For Start-up Businesses: GoNegosyo-ASEAN Foundation 'ICT Training for Micro and Small Entrepreneurs

 

Sign up at: http://tinyurl.com/pce-af-ms-icttraining

Are you living in the Philippines? Do you a business and you want to use technology to your business advantage? Then this training is for you! The Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship is looking for participants for its GoNegosyo-ASEAN Foundation ‘ICT Training for Micro and Small Entrepreneurs scheduled on April 15-16, 2014.

Registration is free. This 2-day training can teach you  more about integrating technology with your business operations.

For more info go to: Go Negosyo.

I hate living in poverty. And you should too. The first step towards financial freedom.

I came from a poor family in a far-flung barrio in a not-so known province in the Philippines. I knew how to be poor. I lived it. And one thing I detest about it is living in shortage. One memory still so vivid to me was when one day I was walking home from school. Since my allowance is just enough for a lunch of vegetables, I did not really afford to get a ride from the main road to our house so I usually walk. Whenever I am lucky, some tricycle who will pass by our house will allow me to take free ride. The road is not cemented yet. I really don’t know how on earth the local government still hasn’t got funds for that. Anyway, so since it’s not cemented, whenever a vehicle passes by, it creates a halo of dust that will be all over your face in no time. On that day, I wasn’t lucky so my face got powdered several times with dust.  I remember on that day, I promised myself that one day I will never have to walk on that road again just because I can’t afford it.

I hate living in poverty. And you should too. If you are a Filipino reading this, aren't you aware that we Filipinos, usually romanticize poverty? Just notice our local movies or telenovelas, what do they usually portray? Poor Filipinos are living simply and happy while rich people are having troubles with family feuds and money problems. Living simply and living on principles most probably do give you a life full of sense and happiness. But it is definitely not living in poverty as the media usually portrays it.

When I ask my mom what her dream in life is, she said it is to see us all, her children, to graduate and have a good job and life in the near future. Generally speaking, that’s the life dream of a normal Filipino mother. But I know that deep inside (although my mom just doesn’t just say it out loud) she also wants to travel abroad, to have a business, to have a family car, and many others that means big money.  We all want financial freedom and not just enough to survive in our everyday lives.

For me, that’ the first step towards financial freedom - the desire for it. They say everything happens in the mind so most books will say that the first step towards financial freedom is changing your mindset. One Filipino writer once said that Filipinos are not destined to be poor. He had the need to say it because the real reason why the poor is increasing in number in our country is because the children of the poor think they can get nowhere but to where they are now. They think that since their parents are uneducated and unemployed, they will just be like them. Most people use that excuse not to strive harder for them to make a difference in their lives. True enough, making excuses is far easier than going out from your comfort zone and exerting effort. So it’s really up to you because financial freedom is a personal decision. Your parents can not decide it for you.

Where to start in pursuing your financial dreams? My dream is to be an investor. What's yours?

Lately, I've been really busy that I wasn't able to post something new here. Our college graduation is getting near as in we have less than a month to complete everything. But of course that's not the only thing I've been doing. Graduation will eventually come and college life will just be small part of the future.So what other things kept me busy this time around? You may have noticed in my last posts  that I was so passionate in learning and educating myself about financial stuff. So basically, that's what I've been doing. But actually, it's more than that. What I've been doing this past weeks is investing. Don't get me wrong. I said in my first post that I'm not rich (yet). So I'm not talking about investing in the stock market or real state or whatever. What I am investing at is myself. Yes myself. How? I am investing in myself by developing the skills I will be needing in achieving my financial goals. Now, that statement can mean many things. But here is exactly what I've been doing. Have you read Robert Kiyosaki's Rich Dad Poor Dad? If not, stop here and read the book first. Then after reading that book, read his other book entitled Rich Dad's Guide to Investing. Well, my goal is to be an investor so this books really appeals to me. But it still is a must-read for all people who have high financial goals even though not really wanting to be an investor. Well, but if you are the kind of person who wants to stay forever in your job (maybe you just love your job so much) then probably you won't need to read this book.This book contains a lot of eye-opener truths when it comes to how money works. My goal is to be in the investor quadrant and for me to go there, I have to pass first the B quadrant which stands for business! Why business first? Because in my condition right now, there is no way I can be in the I quadrant simply because I do not have money to invest yet! And even though I have a lot of money now, say I won 10M PhP in the lottery, I still will not invest. Why? Because investing is not just about percentages going ups and down. In the book, Rich Dad's Guide to Investing, it was revealed there why people like me should go through the B quadrant first.

So basically, that's where I am now, in the B quadrant. I am relatively a new player here and I am investing on skills which are necessary to be competent in this quadrant. What's my secret? Reading. That's the first advice I got from my millionaire friend. But not just reading but reading with intelligence and having visions for your goals. :)

P.S. 

You want to read now? I recommend you to read Joey Concepcion's article "Filipinos are not Destined to be Poor".

Go Negosyo 6th FIlipina Entrepreneurship Summit 2014

ONE MORE DAY TO GO!

Since I am a fan of conferences or talks especially about entrepreneurship, I am helping Go Negosyo to publicize their event tomorrow which is about women empowerment and entrepreneurship. This has been an annual tradition of Go Negosyo since 2009 dedicated to target the very important kababaihan sector of our society. The GoNegosyo team just had the 3rd Filipino Technopreneurship Summit and they are again gearing up for this women summit. This is timely for International Women's Month celebration which we are doing this March. All the government officials and employees are invited and of course all of madlang people (there is no registration fee). The speakers are all famous and worth listening to. Watch this video I especially created for more information.

I'm hoping for the event's success since I'm a solid supporter of women empowerment and entrepreneurship. My dream is to become a successful young entrepreneur and to be able to talk and inspire others as well. I do not have a business degree but I believe that doing business is something you can not learn inside a classroom but something you learn from other people's experiences and from your own experiences as well. This is why I always try to attend seminars and conferences about starting and doing business. I am aware that there are many Filipino micro-entrepreneurs out there especially in this time when it is easy and cheap to publicize in the internet. So if you are one of those, I wish you can attend to this event and I also encourage you to have the passion in learning so that you will never stop learning. Most of the businessmen I know say that your earnings in your business is directly proportional to your learning!