IN A small city as Koronadal, South Cotabato, where there are not a lot of business process outsourcing (BPO) companies, a young entrepreneur who is also a graphic designer, opened up her own offsourcing company in the city, now with around 16 young employees working for her.
At 13, Janine Francesca Pring, had already been starting with basic online data entry and graphic design as her past time. Through the years of practice and experience, Janine had gained international online clients which helped her land on different graphic design and other marketing projects.
“Dreametry is a team of passionate graphic designers, illustrators, and virtual assistants and developers working together in one office. We provide T-shirt design, logo branding, web development, business card/flyer, animation, video editing, data entry, and app development services,” Janine said.
The 25-year-old graduate of Computer Technology shared how her passion for graphic design, which started out with just basic doodling, had helped her gain more international clients who are usually into internet marketing services.
In 2014, she was hired by a British company based in United Kingdom to work on a project that needed graphic designer and virtual assistants.
By the end of the year, she started training a friend of basic data entry and graphic design. This simple step of involving other people in her offsourcing job led her to expanding her team.
“I experienced difficulty in absorbing proper management at the start because there was a sudden increase with the number of employees from one teammate to around 18 people. I read books to learn more. I implemented employee’s handbook,” she said.
Currently, Dreametry is providing offsourcing services for clients from United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Australia, and select countries from Europe.
Janine said most of these clients are into e-commerce industry and Dreametry provides them graphic designs fit for their marketing needs like niche and company department shirt designs.
She said one of the challenges she experienced being a young offsourcing entrepreneur in Koronadal City is the need to introduce and explain thoroughly to the employees how the entire thing works as some of them are not yet familiar with the industry. She also made sure her employees understand that their clients are international and that high-quality works are expected of them.
Eventually, with the help of her team, some of the clients that had previously worked with them, came back for new projects and contracts.
Janine said it is important to have established good trust and relationship with these foreign clients.
At present, Dreametry seeks to expand the company and is now hiring graphic designers, virtual assistants, and information technology interns.
Aside from catering to online international clients, Dreametry is also locally known in Koronadal City for their uniquely-designed t-shirts.
Janine said they had been responsible for shirt designs of different events conducted in the city like Timogtugan, Pag-aklas ng Timog, and One Young Mindanao.
Many locals seek their shirt design services for specific events or even just for everyday casual wear.
Now with Dreametry being an established business name in the city, it’s safe to say Janine is being successful joggling her passion and business together while learning to handle young people working under her as well.
"Youth should start young because through the years of working and building your empire, you will learn from your mistakes, what should be improved. And you’re still young so there’s still room for mistakes and through these mistakes you will grow, you will know your next step,” she said.