A simple question can change the outcome of what we do, that is a long-held mindset that most successful people have latched on to dearly. This is no exemption from the people who have chosen to keep moving forward as they brave through the new normal with the firm goal of getting their endeavors done. The business landscape has been challenging in itself and the constraints brought about by the new normal has taken this challenge up a notch. Given this, doubt inevitably played as a mental hindrance. This is the problem that BTL Venture Capital primarily wants to address. Founded last August 2020, it is a startup that seeks to strategically build organizations that last. This motto has championed the exponential growth of the company to greater heights, as it was also successful in its pursuit to empower the team that helped in building up the venture.
A few months later, the team felt the need to share this culture with others. Thus, last year Businesses Beyond Quarantine: A Startup Week Series took place as an answer to that goal. The path towards accelerating change and transcending business limits. It seemed like a mission impossible to make this vision come true, given the uncertainties brought about by the pandemic and the time constraint of having to have everything within only a month. Acknowledging these, the team behind the event remained rooted with strong belief that was quoted from Simon Sinek: “people do not buy what you do; they buy why you do it”. This inspired the preparation of the week long webinar series which started with a challenge to the question ‘what if’. From there, a group of interns led by Marc Balaoing remained steadfast and decided to spearhead in making it into a reality.
Day 1 started off strong with Sir Florentino Hernando and Sir Hero Laurente, two business colleagues whose passion brought life to BTL Venture Capital. Collectively, their rich experience in the field of academe, entrepreneurship, executive leadership human resources, information technology, organizational design, non-profit and Church leadership staged the way for the exponential growth of BTL Venture Capital in less than half a year. They talked about their passions and expertise such as stock investing and starting a business.
The effort to inspire business catalysts was shortly followed through during Day 2 with support by the owners of Anakula Coffee, a group of entrepreneurs with a mission to shine light on the brilliance of Philippine coffee and how they made an income through enacting this vision. Inspiration also followed through when it was the next speaker’s turn to share his insights. Zark’s Burgers did not fall short as its founder, Mr. Rolandrei Varona, humbly shared the narrative of the beginnings of one of the Philippines’ biggest burger empires, as it has won the hearts and support of the young market with its innovative menu. From Zark’s Burgers being an underrated gem, it has immensely expanded into having over 60 branches nationwide.
Day 3 commences with tech startups Orbital Exploration and stratcon.ph. Technology related ventures have yet to reach its peak in the Philippines. With this, the two startups enthusiastically shared how they propose to make their respective ventures reputably known in the global setting. This goes to show that the only limiting feat about one’s dreams is when people lean towards the what ifs over what is; by taking courage to act and pursue one’s dream is a milestone itself.
Day 4 was dedicated to one of the most successful wellness businesses in the Philippines: Lay Bare! Paolo Hilario, one of the great minds behind the reputable business shares that nurturing a brand requires a communication of unity, genuity, and sincerity. In order for a business to be prevalent, it is a must to establish connections with aggregates that transcend the usual contact points. In their case, they remained in touch with their customers despite their business being immensely affected by the new normal; this is one of the key pieces of advice that enabled Lay Bare Waxing Salon, a business heavily reliant on in-person close contact appointments, to stay connected and relevant with their customers.
On Day 5, the culminating webinar transpired with three entrepreneurial groups presenting their respective ventures before panelists and audiences. The groups of people behind these endeavors were able to answer intriguing and well-crafted inquiries and sentiments from both. Most Valuable Player, Metamorphosis, and Bongga Ka ‘Day each stood out with their unique propositions but the presenter that brought home the win is the social poll game, Bongga Ka ‘Day! The business ideas presented were an epitome of what the startup week is all about — a catalyst to accelerate change and transcend business limits. Thus, to declare that these remarkable pitches and the stories behind it will be made known and dominate the market globally is not a far-fetched idea.
With everything that commenced during Businesses Beyond Quarantine: A Startup Week Series, learning definitely commenced on both sides. The speakers were able to inspire a number of business catalysts by relaying what they know and the speakers themselves were able to discern a few of their market’s sentiments about their business’ identity. Thus, the organizers concluded the event at ease with the fact that they were able to inspire a handful of individuals to be the catalysts of their respective dreams. The 50% of the journey towards achieving their ambitions has already transpired during the week-long webinar series, the remaining 50% will be entirely up to how each of the participants act with their newfound learnings in mind.
