Mommy Ginger
Let's talk about Business, Beauty and Babies!

#BOUNCEBACKFORBUSINESS: 1PesoHosting.Com

Businesses, especially those with no online presence, have been reading a lot about establishing presence online and how to build a website. When your building a website, you’ll need a hosting provider. Today, the featured local business for my #BounceBackforBusiness Series is 1PesoHosting.com.

Ginger: Hi Herbert! Can you tell us more about your business?

Herbert: 1PesoHosting.Com is a small web and server hosting provider that started around year 2002. We have hosted more than 1,000 websites and have clients in the SMEs, large enterprises, government and non-profit organizations. We cater mostly to Philippines based companies but also have foreign clients.

We are one of the cheapest providers with web hosting plans that starts as low as Php 100/month for a 4GB space and Php 350/month for unlimited hosting and our support teams are purely local. Our servers are located in the US, Hongkong and Malaysia and we provide domain registration services, shared web hosting, virtual private servers (cloud servers), dedicated servers, SSL and server management services.

Ginger: Why did you start your business and what was the mission behind it? 

Herbert: We started 1pesohosting.com because back in the days, web hosting in the Philippines was very expensive. We realized that by offering a US based server, would be able to help SMEs build and host their website at a fraction of the cost of doing it locally. Our mission is to enable companies bring their businesses online with the least cost and effort as possible. This starts with having an affordable domain and email/web hosting service.

Ginger: Can you describe your business model? How do you earn?

Herbert: All our services are availed via subscription and we accept credit cards, paypal and bank transfers/deposits.

Ginger: How were you impacted by this pandemic? How were you impacted by the Enhanced Community Quarantine? 

Herbert: Majority of our customers prefer bank deposits since their companies would issue checks to pay. Payments have been delayed and some potential leads/projects were put on hold therefore cashflow is very much affected. We pay our data centers and support staff monthly regardless of the situation so even if customers are unable to settle their bills on time, we still have to pay our bills.

Ginger: After this lockdown and pandemic is resolved, how can people help you moving forward?

Herbert: We are looking for more companies who are in need of our services. Some changes that we will be implementing for our business is that we will be promoting online payments more compared to bank payments. However, since majority of our clients are businesses who does not usually pay via credit card, we need to find ways to have businesses settle bills online that would be acceptable as per their accounting policy.

Ginger: What are the business lessons that you have learned from this? 

Herbert: Maintain better cashflow for situations where revenue will be delayed

Thank you so much, Herbert for sharing with us the story of 1PesoHosting.com.

Please visit them at http:/www.1pesohosting.com / and on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/1pesohosting

Stay Safe!

P.S. Please follow https://www.facebook.com/groups/BounceBackPH/ to see how you can support the Philippines.

P.P.S. Please follow #BounceBackforBusiness #GInspiration #GoLocalPH for more Local SME and Professional stories that we can support!

P.P.S. If you want to be featured next, please visit this link https://mommyginger.com/smes-and-professionals-unite-during-this-time-of-crisis.html and for Women Founders, please visit this website and sign up: http://startupwomenconnect.asia/

#BOUNCEBACKFORBUSINESS: Forest School Philippines

We’ve been inside our homes for a month now. Lately, I’ve been feeling the effects of staying indoors. It’s mostly affecting my mood. I can’t wait for the time when we can go outdoors and explore again.

Speaking of exploring, our children will need this, too. So today, for the local business that I want to feature, I interviewed Forest School Philippines. Honestly, this is the first time that I have heard of them and what they do is quite interesting.

Ginger: What is your Business? Can you tell readers more about it?

Forest School Philippines: Forest school is an approach that takes place outdoors where children are in charge of their learning through unstructured free play. As a result, children can think for themselves, speak their minds, and keep on getting up every time they make a mistake.

Ginger: Interesting! Why did you start your business? And what is your mission? 

Forest School Philippines: It started as a personal mission because I was stuck for the most part of my life. I was in a career that did not give me joy and meaning. Finding forest school was marrying the 3 things I loved–education, nature, and children. At the same time, we want children joining forest school to discover and unlock their own genius so that they can share their gift to the world.

Ginger: So how do you earn? Can you describe your business model?

Forest School Philippines: Profit-first. Zero capital (except for the UK training I invested in myself). I earn through weekly sessions, private coaching sessions, special events (birthday or summer camps) and speaking engagements.

Ginger: I know it has been tough for schools lately. How about your business? How were you impacted by this pandemic?

Forest School Philippines: Despite the fact that nature is good to boost children’s immune system, the children’s safety is utmost concern. All sessions were postponed to a later date.

Ginger: How can people help you moving forward? What kind of help are you looking for? 

Forest School Philippines: I need help in creating awareness about Forest School or forest kindergarten as an option alongside the other progressive or non-traditional schools. If Scandinavian countries have been practicing this for years, and they have the highest literacy rate, then they must be doing something right. I am also looking for forest school assistants and volunteers from different parts of the country whom I can train, so we can spread this movement fast.

Ginger: Because of the things happening now, what changes will you be implementing in your business? 

Forest School Philippines: Teaching people how they can do it themselves, as long as they have access to space and nature.

Ginger: Oh nice! Since a lot of business owners will be reading this, what are the business lessons that you have learned from this? 

Forest School Philippines: This is a season for planting. It’s a time to work on our marketing, revisit the processes, and strengthen the connection with potential clients.

Thank you so much for sharing your story.

If you all want to learn more about Forest School Philippines, please visit the links below.

http://forestschoolphilippines.com

https://facebook.com/forestschoolph

https://instagram.com/forestschoolph

P.S. Please follow https://www.facebook.com/groups/BounceBackPH/ to see how you can support the Philippines.

P.P.S. Please follow #BounceBackforBusiness #GInspiration #GoLocalPH for more Local SME and Professional stories that we can support!

P.P.S. If you want to be featured next, please visit this link https://mommyginger.com/smes-and-professionals-unite-during-this-time-of-crisis.html and for Women Founders, please visit this website and sign up: http://startupwomenconnect.asia/

Sustaining a Business in Times of Crisis

With the world slowly shutting down, it’s hard to see that there could be a light at the end of the lockdown tunnel. With COVID-19 making its way across the globe, people are suffering, and businesses are dropping like flies. The rate of small business closures in their first year is usually 50%, but with this virus, small companies cannot sustain themselves.

Before you panic that your business may fail, let’s take a breath and remember that you are not working from home: you are at your house trying to maintain your business during a massive crisis. You may be in the middle of a time of uncertainty, but that doesn’t mean that you’re going to flop.

If you stay informed and you stay busy, there is a good chance you can come out of the other side of this crisis relatively unscathed. So, let’s take a look at a few of the ways that you can keep your business steady through quarantine.

Photo by Christopher Gower on Unsplash

Accept It

It’s not easy to accept that the future you have so carefully mapped out for your business is at risk. You can’t deny what’s going on, though. If you bury your head in the sand and try to continue with business as usual, you’re going to struggle. You need to accept what’s happening and get organized so that you can react appropriately to what’s going on around you. Choosing to accept it isn’t weak; it’s how you organize yourself better. Use Templafy and get a document out to clients and employees about how life will be in your business going forward. People need to be in the know, and that’s up to you!

Read The Information

The more you know, the better off you will be. Check with the government as to what initiatives are being put in place for your business. Several grants are being offered to small businesses right now (from different entities). I saw one from Facebook the other day. You could be in line for a cash injection to keep your business moving forward. Unless you stay up to date with the information out there, you’re not going to know.

Speak To Your Landlord

A big blow to sustaining a business in times of crisis is paying off the rent for an office space. Your commercial premises may be closed right now, and all your staff is working from home. So, if you are paying rent to a commercial landlord, speak to them about the situation. There are policies in place to have payments deferred until later, and businesses are protected from eviction in these circumstances. Again, though, check with your government!

Plan Ahead

You know that this situation isn’t going to go away immediately, so speak to your finance team and your Co-Founders about what to do going forward. You should have a plan in place for furloughing employees so that they can feed their families. You also need to work out your immediate contingency plan for lost business. Plans will keep you in control and prevent heavy business losses.

Sustaining a business in times of crisis can be tough. Quarantine has positives, though; you can still work on your automation and productivity strategies. Make the most of working and stay safe!

Sincerely,

Check out Taxumo’s #ATimeForHope campaign. Visit http://taxumo.com and talk to us about it!

#BOUNCEBACKFORBUSINESS: Mama V Delicious

There are friends that you meet who are always ready to lend helping hand whenever you need it. Amidst the chaos in social media, there are a lot of good news and positivity going around. One of the kindest and helpful people that I know is Tina from Mama V Delicious.

More than a week ago, my friend whose family runs a hospital called out for help. They were in need of PPEs, food, etc. I helped them and called out for help from friends, and one of the people who quickly responded was Tina Vitas, the owners of Mama V Delicious.

The food industry is one of those who are badly hit by this epidemic. Big food chains and home based businesses like Mama V Delicious are all equally affected. This is because of the disruption in the supply chain — ingredients are hard to come by these days.

Let’s get to know more about Mama V Delicious

Ginger: Hi Tina! Can you tell our readers what your business is?

Tina: Mama V Delicious is an online food delivery business. I spent 17 years in the United States. I, then, decided to come back home to the Philippines in 2004. My mother (Mama V) and I (Tina V) decided to open a restaurant called Mama V Restaurant on the Ground Floor of Providence Tower, 2471 Leon Guinto Street, corner Estrada, Malate, Manila.

Then around August/September 2018, we started Mama V Delicious. Our mission is to bring my Mom, Mama V’s 60-year old recipes cooked with passion & love to a wider audience. It is a related, but a separate business from Mama V Restaurant which we started in March 2004.

Ginger: Can you describe your business model? How can you earn? 

Tina: Offerings are Single Servings, Party Trays, Dine At Home and Set Packages. We are a company, earning both through good volumes of orders (that is the goal) and a well thought out margin.

Ginger: How were you impacted by this pandemic and by the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ)? 

Tina: Business slowed first and then picked up. The challenge now is finding ingredients & supplies.

Ginger: How can people help you moving forward? What kind of help are you looking for?

Tina: We need to have more options for suppliers for all our ingredients, particularly ones that can deliver. This is very crucial in times like these! We, of course, are still in the process of getting known through social media marketing, PR & the help of influencers. Spreading the word to other people that we exist will help a lot.

Ginger: Because of the things happening now, what changes will you be implementing in your business? 

Tina: To have more payment options online, to upgrade other financial accounts related to business to be online, to use more online tools for operations, to be more on top of stocking of fast moving items, to give monthly incentives to employees based on their performance and the company’s sales.

Ginger: What are the business lessons that you have learned from this pandemic of Corona Virus?

Tina: How can we be more inclusive and socially responsible (as best as we can be) in our respective businesses that value goes from us, to our employees, to our clients and to the marginalized in society? I think the last few decades have seen too much hoarding of resources that created such insane levels of inequality in most parts of the world. The much awaited reset button is here. I hope we all use it wisely!

Ginger: Thank you so much, Tina! I really hope that businesses think of inclusion and become more socially responsible after this. More power to you and your company!

Please support her by visiting her website and social media accounts: http://www.mamavdelicious.com

@mamavdelicious.ph on Instagram

Mama V Delicious Meals on Facebook

Stay safe!

P.S. Please follow https://www.facebook.com/groups/BounceBackPH/ to see how you can support the Philippines.

P.P.S. Please follow #BounceBackforBusiness #GInspiration #GoLocalPH for more Local SME and Professional stories that we can support!

P.P.S. If you want to be featured next, please visit this link https://mommyginger.com/smes-and-professionals-unite-during-this-time-of-crisis.html and for Women Founders, please visit this website and sign up: http://startupwomenconnect.asia/

Short and Long Term Effects of Enhanced Community Quarantine to SMEs

I joined a webinar recently to talk about COVID19, the impact that we all think it has on SMEs, professionals and freelancers. I was asked the question: What do you think the short and long term effects of Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) are to SMEs.

I just wanted to share my thoughts on this so that MSMEs and start-up founders like me can reflect and plan accordingly. If you want to add to the list, please feel free to comment on the comment section below.

Short Term effects of Enhanced Community Quarantine on Businesses

These are what I personally think the short term effects of this quarantine period are:

Feel a huge impact on their Cash Flow. Most of the businesses, no matter the size, are living from paycheck to paycheck. This is where we will feel the full effect of not saving up for a rainy day (Yes, as a business, we should also have an emergency fund or plan to maintain business operations and pay our commitments).

For our personal finances, we always talk about emergency funds and having enough to sustain us when unforeseen events happen. This should also be the case for SMEs. But since not a lot of businesses have extra funds for an unforeseen event like this, businesses lack funds to pay their people, they don’t get to have enough funds for the bills that they have, etc. This will result to layoffs, penalties and interests for unpaid bills or taxes, not having enough funds to pay for offices, machines, equipments, etc. Some of these companies will then have to declare bankruptcy.

Some companies will panic because they are not ready for a “work-from-home” scenario. For the longest time, our minds have been set a certain way by policies and directives about working that have been passed on from generation to generation. We think that people are more productive when they come and stay in the office from 8-5 or 9-6. There are no policies on working remotely. No policies set on which tools to use, when to use these tool, how to best use them, etc. During quarantine, most of the business owners will scramble to set up a system that will work for them “temporarily”. 

It will affect people emotionally and psychologically. This isolation will get to some people. And with the news about COVID 19 and this community quarantine, it will definitely foster low moral, scare, lack of motivation due to lack of freedom (freedom that we are so used to). For business owners, some will be depressed because of the uncertainty of their businesses, thus, possibly leading to making the wrong business decision. 

Long Term effects of Enhanced Community Quarantine on Businesses

The only thing constant in this world is change. So as humans, I think that we will obviously “adapt” to whatever our environment throws at us, thrive and survive. With this, we will be gunning for the “normalization” of things. We will look for ways to bring out the new “normal”.

That being said:

  • Businesses will be keen on visiting policies and creating new policies for situations like these. They will probably create new policies for working at home, dealing with Pandemic like this, etc.
  • Most companies will see that having their Employees “Work-from-Home” is actually possible. I feel that a lot of business owners will see after a while that given this kind of environment, there are some people and job functions that can really be done from home and are even more productive this way. They will also see that there are people and jobs, too, where an office setting is more beneficial. Business owners will be more open to having a more results based environment and see the value for certain types of jobs and personalities. They’ll probably be more open to hiring independent contractors and freelancers who work well in these types of environment.
  • Shifts in business models of some businesses. Business owners will see that there may be a few things that they need to tweak in term of how they generate revenues. For examples, a company that used to do things mostly offline, will think of diversifying and looking at other sources of revenue. 
  • Rise of the new creators and inventors. When unforeseen situations like this happen, they become “seen” and people get to experience a different set of challenges and pain points. Some of us go the extra mile and create solutions for the things that we experience now and for the things that we wish we had at this point in time.

What can we do to battle the negative effects and stay sane?

For Business Owners and Startup Founders: Revisit your business model. Try to look for other ways you can earn. As I mentioned, it’s time to look for new ways of earning, if you aren’t really getting any revenue.

This is also the time do some “cleanups”. Clean up processes. Find ways on how to make processes more efficient. This is the time to quickly work on things that would normally get set aside.

Take care of your people. We are all new to this. As business owners and entrepreneurs, we’ve handled a lot of challenges along the way. From overcoming these things, we’ve become stronger. Let’s step up and be leaders at this time. Make your people feel safe and secure.

For employees: Take care of yourself. Even when in lock down, try to maintain a “balance” with everything that you do. It’s hard to separate working from personal time when both are done in the same environment. Try to set boundaries for each. Take breaks while working. At the same time, strive to be more productive, too, while at home. It’s hard, but you’ll get the hang of it.

To motivate you to work from home, you can (1) go back to your company’s mission and see if you can help achieve the mission that they have. In Taxumo, our mission is really to help people compute, file and pay their taxes anytime and anywhere. We are working doubly hard now to reach more people so that they don’t have to worry about paying taxes during times like these. Our government uses these (our taxes) to fund public hospitals and other initiatives that can help our countrymen in times like these.

Another thing that you can look at to motivate you is (2) look at your own personal goals. Who are you doing this for? Going back to the reason why you’re working can help you out at this time.

Let me share with you a video that I shared with some of my employees and hopefully this will help. It talks about looking for the FLOW.

We’ll all get through this. We must get through this. I still believe in the human spirit and how we can turn situations like this into something beneficial for all of us. Let’s help one another, and probably, after all of this has died down, we’ll all be super humans.

P.S. I read this article that I had written 6 years ago when I was “about” to start working from home: https://mommyginger.com/work-at-home-me.html Just brings back a lot of emotions 🙂