When it comes to unlocking economic opportunities, women often look at creating an impact on two fronts: their respective families and communities in need. According to the Clinton Global Initiative, when women work, they invest 90% of their income back to their families compared to just 35% of men.
Beyond their own families, Pinays harness the power of support groups to help people in need–something that was widely seen over the past year as the global pandemic impacted the country. Case in point: 58% of Facebook Groups were created by women in 2020. Also, 54% of the membership of COVID-19 support groups created last year are women.
Being proactive online also translated to tangible support for different causes in the Philippines, as women contributed 62% of the total amount fundraised on Facebook.
Supporting women and unlocking their entrepreneurial potential creates a more resilient, inclusive and equal society. This is why Facebook launched #SheMeansBusiness in 2016, to support women’s economic empowerment through digital and business skills training and valuable connections. Now in its fifth year, over 20,000 Filipina entrepreneurs have benefited from its sessions that cover three key areas: digital marketing, business resiliency, and financial literacy.
Here, three graduates of the #SheMeansBusiness program share their key learnings from the respective workshops they attended. These skills not only helped graduates realize their entrepreneurship goals, it also allowed them to positively impact other communities that benefit from their ventures.
Create a network with other small businesses
A Makati-based passionate homebaker, Maria Tuazon turned her baking hobby into an income source due to challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. She started a business she called Hurnohan, a Filipino word for oven. More than creating flavorful pastries, Marian also wanted to contribute to other local entrepreneurs that like her, were affected by the pandemic.
“I have always been a strong advocate of sustainability, I sourced my products–be it ingredients, or packaging, from local entrepreneurs and farmers. This also gave them business and helped them earn a livelihood,” said Marian.
With the help of a friend, she set up Facebook and Instagram pages to help market Hurnohan. This is where Marian discovered that she needed to add more to her sumptuous desserts.
“I had to step up and make my online presence active, and attractive,” she said.
Upon learning about BANGON MSMEs (Boost with Facebook and SheMeansBusiness), she immediately signed up.
“I learned from the program that you really need to look at every angle when you decide to go into a business. From financial management down to digital marketing as well as looking at possible sources of materials or ingredients from other small businesses like yours–it’s important to look at different avenues you can pursue to make your venture a viable one,” Marian said.
As her delectable treats are now reaching more customers thanks to her increased reach on Facebook, Tuazon looks to continue paying it forward in her own #LoveLokal way. “I am eager to continue my partnership with other local MSMEs to source sustainable ingredients and support local goods.”
Connect and engage with your customers on social
Established in 2017, Sweet Memories, a hand-crafted invitations and souvenirs business was a dream that turned into reality for Michelle Pablico-Zabanal. A teacher by profession from Palawan, she decided to turn her passion for crafting into a venture that showcases her skill–eventually getting a steady stream of clients.
But like many entrepreneurs during the enhanced community quarantine throughout the nation last year, Michelle had to temporarily close shop.
“With the events industry severely slowed down by the pandemic, we had to close our business for three full months. My husband and I even started selling plants to keep things going,” recalled Michelle.
“Using digital platforms is crucial for any business looking to reach more customers. It has tools that allow your content to target your intended audience to increase organic reach and also get new customers you won’t otherwise reach offline,” said Michelle.
As her business slowly reopened as restrictions relaxed, her new-found digital marketing knowledge came in handy. “Our sales increased because we learned how to target the right audience for our products,” she said.
Diversify products and get creative with marketing
As a second-generation business owner, Katrina Cortez who owns Katrins Kaong and Nata de Coco knew the niche markets that their sugar palm fruit preserve products had. Since taking over the reins in 2016, she was always looking for ways to diversify their product range.
When the pandemic hit the country, the demand for their products were greatly affected. “We needed to diversify, fast. From sugar palm fruit preserves we moved to jams which had better demand,” recalled Katrina.
Upon learning about the Bangon MSMEs (Boost with Facebook and SheMeansBusiness) program, Cortez went all in learning how to pivot their business online, too.
“When you diversify product lines like we did, you also need to spread the word fast to ensure business continuity. Through the program, I learned a lot about digital marketing–something we didn’t do a lot of prior to the pandemic. You need to make sure that digital assets, like your Facebook Business page are helping you generate inquiries while increasing overall awareness online,” said Katrina.
From two products, Cortez currently has twelve. Although business has not returned to its pre-pandemic state, she believes that her increased knowledge in digital marketing and business resiliency puts her business on the recovery track. And she advises her fellow Pinay entrepreneurs to stay the course.
“My advice to other women entrepreneurs is to never doubt your decisions. Do not let problems bog you down. Just keep going,” Katrina said.
Learn and connect with other women entrepreneurs through Facebook’s #SheMeansBusiness program. To learn more, log on to: https://shemeansbusinessfb.com/
This is a press release distributed by Ogilvy Philippines