My 5 Major Failures as a Young Entrepreneur - Leadership Speaker Philippines

Thursday, August 13, 2015

My 5 Major Failures as a Young Entrepreneur

GHOST MONTH nang itayo ang kauna-unahang business namin. 'Ghost Month' ang tawag ng mga Chinese sa August kasi hina benta. Sabi ng kaibigan kong full blood Chinese (pero Pinoy at bilog ang mata), maraming pamahiin tuwing ghost month. Katulad ng...

1) Bawal pumukpok ng kahit ano (kahoy, pako, etc) sa loob at labas ng tindahan;
2) Bawal mag-close ng business partnership;
3) Bawal paglaruan ang chopsticks; at
4) Bawal magtayo ng business.

Kundi, mamalasin ka raw. Mabuti na lang buzzer beater ako. 13 August 2012 (twenty two years old ako noon) nang ipa-register ang aming business sa DTI (Sole Proprietor under my name). At noong taon na 'yun,  August 17 ang simula ng ghost month. Ah. ok. So hindi pa pala ghost month n'on.

Kaso parang hindi ata ako nakaiwas sa malas. Habang papunta ako sa DTI (Department of Trade and Industry) para i-register ang business name...

- Nakatapak ako ng tae ng aso.
- Nadulas ako sa hagdanan (mild injury).
- Wala akong dalang photocopy ng mga documents (kaya pabalik-balik ako't pawisan).
- Ang pinaka malupet, binully ako ng isang staff ng DTI. Para kasi akong nag-board exam sa hirap mag-isip ng pangalan. Naka-ilang reject ang business name proposal ko (iyak-tawa).

Hindi ko na dapat itutuloy ang magtayo ng business. Kaso naisip ko ang mga pangarap ko sa buhay. Pangarap ko para sa pamilya ko. Pangarap ko para sa susunod na henerasyon. Ganoon naman talaga kapag malayo ang gusto mo puntahan, mas maraming challenges. Mas maraming haharang. Mabuti na lang hindi ako sumuko. Hindi ako naniwala sa Ghost Month. Kasi kapag si God ang nagtayo ng business mo, lalayas ang lahat ng masasamang espiritu. Siya ang bahala sa cash flow mo.

Noong isang araw, may nag-text sa akin na isang kaibigan. Idol niya raw ako kasi ang bata ko magkaroon ng business. Gusto niya raw ako tularan. Woah! Pause muna. Nagreply ako sa kanya. Sabi ko: 'Wag mong sundan 'yung yapak na tinahak ko baka mas lalo ka mapahamak. Waaa! 


No. No. No.

I really learned a lot from my first three years as a young entrepreneur. Halos kalahating milyon ang binayad ko sa experience. Kasama ang pawis at dugo (literally, kasi nagka-dengue ako). But it's worth it. Mahirap at mahal matuto. But you don't have to follow my footsteps. If you're a youth and you'd like to put up a business, here are MY 5 FAILURES that you might to consider.

1) I escaped my employment stage.

Millennials (those who were born at 1980 to 2000) normally don't like the idea of being an employee. They want to control their time and be the boss of their own company. They are known as 'self-branded' people. Kasi gusto nila maging angat sa iba. Having their own business is one of their ways to stand out from the crowd. Well, partly I'm talking about myself.

I wasn't aware that it's a form of pride. I was unconsciously trying to convince people that I'm not an ordinary person. I'm the boss. I was trying to escape the most important part of my life cycle - being an employee.

Don't get me wrong. Alam ko may mga taong nagiging successful na businessman kahit hindi nila naranasan maging empleyado. But I have also proven that being an employee would help you build strong work ethics which would eventually be converted to good business ethics.

Meeting deadlines, targeting sales, improving costumer service, handling a meeting, training people, understanding differences, business planning - ilan lang 'yan sa mga matutunan mo sa corporate world. 'Yan ang binabalikan ko ngayon, I'm in the season of my life wherein I'm an employee and a businessman at the same time. I'm searching for self-improvement each day. I'm thirsty for learning. Hope you also enjoy your employment stage. Gain experience. Huwag magmadali. Sabi nga ng popular Pinoy quote: Ang tumakbo ng matulin, kung matinik ay 'super duper extra to the highest level' malalim.

2) I did not intentionally seek my mentor's advice.


Pumasok ako sa business nang hindi man lang nagtatanong at humihingi ng payo sa mga businessman para gabayan ako. Tumalon ako kahit hindi ko alam kung gaano kalalim ang ilog. Akala ko noon, benta-benta lang ang usapan sa business. Mayroon palang mga legalities and documents sa Ciy Hall, BIR, SSS at iba pa. Naku pu! Nakalimutan kong nagtapos ako ng pag-aaral. Wala talaga akong kamuwang-muwang.

Naalala ko na naman ang BIR (Bureau of Internal Revenue). Karamihan ng pera ko ay napunta sa kanila dahil sa mga late filing (penalty). Pinadalhan pa ako ng SSS notice sa mga pending payments. Doon ko naintindihan na kapantay ng masamang tao ang taong mangmang. 

Having a mentor is a good choice. Learning from experts would minimize your casualty. Before diving in a business venture, have a coffee break with seasoned business people. You may also enroll in a short course. I may recommend to you my former employer, the Businessmaker Academy. Huwag tipirin ang sarili. Invest in learning and wisdom.  - Marlon Molmisa

Want to know my other top 3 lessons as a young entrepreneur? Bitinin ko po muna kayo. I'll post tomorrow the Part II of this blog. You may subscribe and you'll get updates on your email. :)

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Unit 304 LN Business Center, A. Bonifacio Ave., Cainta, Rizal Philippines

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