Illustrado Magazine – Filipino Abroad

Tag: entrepreneur

Hello, I’m a Freelancer: The Ups and Downs of Being Self-Employed

By: Kristine Abante

My freelance career took off at around the same time I pursued a full time career, simply because I wanted to write.

For more than a decade, I had a bit of both worlds, I was an employee on the daily grind receiving a reliable pay check every month, and I was a part-time freelancer pursuing my other passions on my free time.

All was well and good until one day, you realize you just want to be able to wake up without the alarm clock telling you that it’s time to go, or have a longer vacation without having to explain to your boss and begging for an NOC.

And so, after 15 long years of having my one foot out the door, I finally bid goodbye to the old comfort zone, and stepped into the crazy, exciting world of being a full-time freelancer.

Here are the top things I have learned from becoming a full time freelancer:

All you need is WiFi

Forget the Beatles, you can do for periods of time without love, but you can’t as a freelancer, do without WiFi. It is the Holy Grail.

Technology has completely redefined the way we live, work and play. With everything becoming more and more accessible on mobile, people now have the option to leave the boring confines of an office cubicle and a work wherever there is a good internet connection – this includes your favorite café, your kitchen, your bed, your hometown, or if you’re lucky enough, by the beach, while you’re getting a tan. Talk about multi-tasking to the extreme!

Freedom is messy

Without the time-in punch clock, you also let go of the daily organized routine, and while there is no one forcing you to get up, to be successful at freelancing, you’ve got to have enough self-discipline to get your act together and make the most of your day.

Keep in mind that your ability to earn is tied to your ability to manage yourself. I mean, technically I can sleep or binge on Netflix all day if I want to, but that wouldn’t be very productive, especially if you have bills to pay.

Save for the rainy days

The day you collect a payment from a client is the day you win the lottery. And like a lottery winner, you might be tempted to splurge. But before you go on a shopping spree, remember the next paycheck or the next big project might not come for a while, so you have to be able to stretch your resources anywhere from 30-90 days.

You’re the boss (and also the slave)

There are perks to being your own boss and calling the shots. So far, the best part is that I don’t have to take negativity from anyone but myself. I can, for the most part, choose who I want to work with or what I want to work on, and having that choice means that whatever happens, I have brought it upon myself and therefore have no one else to blame. At the same time, there is a greater sense of fulfillment whenever you accomplish a task well, or you gain one happy client.

Give yourself a break

In terms of vacation days, ironically, I find negotiating with myself a lot harder than with my former boss. As a freelancer, you might have a tendency to work yourself to the max. You always have to bring your work home with you. Often times, you feel like you should be working even on a Friday, which rarely happened when I had a full time job. Now I am slowly learning to give myself a break. It is also important not to be your own slave.

Prepare to Hustle

You will hustle, and you will hustle hard. If you’re the type of person who likes to be in the backseat, or just conveniently go with the flow hide in the corner and just wait for instructions, the freelance life might not be for you.

No matter how good you are, if you don’t put yourself out there, you are bound to lose. In a marketplace where competition is tough and other service providers are easily accessible, a freelancer needs to be on top of his/her game. Build, mine and update your network and your portfolio constantly. Go for gold!

Overall, freelance life is not for the fainthearted, perhaps this is the reason why it took me such a long time to take the leap. Six months in, I would say the risk is well worth the rewards. Plus nothing beats going to the beach on a weekday after a good client meeting.

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July 22, 2018
100 MIFG: Feme Connect Directory – Social Entrepreneurs

100 Most Influential Filipinos in the Gulf: Feme Connect Directory – Social Entrepreneurs

Business ventures nowadays are born not only for profit and passion but also to benefit various humanitarian and environmental causes. Here two social enterprises which aim to better Filipinos through their business ventures in the UAE.

Feme Connect Directory

Photo by: Alex Callueng

Prominent husband and wife team of Art Los Banos and Rachel Salinel Los Banos provide help not just to distressed workers in Dubai, but also to impoverished schoolchildren in the Philippines. This, they do, by bringing Filipino entrepreneurs and professionals in Dubai together through the first FEME (Filipino Excellence in the Middle East) Connect Directory, as well as it’s off-shoot project FEME Forum.

“One of our objectives is to connect Filipino entrepreneurs and professionals with one another to create a network of competencies, talents, and skills, and we achieve this through the FEME Forums” says Art Los Banos. He shares that last year, FEME’s forum has seen companies coming together to talk about potential collaboration for mutual business gains. He adds that during the forum, the group as was also able to turnover PAL airtickets to the Philippine Consulate General and to the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) to be used for the repatriation of distressed OFWs.

In the future, Art and Rachel plan to have a social media presence by highlighting entrepreneurs and multi-awarded professionals. “We will launch this project in the first quarter of 2018,” says Art. “We also want to host the 3rd FEME Forum in Abu Dhabi as there are many successful and driven entrepreneurs and professionals.”

“We hope that more Filipino professionals and entrepreneurs support the advocacy of FEME Connect as this directory will provide them contact numbers of like-minded individuals specifically professionals in various industries,” says Rachel Los Banos.

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Photography by: Alex Callueng

Illustrado 100 was made possible by sponsors: Giordano, Liali Jewellery, Mitsubishi UAE- Al Habtoor Motors, Michael Cinco Couture, Mapúa Institute of Technology, Centro – Amwaj Rotana Hotel , Max’s Restaurant Middle East and GVER – Your Friendly MarketPlace for Sharing

Co-Sponsors: Herschel Supply Co., Rove Hotels, The Medical City – Dubai , Filipino Institute UAE, MPQ Tourism, JAMES Travel and Tours Dubai, Off the Hook Seafood Restaurant, The Original Barrio Fiesta Restaurant – Dubai and Tapa King UAE.

Read more Illustrado 100 on www.illustradolife.com

March 8, 2018
Angas Pinas: Beauty Entrepreneur Riza Sripetchvandee

Golden Girl: Beauty Entrepreneur Riza Sripetchvandee

By: Eunice Barbara C. Novio

When Gold Bar was launched at Galleria Mall on Al Wasl Road in Jumeirah, Dubai on March 14, 2016, a stunning woman walked across the room. All eyes were focused on her. Her fresh looks and gait would remind you of a model. Unfortunately, she is not but she could have been. Standing around 5’4, slim, with clear skin, straight hair and cat-like walk, Riza Sripetchvandee, 51, a Filipina married to a Thai national is not just another beautiful woman. She is an entrepreneur, a mother, wife, daughter, and a beauty guru.

Strong women

Raised in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro, a coastal idyllic town, Riza spent much of her time aiming for academic awards. Instead of going out on the beach or at the municipal plaza. Riza spent much of her time with her grandmother, Caridad Rodil, than with girls her age. “I would remember my long talks with my grandmother whilst she was cooking and I was watching her. We went for many walks together, mostly going to the cinema on foot,” Riza recalls.

At a young age, Riza was fascinated by strong women, particularly her grandmother, former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, and Mother Teresa of Calcutta. “My grandmother was the epitome of selflessness, grace, beauty and wisdom which had a great influence in my life. I could not remember being restricted in my actions, perhaps because then there was not much distractions that are so rampant these days. My mother did not feature prominently in my early life. She was always there but at a distance,” Riza explains.

Riza also adds that her admiration for strong women was the reason why she took industrial engineering, a course dominated by men at that time

“Sawadee kha”

While attending Adamson University in Manila, Riza met her would- be husband, Sukit, a Thai national. After getting married in the Philippines the couple moved to Bangkok in 1986. In Bangkok, she took Master of Science in Computer Information Systems at Assumption University.

Thirty-one years ago, Riza shares that she struggled in getting around because the Thais could hardly speak English. “Life in Thailand in general is much more comfortable than in the Philippines. To start with, prices of food and general commodities are cheaper and more accessible. Salaries are higher and taxes are lower,” Riza explains.

Five years after settling in in Thailand, she was employed as an English teacher like most Filipinos. After graduate school, she worked at Standard Chartered Bank, Caltex and Shell Refineries, and Ericsson.

Discovering business acumen

“My last job in the corporate world was as a Business Development Consultant. It gave me an opportunity to develop business models which gave me my first insight on how to establish my own business,” Riza says.

Her interest in business started when her two kids, Kristiana and Jerome, were born. In 2001, she founded Bromsgrove International School, a British Boarding School in Bangkok affiliated with Bromsgrove School in England. The school opened its doors in 2002 and now in its 15^th year of operations. “I wanted to provide the best English education for Kristiana and Jerome who were then 7 and 5 years old. I have a British business partner in this. Bromgrove provides British Curriculum education for pupils from 2-18 years old,” Riza explains.

In 2012, Riza and her husband ventured into property development and established the The Hub Properties. The company are into condominium projects in Bangkok and Chiangmai in the north of Thailand.

When her daughter, Kristiana graduated from University of Warwick in the UK, they established Gold Bar Naturals in 2014. The company is offering organic hair and skin care solutions, and perfumes which are now distributed globally.

Focusing on Beauty

Thailand is known for its beauty products. Getting porcelain like skin and youthful looks obsessed many Thai women and men, often resorting to heavy chemically laden products to ensure fast results. Although there are natural and organic resources for personal care products these are expensive.

Riza was introduced to the use of organic products by her daughter Kristiana who has had her own share of skin problems. Having been educated in the UK from an early age up until graduating from Warwick University, Kristiana has observed the gaining popularity of using vegan, cruelty-free and chemical free products. After returning to Thailand, the mother and daughter team decided to introduce these products with the aim of making them accessible to more people.

The main products focus on anti-ageing using gold as the main ingredient. The name ‘gold bar’ came to Riza in a dream. She dreamt she saw a large cross. As she was staring at it, flowers started flying out of the cross and filled the whole area. The flowers then turned to gold bars. Hence the concept of making organic soaps all shaped like gold bars. “So you see, it was a gift from God’, she says.

Gold Bar has since added perfumes in their collection after the founders obtained perfumery qualifications from the UK. “Gold Bar products are a result of what we would like to see out there in the market. We aim to make our products accessible to more people by providing good quality, provides aromatherapy which is equally important and at a more affordable price,” Riza explains.

A beautiful woman

“A woman must look after herself especially as she gets past the age of 40. Of course, the earlier the better. To me, a woman must look clean, well-dressed and well-mannered to look beautiful,” Riza believes.

Even during bad hair days or when looking good is a challenge, Riza has her own days too. To look good she advices everyone to have enough to eat and not over-indulge, get a good sleep every night and exercise. Riza swims and runs to keep herself fit. Equally important is personal hygiene – using only natural and organic products. All these ensure ‘looking good, for good!”

Riza believes that there is no limit to what a person can do if someone put his/her heart and mind into it. “Be happy with who you are and what you have become. Age is just a number, beat the odds. Never neglect yourself. Growing old is mandatory, looking old is optional,” Riza ends.

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Find more Angas Pinas articles on Illustrado Life.

September 12, 2017
PINOY ENTREPRENEUR: Lorena Mondonedo Perez

Lorena “NENA” Mondonedo-Perez

CEO of Nena Cosmetics by Nena Brands, Inc.

My Enterprise

Nena Cosmetics retails a full line of make up cosmetics made with Skin caring formulations. With presence in USA, Asia, and Africa. High quality Makeup for every age, skin type and skin color. Products made in the USA.

I come from an entrepreneur family background so I always knew since I was little that I’m going to own my own business just didn’t know then what business.

My Passion is in cosmetics anything to do with beauty. I’ve been in the beauty industry for 26 yrs, 5 yrs of that as an accountant for an upscale distributor for Hair and Beauty products, 2yrs as a make up artist and 13 years in salon and spa management and 6 yrs today with NENA Cosmetics.

My start up capital was $100,000.00, The set-up was retail via online store, workshops and events. I conducted monthly makeup workshops teaching women how to do everyday makeup to evening make up and have the products available for sale at the premises. Reorders are done online. We also have distributors in different areas. We always collaborate with different, events, fashion shows, concerts etc. Our headquarters is in Highland Park, Illinois, we have a make up studio in south of Chicago and will be opening a retail store in June in the north side of Chicago.

It ain’t always pretty…

While being an entrepreneur does have its benefits, it also has its obstacles and challenges. When I first started out, I was a one-man show, responsible for doing everything, working really long hours, juggling numerous projects and having to constantly come up with new ideas. However, once you learn to overcome the challenges, you’ll be able to reap the rewards directly.

One definite advantage of having my own business is that I get to be my own boss. I have a lot of flexibility with my time, and even my earnings. But this is offset by long, unpredictable working hours, loads of stress, and the uncertainty of success.

Our journey, thus far

Nena Cosmetics now have a presence in 10 states in the US, all over Philippines and Africa. Current revenue of a little bit over one million and growing by 5% every year.

My advice to aspiring Pinoy entrepreneurs

Pick the right business and know everything about it. Do something you’re passionate about and love it, so you will just naturally succeed.

May 7, 2017
Pinoy Entrepreneur Luchie Suguitan, the “Cacao Doctor”

Sharing the Love of Chocolates

Luchie Suguitan, the “Cacao Doctor” by Kristine Abante

Pinoy Entrepreneur Luchie Suguitan

Calling all chocoholics and chocolate lovers! A Dubai-based Cacao expert and chocolate-maker is on a mission to find and develop good chocolates and she’s inviting you to join her in the search.

Luchie Suguitan, who has transitioned from being a financial industry expert to a full-blown “Cacao Doctor” has recently been doing rounds in the city, doing random chocolate tasting sessions with different crowds to figure out which beans make good chocolates.

Suguitan, a graduate of Ecole Chocolat , the professional school for Chocolate arts, shares that the real secret in the making of a “good chocolate” is in the cacao bean.

“Good chocolates can alleviate mood swings and primarily should have a high cacao content, at least 65%,” Suguitan shares, identifying the difference between good and bad chocolates.

“I think it’s a shame when companies label their products as “chocolates” when in truth some of them have less than 10% cocoa in it, then about 50 to 60% is sugar, then the rest are additives. “

Suguitan also notes that exquisite chocolates must use fine flavor cacao beans.

“This means, the beans that were used to make the chocolates must possess complex flavors. These notes depend on the region or country where the beans were grown and what their style of fermentation is.”

Pinoy Entrepreneur Luchie Suguitan

Last but perhaps most importantly, the Cacao Doctor believes that good chocolates are those that are sourced through fair trade.

Hailing from the Philippines, and both long-term residents of the UAE, Luchie together with her sister Iman, has also recently launched a social enterprise which encourages expats to invest in cacao farms in Southern Philippines .

“I’ve always wanted to create healthier yet still heavenly tasting fine chocolates, this triggered my initial interest, but later I learned further that only countries within the equatorial belt, such as my country, the Philippines, can grow cacao. So I went back home, into the farms and I was greatly surprised that children of cacao farmers rarely get the chance to eat chocolates because of poverty. “

Together with other friends, their social enterprise dubbed as OFW para sa Magsasaka (Overseas Filipino Workers for Filipino Farmers) now supports cacao farmers in Agusan del Sur, Philippines, managing the daily operations of the cacao farm and providing training. The enterprise also encourages their stakeholders to learn more about Cacao and chocolate making.

If you want to learn more about good chocolates, the potential of cacao farms or simply just want to taste good chocolates for FREE, join their free cacao webinars and chocolate tasting sessions.

For more information, find them on instagram @cacaodoctor or follow them on facebook at www.facebook.com/ofwparasamagsasaka

May 1, 2017
Why You Should Be An Entrepreneur (Yes, YOU!)
Why You Should Be An Entrepreneur (Yes, YOU!)

Sure, any employee can be a passive entrepreneur by earning income from his invested savings. He can also be an active entrepreneur by having a sideline after office hours and during weekends.

But when I say that an employee should be an entrepreneur, I am talking about mind set.

What makes an entrepreneur different from an employee? An entrepreneur owns his business and has “placed his money where his mouth is”. He believes he is good in a specific business and he will run it as the owner. His success is completely dependent on his creativity, strategy, hard work and determination.

The latest learning craze is entrepreneurship. Employment jobs are hard to find and most would like to find a way to set up their own business, no matter how small. So many are taking courses or joining seminars to learn entrepreneurship. This is great but generally, the biggest hurdles for them is knowledge of accounting (i.e., financial record keeping) and the capital needed for the business.

Those who do not have capital probably have to be employees first unless they can get the capital from “angel investors” such as rich relatives or friends. Jobs are hard to find, you say? Why is it that when I talk to companies, it is ironic that there are so many jobs that cannot be filled up. They cannot find the right kind of person for the jobs available.

I submit that those who have an entrepreneurial mind-set will always be able to find a good job, succeed and eventually be the entrepreneurs they want to be.

An entrepreneurial employee, to my mind:
- Knows how to discern the activity that to him would be fun even if it is work. He will find a way to structure his work so that it will be fun, no matter how mundane it may be.
- Treats his company like his own. He will look for ways within his sphere of influence to ensure that the company sustains the profitability of its products and services.
- Understands what is fair for both himself and the company. He will work beyond the call of duty but at the same time, will realize that he and his family come first. This is an issue that he would discuss and keep open with his boss.
- Makes education a priority. What I mean by education is not just have a degree or a diploma, but actually taking up courses and/or being an apprentice in an activity that will further his entrepreneurial dreams. Sometimes, having a degree even hinders a person from taking on an entrepreneurial opportunity because he feels the activity is too “low” for him.
But, whether a person wants to be an employee or an entrepreneur, the reality is that, to survive economically in this world, he has no choice but to have both the active entrepreneurship and the passive entrepreneurship strategies. Reality also dictates that it is an obligation to learn to be a knowledgeable investor, to become a passive entrepreneur. We can be an active entrepreneur only for a part of our lives, but we can be a passive entrepreneur our entire life. This is the fundamental principle behind the need for financial planning at all stages of our financial and physical lives.

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Find more money, business and law on Illustrado Life.
January 13, 2017