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'Ecommerce 102': The next step for (cyber)business profit
“Ecommerce 102 Live” launches on April 14, kick-starting nine months of seminar-workshops meant to train Filipinos aiming to bring their businesses online for cross-border and domestic transactions. Sponsored and supported by Union Bank, “Ecommerce 102 Live” gathers together the country’s ecommerce experts – all of whom successful in their own field of businesses – to give participants hands-on training. Each month for the entire nine-month run has its own set of expert trainers, all of whom will discuss different ecommerce strategies and related topics. The work-shop series are meant to build businesses online and further develop professional careers by introducing new business strategies to enhance business growth and build strong foundations for online operations. The cyber-business enhancement campaign was initiated by Eireen Diokno-Bernardo, an ecommerce education specialist accredited by the lead international payment gateway PayPal, who will discuss “Export Merchandizing and Food Online” on April 14. Philippine ecommerce moving forward Ecommerce (or electronic commerce) used to refer mainly to the buying and selling of products or services over the Internet and other electronic networks. The Department and Trade and Industry (DTI), in fact, considers ecommerce as only referring to businesses that derive sales from using electronic or technological platforms such as the Internet, telecommunication devices, and television. [See: A Pinoy buyer’s guide to the Internet.] But ecommerce has now evolved beyond just sales and now includes the development, marketing, delivering, and servicing of all types of business processes which have been brought online. Not only that, corporate businesses have already seen the potential of ecommerce in empowering Filipino consumers as well as entrepreneurs. Factor in also the substantial growth of Philippine ecommerce in the past decade with the rise of blogging, online sales, virtual assistance, or social media networking. On Facebook alone, the Philippines ranks third in South East Asia with nearly 28 million users next to Indonesia with 43.5 million and India for 45.8 million users. Recently, the popular social network site has been hailed as the “next big thing” in ecommerce. Even real estate companies and brokers, as well as multi-level marketing groups, have shifted their focus to the internet. Food products are now being traded online where entrepreneurs are developing their own websites with shopping carts and door to door delivery services. Earn in dollars Filipinos who earn monthly significant amounts of money – some even hitting four to five figures in dollars – use platforms like eBay, Sulit, Multiply, Amazon and Alibaba with minimal overhead and less manpower to operate. Filipino professionals are also gaining more income with the professional social network Linked-in, while more skilled Filipinos being tapped as “virtual assistants” on Odesk and other human resource portals. “A virtual assistant is an independent contractor, doing professional skills at the comforts of your own home,” explained Hyacinth Rocillo, who will be discussing the virtual outsourcing business on April 14. “They are generally self-employed and provide professional administrative, technical, or creative/social assistance to clients from a home office.” Aside from Diokno-Bernardo and Rocillo, other cyber-experts speaking at “Ecommerce 102 Live” on different topics include Boom San Agustin (“Power of Linked-in”), Alvin Gale Tan (“Online contests as marketing strategies”), Randy Manoloto (“US-Philippines import”), Karen Fajardo (“China-Philippines imports”), Jay Castillo (“Real Estate Online”), Edison Victorino (“MLM online”), and Khoa Bui (“Websites for the not-so-dumb”). The April 14 kick-off event will be held from 9:30 am to 4 pm at the SNR Studios Unit 301, Millennium Place, Meralco Avenue Ortigas Center, Pasig City. For more details about the event and for reservation of seats, go to http://www.
