Angel Investors Network Pushes for Advocacy and Intentionality in Empowering Filipina Entrepreneurs

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Navigating the capital-raising environment is especially challenging for women. But the investing community and the startup ecosystem can benefit from a two-pronged approach: advocacy and intentionality.

Tina Di Cicco, Chairperson of MAIN’s Gender Lens Investing Committee, discussing MAIN's Gender Lens Investing strategy.

This was the statement of Tina Nepomuceno-Di Cicco, the Gender Lens Investing Committee Chairperson of Manila Angel Investors Network (MAIN), the Philippine’s largest network of angel investors, in the recently concluded FoundHer Forum, organized by a Filipino-based women-led inclusion studio, Imaginable Impact at KMC One Ayala in line with Women’s Month.

 

In her keynote speech, Di Cicco highlighted that advocating for and intentionally supporting women-led businesses will encourage more women to succeed and attract and grow investments.

 

“Through advocacy, we communicate our vision and goals, as well as promote and support each other’s businesses. Intentionality, on the other hand, is when we turn our advocacy into action–it's when we put our resources into investing in women and helping make women-led businesses succeed,” Di Cicco said, sharing tips on how women can appear more investible. 

 

In addition, she noted that while the gender gap remains a pressing issue with only 2% of global venture capital funds going to women-led businesses, investments on women entrepreneurs are in fact growing in Southeast Asia with data indicating that female-led startups raised $1.41 billion in equity funding in 2023, which accounts for 18 percent of capital raised in the region. This is a 12.6 percent increase from the previous year.

 

Di Cicco also pointed out that the current trend indicates that more investors and networks are using Gender Lens Investing when considering startups to invest in and support. Gender Lens Investing (GLI) is a strategy that MAIN employs, through the support of the Australian Aid’s Investing in Women program, to maximize investment potential in women-led businesses. Through the GLI, MAIN provides extensive support to women-led startups, especially those at the early stage, in terms of capital allocation, training, and mentorship. To date, more than 40% of the startups that MAIN members have invested in are female-led.

 

“We are hearing investors prioritizing portfolio diversity, with many incorporating gender lens investing strategies. What we see across the board is a slow but steady increase in gender lens investing,” Di Cicco said, underscoring investors’ intent to address gender disparity through their investment choices.

 

“This is the time for women founders. We are being sought. We are more visible. There is no better time to be a woman than now,” Di Cicco added.

 

The FoundHer Forum is a signature event series elevating the conversation on investing in female founders, to bridge the capital gap for women in the startup ecosystem. Aside from MAIN, FoundHer Forum was made possible in partnership with KMC Solutions, a leading provider of flexible office space requirements and co-working space for emerging businesses in the Philippines.

 

Aside from supporting women-led businesses, MAIN, composed of more than 120 angel investors, aims to increase the number of female investors in the Philippines by diversifying their own membership. MAIN is also a member of the Gender Lens & Impact Investment Council (GIIC), a member-based industry body that seeks to build the gender lens and impact investment ecosystem in the Philippines.

 

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About Manila Angel Investors Network (MAIN)

MAIN is the largest committed private investors network in the Philippines that was formed to support the country’s startup ecosystem by connecting investors with promising early-stage companies. Apart from providing capital funding, it also mentors entrepreneurs, provides expertise support, and opens networking opportunities. This innovative startup ecosystem will benefit both MAIN members’ portfolio and overall growth of Filipino startups.

 

MAIN’s upcoming pitch nights are slated on April 30 (Q2), July 23 (Q3), and October 22 (Q4). The network also conducts seminars and training sessions semi-annually. This includes a StartupAcademy and MAINAcademy sessions this coming May, and a HardTalk session in June.

 

To learn more about these upcoming events, stay tuned to MAIN’s social media platforms (linkedin.com/company/manila-angel-investors-network/) for more details. For investors interested in joining MAIN, please contact invest@main.ph.

Madiskarte Moms PH community celebrates three years of supporting Filipino mompreneurs with Gawad Madiskarte 2023

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The community of women entrepreneurs, Madiskarte Moms PH (MMPH) is bringing back Gawad Madiskarte to honor outstanding mompreneurs with over P1 million worth of prizes including ASUS laptops, PLDT Home broadband connection, one-year Canva Pro subscriptions, cash, and mentorship.

The awards showcase the success stories of mompreneurs who have subverted conventional expectations to embrace their entrepreneurial spirit. Their businesses are innovative, creative, and run by very hardworking women who do double duty as the glue that holds the family together, run their household and their business.

Major categories for this year’s Gawad Madiskarte include Diskarteng Angat (Fastest-Growing Business), Diskarteng Digital (Best Multi-Channel Business) and Diskarteng May Puso (Best Social Enterprise). Two major winners per category will be chosen from the Startup Division and Scale Up Division. The former are home or online businesses that recently started and show great potential while the latter are businesses that have been running for at least 13 months and are registered with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) or the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).

Special awards will also be given to three deserving finalists. These awards are Diskarteng Malikhain (Most Creative Business Branding), Diskarteng Pasulong (Most Innovative Product) and Diskarteng Home Biz (Mompreneurs’ Choice Award).

Chosen by industry luminaries

The judges for this year’s Gawad Madiskarte come from the business, telco, communications and creative industries. Maxine Loyola, AVP & Head of PLDT Home Marketing Public Relations, Influencer Marketing and Brand Advocacies, has launched the biggest marketing campaigns for Philippine Internet—from dial-up to prepaid internet cards, DSL and finally the Fiber broadband we enjoy today.

Joining her are entrepreneurs Jorge Wieneke and Jenny Wieneke, who are Mr. and Mrs. Negosyo and PLDT Home Biz ambassadors. Jorge is a GoNegosyo Angelpreneur who serves as consultant to aspiring and starting entrepreneurs all over the country; he also created Kalye Negosyo, a mentoring program for budding entrepreneurs. Jenny is an advertising expert with over 30 years of experience building brands and a PCE-GoNegosyo mentor since 2015. Entrepreneur Janine Khazaiealiabady, owner of Massage MNL, started her career at a fast food and moved to marketing and online commerce before founding Massage MNL five years ago.

From the creative and marketing industries, the judges are Donna Nievera-Conda, Maisie Littaua, and Marjorie Barretto. 

Nievera-Conda leads the integrated marketing communications agency Stratworks as President and co-CEO, and ID8, a digital publishing agency.

Littaua is the Head of Growth for Canva Philippines, a free online visual communication and collaboration platform launched in 2013. Today, Canva has grown to over 135 million monthly active users across 190 countries, with more than 200 designs created per second.

Barretto, actress and entrepreneur, launched her own online home and clothing brand Everything Avery during the pandemic, and opened her stunning River Garden Rest House for private rentals—a true-blue madiskarte mom.

Winners of this year’s Gawad Madiskarte will receive a trophy created by sculptor Ram Mallari, who works with discarded metal and forms them into provocative works of art in the steampunk style.

Mallari grew up in an impoverished district of Manila with his mother, whom he describes as “madiskarte,” and dedicates his Gawad Madiskarte design to all mompreneurs and his own mother.

Celebrating three years of supporting Filipino mompreneurs

Gawad Madiskarte also ushers in the third year of Madiskarte Moms PH as it welcomes more members to its current 162,000-strong base. An online community, MMPH manages a Facebook group and  YouTube channel that give valuable insights into finding business opportunities for all moms, whether they are stay-at-home or have day jobs and are looking for a side hustle to augment the family income.

MMPH’s online platforms also showcase the success stories of their members and how they can take advantage of social media to market and sell their products. But beyond digital interactions, MMPH is fostering economic growth in communities by nurturing a generation of mompreneurs who contribute to everyone’s success.

Mompreneurs are doers, a force for positive change and empowerment. Two of the most heartfelt messages from their stories is that opportunities are everywhere and that inspiration can come from one’s experience.

Their stories are all different and the women take different paths to get their businesses off the ground and scale up. But one thing that threads these experiences together is an openness to learn and to be part of a community that celebrates all their efforts and ideas.

“Our small business has become our primary source of income,” one mom said. “With it, we are able to pay our bills every month and even have some savings.”

We all can learn lessons from these inspiring moms, and Gawad Madiskarte urges us to celebrate them all.

Know more about Gawad Madiskarte and the inspiring moms of Madiskarte Moms PH by visiting pldthome.info/GawadMadiskarteAwards2023.

Enstack Empowers Thousands of SMEs Across the Philippines in Ongoing Nationwide Tour; Unleashing the Power of Branded Web Stores

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Enstack, the pioneering SME superapp, continues to make waves in its ongoing nationwide tour aimed at educating and empowering the 10 million online sellers in the Philippines. Through strategic collaborations with local government units and the Department of Trade and Industry, Enstack has organized a series of on-ground events in key cities and provinces across the country, including Cebu, Albay, Baguio, Davao, Rizal, Bataan, Batangas, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan, Aurora, and La Union.

With a mission to streamline the digital transformation journey for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), Enstack offers a seamless platform for building branded web stores in just a few steps, enabling businesses to start selling faster and without the hassles of paperwork or complex setup processes. The tour aims to empower SMEs to embrace digital transformation through a series of expert-led workshops and personalized mentoring sessions conducted by the Enstack team. These highly informative sessions provide actionable insights on effectively leveraging Enstack's robust platform and unlocking the potential of branded Web Stores that come equipped with cashless payment options and shipping solutions at sign up.

Enstack reach expands to Mindanao with first-ever merchant program in Davao, attracting over 1,000 merchant sign-ups for digital financing program

In Davao, Cebu, and Bicol, the tour garnered an overwhelming response from the business community, with over 2,000 SMEs enthusiastically attending the workshops in just three days. These entrepreneurs eagerly acquired the knowledge and skills to digitize their businesses through the Enstack app, enabling them to navigate the digital landscape with ease and drive significant business growth.

Supported by the DTI Heads of Market Vendors Association and local Pasalubong Center vendors, Enstack held a 3-day seller event for nearly 500 Baguio-based SMEs.

Macy Castillo, Co-founder and CEO of Enstack, expresses her enthusiasm for reaching underserved SMEs in the provinces and providing them with user-friendly digital tools to build and boost their businesses. She says, "Our goal is to bridge the digital divide and empower SMEs across the Philippines. We understand that many entrepreneurs in the provinces face challenges when it comes to digitization. Enstack aims to provide them with easy-to-use, ready-made digital solutions that eliminate the friction costs of setup and sales, so our merchants are able to build their store faster and sell their products faster. We believe that with proper education and access to the right tools, these SMEs have immense potential to thrive in the digital era."

Enstack team with the local officials and participants of the MSME digitalization workshop in Cebu and Bicol. Over 500 entrepreneurs attended the educational caravans to learn about digitizing their businesses through the Enstack superapp.

According to GlobalData, sales from online transactions in the Philippines are projected to reach P969 billion by 2026, driven by evolving consumer preferences. The government's support for increased adoption of digital platform tools among SMEs has further amplified this growth. The ongoing strategic partnerships between Enstack and local government units, as well as the Department of Trade and Industry, continue to play a crucial role in driving this digitization push, providing SMEs with the necessary resources and guidance to embrace digital transformation.

Enstack's ongoing nationwide tour marks a significant step in empowering SMEs across the Philippines, enabling them to leverage the benefits of having an app with a user-friendly interface, integrated payments, shipping solutions, and a free branded Web Store revolutionizing the SME sector and contributing to the growth of the Philippine digital economy.

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About Enstack

Enstack is an all-in-one superapp that allows small and medium enterprises (SME) to sell online and offline, earn conveniently, and grow their business through an integrated platform with end-to-end commerce tools. SMEs benefit from Enstack’s platform as it lowers their barriers to digitization and helps them future-proof their operations. Enstack is at the forefront of Southeast Asia’s third commerce wave, which aims to provide flexibility and autonomy for small business owners.

For more information, please visit www.enstack.com

RVR Siklab Awards for young entreps sparks hope in 2023 comeback

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The Ramon V. del Rosario Siklab Awards or RVR Siklab Awards once again opens its nationwide search for young trailblazers who bring together sustainable entrepreneurship and nation-building efforts after a 3-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Organized jointly by the PHINMA Group and De La Salle University RVR College of Business, the RVR Siklab Awards aims to recognize youth entrepreneurs aged 25 to 40 years old who demonstrates exceptional leadership in their respective fields through organizing and managing sustainable businesses, social enterprises, or self-initiated programs that uplift the lives of others.

To formally launch this year’s call for nominations, the youth leadership award had a kick-off event attended by youth organizations, foundations, and enterprise groups on Saturday, March 18 at Acceler8 Legazpi, Paseo de Roxas, Makati.

Representatives from mission-driven organizations gather at the RVR Siklab Awards kick-off event on March 18 to amplify the 2023 call for nomination.

“The youth has and will always be a key component in building the foundations for a better future. If we want genuine social change to happen, the private sector should not proceed with business as usual. Businesses should empower, lead, and transform the next generation into good leaders and nation builders our country needs,” said Ramon R. del Rosario, Jr., PHINMA Chairman and CEO and RVR Siklab Awards Board of Judges co-chair.

L-R: Engr. Karl Pacolor of DTI, Gary Ayuste and JB Tan from the first batch of Siklab awardees talked about the vital role of the youth in introducing positive change.

The 2023 Siklab search committee will recognize young and bright business leaders who pioneered positive change, exemplified exceptional leadership skills in their organization, maintained an entrepreneurial spirit and mindset, and embodied the ideals of the late Ambassador and PHINMA founder Ramon V. del Rosario (RVR): a leader, entrepreneur, and nation-builder at a critical time in Philippine history. He was an icon in both business and the diplomatic service, having served as the first Filipino General Manager of IBM Philippines, the first Filipino Executive Vice-President of Philam Life, and ambassador to Canada, Germany, and Japan.

Dr. Aris Alip, a Ramon V. del Rosario Award for Nation Building recipient, talked about his work in poverty eradication and the humble beginnings of CARD MRI, a group of institutions with the common goal of uplifting the lives of Filipinos.

The RVR Siklab Awards was launched in 2018 as part of the PHINMA Group's 60 years of making lives better celebration and to mark RVR’s 100th birth anniversary. It has recognized five exceptional individuals as its inaugural batch of awardees in 2019: JB Tan, co-founder of iVolunteer and The Good Store PH; Clarissa Delgado, co-founder and CEO of Teach for the Philippines; Edgar Elago, founder of Project Scholar, Project ADAMMS (Adopt a Mamanwa, a Manobo student), and Cooltura Couture; Gary Ayuste, founder of BEEngo Farm; and Melissa Yap, founder and executive director of Got Heart Foundation.

“This year, we hope to expand our search and connect with potential partners to be able to provide a wider platform for young entrepreneurs who have made a lasting impact in their own communities. PHINMA, in line with our business as a force of good advocacy, will continue to recognize the passion, dedication, and energy of our youth in working towards a better future for our country through the Siklab Awards,” said Peter Perfecto, PHINMA Vice President for Public Affairs and Siklab selection committee member.

Groups and individuals may nominate a potential Siklab awardee by filling out the online nomination form at bit.ly/RVRSIKLAB2023_CallForNominations. The nomination period will be open until April 15, 2023.

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About PHINMA

PHINMA is a proudly-Filipino conglomerate that seeks to make lives better through successfully run and profitable businesses in education, construction materials, property development and hospitality. We aim to give communities, not only in the Philippines but wherever else we might find the need, improved access to the essentials of a dignified life.

About RVR Siklab Awards

The Ramon V. del Rosario Siklab Awards is a national search organized by PHINMA and DLSU Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business (RVRCOB) for young entrepreneurs who have made lives better for their communities through their work and shall ignite the spark for other young leaders to become positive change makers of tomorrow. It seeks to honor individuals who are established leaders, who display an entrepreneurial spirit, who embody a passion to make lives better, and who have a proven commitment to nation building.

Eligibility:

● Filipino citizens or holders of a Philippine passport

● Those of Filipino ethnicity whose work has made an impact on a community in the Philippines

● 25 to 40 years old (on July 1, 2023)

● Must possess a significant leadership role in an organization for at least three years

● Must exemplify the following qualities of entrepreneurial spirit, impact of business or social enterprise, corporate citizenship, and social responsibility

● Must not have been charged with any case nor have any pending cases in any courts

More information on the RVR Siklab Awards is available on its official Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/RVRSiklabAwards.

PLDT Home Biz awards mompreneurs with the most inspiring success stories in the inaugural Gawad Madiskarte

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No word better can describe moms pouring out their resourcefulness, creativity, and heart to provide their families the best life possible than madiskarte. The pandemic only saw more of our madiskarte moms, many of whom have ventured into online businesses to augment their household income.

Recognizing these moms and their invaluable entrepreneurial spirit, PLDT Home Biz held the inaugural Gawad Madiskarte online on March 8, 2022 — just in time for International Women’s Day. Hosted by PLDT Home Biz ambassadors Dominic Roque and Roxanne Montealegre, with performances from Jed Madela, Fana, and Gigi de Lana and the Gigi Vibes band, the event awarded six mompreneurs whose stories of hard work, tenacity, and success stood out among 327 entries from all over the Philippines.

From (L-R) Rommel Kristian Madrigal (Husband of Abigael Madrigal, Diskarteng Solid winner), Wvon Der Hendrich A. Adolfo (Husband of Kaylynn Adolfo, Diskarteng Malikhain winner), Rosanna Kabiling, Diskarteng May Pusowinner, Theresa Carbonel-Buenaflor, Diskarteng Digital winner and Rachelle Patalud, Diskarteng Malikhain winner

Each Gawad Madiskarte winner received a P100,000 cash prize, a brand-new laptop, and a one-year PLDT Home Biz Asenso Fiber Plan among other major prizes to help further her online business.

What turned out to be an unexpectedly emotional tribute to Filipino moms who have moved past adversities and written their own success stories of online entrepreneurship, Gawad Madiskarte 2022 is a landmark project of Madiskarte Moms PH (MMPH) — a community of mompreneurs for mompreneurs created in the thick of the pandemic.

"Providing Filipinos, especially mompreneurs, with the confidence to reach for their dreams and make a difference not only for their families, but also in the community, has always been our mission in Madiskarte Moms PH and PLDT Home Biz," said Patrick S. Tang, Vice President and Head of PLDT Home Customer Management. "We're honored to share the inspiring stories of our Madiskarte Moms and we strive to be their steadfast ally through every challenge and in every success."

With hundreds of entries received for this first awarding, Gawad Madiskarte followed a meticulous selection process and commissioned a group of reputable judges to help choose the winners. The judges boasted industry leaders and master entrepreneurs: Butch Jimenez of PLDT Inc., Undersecretary Blesila A. Lantayona of the Department of Trade and Industry, Annette Gozon-Valdes of GMA Films, Prep Palacios of Google Philippines, Issang Ceballos of Facebook Philippines, restaurateur and chef Happy Ongpauco-Tiu, and Potato Corner and Tokyo Tempura founders Jorge and Jenny Wieneke.

Meet the Gawad Madiskarte winners

Diskarteng Digital (Best Multi-channel Business) awardee Theresa Carbonel-Buenaflor was already a seasoned entrepreneur even before joining MMPH during the pandemic. She had been running Ellana Mineral Cosmetics — a beauty and personal care brand known for its clean, vegan, and cruelty formulas — and came to realize the need to pivot digitally given the threat of the pandemic. With the support of fellow mompreneurs and MMPH, Mommy Theresa was able to expand and sell her products across different platforms including physical stores and e-commerce stores. She has now amassed more than 300,000 followers on her online pages, earning her the aforementioned Gawad Madiskarte recognition.

“This award is so dear to my heart because I joined this group when I was feeling lost doing business during the pandemic. It has not been easy, and I’ve been looking for a community to lift my spirit up. Sharing my story in MMPH was very therapeutic. It renewed my hope and it made me realize that I can inspire other mompreneurs,” Mommy Theresa said, upon accepting the award.

Mommy Lou NeriaPutian of skincare brand SY Glow, winner of Diskarteng Angat (Fastest-Growing Business), shares a similar story. An entrepreneur advocating effective but affordable beauty products, Mommy Lou started her business from scratch and then scaled up her business to include distributors and resellers from the MMPH community. She now registers an average sales revenue of P1.6 million a month.

For her efforts toward helping the environment while providing employment in communities across Laguna, Mommy Rosanna Dela Cruz Kabiling of waste management company Something Nice Environmental Corp. won the Diskarteng May Puso award (Best Social Enterprise). With the Gawad Madiskarte prize and recognition, Mommy Rosanna is poised to transform her company into a “world-class” brand that promotes sustainability.

Winning the Diskarteng Eco-friendly (Most Green Business) award, Mommy Kaylynn Adolfo owns The Asian Mommy Facebook page where she sells a variety of reusable cloth diapers. Armed with a background in public health and using her page as a platform to share other parenting tips and tricks, she has made it her advocacy to redirect fellow parents to more eco-friendly household alternatives.

“MMPH as a community is such a big help because opportunities like these are where we can inspire and motivate other moms to reach for their dreams. To all mommies out there, this is the sign that you can do it,” Mommy Kaylynn said at the event.

Meanwhile, Diskarteng Solid (Strongest Start-Up Business Model) awardee Mommy Abigael Madrigal started out her online bed linen shop Mommy Matters by selling bedsheets her mother had sewn. With the help of MMPH, she was able to get her first customers and eventually expand her brand. Mommy Matters now boasts more than 100 bed linen designs and keeps a loyal customer base, earning Mommy Abigael the Gawad Madiskarte honors.

As the owner of CLARA, an online clothing store whose Filipiniana designs feature detachable butterfly sleeves, Mommy Rachelle Patalud has shown how creativity and flexibility makes a good fashion statement. For her modern and casual take on a formalwear classic, she has earned the Diskarteng Malikhain (Most Innovative Product) trophy — awarded to creative minds breathing life to fresh and unique products and services.

On top of the winners, PLDT Home Biz also honored Mommy Lou Neria Putian of skincare brand SY Glow with Diskarteng Home Biz (Mompreneur’s Choice Award). The brand awarded the special prize to the madiskarte mom, hailed for having the “most potential for success” in a voting poll among MMPH members on its Facebook community page.

Each Gawad Madiskarte awardee also took home a KalyeNegosyo Scholarship courtesy of Mr. and Mrs. KaAsenso - Jorge and Jenny Wieneke – and a trophy handcrafted by award-winning sculptor Glenn Cagandahan. Nominees, meanwhile, each won a P25,000 cash prize as consolation.

“Madiskarte Moms PH, beyond educating moms and equipping them with business tools and resources, has evolved into a support group of women, inspiring and encouraging each other as they tread through their digital adventures together. We’re nothing but proud of what MMPH has accomplished in just 17 months, and so we look forward to what more we can accomplish together in the future!” Tang shared.

“Believe me, Madiskarte Moms PH is just getting started. And Gawad Madiskarte 2022 is just the start of a bigger campaign by us here at PLDT Home Biz — all in celebration of the Filipino’s exceptional entrepreneurial spirit,” he added.

Launched in September 2020, MMPH has become a safe online space for mompreneurs seeking out resources, tools, and support to start or grow their online businesses. Now with over 104,000 members and a growing YouTube channel, the community has become a wellspring of inspiring stories of moms who embodied hard work and diskarte in making their dreams happen even beyond the pandemic.

Learn more about our Madiskarte Moms and their success stories by joining the growing community https://www.facebook.com/groups/MadiskarteMomsPH.

Canva launches Canva for Negosyo to empower Filipino entrepreneurs as they take their business online

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Filipinos are so naturally creative that even the realities and challenges of the pandemic could not hinder the so-called diskarteng Pinoy. Amidst losing jobs, declining sales, closing of physical stores and businesses, Filipinos are resourceful and able to find solutions to make ends meet. To keep up with the rapidly changing times, Pinoy MSMEs are now transitioning their businesses online. 

The Canva for Negosyo landing page is an online hub of marketing resources, Canva tutorials, articles, and expert advice from local entrepreneurs.

Many business owners find themselves in an unfamiliar environment where they have little to no experience but with Canva for Negosyo, Filipino entrepreneurs now have an ally to take their first steps. Canva for Negosyo is the Filipino business owner’s partner in creativity and productivity for their digital presence. It aims to empower local entrepreneurs to create everything their negosyo needs in one easy-to-use collaborative space. 

Canva for Negosyo offers a wide selection of resources useful for designing, marketing, and managing a small business online: from video tutorials on branding and graphic design to customizable marketing templates and toolkits. 

“With Canva for Negosyo, Filipino entrepreneurs now have a headstart in bringing their businesses online. Madaling intindihin, mabilis matutunan. In minutes, kayang-kaya gumawa ng magaganda, engaging at patok na brand materials using our marketing toolkits and templates. Siguradong mag-eenjoy ang mga Pinoy na nag-nenegosyo with Canva's new hub of essential business resources, articles, and expert advice from fellow local entrepreneurs,” Maisie Littaua, Head of Growth for Canva Philippines said. 

For those who are in need of photos for their businesses but have limited budget for hiring professional photographers, Canva for Negosyo offers a huge library of free photos and product shots that business owners can draw inspiration from or use on their designs and marketing materials. 

Those who've turned their passion for food into a business during the lockdown, Canva for Negosyo offers photos of Pinoy dishes, from street food, local bakery breads, to everyday merienda. There's also a collection of fashion photos perfect for those with local clothing and accessory stores. 

“Canva for Negosyo is more than just a tool, we also aim to highlight other successful local entrepreneurs who use Canva for their businesses, to inspire them and share expert advice to fellow entrepreneurs. Dahil kung kaya nila, kaya mo rin,” Littaua shared. 

Canva is currently holding a series of webinars covering entrepreneurship topics such as Intro to Canva and Designing 101, Branding for your Business & Social Media Mastery, and Designing Your Marketing Materials on Canva. On October 28, Canva will be hosting Canva for your Negosyo, an online design workshop focusing on content categories relevant to branding one’s business. This includes designing storefront, product features, and design feed. It will also discuss the Canva resources and toolkit for newbie entrepreneurs. To join the webinar, tune in to Canva’s live session on their Facebook page. 

Street food, Pinoy Breakfast, Filipino Fashion, Pinoy Bread are among the categories of food photos and generic product shots available for use

Canva also introduces Canva for Negosyo Facebook community, where entrepreneurs can interact with each other and start conversations in growing their business online. 

If you are a local entrepreneur, visit https://www.canva.com/canva-for-negosyo/ to know more about Canva for Negosyo.