A big success that has gone unnoticed

By: Tina Arceo-Dumlao

Philippine Daily Inquirer

CELEBRITY endorser Lea Salonga

When it comes to producing quality poultry products, Bounty Agro-Ventures Inc. has few peers. It is acknowledged as one of the best in its industry, not just in the Philippines, but also in Asia, as evidenced by its 2009 Asian Livestock Award for outstanding contribution to the livestock industry.

But the stellar achievements of the 14-year-old homegrown company led by founder and president Tennyson Chen have gone largely unnoticed outside the small circle of dominant food companies who depend heavily on Bounty Fresh’s production to sustain their growing fast food operations.

That’s because its name does not really appear in the consumer arena, such that most Filipinos do not realize that there’s a great chance that the fried chicken they enjoy from quick service restaurants can be traced back to one of Bounty’s 555 broiler contract farms all over the country that last year produced 60 million broilers.

Institutional buyers

It’s the institutional buyers who know Bounty Agro-Ventures intimately, and that is consistent with the company’s initial strategy to target the bulk buyers of chicken, preferring to expand its business in step with their demand.

Bounty Agro-Ventures, however, is starting to make its formidable presence felt in the retail circles as it has realized in time that although it has a good slice of the poultry market in the Philippines, it faces growing competition not just from competitors in the country but also poultry producers in the region and even the world with the coming down of trade barriers.

At first, Bounty introduced to the market its line of dressed whole chicken and chicken parts under the Bounty Fresh brand. It differentiated itself in the market by being the first to vacuum pack its fresh chicken. The special packaging made its fresh chicken more expensive than that of its competitors, but discriminating buyers more than appreciated the quality and freshness that it promised.

According to BAVI Group Marketing Manager Dondi C. Alentajan, Bounty Fresh started with just a 10 percent share in the market in 2002 when it started producing vacuum packed whole chicken and chicken parts.

Market share

But today, it is fast gaining additional market share due in part to marketing campaigns to bring the brand closer to the buyers, such as the launch of the Chic Moms Club (www.chicmomsclub.com), a one-stop online club for busy moms that provides members with tips on how else to prepare chicken for that perfect home cooked meal, health and wellness lessons as well as discounts and chances to join members-only promotions.

“We understand how moms are generally busy and we know that a one-stop venue such as the www.chicmomsclub.com website helps in their time management, while providing entertainment and information as well,” shares Kathlene Gomez, Assistant Brand Manager of Bounty Fresh.

Gomez adds, “through the website, we communicate our latest promos such as our P10 discount on Bounty Fresh chicken bought at Chooks-to-Go outlets, E-recipes from well-known chefs and of course, exclusive invites to Bounty Fresh events.”

Alentajan says that the Chic Moms Club now has over 20,000 members and they have helped spread the word on what Bounty Fresh has to offer the growing market for not just dressed chicken but also other processed chicken products such as hotdogs, cold cuts, nuggets and sausages.

Its latest offering for chick moms is the support of the Rags2Riches line of eco-ethical high-fashion designer bags designed by Amina Aranaz-Alunan. The support to Rags2Riches is also expected to help build recall for Bounty Fresh’s Pollo Primero line of free range chicken.

Bounty Fresh commissioned Aranaz and Rags to Riches to create The Mercato bag and it shouldered part of the expenses to mount the Rags2Riches fashion shows, thus helping raise awareness of the advocacy to help mothers in Payatas earn a better living from recycling disposed cloth.

The bags area available at Aranaz stores for P2,500 each but are available for free for members of the club. They only need to register online, upload a photo and invite their friends to join.

The limited edition handbags were also created as a way for Bounty Fresh to honor mothers who usually head the household and count among Bounty Fresh’s loyal patrons.

According to Alentajan, the two companies came together for the limited edition bag project as they stand for the same thing: style with substance.

And perhaps the most successful branding campaign of Bounty Fresh is the rollout starting 2008 of its fast-growing Chooks to Go line of rotisseries, which churn out freshly roasted whole chicken.

The concept involves set up of stand-alone outlets selling oven roasted marinated chicken variants along with the company’s banner processed meats products, roasted pork belly, dressed chicken and other derivative products. What initially started as the Bounty Fresh Oven Roasted Chicken store evolved to the Chooks-to-Go brand.

Aggressive promotional efforts are poured into the rotisserie outlets starting with strict guidelines in site selections, pre-opening campaigns as well as standardized in-store merchandising. Promotions are conducted periodically on a national or local level depending on the needs of the outlets. New product introductions and above-the-line advertising activities are being developed to further strengthen its leadership position in the take-out food retail market.

There are now close to 1,200 Chooks to Go rotisseries all over the Philippines after just a little over two years of operations and hundreds more are expected to be put in place over the next few years as market acceptance and support of the brand grows further.

Ecija’s ‘pilipit’ queen expands to real estate

By Anselmo Roque Central Luzon Desk Most Read CABANATUAN CITY, Philippines—At 19, Leticia Uy decided to go into production of baked goods with pilipit, a twisted native pastry, as her main product. Her first attempt failed. The pastry she made, which was supposed to be crunchy, turned out soft when she undercooked it. But that experience only pushed her to try harder to perfect her product. “I asked a relative to teach me how to make pilipit the right way,” Uy says. Soon, she was selling several packs of pilipit. Her success eventually earned her the moniker “Pilipit Queen” of Nueva Ecija. Grit and determination Uy later acquired a rundown warehouse which had a hurnuhan (firewood-fed oven). Through this warehouse, she continued baking pilipit and other bread like pandelito, bakya and dalagang-bukid that became bestsellers. She got another break when one of her Chinese customers, who owed her P6,000, agreed to sell one of his stores to her for P12,000. She raised the amount with the help of her father, a Chinese businessman, and soon, she had a bakeshop and mini-refreshment parlor. Two incidents brought out her grit and determination. One was when a teacher placed an order for 2,000 pieces of meat pie for an occasion the following day. Although her helper had turned down the order, Uy got in touch with the teacher and quickly sealed the delivery deal. “There will be 2,000 people who will know of our product and our bakeshop,” Uy told her helper. That night she and her helper prepared the pies and delivered them in time for the school program. The second incident was when her establishment was gutted by fire. She immediately hired street sweepers to clean the debris and carpenters to build a kiosk. The following morning, it was business as usual, as if the fire did not happen. She built a three-story building in place of the gutted establishment. It soon included a small restaurant, a grocery section and a bookstore, which was the first of its kind in this city in the early 1970s. She called the new establishment NE Quality Bakeshop, which was to become the center of her growing group of companies. First shopping mall Uy was able to accomplish much despite having finished only fourth grade. But while she lacked formal schooling, she made sure she would not stop learning, and read books on the lives of successful businessmen. At 11, she helped the family by selling boiled corn and other items in the city’s transport terminal. She also sold wares on the city’s sidewalk. When patronage of her bakeshop-grocery-bookstore picked up, her son, Lito, urged her to put up a shopping center in the city. Lito, she said, would always ask her to visit shopping malls whenever they were in Metro Manila just see how they operate. She was also told by her son that a shopping mall with escalators would be a hit in this city. Convinced, Uy approached a bank here for a P30-million loan to fund the construction of a shopping mall. “The bank manager turned down my loan application. He told me Cabanatuan City was not yet ready for such a project,” she says. Determined and hopeful, she approached another bank and was granted a P35-million loan. An additional P15 million was released to complete the three-story mall. Built in 1983, the mall housed a supermarket, cinemas, a fast food center, a recreation center with computerized bowling alleys, boutiques, drugstores and other shops put up by tenants. In 1996, she opened the two-story NE-Pacific Mall, which has more than 300 shops and restaurants, a supermarket, a hardware store, theaters and a cluster of stores selling various items. It was put up with the help of Landco Pacific Development Corp.(Landco). In 2008, through a special arrangement, a branch of Robinsons shopping mall was set up beside it. The two malls side by side covered six hectares. Uy is also gearing up for another big development project, the Lakewood City Golf Course and Residential Complex, to be situated on a 200-hectare property near the NE Pacific Mall. After putting up two shopping malls, a subdivision, a warehouse-type supermarket and other businesses, Uy had not forgotten to expand her flagship business, the NE Bakeshop/Cakes and Restaurant. Sometime later, she put up branches of the bakeshop in Cagayan Valley and Central Luzon. She also established Plaza Leticia, a fine dining restaurant, in this city. In 2009, she ventured overseas and put up the NE Bakeshop and Fastfood store in California. In December that year, the establishment was given an “A” rating by the County of Los Angeles’ Department of Health Services. One of the products offered by her California branch is pilipit. Now at 71, Uy does not plan to slow down and wants to continue overseeing her business empire and 3,000 employees. “I learned from books and various reading materials how to do it. I put up a management team which is doing the job for me. I just approve or disapprove the concerns the team brings to my attention,” Uy says.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer

'Womenpreneurs' inspire future Filipina 'negosyantes'

TAGUMPAY By Joey Concepcion (The Philippine Star) Updated March 28, 2011 12:00 AM Comments (2)

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For the past few weeks, I’ve had the honor of intro-ducing the 2011 STARpreneurs — women we recognized for their achievements in entrepreneurship and contributions to the community. This time, allow me to recognize the Go Negosyo advocates who helped us inspire and empower over 25,000 Filipinos, women and men alike, during the Go Negosyo Entrepreneurship Summit and Expo this Women’s Month.

One of the “womenpreneurs” who made time from her busy schedule just to join us in inspiring women during the Women Summit was Wynn Wynn Ong. She’s known for her one-of-a-kind jewelry creations made with unique materials, which all reflect her love for

Filipino art. Her pieces have been featured in prestigious magazines in the Philippines and the US; and her unique creations, sought-after by collectors, have been sold in Hong Kong, Morocco, California and New York.

We are honored that she joined us in the forum on how women can achieve a balanced self. Her message of inspiration to women is that they can conquer anything when they pour their heart into whatever they do. It’s also very inspiring to know that despite her upscale negosyo, she has remained humble and generous to her fellow Filipinos. Aside from designing jewelry, Wynn Wynn is also active in leading “Hands on Manila,” a non-profit, volunteer foundation.

CHED commissioner Dr. Nona S. Ricafort has always been an advocate of women empowerment. Despite being educated in distinguished universities abroad, Nona’s heart has always been with Filipinas. She has devoted much of her career to different women’s causes, not just here in the Philippines but in the international scene as well. She served as president of the National Council of Women Philippines and the ASEAN Confederation of Women’s Organizations; and as vice president of the International Council of Women.

Apart from her noble work in the academe, Dr. Nona’s involvement in women’s causes is her way of reaching out and serving others. Indeed, her words of wisdom and inspiration during the summit have left a mark on the women who need a little bit more encouraging that they can achieve all of their aspirations by being the best they can be.

Another successful woman who inspired and entertained us was Regine Tolentino. We know her as a talented host of Unang Hirit and a glamorous dancing diva, but she’s also a successful entrepreneur. She’s the owner of Regine’s Boutique, a shop that offers gowns, dance wear and costumes for all occasions, and Regine’s Dance Studio, where she conducts rehearsals and gives dance classes to young kids.

This mother of two’s secret to attaining success while maintaining balance in all aspects of her life is that she follows her heart’s desire. Her negosyos are in line with what she enjoys and despite the challenges, she has continued to pursue what she’s truly passionate about. Being an entertainer also helps Regine become a better entrepreneur. As a performer, she knows what she wants from clothes, and so she’s applying it into her own creations for others to enjoy.

We were also very fortunate to have Dr. Carmen Valdes as one of our guests during the Women’s Summit. Dr. Pinky, as she is fondly called, is the associate dean of Assumption College and is an adjunct professor at the Ateneo Loyola School of Theology. Dr. Pinky also goes all around the Philippines, Southeast Asia and California to share her expertise in leadership development.

One does not need to be a graduate of a business course to become an entrepreneur. However, a negosyante must have leadership skills to manage a negosyo effectively. Just like what Dr. Pinky teaches, it’s important to be innovative and to think out of the box when faced with challenges.

Her dream of giving her children quality education is what encouraged Lorna Banzon to venture into negosyo. She used to accept laundry and sewing jobs to help her husband, who was a tricycle driver, earn a living for the family. To increase the family’s income, Lorna joined Avon in 1989 as a certified beauty counselor, and it became her first step to success. She eventually became an Avon service center operator right in her hometown of Balanga, Bataan, where she also helped other women earn extra income.

Lorna was also one of the inspiring mom-preneurs who shared their story of success to help encourage more women to venture intonegosyo to fight poverty. Her advice to aspiring negosyantes is the same formula she follows to this day: stick to your dream, work hard, be disciplined and maintain good relationships with clients.

Khristine Gabriel, the business development manager and spokesperson for Ever Bilena Cosmetics, is living proof that any woman with big dreams, determination and a positive outlook on life can be successful. Khristine had very little growing up, and she often depended on the help of her generous classmates. Today, she’s the one helping other women find success through Gandang Pinay, Ever Bilena’s foundation that teaches battered women, widows and elderly women marketable skills in beauty to help them find their way back to a happy life. She also introduces them to the company’s direct-selling business, which allows them to start their negosyo with just P20 for a brochure as capital.

Khristine doesn’t hesitate to share her story to help empower and inspire women to use entrepreneurship in fighting poverty and overcoming hardships in their lives. Her message to all women is simple yet essential, and that is to never stop dreaming.

Cory Quirino, an advocate of beauty and wellness, also took time out to join us in empowering women to venture into entrepreneurship. Despite her busy schedule as a radio and TV host, writer and entrepreneur, Cory made time to personally share her story during the summit.

Like many womenpreneurs, Cory found satisfaction in following her passion. She’s the owner of World of Wellness, a shop dedicated to bringing the best in beauty and wellness products from all over the world. Cory is a hands-on entrepreneur. She personally chooses products that meet her own standards of excellence. She’s also leading the new Miss World Philippines as chair and CEO. With all her blessings, Cory also gives back to the community. She’s currently the chairperson of Tuloy Foundation, a foundation that aims to help street children, and the director of the PGH Medical Foundation.

Another inspiring womanpreneneur who’s been one with Go Negosyo in promoting entrepreneurship to Filipinos is fashion designer and wellness advocate Jeannie Goulbourn.  For more than 30 years she served as a fashion consultant for SM. Her clothing line, JM Goulbourn, gave Filipinas sophisticated options at reasonable prices. Wanting to do more exciting things, Jeannie decided to purchase a silk hand-weaving company — Silk Cocoon.

Today, Jeannie’s company supplies colorful silk fabrics to Europe, the US and the Middle East. Aside from fashion, Jeannie is also passionate about wellness and she’s generous about sharing her knowledge with fellow Filipinos. Because of this, she established Global Vital Source, Inc., a company that promotes a holistic lifestyle and natural prevention for illness.

Mylene Abiva, president and CEO of Felta Multi-Media, Inc., is another Go Negosyo advocate who’s been continuously helping us spread inspiration and entrepreneurial know-how to Filipinos. Mylene is dedicated to improving and innovating education in the Philippines through her company, which develops educational materials, courseware and laboratory equipment for Filipino children. This mother of two has also been at the forefront of organizing the Philippine Robotics Olympiad each year since 2001.

She shared that the key to striking a balance in life as a woman, a mother and negosyante is to make time for everything, including yourself. She admitted that being a woman presents many challenges, but it should never discourage women from striving hard and proving that they can succeed.

These womenpreneurs and their stories truly give Filipinos the encouragement to start a negosyo and not to give up on life’s challenges. They’ve also made Go Negosyo what it is today — a movement of change with close to 700 advocates and counting.

* * *

Contact me at feedback@gonegosyo.net or my Joey Concepcion Facebook account. Visit www.gonegosyo.net. Watch the top-rating entrep show Go Negosyo: Kaya Mo! on GMA News TV 11 every Saturday and Sunday at 8-8:30 a.m. Get daily Go Negosyo Text Tips on your mobile phone by sending GONEGO to 2910.

The luxury of online shopping

By Ingrid Chua-Go 
Philippine Daily Inquirer

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Shopping for luxury brands has gone high-tech, but has also been democratized

SOME 10 or so years ago, when you needed serious retail therapy, you got dressed, braved a little traffic, and headed to your favorite mall. And if what you wanted was not available at your local mall or department store, you had to rely on personal shoppers that charged a fee to shop for you.

Today, when you need to have that latest designer bag or sky-high heels, you don’t need to change or be stuck in traffic, nor do you need to pay black market prices to get it. Arm yourself with a computer and a good Internet connection, and you can already satisfy that spending urge by shopping—online.

And unlike your local mall or department store, online boutiques are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, ready to provide you with an unparalleled shopping experience sans haughty-looking sales attendants and the prospect of lugging around heavy shopping bags back home.

For Luisaviaroma.com, it all began in 1930 when a Frenchwoman named Luisa Jacuin opened a small hat boutique on Via Roma in Florence, just a stone’s throw away from the city’s famous Duomo. Her son expanded their business to include clothing, and, eventually, Luisa’s grandson Andrea Panconesi worked at the shop, taking care of the “dressing” and visual merchandising for the shop’s window while he was in college.

The reputation of Luisa for its shop window has since become legendary in Italy because of the artistry and creativity behind each installation. Today, Andrea is the distinguished gentleman behind the success of Luisa, a multi-brand, multimedia and eco-friendly concept store which fills three floors, stocking the latest and literally up-to-the-minute designer fashions in Florence.

Panconesi is also to be credited for putting Luisa on the Internet 10 years ago. In an interview with Firenze Made in Tuscany Magazine, Panconesi stated that there are easily over 10,000 items to choose from on Luisaviaroma.com “even before they [become] materially available.”

10th year

For the store’s 10th anniversary online last June, influential fashion bloggers such as Bryan Yambao of Bryanboy.com, Jane Aldridge of SeaofShoes.typepad.com, Wendy Lam of Nitrolicious.com and Tommy Ton of JakandJil.com were invited for the two-day celebration.

The high-profile party for bloggers was the first of its kind in the retail industry. Luisaviaroma.com, with its aggressive marketing and smart utilization of social media, has become one of the most widely recognized shopping websites for luxury labels, insider brands, and unique tchotchkes worldwide.

Labels that are stocked by Luisaviaroma.com include Alexander Wang, Proenza Schouler, Mulberry, Christian Louboutin, Herve Leger, Fendi, Balmain, Yves Saint Laurent, Versace, Rick Owens, Lanvin, Nicholas Kirkwood, as well as other new and up-and-coming designers.

The jewelry section is particularly interesting because of the wide array of designs and styles by new designers not featured before in the online marketplace.

As of last July, Luisaviaroma.com offers free expedited shipping and “landed” prices to shoppers in the Philippines—meaning everything you buy from the online boutique already includes Philippine taxes and duties in their price, so the merchandise gets shipped by FedEx straight to your doorstep without any hassle from Philippine customs whatsoever.

Online mag

It was also in the year 2000 when a pregnant Natalie Massenet, once editor for a publication under Condé Nast, launched a magazine-like website that allowed people to shop: Net-a-porter.com.

Working out of the small Chelsea studio in London with three friends, Massenet has revolutionized the way people shopped for luxury goods. Designer clothes and accessories which were previously difficult to obtain are now made available online to fashion savvy shoppers who have otherwise no access to certain brands where they live.

Massenet, wary of dotcom failures like another online e-commerce retailer, boo.com (which had spent a staggering $135M in 18 months), started small. But according to a recent interview at the Sunday Times in the UK, Massenet “never thought [net-a-porter] wouldn’t work. I never once thought it wouldn’t be huge.” True enough, Net-a-porter.com became huge. In April of this year, Massenet sold her online company to Geneva-based retailer Richemont, for an estimated £50M, but will remain as executive chairman.

Net-a-porter.com attracts over three million visitors a month and has generated sales of £120M in the year to January, according to the Daily Mail in the UK.

Labels stocked by the site include Alexander McQueen, Alberta Ferretti, Anya Hindmarch, Balenciaga, Philip Treacy, Julien MacDonald, Smythson, Donna Karan, Etoile Isabel Marant, Vionnet, Vivienne Westwood, RM by Roland Mouret.

Prices quoted on this site are in UK pounds-sterling, and also already include Philippine taxes and duties to provide you with a hassle-free shopping experience that will take your purchased merchandise online straight to your doorstep.

These two online boutiques alone are enough to keep you busy. In the months to come, more luxury retailers will put their stores online to ride the wave of new online shoppers with purchasing power but have limited time to go through brick-and-mortar boutiques. Luxury shopping has gone high-tech, but has been democratized.

Franchising: a great wealth-builder

INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines – More and more Filipinos are turning to entrepreneurship to grow their wealth. According to the Philippine Franchise Association (PFA), the franchise industry has shown an outstanding growth –from 50 franchises in the 1990s to over a thousand today.

This growth may be brought about by the number of advantages that franchising offers. Because of a franchise’s proven method, it poses less risk thanstarting a business from scratch. In fact, industry statistics show that franchises have a 90%+ success rate as compared to the 25%+ success rate of individual new start-up businesses during the first year. It also promises training and support from franchisors themselves, which is perfect for budding entrepreneurs. And since good franchises are usually well-known, it’s easier to attract the right consumers.

But while franchising may seem like an ideal investment, not a lot of Filipinos can afford it. Thankfully, financial institutions are ready to help.

Franchising made easy

To make it easy for every Filipino to get a franchise, BPI Family Savings Bank offers the first and only franchising loan in the market. With the BPI Family Ka-Negosyo Franchising Loan, it’s easy to start and maintain a successful business.

• The BPI Family Ka-Negosyo Loan comes in Lite mode that lets franchisees pay only the interest for the first 6 months. Principal plus interest payments begin on the 7th month. This frees up the cashflow during the first critical months of a franchise, making it easy for entrepreneurs to handle startup costs.

• Budding or seasoned entrepreneurs are spared from the birth pains of a new business. They will benefit from the expertise of successful brands. They are also promised ample advice and support from franchisors themselves.

• With loan amounts starting at P500,000, entrepreneurs are equipped to duplicate the established business rules and high-income structure of a well-known franchise.

• It has teamed up with the Association of Filipino Franchisers, Inc. and the Philippine Franchise Association to give Ka-Negosyo clients only the best deals for their investment.

Franchising made even easier

And now, BPI is making it even easier for Filipinos toown a franchise. BPI Family Ka-Negosyo Franchising is now accepting online applications. Interested entrepreneurs may go to http://www.kanegosyo.com.phto fill out the online form.

With the BPI Family Ka-Negosyo Franchising Loan, Filipinos now have a great new way to wealth.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer