Tips On Starting Your Online Business (Philippines)

I have always dreamed of becoming an entrepreneur. 

Last year I decided to test the online business craze...and it was overwhelmingly crazy! 

I've been getting a lot of inquiries about how I started it. 

Here, I share with you how I did it all from scratch! 

Tip# 1. Get a good steady Internet connection.

It is after all an online business! 

A steady internet connection can make or break your online business. 

The Internet plays the biggest role from planning to execution, 

so make sure you get a good and reliable provider. 

A provider who can immediately assist and restore broken connection.

 It would also be wise to have a back up plan,
in the form of USB mobile broadband from a different carrier,
in case of outages from your current one.

Tip#2. Ask help from your family. 

A supportive family can provide the best motivation and inspiration.
They're usually open to lend a hand, without IMMEDIATE pay 😜!
Make it a family affair ---or even better, a family online business!
I was fortunate enough to have my sister and brother (who both works in Manila),
 to help me out.
Make use of every skill you all have.
This was a great opportunity to learn and grow together.


Tip #3. Research well and compare suppliers. 

Because the internet is waaayyy faster and reliable here in Singapore,
I was tasked to do all the supplier research.
I sourced locally  to make it easier to get our hands on the products.
I was initially worried about the minimum order quantity (MOQ) requirements,
but found small time wholesalers and manufacturers who do not demand for 500 MOQ.
I was surprised to find plenty of small business manufacturers and wholesalers in the Philippines.
I started my search from OLX.Ph
and verified the business by checking their social media presence
such as on Instagram and Facebook.

Due diligence is necessary to avoid being scammed.
My sister would call the listed manufacturers and even visit their warehouse to check the products.
I'd say, make time for this.
A review of my bag suppliers HERE.

Tip #4. Learn and assign roles. 

Assign roles! It was so fun given that we own the business.
We had control of who we want to be on the business --- or at least I do hahaha.
I was the brains of the business and CEO.
But I was also the marketing head, photo editor, social media manager, inventory controller, product and supplier researcher.
My husband became the COO - he is after all an accountant.
But you don't need an accountant to do this task.
You would have to learn to understand the logic between getting revenue and managing expenses.
My sister and brother became the Purchasing Heads,
product photographers, resellers,
and decides on which products we should sell.
And because we had limited manpower, all other roles became mine.

Tip#5. Invest in reliable equipment. 

You do not need expensive equipment.
It's what you do with your equipment that matters.
A reliable notebook and a camera is what you need to get started.

A point and shoot camera or even your smartphone's camera is sufficient.

There is absolutely no need to waste your capital on a DSLR yet. 

My brother uses a Sony Phone and my sister an iPhone 4s.

What you need is good lighting and a decent background. 

Using natural light is best. I bought a cheap desk light and that works too. 

You just have to learn to adjust it as to not overexpose your photos. 

Use a clean solid colored background. 

A white or light colored background helps your product standout. 

My first photo had a checkered cloth background, it was a good learning experience haha.

There's no shortage of free apps for photo editing. 

Before

There are even online editing software's now such as Pixlr.

                           

 

                    After

Tip#6. Learn how to do your inventory. 

This is probably the toughest I have to learn, but a very vital part of the business.
I had to learn how to use numbers (that's like excel, but for mac).
Start from the basic. Trust me, you'll eventually add the necessary columns as you go along.
Here's how I started mine:

Tip#7: Create an online presence.
It is vital to create both an Instagram and Facebook page.

Start by adding content. This is where your photos are very much needed.
Make sure to include the basic how-to's in your About page.
Include product description and prices on the photos or the description box.
Try to omit some information to encourage customers to reach out to you.
Share your pages to your personal accounts.
Facebook can also help promote your business and get customers - for as low as $10.
Make sure to answer inquiries within 24 hours.
Inquiries handled immediately tend to close the deal faster. 

Update your page regularly by showcasing what you currently have.
Facebook has a section for creating promotions that I find it
very useful in interacting with customers.
Add interesting status updates and use it to interact with your customers.

                

Tip#8: Start selling to people within your circle.

This was one of the best decisions we've made.
Once we had everything in place, we sought after friends and families for support.
Our first inventory was sold in 2 days.
I could not believe how fast that happened.
We got our second batch of another 20 bags and another 2 days, it got sold out.
I started to get very busy...very, very busy.
From getting more stocks to answering inquiries.
I even asked families and friends
if they can be our model for the bags in our shop and they gamely participated.




From there, we got customer's from families friends, and friends friends, co workers,
until our page garnered a monster hit of likes. 

Tip#9: Reward your loyal customers. Be flexible

Our initial customers paved way to more customers.
We had so many loyal customers who helped spread the business
without asking for anything for free.
We showed our appreciation by rewarding them usually with discounts or even simple freebies.
What they loved most? Being notified first of the new arrivals.
Sometimes, stocks don't even get photographed and posted anymore.
That's how crazy it was!

Tip#10: Share and learn more skills.

This business can easily be a one-man show. But it will get tiring.
Having a team will still work best.
Share your skills to your team and allow them to grow.
Collaborate and allow yourself to learn from your team.
You do not have to do everything yourself.
If you do this, you'll soon tire yourself and your interest and focus will slowly diminish.
So share your skills and acquire more.
Once established, it's easy to go to the next venture.

xoxo,
~d

PS Our online shop is currently undergoing an upgrade and will re-open soon.