*What you can take from their business style
YOU can’t be what you can’t see. Inspiring young women to become entrepreneurs, businesswomen and technology experts takes opportunity, resources and ideas. But, most importantly, it takes role models.
Take a look below at five Filipino businesswomen and their success stories to explore how their approach to business can help shape yours.
1. Angelique Uy
Angelique Uy developed her startup ZAP, using data from online business models and applying it to the offline market. ZAP is an app that offers customers rewards and cash-back incentives for using partner merchants.
The importance of data was Uy’s driving force when creating the company and using data to constantly redevelop the app is the key to her success.
When building a business, following data is crucial. Not only can data guide business direction, but it can also save money when implemented within a physical space. There are various ways to collect data including proximity sensors, heat sensors and infrared sensors. Universally available online and affordable, it’s small cost to reduce much larger costs within business.
One use of infrared sensors to inform the running of a workspace or office is to apply it to the lighting system.
Leaving lights and appliances switched on over night happens all too frequently. An automatic lighting system calculated by sensor-collected data – like the infrared sensors available on RS Components – will benefit any business.
2. Natasha Bautista
Model, Natasha Bautista, went from intern to acting general manager of GrabTaxi Philippines in under a year. This seriously fast-paced progression was down to her understanding of how to market the brand, as well as her hands on approach.
One division of GrabTaxi,GrabCar, is a luxury car service set to rival Uber. Natasha Bautista is doing everything within her power to make sure it happens. As an incredibly driven leader, she frequently takes on staff orientations and training herself.
There are two takeaways from Bautista’s business approach. Firstly, being hands-on in business is vital for business development. Having a balanced understanding of all areas of the business will allow a better command on how to improve.
Secondly, Bautista’s unconditional belief in her business is a valuable motivational tool. Enthusiasm is infectious. If a business owner fully believes in their business, to the point of getting involved at all levels, all around them will start to believe in it too.
3. Aisa Mijeno
Aisa Mijeno understands the power of sustainable and eco-friendly design. After quitting her job in the IT industry and volunteering with Greenpeace, Mijeno was exposed to ‘off-grid’ living conditions. Once she had seen the restrictions no electricity had on day-to-day living, she decided to find a way to figure out how to produce a light source that didn’t rely on electricity, batteries or fuel to work.
In collaboration with Philippine incubator,Ideaspace Foundation, Mijeno was able to design and create SALt (Sustainable Alternative Lighting) - a lamp that requires only salt and water to run.
To think in a sustainability-focused way, like Mijeno, is incredibly valuable in business. One example of green thinking is to create a more efficient workspace, using proximity sensors, to cut costs and become more eco-friendly.
Monitoring desk and computer usage with proximity sensors will provide the data to design the most efficient and eco-friendly workspace possible. Like the examples of proximity sensors on RS Components, they will lower the environmental impact. Which, in turn, will lower the cost to run the office.
4. Jonha Revesencio
Jonha Revesencio is a perfect example of tapping into the age of connectivity to gain success. Despite being based in the Philippines, Revesencio is a digital marketer for global tech company RebelMouse, telecommuting via the power of the Internet.
Like Revesencio, Filipinos are able to use the Internet to look for opportunities a little further from home. Commercial businesses, tech start-ups and alike can afford global reach, just by being online.
With everyone in the world merely an email away, the pool of people to work for, or collaborate with, or market to, becomes much deeper than ever before. Staying connected is very important when it comes to business.
5. Maria Ressa,
Maria Ressa was a successful journalist, working for big names such as CNN and ABS-CBN, with a fundamental understanding of the impact the news can have. With this knowledge she created Rappler, her independent social-news organization.
The start-up news website used investigative reports with crowdsourced news, creating a strong social voice which is backed by native advertising, data, and a large social media reach.
The important lesson to take from Ressa’s work is to ‘be the change you want to see’. Rappler reported on the 50 richest businessmen and women in the Philippines, noting that only five of the country’s richest people are women.
With women like Maria Ressa starting their own companies, and becoming role models for young women, the number of women in the 50 richest people list is set to increase.
See It To Believe It
Whether it is physical changes to your workspace with infrared sensors and proximity sensors, or making changes to your mindset, the lessons that can be taken from these women and the stories behind them need to be seen.
The ‘see it to believe it’ ideology extends beyond inspiring women into business. Seeing successful start-up stories can help with funding too. Learn how to best pitch your business and explore the relationship between larger corporate companies and start-ups in the Philippines.(PR)