go back to the Philippines and just really stay home, see the milestones of their kids without leaving at all.”)

Brand-building at scale: The value of thought leadership

��ý — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 11:18:03 +0000

In the Philippines, every business relationship, every transaction, begins with trust.
A consumer will choose your product because they trust it will work for them. A business will choose your service because they trust it will bring them value.
But despite the importance of trust in Filipino business dealings, we’re still operating in the dark ages when it comes to trust-building.

Most Filipino professionals that deal with their customers — whether in marketing, sales, accounts management, or senior leadership — dedicate a significant portion of their work life to this abstract process of trust-building. They spend face-to-face time with their potential clients, sometimes in formal meetings, often in casual settings. Over lunch, dinner, or even drinks, they mix business and pleasure like the cocktails they bond over.
In my experience, the problem with this rubbing elbows-approach is that it’s simply not scalable. There are only so many interactions you can have with potential clients in a given week.
To ilustrate: Let’s say you skip the EDSA gridlock by optimizing all your meetings down to a single location in Metro Manila. How many meetings would you be able to squeeze in? Four or five a day? 16 or 20 a week? Even then, these meetings are essentially a lot of speculative work for a few possible deals that may or may not pull through.
So what’s a business leader to do?

We believe that the much more scalable approach to trust-building is thought leadership.
First things first, thought leadership and public relations are not the same thing. Public relations boils down to getting exposure for your company through various channels — be it print, digital, radio, or television.
The goal of thought leadership is not necessarily to make your company more visible — though that inevitably occurs — but to showcase how you are the most trusted authority in addressing the problem at hand.

I’ll share some insights from my experiences with Micab, the taxi-hailing platform I founded. Given that the transportation space is one of national importance, Micab has gotten a lot of exposure through traditional public relations channels.
For example, our new ads platform, MiAds, was featured heavily by media networks — as well as our recent hardware partnerships with Huawei and Smart Communications.

Our thought leadership, on the other hand, focuses much less on our own business experiences and challenges.
Instead, we try to highlight our advocacy of creating “Taxi 2.0” — a revitalization of the industry with drivers that are polite, kind, generous, and cars that are clean, comfortable, and modern.
The focus of our thought leadership efforts is to communicate our goal to create inclusive innovation for the tens of thousands of taxi drivers across the country. So many platforms take pride in wanting to “disrupt” their livelihood, but we believe they deserve a chance at proper customer service training and support in optimizing their connections with riders.
We promote this goal and present Micab as the group best-equipped to tackle it. In so doing, our partners grow to trust us, not because we claim we are experts, but because they understand how we are experts.
And the best part is that by spreading this type of messaging through various platforms like digital, print, radio, television, and even in person at events, I’ve found that I’m able to build trust at scale.
The inbound contacts that result from thought leadership make establishing partnerships much easier. Oftentimes, potential partners are already familiar with us, even before we meet them. In many cases, they even reach out to us for a partnership, rather than the other way around. Since your reputation precedes you, the only thing left to do is finalize the particulars.
Thought leadership, in short, gets your foot in the door — hundreds of potential clients and organizations at a time. How many one-on-one lunches would it take to do that?
Think about how you can position yourself as a leader in your industry, so that people will come to you. This may not be the natural inclination of many Filipinos, predisposed as we are to be low key, but it’s a must. By becoming thought leaders, we can lead our industry in the right direction.

Eddie Ybanez is the founder and CEO of Micab. Based in Cebu, he is a “hacker” by training and by heart.

What Filipino startup founders can learn from university admissions

��ý — Thu, 30 Aug 2018 11:40:06 +0000

Filipino business founders often apply a sliding scale to their hiring standards.
When it comes to executive positions, founders will settle for nothing less than the best — “rockstars” with experience, education, and accomplishments. But further down the ladder, that wish-list of requirements gets shorter and shorter.
A middle manager might get a job offer even if there are some genuine character or competency concerns, while front-line staff are welcomed into the company with little scrutiny, given how those roles tend to be a revolving door.

This sliding scale approach to hiring is deeply flawed.
Why? Front-line staff are the face of your organization. Even if your communications team pushes another executive in front of the media, it’s the front-liners that make the first, and lasting, impressions. The amount of time your fellow executives spend in front of customers over a year, your front-line staff does in one day.
If you care about your customers, you should doubly care about who you send to service them.
The key is to think like a university admissions team.
When it comes to prospective students, universities don’t have a sliding scale for quality. There is a comprehensive, rigorous process that applicants to any department or level need to undergo before joining the school’s cohort.
Why? Because even if not every student becomes an award-winning, honor-roll graduate, every one of them goes out into the world carrying that school’s name and reputation.
So why should your approach to onboarding people in your business be any different?
I founded Mober, an on-demand logistics platform, in late 2015. One of the key decisions that companies in this space have to make early on is whether they should hire their drivers in-house, or work with partners. After careful consideration, we chose to build a driver network composed of trusted partners.
This was our thought process: It would do the company no good if this driver network allowed us to expand our vehicle count and geographic reach quickly, but ultimately damaged our brand reputation through poor service or slow delivery. We needed a way to vet drivers and ultimately onboard only the best ones.

To recruit the best drivers, we established a multi-step selection process similar to what you would find at an international university. Drivers and their vehicles must first meet the basic criteria of vehicle quality and government and medical clearances.
Then they’re put through a rigorous training module built around smartphone literacy and customer service — learning to use the app and interact with customers properly. Soft skills are usually the tougher criteria to meet, but customer orientation is a non-negotiable at Mober. If a driver can’t exhibit the skills necessary to efficiently and respectfully work with customers, they can’t work with Mober.
Yes, we do onboard drivers slower than if we just let anyone with the minimum requirements join the Mober network, but we build our brand much faster. And I am proud of the results.
Because our front-liners consistently provide quality service, users not only become repeat customers, they recommend our app to their friends and family (all without any kind of financial incentives). Enterprise clients, who are satisfied with the same-day delivery we provide to their customers, also refer us to their partners and peers.
And the buzz and positive word-of-mouth attracts not only new clients, but new applicants interested in joining a company with our kind of work culture.
This kicks off the same kind of virtuous cycle that top universities around the world have been able to create through their admissions processes. The more selective they are with their students, the more that top professors want to teach there, in turn attracting more top student applicants.
You can track this lock-step growth through university rankings, but the idea itself is simple: The best people want to work with the best people, and it is as much true in a university as it is in a business.

Many businesses today have adopted a growth-at-all-costs mentality, failing to realize that short-term growth can be an illusion. When the rubber hits the road, front-line staff and partners taken on with little oversight can do more harm than good for the company.
Business founders know the gruelling amount of effort we need to put into building brands. Our businesses’ reputations are the building blocks with which we grow our networks of customers and partners. So why should we put any less scrutiny on the people who — more than anyone else in the company — cultivate that reputation?

Dennis Ng is the founder and CEO of Mober, an on-demand, same-day logistics service.

Choosing the right CTO, tech's unsung hero

��ý — Tue, 07 Aug 2018 05:44:02 +0000

Many articles give advice to early stage founders on how to find the right co-founders. The authors have the right spirit, but their goal is often too broad. Rather than concerning themselves with finding the right team of co-founders, the founder must first concern themselves with one, and only one, type of peer: the CTO, or the chief technology officer.

Essentially, the job of the CTO is to develop and implement technology and company policy surrounding technology. As you can imagine, for a tech startup, they’re both the core and backbone of the business.

I often find other founders of budding startups looking to first recruit a chief operations officer, or other (in my opinion) non-essential founding roles. If you want to be the CEO of a tech startup, your priority should be finding a great CTO. This hire will define your organization, your product, and your future, so you need to make every effort to find your true match.

I myself was lucky to find my CTO, Kenneth Baylosis, over the course of a single weekend. Back in 2012, we both participated in Startup Weekend Cebu, and we ended up building a prototype over 48 hours for what has today become a venture-backed, taxi-hailing platform available across the Philippines in Metro Manila, Cebu City, Baguio, Bacolod, and Iloilo.

Based on my experience, here are three principles you need to follow to find the right CTO for your tech startup.

Find a CTO that is “T-shaped”.

There is a prevailing stereotype about engineers—introverted types who shy away from the business, preferring to focus on just the tech. Having exceptional tech skills is, of course, important. But it’s only a start. For a startup to succeed, it must not only have a great product, but also a sound business model, and the CTO is essential in building that model.

That’s why I actively recommend that founders look for a CTO who is T-shaped. That is, they have deep expertise in a particular aspect of technology central to your product, and they also have a breadth of business skills in other areas, such as operations, sales, finance, or marketing that can aid your company in the long-term.

I knew Kenneth had both breadth and depth because he was already successfully managing his own web development shop. If they have the skills to run a traditional service business, they also have what it takes to launch and scale a tech startup.

Find a CTO who shares your pain.

One of the most common pieces of startup advice is that entrepreneurs should try to solve a problem that they themselves experience. Unfortunately, that root problem is often only the CEO’s, with everyone else left trying to understand it through their lens. This is just as bad as only one founder understanding the intricacies of the end product. It’s a recipe for disaster.

So let me nuance that common bit of advice. All co-founders should have direct experience with the problem, the CTO most of all. They are the ones, after all, who will decide how your company uses technology to solve the problem.

Again, I was fortunate enough to find this in Kenneth. We both regularly commuted across Cebu, and felt how difficult it was to get a cab when we needed one. Because we both dealt with the same pain points, when we came together to develop a solution, we were in sync.

Find a CTO who is in it for the long haul.

Another common saying about founding startups: the relationship between co-founders is almost like a marriage. In my mind, you need to prepare for it like one. The highs are easy to go through. It’s the lows, of which there will be many, where a team’s resilience will be tested.

Like any startup, Micab had many lows, some that even threatened the core of the company. I remember the public relations blowback we got on social media because of a mistaken report that we had launched in Manila before we actually did.

Then there was the LTFRB’s order to suspend our operations pending the granting of our accreditation.

Through these events, Kenneth proved his mettle by fighting time and time again for the company. And I was confident he would, in large part because of what happened the very first day we met at Startup Weekend Cebu.

Shortly after forming our team, we found ourselves disagreeing about whether taxi-hailing would best be executed as a value-added service over SMS or as a mobile app. Basically, if we should have users text in their requests, or if we should build a dedicated app for the service.

Our debate became very passionate (he was for SMS; I was for the mobile app) and we started raising our voices above the din of the crowd. But we never made it personal. We were both passionate because we both cared about the same thing: the product.

If you can find a CTO who believes in your product enough to fight anyone – even you – for it, then you’ve found yourself a committed partner.

Eddie Ybanez is the founder and CEO of MiCab. Based in Cebu, he is a “hacker” by training and by heart.

How a Filipino Silicon Valley investor spots potential startups

��ý — Mon, 28 May 2018 07:01:50 +0000

Filipino Silicon Valley investor Jojo Flores, who holds over 30 years of combined experience in running and investing in companies, began his stellar career with water.

His first major success in the business world was growing a bottled water brand to what is now known as Wilkins with a valuation of over $10 million. The successful run of the brand led him to establish an international water business with California-based entrepreneur Saeed Amidi. Today, Flores owns up to 90% market share of the brand in different countries including the U.S., Spain, and Austria, to name a few.

In 2005, which according to him was the time when “the bubble has just burst in Silicon Valley,” Flores saw an opportunity to establish a real estate business that would involve startup companies in the area.��

Flores and Amidi bought a building along Silicon Valley with an initial plan to divide it into different spaces and lease to startups.��

“But we felt that there were more opportunities to do than just real estate,” he said in a forum organized by QBO Philippines on May 22 in Makati City.

From a mere establishment offering affordable office spaces, the building turned into an innovation hub called Plug and Play the following year, helping tech startups raise funds and build connections with large corporations.

“[The building] gave us the chance to really see and experience startups and in some instances invest in them,” he said, adding that the new venture prompted the idea of scaling their previous investment in startups to a larger operation.��

“We didn’t invent anything new, we just created a platform that is a microcosm of what is already happening in Silicon Valley. We just created a platform, where we can accelerate things to happen for all parties whether you are a startup, a corporation, a venture capitalist, or any other player in the ecosystem.”

Plug and Play supports a community of over 400 tech startups in three campuses in Silicon Valley. To date, it has raised in excess $.5 billion for its startups. It is also a seed and angel investor with more than 700 companies in its portfolio, including unicorns such as PayPal, Dropbox, Soundhound, Lending Club, and Zoosk, among others.

Last year, it was named by Business Journal as the “most active investor” in Silicon Valley.

“It’s been fun. We’ve probably helped around 3,000 to 4,000 startups, but a slap to my face was none of them are Filipinos,” he said.

So in 2012, Flores initiated the expansion of Plug and Play in Asia, where it now holds offices in key cities such as Singapore, Tokyo, Jakarta, and Beijing.

To further involve Filipino startups in its lineup of investees, Flores tapped his high school classmate and technopreneur Jay Fajardo and established Launchgarage in 2016, with the goal to “find really good startups and scale them globally.”

Patterned after Plug and Play, Launchgarage is an incubator, accelerator, and investor supporting tech startups in the Philippines and Southeast Asia.��

In choosing startups to invest in, Flores said they look for three T’s: the team, which he said is the most important component of a startup; technology that requires validation from established corporations; and traction to prove marketability.

“At the end of the day, innovation has to be used by actual customers because if not, it’s just an invention,” he said.

While local startups have the potential to form a community similar to Silicon Valley, Flores said Filipino entrepreneurs should focus more on bringing their companies to the global market.

“We have been talking with over 20 governments around the world and they always tell me, ‘Oh we wanna create our own Silicon Valley.’ And in a very gentle way, we tell them that it’s not possible,” he said. “[They] should just create [their] own ecosystem that is local, but what’s more important is to bridge the startups that they have locally to the global scene.”

How to develop a brand voice for millennial-targeted content

��ý — Wed, 18 Apr 2018 03:04:00 +0000

Studies show that millennials are the undisputed leaders in the consumption of digital content. They spend more time on social media, watch more videos online, and surf the web more than any other generation. In other words, millennials are very much digital natives. For them, consuming content is second nature.

Despite the fact that there are only a handful of resources that advise business leaders on how to create content that resonates with their generation, there are even several articles that blame that generational cohort for killing everything. This includes home ownership, golf, beer, and many more that of the things the millennials have supposedly killed. But with all the claims and blame, none of them acknowledged the difference of millennials in terms of what engages them, speaks to their passions, or inspires them.

With this gap in mind, I would like to share my tips for creating compelling brand content for millennials, especially in the Philippine context. At TaskUs Philippines, I oversee the creation of all our photos, videos, posts, and campaigns which you can find on : all of which exclusively target the coveted millennial demographic.

Here are my five tips for creating great millennial-friendly content.��

Give them a voice.

From a digital marketing perspective, this means you should actively hire millennials to be part of your team, so they can help you craft an authentic, young voice.

You’ll see this in full practice with my team at TaskUs: There are many team members in their early to late-twenties, even in positions of leadership. The results are evident in how authentic some of our best content comes across. For example, in a video we did for Heroes’ Day last year, our young team members conceptualized a short film about a TaskUs teammate, fighting through heartbreak. The video got 1.7 million video views, the bulk of which came from millennials who could relate with her story.

Throw job descriptions out the window.

Picture your standard organizational chart that illustrates how departments are arranged and who reports to whom. If you only accept content ideas from those under your designated creatives team, then you are already limiting yourself on the number of ideas you can come up with. On the other hand, if you open your content to everyone across the organization, you will generate exponentially more ideas which will give you an opportunity to find the perfect one.

This ideal begins by letting people operate outside of their job title and description, if they are inspired to do so. We experience this all the time at TaskUs. Who wrote, produced, and filmed our Heroes Day video that netted 1.7 million views, for instance? A team member who belongs to partnerships and public relations, not the creatives or social media team.

Pull, don’t push.

We believe that millennials like to be self-directed and choose which types of brands they want to interact with. As such, we have found that trying to hard sell or do any kind of push marketing just doesn’t work with them. Instead, what we should try to do is to show them TaskUs’ unique culture.

This contrast is most evident in our language wherein we avoid any pull marketing type phrases like “contact us now” or “inquire today” or “join us.” Instead, we like to tell stories both fictional and flash documentaries, that demonstrate what distinguishes TaskUs as not only a workplace, but as a culture.

Here is an example from our current campaign for Valentine’s Day. Rather than stuff the video with many different call to actions pressuring them to apply to our company, we adopted an unconventional medium to tell the story of one of our team members.��

Don’t neglect the in-person element.

While you are creating digital content, your means of collaboration should not only be digital. While apps like Slack and Facebook’s @Work are beneficial for execution, you should still do the lion’s share of your brainstorming in-person, as a group.

We do this formally at TaskUs once a month through our regular huddles. Our team, which is spread out across our multiple offices in greater Metro Manila, convenes at a single location. We spend the day sharing great content, including everything from our favorite movies and series to viral articles and videos. This process is generative: through sharing and appreciating content that moves us, we are able to think of ideas that may also work well for our audience.

One example of the kind of zany but effective idea that can emerge from casual, in-person brainstorming is Freaky Friday. One of our team members suggested that we have leaders immerse themselves in another role at our company to subtly showcase our unique culture and our workspaces. The series was a hit—perhaps the most memorable episode so far is the video of our SVP of South East Asia Robert Hayes spending the day as a team member of TaskUs Titans, our very own eSports team (yes, this meant he spent the day playing DOTA for the video!)

Build your castle in the sky.

The same rule that applies to business applies to content: execution is everything. Great ideas do not mean anything unless you write, shoot, or produce them. To create an environment that emphasizes taking an idea through the full course of conceptualization, production, revision, release, and promotion, each concept must be accountable to a single person. While someone must approve their work for quality control, they are encouraged to be as creative as possible—we want them to go so far as to challenge our own brand guidelines. This notion circles back to my first point: You must not only give millennials a voice, but also the freedom to sing.

Addi Dela Cruz is the Head of Brand, Environment for Communications & Design at TaskUs, LLC.

Cebu Pacific wants millennials to study how to fly a plane

��ý — Wed, 11 Apr 2018 11:29:00 +0000

Millennials are no strangers to Cebu Pacific, the Gokongwei-led airline that for 2017. But while most would satiate their wanderlust by booking a piso-fare flight, a select few push their luck further: by studying how to fly a Cebu Pac plane.

“Flying a plane is something I enjoy because of the technicality behind it. It’s not just about pushing buttons. You have to apply technical lessons and computations,” said Martha de Leon, a 22-year-old aeronautical engineering graduate. She is among the first batch of 16 aspiring pilots under Cebu Pacific’s Cadet Pilot Program who will be sent to Australia for a one-year training.

Cebu Pacific launched the program in October last year, shelling out $25 million that cover all expenses of a total of 240 candidates over a five-year period. From more than 12,500 applicants nationwide, 16 were chosen, including De Leon, as part of the maiden batch. The program was initially aimed to��address the airline’s expansion requirements over the next five years.

Under the program, the aspirants will undergo��integrated flying training, flight theory, and education courses at Australia’s��Flight Training Adelaide. After finishing the training, they will return to the Philippines to complete type-rating and licensing requirements to become commercial pilots. Upon completing the entire program, the cadet pilots will become first officers at Cebu Pacific, flying both domestic and international routes.

At a send-off party last April 10 in Pasay City, she said that she took up aeronautical engineering—a course she finished with honors at PATTS College of Aeronautics—because she thought it was the closest she could get to becoming a pilot.�� “But I couldn’t continue pursuing my dream of flying because of monetary problems,” she said.

Successful cadets will secure an employment slot at the airline. They will then reimburse the cost of the program through salary deduction over a period of ten years.

Pilots, navigators and flight engineers are still the highest paying jobs in the country with an average monthly salary of P156,823, according to the Labor Market Trends Report released last year. Salary for an aircraft captain can go as high as P280,000, while a senior captain can earn P350,000.

“There are still people who ask me why I want to study aviation. They often say it’s for the boys,” she pointed out. She “I want to prove to everyone that you can also do a job that men usually do.”

With the lure of travel and the attractive compensation packages, it isn’t surprising that de Leon and her contemporaries are taking the leap towards the cockpit. Twenty-one-year-old Jose Angelo Santos, for example, left his slot at the University of the Philippines College of Law after two semesters of law school to embark on this totally different flight.

“In law school, you have to be prepared everyday because there’s always a recitation, so you have to do your homework, read cases,” he said. “I think it’s the same thing as becoming a pilot. You have to be prepared everyday and you have to be on the top of your game because the responsibility you have [to carry people in the air from point A to point B] is huge.”��

But it’s not just people. As technology changes the way business is done—particularly the boom of e-commerce—transport companies like Cebu Pacific are bound to thrive and contribute to worldwide retail e-commerce sales, which is to $4.5 trillion in 2021.

“We need a strong aviation sector to form bridges in the air,” said Samuel Avilla, Cebu Pacific’s vice president for flight operations. “We’re an archipelago. And the fastest way to connect to the islands before was by the sea. But now you have aircrafts and if you don’t have a strong aviation how would you to transport people and goods?”

��Cebu Pacific’s Cadet Pilot Program, he said, aims to contribute to the country’s strong commercial aviation sector by grooming future flight commanders. They are, in his words, “the future leaders” of the industry: “a requirement for nation building.”

How to build a business in an age where everything's mobile

��ý — Fri, 06 Apr 2018 10:55:48 +0000

With today’s most successful digital companies being borne out of garages, Launchgarage CEO Jay Fajardo, considered one of the thought leaders of the Philippine startup community, swears by an exercise he calls “The Ten Things Test.” The goal: to predict the future from a chair.

The test is simple: “Sit down, spot any ten things lying around you, then imagine those things ten years from now,” he says.

From that vantage point, a monotone concrete skyline can transform into crystalline, rectilinear protrusions against a clear, pollution-free sky. Jeepneys and buses, aged by smoke and density, become aerodynamic, driverless vehicles that cruise with finesse.

The question then becomes: What can you do to build this kind of future?

IDEATE CREATIVELY

Fajardo, who has launched some of the most dynamic tech startups in Manila, sees this as an exercise in ideation.

While most innovators launch products in order to solve a problem, there is another way to create something: anticipate the needs of the future. While this typically is a red flag for investors like him, there are few who succeed because of their foresight. He calls these people visionaries. “You’ve seen into the future and you’ve created a market that will need the product.” he said during the Spark Series event at the College of Saint Benilde.

“Steve Jobs—he didn’t care about what the market needed,” he said. “He had an assumption about what the market will need. He created a need, he created a demand, he created a desire.”

The traditional ideation process, which has worked in the past industrial revolution, has been trumped by technology, demanding a more creative ideation process. Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum coined the term “The Fourth Industrial revolution,” described as “a technological revolution that will fundamentally alter the way we live, work, and relate to one another.”

That includes the ways businesses are built.

BOOTSTRAP

“My suggestion is you start small—small steps to learn the medium, master it, and play around with it,” said Arthur Policarpio, CEO of Mobext Philippines, the Philippines’ leading mobile-first creative digital agency which operates in 55 markets worldwide. He emphasized: “You also have to learn the craft, and if you fail, you will increase your crafting expertise, then you can soon graduate to the more investment-heavy risks.”

When he jumped into his first venture, he got a partner, an investor who was also a long-time friend. “If you’re starting out, it helps to present it to people that you know. Especially if you don’t have personal equity, personal reputation for a successful business,” he said. “That will come later on when you work on gain a reputation.”

Nowadays in the digital world, however, people don’t even need an investor to get started. “You can do things on your own, he said. You can bootstrap your own business with minimal investment.”

With e-commerce booming in the Philippines and raking in billions in revenue, mobile commerce entrepreneurs, generate millions in sales, according to Policarpio. “[Millennials now] have the benefit of being able to sell something online on a global basis,” he said, mentioning platforms like Shopify, an e-commerce company headquartered in Ontario that develops software for merchants to sell their products on a customizable online store.

He also added that global freelancing platforms like the US-based and benefit both businesses and independent professionals to either make or save money. The sites allow freelancers to purvey their services to any company in the world, while at the same time, also lets businesses save on fixed overhead costs.

LOAN LIKE A MILLENNIAL

“In the beginning, you have a hunch. You have a gut,” said Mark Ruiz, President of Hapinoy, a social enterprise that empowers women microentrepreneurs through training, access to capital, and mobile-based technologies. He is also the founding partner and board member of Rags2Riches, a fashion and design house for urban poor artisans, and co-founder and chief strategy officer for AwesomeLab, a startup building Internet of Things technologies.

“Once you begin to see there is a seed of an idea, either you find partners or put in money,” he added.

But money doesn’t always need to be handed by a bank teller.

Mr. Ruiz said there are already companies like , which uses “nontraditional data” to provide credit scoring and verification to empower the emerging middle class around the world. What type of nontraditional data exactly? Digital footprints.

According to an animated video on the site, Lenddo analyzes a potential borrower’s digital footprints from social media activity, geolocation, and smartphone data into insights on consumer’s behavior, network and strength of their relationships—information that could be highly predictive of their credit worthiness. Lenddo then works with banks and microfinancers to offer borrowers the opportunity to share their individual data in order to be assessed.

To give out loans for entrepreneurs with at least a year-old business, Fuse Lending uses a combination of people plus gamified technology. Kim Seng, the product manager for small and medium enterprises (SME) lending, calls the tool “psychometric,” which is built in tablets of about 60 Fuse partners who go around the country.

This tool has built-in questionnaires, a lot psychological, which gives Fuse a clue on how potential borrowers will be able to manage their money. It is thus unlike the typical bank transactions involving tons of paperwork and seemingly never-ending forms. “Aside from the usual capacity check, it is also important to have a scalable way to look at the character,” Seng said.

Coupled with photos that are sent to the homebase, Fuse’s tool can assess and approve loans as early as the following day.

GROW THROUGH CROWDSOURCING

Sometimes however, money begets more money. “Small and medium business couldn’t grow because they need access to capital,” said Asim Haneef, a former TV producer who covered social entrepreneurship in emerging economies.

He then built , an app that enables these businesses to bypass banks and crowdfund investment directly from their customers.

“It’s not like crowdfunding enough for expanding from one to five stores,” Haneef explained in an interview through a messaging app. “But for example, if 50 customers a month all decide to prepay P1000 at a coffee shop, the owner has P50,000 working capital—to buy a new coffee machine or hire a new member of staff,” he said.

“So it’s really crowdfunding working capital,” he concluded.

The community that uses PaidUp includes restaurants, coffee shops, cafés, nail salons, and massage establishments, but apart from small and medium enterprises, bigger establishments like Jamba Juice and Infinitea, who, as he says, “like the transaction and convenience offered by the app.”

With businesses increasingly depending on digital technologies however, there is the challenge of keeping up.

“I think one of the hassles is that it’s technology, and that has all kinds of issues especially where the internet doesn’t work well in some areas,” Haneef said. “The concept is very new, so it’s almost an educational challenge.”

“We are at the beginning of the fintech revolution here in Philippines,” he added. “In China about 40% of orders for drinks and food at certain places are done through prepaid mobile wallet apps like WeChat, and it’s just a matter of time before ordering food and services like this online becomes the norm.”

“Soon,” he said, “everything will be cashless and convenient.” Whether he said this while sitting on a chair doing The Ten Things Test is irrelevant. The question remains: What can you do to build this kind of future?

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