Hundreds of micro, small and medium entrepreneurs, founders of fintech startups, key executives of leading digital technology companies and incubators, experts in the creative industry, as well as young professionals and students trooped to the “Digital Sign Up Now 2022” event held at the SM Mall of Asia recently.
Digital Sign Up Now 2022 is designed as a free learning platform for MSMEs where they can learn from the experiences and best practices of other entrepreneurs who have successfully transformed their businesses using digital platforms. It also introduces attendees to possible business collaborations with different digital platforms now operating in the country while imparting knowledge from professionals who specialize in creative services, brand imaging, fintech, as well as cybersecurity.
On hand to welcome participants to the event is Joey Concepcion, founder of Go Negosyo and a former presidential adviser for entrepreneurship, who said that MSMEs now account for almost all enterprises in the Philippines, generating as much as 65 percent of jobs.
According to Concepcion, “MSMEs benefited immensely from the e-wallets, the delivery apps, and social media, allowing them to compete alongside the big players. This is quite significant for all of us because MSMEs generate more than half of the jobs in the Philippines.”
“There has never been a better time to become an entrepreneur than today when digital technology is making it easier for MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises) to level up their business,” he added while underscoring the role of digitalization in making business ventures more competitive. “With hope, during the Digital Sign Up 2022, we will teach MSMEs how to use digital technology to make their operations efficient, reduce their costs and expand their markets.”
In the latest “e-Conomy SEA” report for 2021 released by Google, Bain & Company, and Temasek, the Philippines was also cited as the area to have the fastest growth in terms of digital consumers.
Leveling up and boosting productivity through technology
Organized by Go Negosyo together with the US Embassy, the event served as a forum for key players in the local digital landscape, offering learning sessions with digital creatives, fintech experts, e-commerce executives, and some of the country’s top social media influencers.
SM Supermalls president Steven Tan also expressed support for this initiative, noting that 80 percent of its suppliers are MSMEs and that new concepts are often born from small enterprises.
The Digital Sign Up Now event featured eleven 30-minute learning sessions, which included one-on-one mentoring from “big brother” companies and digital experts. Some of the event participants also went home with cash meant to allow them to start and grow their businesses.
One of the speakers invited during the learning sessions is Brian Cu, founder of SariSuki, a community-based retail solution designed to make essential goods more affordable. “There’s really no excuse not to become an entrepreneur now,” he said. Cu, a co-founder of Zalora and former head of Grab Philippines, was quite candid when he talked about his new investment.
“We are a set of founders who grew up in the Philippines and have an understanding of our market. This, combined with our background in scaling up large tech companies in the region, made us realize we can do more by increasing efficiencies in our supply chain infrastructure. We are also empowering community leaders to be strong micro-entrepreneurs that will help propel the country’s economic growth from the grassroots level,” he said.
Today, SariSuki is regarded as one of the country’s rapidly growing startups in the e-commerce grocery sector, offering Filipinos value grocery products at affordable prices to meet their daily needs.
Joining Cu during the panel discussion were fellow speakers on small-business management systems (Peddlr), logistics and transport (Angkas), professional content creation (Tier One Entertainment), and live selling (Shoppertainment).
Participants were also able to sign up for fintech and capital services, and connected with digital market providers as well as for Go Negosyo’s ‘Angat Lahat sa Digital Alliance‘ program, whose idea is to form a private sector-led group composed of digital platforms that would work closely with the government in influencing and educating the public.
The alliance will also work on creating a roadmap to move the Philippines forward in terms of digital transformation.