Use "Quick Set Up" to Start Your Business

Posted on October 29, 2012 by Business Class Podcast

For a new entrepreneur, starting a business can be a mystery. You just do not know where to start because there are so many things to do and so many risks you want to avoid. Generally, there are two ways to begin. Some start by doing a business plan, while others just start selling with only a product in hand and market in mind. I like to call the latter Quick Set Up. Both paths can be a good way to initiate the business. The business plan is effective if you plan to bring in investors early on in the business. On the other hand, Quick Set Up is a good way to get the ball rolling fast and find out if your are assumptions are correct or not. For this article I will not focus on starting a business by creating a formal business plan. Instead, I will zero in on the entrepreneur’s way of starting a business. Continue reading →

Profitable Business Ideas for Working Moms

Posted on October 10, 2012 by Business Class Podcast

Many working moms need extra income. Starting a business while being employed does not mean you have to leave your day job. This is exactly what the owner of an errand services did. She put up a business while working as an HR officer. She only resigned when the business is already stable and earns more than what she gets monthly from her day job. Continue reading →

Pattern Recognition: A Skill Every Entrepreneur Must Have

Posted on October 1, 2012 by Business Class Podcast

Pattern recognition is a skill every entrepreneur must develop. First, let me define pattern recognition. This pertains to the ability of a person to spot small changes in the environment and make sense of it. Over the years we have seen many changes that have happened, like martial law, coup de tat, economic downturn, boom in the IT and nursing industries. We have noticed them and labeled them because they are big events but these events have originated from little spark of events. In the book Tipping Point by Malcom Gladwell, he said that small events will lead to a tipping point and after the tipping point, events become viral and hard to stop. These group of small events are like small ripples in the sea that expand and eventually go big over time. These Events can be anything from disease to fashion. The role of the entrepreneur in such events is to spot the wave of trend early; to either exploit the opportunity or protect the business from the threat. The key to unlocking the trend is Pattern Recognition. Continue reading →

Managing a Start Up's Bumpy Road

Posted on September 27, 2012 by Business Class Podcast

The fate of a small business depends on the foundation it was built upon. The most important factor during the start up phase is the owner; for he lays his vision as the foundation, and his values serve as the cement that binds the corporate culture. However, having good vision and values do not ensure the success of a venture. Both are only concepts and will remain as concepts unless it is being acted upon. Continue reading →

9 Tips on How to Say Goodbye to Your Boss and Hello to Your Own Business

Posted on September 4, 2012 by Business Class Podcast

Many Filipinos love to have a business of their own but are always hesitant to take the risk. That is OK, nobody likes risk anyway. I once did a survey among employed people. I ask them to raise their hands if they want to have a business. 100% raised their hands. I asked them if they are would shell out a month of their salary to a new business. Nobody raised hands. So I asked them what they want to do as their business. They all said that they will use their skill to start a business. That I think is practical and wise but as Michael Gerber said in his book, skills alone do not make you successful. You still need to be scientific in your approach to starting a new business, most especially when you are trying to transition from being employed to self-employed. So how would you say goodbye to your boss and hello to business? Continue reading →