Online selling in the Philippines is rapidly growing, revolutionizing the retail sector. But there is more to it than making a sale as what top sellers and budding entrepreneurs of Lazada, the number one online shopping and selling destination in Southeast Asia, have come to realize.
Over a hundred top sellers from the Lazclub, an exclusive community of top Lazada online sellers, were invited by Globe Telecom’s micro, small, and medium enterprise arm Globe myBusiness, to eVolution, a whole-day workshop filled with talks and masterclasses designed to help sellers grow their business. From branding to finance, those invited were provided with unprecedented access to experts in their field – from how to photograph products for social media to filling out accounting books.
“Entrepreneurs are always looking for ways to get things done more efficiently and to grow their business. That is why Globe myBusiness makes it a goal to expose SMEs to the best operations, finance, and marketing practices for them to excel and flourish. As their trusted partner, we also want to equip businesses with the right technology to make them future-ready,” said Mary Gaile Guevarra, Head of Marketing Services of Globe MyBusiness.
It is currently estimated that expected revenue for e-commerce in the Philippines will reach around $10 billion by 2025, thus, the need for online stores to be prepared digitally.
Sonny Del Rosario, President and Training Director of LifeQuest Training and Consultancy Corporation, one of the speakers at the event, pointed out that while some sellers are content with simply peddling products at a marked-up price or breaking even, there is more to having a successful business than just earning money.
In order to be financially sound, he said business owners must have an accountant and keep their own records to be always aware about how the business is doing. “You need to have reasonably accurate financial records. Keep track of transactions, cash flows, and assets. If you have good financial records, you develop good management habits. Your own records serve as a framework to examine the affairs of your business through a financial lens,” he said.
Keith Dador, Professional Photographer at Catnip Studios, on the other hand said, online sellers must represent their brand in social media by having good photos of their products. “You have to remember that your photos will represent your product. You need to find the angles, backgrounds, and mixing and matching of the products to make it more appealing. You can do something really simple, as long as it would work well for you.”
Other experts who shared their knowledge to the entrepreneurs are: Frankie Torres of Ellana Mineral Cosmetics, Bianca Natola of Get Social Digital, Inc., Ria Salvana of Unilever Philippines, and Willy Arcilla, Branding Consultant for SMEs and the Department of Trade and Industry.
As a major provider of basic telecommunications services to the business community, Globe myBusiness provides not only digital tools and solutions to MSMEs but also learning sessions through the Globe myBusiness Academy. For more information about Globe MyBusiness’ products and services, visithttps://mybusiness.globe.com.ph (Press Release)
