Many corporations have started to adopt programs and campaigns that support the development of micro SMEs. I have asked our executive director Mon Lopez to share with our readers the recent efforts of different corporations and organizations. Here is his account:

The Negosyo fever is up. We see almost every week, negosyo trade fairs and events that present opportunities and seminars to aspiring Filipino negosyantes. Only last July, we had the big Philippine Franchise Expo led by the Philippine Franchise Association with Sammie Lim, Robert Trota and Bing Limjoco at the helm. This was followed by the National Retailers Convention and many other expos on food and drinks, and business equipment.

Today, the 9th Filipino Franchise Show at the World Trade Center will open. This will run until Sunday. As we create a better Negosyo climate and push through with the advocacy of having a Negosyo as the option to succeed in life, I believe more and more Filipinos will seek out opportunities and attend trade shows. That to us is the culture we want to have in our country – an enterprising Filipino wanting to succeed and fulfil his dream.

The tradeshow is organized and presented by one of our good partners – the Association of Filipino Franchisers Inc. (AFFI). AFFI partners with Go Negosyo in promoting and teaching Filipinos to become entrepreneurial. Through their franchise business offerings, they present business ideas and tried and tested concepts that any enterprising Filipino can adopt, and together with the franchising arrangements, all the systems, branding, operations will be passed on to the franchisees. This system allows for the handholding and mentoring especially of new entrepreneurs.

AFFI’s partnership with Go Negosyo goes a long way back when we were starting with this advocacy five years ago. AFFI’s former presidents Richie Cuna and Tess Ngan Tian were equally passionate in helping Filipinos become negosyantes. We are partners as we push through in creating Negosyo forums and caravans around the country. AFFI’s current president Paulo Tibig of V Cargo has always been a Go Negosyo advocate as well. We all share common belief that the key to solving the poverty is through an enterprising spirit and having a negosyo. Go Negosyo and AFFI entrepreneurs are committed to helping other aspiring or small entrepreneurs, through training and mentorship, and making sure that the SME’s have higher chances of success by learning the right tools and systems in business.

As Go Negosyo teaches one on how to be successful in running a business, franchising groups like AFFI offers business models and options to aspiring entrepreneurs. The idea to would-be entrepreneurs is to find the business concept that is right for them, or aligned with their passion and interests so it becomes well-managed. This is key to success. AFFI showcases proven and successful franchisers. For existing businesses, one can also learn more on how they too can franchise their business and take it to the next level.

Go Negosyo has also prepared a one day FREE Negosem (Negosyo Seminar) for the participants of the 9th Filipino Franchise Show on Sept. 18, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. AFFI’s very own successful entrepreneurs will also be sharing their stories and negosyo tips and tricks in our Tagumpay Forum. The Go Negosyo booths in the Franchise Show will also feature our bestselling Go Negosyo books and offer them at special discounted rates, and provide FREE MENTORING sessions with our Go Negosyo Angelpreneurs.

I encourage everyone to take advantage of this Franchise show. Learn new things, get new ideas and explore opportunities.

Last Friday, we also had very successful gathering of the Go Negosyo entrepreneur community and partners at the residence of Joey. Despite being a holiday, many decided to attend as we had over 150 guests and that was a very good indication of the commitment of many Go Negosyo advocates to share their time and be with other advocates, to touch base and find out how else they can help in the movement.

We launched that evening the Most Valuable Pinoy Bossing Awards, a joint project of Go Negosyo and PLDT SME Nation led by Eric Alberto and Kat Luna-Abelarde. It is a nationwide search for outstanding SMEs, or negosyantes with asset size of P3 million to P100 million, covering all possible categories, from agriculture, to agri-business, food, fashion, retail concepts, tourism, entertainment, sports, health and wellness, financing, and so on. The criteria are pretty straightforward highlighting the enterprising character of the negosyante, the innovativeness in his business, the feasibility of the business and contribution to its community. We invite everyone to nominate good entrepreneurs you know. The details can be seen in our website.

We also invited the guests to our forthcoming Youth Entrepreneurship Summit on Sept. 27 at the World Trade Center where we had a rich programme prepared, very interesting speakers like Francis Kong and Bo Sanchez and inspiring young entrepreneurs and Angelprenerus who would surely ignite the fire within the hearts of our youth to succeed and help the country move forward.

That night, quite a number of advocates have confided that they always find gathering of those kinds as very enriching and positive as we can see around the willingness to help one another, to do something for the advocacy so that we can reach out to more and more Filipinos. They said they like those meet-ups as a way to also recharge and link with more positive and development-oriented people. Actually, in our seminars, we advise participants that it is important for entrepreneurs to surround themselves with positive people and not be lost in the sea of negativism and cynicism.

We invited our government leaders as well and we were happy to see DTI Undersecretary Merly Cruz, Baby Baua of PITC and Director Thelma Murillo of CITEM meet the business community. Go Negosyo also introduced its Board of Trustees helping us spread the advocacy. We were joined by another trustee Myla Villanueva in welcoming the new Trustees- Pruds Garcia of Mekeni. Corazon Dayro-Ong of CDO Foods, Esther Vibal of Vibal Publishing, Ray Gapuz of RA Gapuz of Nursing Review Center, Rosalind Wee of Marine Resources. Others who were not there but showed support are Injap Sia of Mang Inasal, Justin Uy of Profoods and Felix Ang of CATS Motors. As we say, when it comes to advocacy, there are no competition as we are all concerned in how we can help the country. These new trustees are respected and successful negosyantes who all had very humble beginnings, truly inspiring. To all our partner institutions like PCCI, Phil. Franchise Association, Association of Filipino Franchisers Inc., Chinese Filipino Business Club, the British Cuncil, USAID and to all the Angelpreneurs and fellow entrep advocates/ mentors, many thanks for your continued support. Aside from our regular Summits and Negosyo seminars (Negosems), TV programs and book publications, we shall move on to offering Negosems Level-up that will provide more advanced concepts in entrepreneurship in training more mentors and empowering more established entrepreneurs. We are also gearing up for developing more social entrepreneurs by raising the awareness on their positive contribution to society as these enterprises are at the same time helping improve the lives of other Filipinos.

Contact me: feedback@gonegosyo.net or Joey Concepcion Facebook account. Visit www.gonegosyo.net. Watch GO NEGOSYO: Kaya Mo! Show in QTV, Saturday and Sunday 8 to 8:30 a.m., with replays in NBN every Tuesday 9:15 to 10:15 p.m.