A teenage boy once approached our Go Negosyo booth at one of our events. He was looking at our displayed books for sale and picked up one of the Tagumpay books, the one that features 100 inspiring stories of small entrepreneurs. Our staff then started to give him the basic sales talk to try to encourage him to buy. Then, the boy smiled, opened his bag and took out a book. To our surprise, it was also a Tagumpay book, only it looked a little damaged from overuse and it was covered with plastic for protection. The boy proudly said, “I love this book! The stories really inspire me. In fact, I always bring this with me, especially while riding the bus. This is my favorite Go Negosyo book.”

This is one of our moments of pride and joy.

Since 2005, we have published five Go Negosyo books, all of which were recognized bestsellers of National Book Store. The first book, also known as the “green book,” featured the stories of 50 of the biggest entrepreneurs in the country. Launched in 2007, it is still one of the top sellers among our five books. The “celebrity book” followed, also featuring 50 stories of celebrity entrepreneurs. Then came the “red book,” which featured 55 women entrepreneurs and their inspiring stories. The fourth, or “yellow book,” currently has the strongest sales. Written by Angelpreneurs Dean Pax Lapid and Ping Sotto, it features 21 steps on how to start your own business. The fifth is the Tagumpay book. All these books have made a mark in the hearts and minds of our readers.

After the success of all these books, I feel the need for a book on how to raise kids to be enterprising or entrepreneurial. We believe in starting them young, with the guidance and mentorship of parents and teachers. This time, we are proud to present the newest addition to our publications, Go Negosyo: 8 Simple Secrets to Raising Entrepreneurs, authored by Mary Joy Canon-Abaquin. This is one of the best gifts we can give parents and educators.

The 8 Simple Secrets to Raising Entrepreneurs book will be presenting concepts and a simple formula for parents and educators to help children not only develop an entrepreneurial mind but also acquire the success factor. It further strengthens and supports our movement towards raising more entrepreneurial and enterprising Filipinos for a better and brighter future. We believe in teaching entrepreneurship in a person’s formative years. As many of our entrepreneurs have mentioned, a person is never too old or too young to start as an entrepreneur.

Go Negosyo is proud and honored to have Mary Joy Canon-Abaquin as part of our advocacy. Teacher Joy, as her students fondly refer to her, is the founder and directress of the Multiple Intelligence International School. It is a unique and innovative type of school that helps kids identify and develop their strengths. Teacher Joy is also one of our Angelpreneurs, a dedicated mentor-entrepreneur who wholeheartedly commits her time and shares her expertise with young and aspiring entrepreneurs. Aside from being a super-mom, she gives back and helps others achieve their dreams. We strongly believe in Teacher Joy’s approach and style in her field of expertise. She is indeed one of the well-respected personalities in the academe and the field of Multiple Intelligence.

One of the common denominators of successful entrepreneurs is good mentorship. It may be from parents or family at home, teachers in school or employers from an experience as working students. One way or another, great entrepreneurs of today were able to get proper and quality mentorship. As parents, of course we want our children to be successful in life. The key is raising them with the right values. As their mentors, they look upon us as living examples. They will definitely follow our footsteps, values and good or bad habits.

Go Negosyo and I would also like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to Mrs. Esther Vibal for her unwavering support of our programs and projects. At 86 years old, she is still actively leading Vibal Publishing House as the company president. Go Negosyo is very honored to have her as one of our trustees. We also thank her for sharing her wisdom in the foreword of this book. Vibal herself is not only a successful and multi-awarded entrepreneur with various advocacies, she is also a triumphant mother who has raised successful and enterprising children.

I hope that all parents will learn from this book and be able to guide their children to be the best that they can be. Some of our children may not turn out to be what we expect them to be, but never underestimate them. Who knows? They may turn out to be the next multimillionaire. God blesses each one in different ways. As parents and teachers, it is our duty to bring out the best in our kids or students. In end, what is important is that they realize the value of hard work, love of family, love of country and love of God.

Go Negosyo: 8 Simple Secrets to Raising Entrepreneurs is now available at National Book Store and all leading bookstores. We would also like to invite everyone to join us in our book launch on Feb. 8 at National Book Store Rockwell. Grab a book and have it signed by Teacher Joy and the Go Negosyo entrepreneurs.

Go Negosyo encourages everyone to grab a copy of this book, especially parents, teachers, and those who would like to mentor the youth. Let us start building a more enterprising and entrepreneurial Philippines by building a better future for the young Filipino.

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 QTV every Saturday and Sunday at 8-8:30 a.m., with replays on NBN every Tuesday from 9:15-10:15 p.m. Get daily Go Negosyo Text Tips on your mobile phone by sending GONEGO to 2910.