COMMUNITY | SME Day highlights entrepreneur’s lessons on growing business
SME Day Manila also featured sessions on wireless connectivity, cybersecurity, digital transformation and business growth.
Entrepreneur Anna Magalona-Go, founder of But First, Coffee, encouraged aspiring business owners to focus on clear goals, long-term vision and resilience, saying sustainable growth depends more on perseverance and community-building than on large startup capital.
Speaking at SME Day Manila, organized by PLDT Enterprise through its micro, small and medium enterprise (SME) business unit, Magalona-Go shared how she launched the coffee business during the pandemic with P6,000 in seed capital before expanding it into a network of physical stores and franchise locations.
“You can start very simple. You don’t need to have it all,” she told hundreds of entrepreneurs attending the event.
Magalona-Go said entrepreneurs should expect setbacks instead of pursuing overnight success.
“It’s not about reaping overnight success. It’s about not letting yourself be hindered by challenges and surpassing them so that your business will grow and thrive,” she said. “Don’t get easily affected by challenges, as they are part of life. No one succeeds without these challenges and the lessons that we can learn from them.”
She also underscored the value of generosity and customer relationships in growing a business without significantly increasing costs.
“Part of scaling your business without increasing your cost is building your community. I’m a very generous business owner, and I tend to give back to my customers, to my community, through promos, giveaways, and other activities,” she said.
As an example, Magalona-Go recalled offering to shoulder half of a delivery fee for a customer outside her service area during the company’s early days. The customer later became one of the café’s franchisees.
“Being kind goes a long way. It’s not always about price wars. It’s about the quality, the service and the way you give back to your community,” she said.
SME Day Manila also featured sessions on wireless connectivity, cybersecurity, digital transformation and business growth led by representatives from PLDT Enterprise, ePLDT, Vitro and TikTok. Discussions covered 5G opportunities, the role of fixed broadband in business resilience and the importance of cybersecurity for SMEs.
Following events in Pampanga and Manila, PLDT Enterprise said SME Day will also be held in Davao and Iloilo as part of its efforts to provide SMEs with technology insights and business development support.
Full disclosure: All news articles published on the TechSabado website are written by human journalists, unless otherwise specified. Final text editing is partially assisted by artificial intelligence (AI).
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