People People People!

The lifeblood of any organization is its employees. The employees must be able to buy into the vision and mission of the company for it to be successful. The management must, in turn, be able to satisfy the basic needs of an employee.

When the management and the employee see eye to eye there will be a harmonious relationship between the parties involved. However, if one thinks that the other party is taking advantage then mistrust and chaos ensues.

The birth pains of any growing organization is getting the right people and putting them on the same page as every one else. A maverick is encouraged if he has already been sold to the company's system, vision and mission as well as policies. Employees who are given leeway often abuse the autonomy that has been given to them.

We experienced this first hand in one of our shops. An employee who had been with us since we started had become so full of himself and has treated the new hires disrespectfully.

Thanks to cindyisb.blogspot.com

M, let us call him this, was one of the employees we thought we could trust. He had some good ideas we were able to use. And he also understood that since we were starting out, some of the benefits would have to be on hold until we become successful.

M started to change when we got additional shops for expansion. We got more people to help us and increase our sales. We mentioned to M that once we reach the sales target of a certain he will be given more responsibilities, thus, also a corresponding increase salary.

However, during the next few days we saw that he wasn't as persevering as he used to. He ordered the new hires to do his job and at the same time, he did not report the sales of the shop at the end of the day. Furthermore, he wanted an immediate increase in salary. We told him that the agreed target must first be met. He became confrontational.

We decided to leave him when he brought home the sales of the day and didn't return it. It was a small amount but we couldn't trust him anymore.

Now, we have one of our franchisees experiencing her own employee problems. The employee goes to work late and goes home early and then asks why he has a paltry take home pay. Amazing!

Every company has their own story to tell, as much as any other employee. The key to maintaining a good working relationship is being open and keeping respect. Once you lose that respect, then all hell breaks lose.

Lessons that I've learned from this experience:

1. Manage expectations. Right from the start, tell the employee the rules and regulations of the company. If he doesn't perform as well or goes to work late, it is expected that his take home pay will be smaller compared to the others.

2. Communicate clearly. Employees have their own minds. They have their own vocabulary. They have their own experiences in which they create their own context. Make sure that you are coming from the same page. Understand them first.

3. Be prepared to let go of your employees when they create trouble. Although losing an employee is one of the hardest things to experiences to have, a company will be better off in the long-run if the agitator is let go. You can get and train people anytime but you will not be able to gain and get the respect of your employees as easily.

My Path To Entrepreneurship

I was born in a family which believed that if you studied hard and get good grades you will be gainfully employed and will never have to go hungry again. In fact, if you worked-hard enough and become loyal enough to the company you work with, that company will provide every thing you need. I believed in those words for quite some time.

Because of idealism and the expectation that I will be monetarily rewarded handsomely when the 'time' came, I joined young companies and start-ups. When the call center industry was just beginning to take a foot-hold on our shores, I was the first ones to grab the opportunity. But then I got bored. The job was very repetitive and I wanted something with some more challenge. The work in call centers was what others were looking for, but not me. I wanted to go out. I wanted to be on the field.

When the opportunity came for me to work outside of the office and meet a lot of people, that was when my view about employment change. I was working with a company that a operations nationwide. Although it was a national company, I had a chance to develop my own area. I met people a lot of people who wanted to earn extra money because they need it. I met people who wanted to be their own boss because they grew tired of working for someone else. I was talking to them, helping them make money while I was receiving a fixed income.

I opened a shop which became the number 1 shop in the Philippines. It bested even the company-owned shops. A couple of others were in the top 10. I saw people who made a lot of money because of my efforts.

After I left the company, I went in to sales and handled a number of sales people. I would go out with my salesmen and talk to the clients they were serving. Some of these clients have their own catering business, others have their own stalls in wet markets, others own big restaurant chains. Their backgrounds were diverse but they all own businesses - and they were earning more than I did. Yes, I had a car. Yes, there was gasoline allowance. But my income was a pittance compared to what they were earning monthly. A business-owner who sells nothing but coffee in a wet market in one of the cities in Metro Manila was even able to send all of her kids to reputable schools! And she has savings more than she could ever imagined!

That event became the turning-point. I wanted to be an entrepreneur and own a business. I knew I had skills to make a business successful. I went to work for a start-up and was mentored by a businessman. It was a very mutually beneficial relationship at first. I helped in setting-up the system and managed the company as whole. I developed new programs and businesses for the company. But things started to change when I realized that the owner was rushing decisions and then changing them like changing hats.

GreenRides chosen as the official car cleaning service provider of Toyota.

The whole experience burnt me out... It was then I finally decided to go into business and work for myself.

I didn't get my business flying immediately. There were more misses than hits. I found the hard way that venturing into business is not a walk in the park. It was work - pure hard work...

Why become an entrepreneur? Why be a business-owner?

According to the Department of Trade and Industry, 99.6% of businesses in the Philippines are in the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises segment. And they contribute to about 63.2% of employment or about 3.6Million jobs nationwide. MSME's are the biggest contributors to economic growth and employment.

Aside from the monetary consideration, entrepreneurs or business-owners earn more in the long-run that employees, I also find it as a Filipino that it is my duty to contribute to the national development of the Philippines. President JFK said it best, "Ask not what your country can do for you, rather what can you do for your country."

Don't take me wrong, there are other ways to show one's love for country. But this entrepreneurship is the path I choose. This path is not for everyone.

The car clean technicians during Toyota's Caravan.

This will be the overall theme for my blog. The lesson will revolve around entrepreneurship; the lessons I have learned and the essential things needed by entrepreneurs.

Finally, I don't consider myself as an authority in the subject. Rather, I am more of a practitioner. I just teach and share things that I experienced myself. I hope, through this blog, I will be able to touch more lives and convince more Filipinos to become entrepreneurs and help improve the economic situation of our country.