Hey it’s Jon here and I’m writing this email from McDonalds while sipping a freshly brewed coffee. Rapsa!
You know what’s the best thing about having your own business?
Other than the opportunity na kumita ng mas malaki but the FREEDOM to do what you love to do, anytime you want, and anywhere you want.
I do hope you have a concrete plan to start your own business this year.
Kung wala pa because you’re confused and you have some questions, just let me know in this short survey form:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/6WJMPBR
If you’ll share to me your biggest problem in starting your own business, you’ll get a chance to have a FREE copy of my upcoming Start-up Business course.
Here’s the URL again:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/6WJMPBR
To your freedom,
Jon Orana
P.S. I’ll release my brand new course by February 2013. This is the first ever course of its kind for aspiring
entrepinoys.
is this true?
Opo. 🙂
Hi Jon,
I am happy that I have known you through facebook. I am now starting a t shirt printing business. I hope you can give me more insights on how to go about with the marketing of this business. I want to get more customers. Right now I have only one customer and that is for the uniform of their factory workers.
Please help me
Congratulations in your new venture.
I assume your customers are those who buy in bulk.
With that, you have to figure out who are these customers of yours. Are they corporate, school, organization, etc?
Then, start contacting them about their needs.
Another thing you can do is figure out how your competitors get their customers. Where are they advertising? In magazine, newspaper, billboards? Figuring this out will give you a clue on how to market your business.
dear mr jon:
i am really in need of help…so i was wondering if you would or could help me..it is good to have someone to talk to in cyberspace who knows about business and Filipino at the same time….i am a single mom really and technically in the poverty line na…i dont have anything …no money for rent, tuition for daughter in college, for pamasahe, for clothes, for doctor, for medicines, and soon for food….i am an pre-need/non-life agent …but it is not enough for all that i have mentioned…i really want to get our of this pit that i am in right now and yet i dont know why and how…i am good at cooking and food….friends are offering me mlm business which they will pay for…but in my previous attempts at networking walang nangyari…hindi ko sila lahat napalago….would you can you help me…desperate mom
Hi Senn.
Di mo nabanggit if you have a job. If you don’t, I suggest that you get one while you’re still learning the business you want to get into.
It’s hard to think better if you’re in a desperation stage. So income from a job is helpful in the beginning stage.
In my dictionary, MLM is not a business unless you own the MLM company. Truth is, you’re merely a sales agent of that MLM company.
Hi Jon,
I am glad that I came across your website. I am planning to start my business of manufacturing household products such as dishwashing liquids, soaps, hand sanitizers and the likes. I have my regular 8-5:30 (or onwards) job right now so what I plan to do is to not sell my products directly. One thing I am thinking right now is to consign my products to sari-sari stores then just visit them periodically asking for progress on sales. Can you advise other ways of not directly selling my products? If you have already answered my question in previous posts, kindly send me the link so that you won’t have to answer again here.
Thanks.
Jomar.
Before you think about how to sell it, you need to do some market research. Baka maraming nag mamanufacture nyan and you don’t want to compete with them directly.
Basically, you have two types of customer. First are the consumer themselves and second the retail stores.
Talk to these people as many as you can.
Figure out what they want and don’t want to the product you’ll be making. What you’ll be doing is trying to find a gap in the market.
DO NOT go to “pricing” competition. It’s not worth the time. You don’t want to be someone with the lowest price. Lowest price normally low profit.
You’ll be surprise with the information you’ll get from them.
Jon,
Thanks for your input. I did some talking with some people here but I gather more information from other people. I will keep you posted.
As far as competition goes, we have two local manufacturers in our area and they have gone ahead of me. If you don’t mind, would you share some tips on how I can get some competitive edge over these two manufacturers without the price war?
Thanks again.
In researching your potential customer, you’ll discover what they don’t like or like about the product or supplier.
For retail stores, it can be as simple as delivering the goods on time. For consumers, it can be as simple as less concentrated chemical.
Imagine I’m a potential customer, a retail store owner, I’ll ask you this question…”bakit ako kukuha sayo at hindi sa competitor mo?”
You must have a good answer to that.
Jon,
I was able to make my first batch of dishwashing liquids. I tried to give samples to stores and carinderias as well as some of my family members, friends and workmates. So far they have positive feedback on my sample product. In the question “bakit ako kukuha sayo at hindi sa competitor mo?”, I always pointed out the “less concentrated chemical” quality.
I am facing two challenges right now:
1. Pricing – I would say that since the competitors are already in the “mass production” stage, they are able to put up a price with a good profit (since they do mass production) which I can compete but I will have minimal profit. For example, they would sell a bottle of dishwashing liquid for 39 pesos. If I were to sell my product for the same price, I would only be able to gain a small profit.
2. Product branding – When I was giving my samples to the sari-sari stores, the people were skeptical at my product. It even came to a point where they were just “napilitan” to receive the free sample that I was giving them. I think this boils down to having a good salesmanship in promoting my product.
I am now preparing to make the second batch of my dishwashing liquid. I am not sure of what questions to ask you this time but I think it would be how to stay motivated in my business despite the challenges I am facing.
Jomar
Hi Jon,
Gusto ko mag open ng bus. ( coffeeshop) ask ko how much ba ang pwede kong capital? target ko malapit sa call center..
It really varies. I believe na cover ito once sa Entrepreneur Magazine Philippines. You can go to this small bookstore, I forgot the name, where they have still the back issues.
Hi mr. Ora
Isa po akong ofw ,at may hilig sa pagluluto pwede mo po ba akong turuan kung paano mag umpisa ng negosyo . At kung paano itong mapalago,maraming salamat po asahan ko po ang iyong sagot
Hi Marnil.
Medyo mahirap pag usapan ang details about your business here.
I will release some courses and books to help you out so you can have clarity in your business.
Watch out for my coming emails.
God bless!
hi Jon i am one of your avid follower but i still want to explore, i have a small business a comshop and of course during my spare time i want to have an extra job and i have extra talent in typing and i’m kinda speed in typing. I want to join in blogging but those without registration fees (and i knew most with fees are risky) or i can accept typing job online but i want to legitimate and no fees requirements. Thanks so much and God bless…
Hi Carmi.
If you have an existing business, why not focus on making your business bigger and more profitable.
Have promos or marketing strategies so your customers will return more often.
Specially those slow times of the day.
I know in restaurants, their slow days are Monday and Tuesday, that’s why they normally have specials during those days.
hi i!m juanitz i have my sarisari store but kulang sa puhunan.and i have also a erox machine tnx for helping me. gud day sir.
Hi Jon,
i want to start an online virtual assistant’s business. i see myself working with american or european counterparts. i want to break into their market, is it necessary for me to get some training from some VA course?
how do i identify what niche i belong to? I pride myself in being a writer but i don’t know what it takes to be a VA.
My other concern is how do i get good employees? I have friend who are also wiling to break into the virtual assistant’s business and we agreed to form a group. How do we leverage each other’s strenths?
Would love your thoughts on the matter, Jon and thanks for taking the time to read over my questions.
Hi Gloria.
I define “niche” as need of the market.
At ikaw ang makakapag sabi nun. Basically, ask yourself, “Anong niche (need) ang hindi masyado napapag-silbihan?”
Find that and then dominate that niche.
If you’re starting, start with a tight niche and then expand. It’s much easier that way and profitable that way.
For hiring employees, medyo mahabang usapan yan.
For partnership, talk to your partner and see what he/she has to offer. Ask her what she thinks her strengths are.
It’s smart to find a partner but you have to trust that person.
hi. i am an entrep grad. but now i am working in a foreign private company for 6 years already (my 1st job, and my comfort zone).
my family/parents own a printing shop (2 branches) .
I know the difference of being an employee vs being an entrepreneur.
Fact:
I’m not a risk taker.
Though I wanna try to just work with our family business,
but I’m AFRAID that the demand of time is too much for me,
also, I do not know my salary / allowance if I will be working at our family business..
otherwise,
if I continue to work here in the corp.world, I know I have fixed salary and just 8 hour job, but I know it’s not gonna be enough for my future.
Any sermon? hehe.. I know nasa harap ko na ang sagot and tutuklawin nako…. but I just can’t let go of my comfort zone… hmm…
Many thanks!