Words by Gemma Casimsiman
Earning money and starting a business are two completely different things as the latter goes through an agonizing process before it can flourish. Though earning money is easier said than done, it requires a heavy amount of patience and connections. With our economy today, we live in a fast-paced world where starting a company is the most common yet efficient way to survive.
However, despite living in an over-condensed nation, there are those companies that have been standing strong for a while. Take Ayannah for example. They have been in the market providing digital financial services to unbanked residents for over 8 years. It started off with Mikko Perez wanting to do “something in agriculture.”
After starting a food business, he went to the United States to tackle business studies. There on out, he hopped from one company to another, learning what it meant to communicate and be technical. By 2010, he put up Ayannah and after years and years, it still stands as one of the most helpful and well-developed startup companies in the Philippines.
But aside from technical startup’s, there are also companies who handle the heavy-lifting. Ever heard of Lalamove? If not, well, it’s a delivery service that delivers your package in the most efficient and convenient way. Unlike other business, they had to re-brand—from being called Easyvan to Lalamove. They first started out in Hong Kong and branching out along Southeast Asia.
Their expansion from country to another was one of their biggest struggles as a company. From China to, say, Manila, it is not easy to adapt to another environment. However, they learned to direct their attention to the needs of their target audience. Because of this system, they were able to conjure a well thought-out game plan. From 40 cities, they are now handling 100, raising over $30 million.
Stepping aside to a physical market, startup companies make use of social media that have blessed our gadgets. From there, the common thing would be promoting your business and attracting an audience. One startup, however, uses it as a form of laughter. PGAG has been a source of amusement among millennials. It only started this year and from there, they have been the source of entertainment of about 3 million Filipinos (weekly) through memes and hilarious videos.
It’s still a growing company but by using their wits, they’ve gathered a huge audience. Spearheaded by a group of four, their goal is to make people laugh and they don’t seem to be straying away from it. The numbers are still growing and so are they. Right now, they expanded their posts from Facebook to Youtube, Instagram, and Twitter!
Although these companies have been developing through the use of social media as well as their services, one company decided to use the digital market as a form to connect your problems to their solution. Teko is an appliance startup that uses the online platform to connect you to the nearest and trusted technicians. It was co-founded by Chris Teodoro in June 2017, developing by working on their advantages. Don’t worry, all the technicians are certified! They’re upfront with what they can do for you—whether it’s an air conditioning problem or any other home appliance, they make sure you know about it.
Similarly, Ninja Van has been using the same strategy. Unlike Teko, this company is a courier service and an e-commerce brand. They launched back in 2014 and earned their title of “Asia’s fastest growing logistics company” which speaks volumes about their progress. The key to their development? Their founders had their own fair share of experience in the retail and business communities.
As an e-commerce brand, not only do they have the advantage of four experienced founders but also the logistical knowledge for their company to progress. Their mission is to find innovative and scalable solutions while maintaining an honest and seamless customer experience. They are trusted by multiple high-end brands such as ZALORA, MDS, and Love Bonito.
From Lalamove to Ninja Van, we can establish that startup companies want to provide services to lead a hassle-free life. Excitingly, there is one company that provides you that same ease both online and in real life. OYO Rooms is another form of living space reservation. They started out as a single hotel in May 2013 expanding to 8, 500 hotels present.
Their plan was to put up more and more properties. This make-it-or-break-it thinking is risky but OYO Rooms took the challenge and is still growing as a company.
These startup companies didn’t exactly start all by themselves. Resources aren’t picked up by one person alone! With the help of Penbrothers, these five companies were able to succeed and rise to the top. Penbrothers is what I can easily sum up as providers. They are a huge team that helps you look for your talents, HR, and an office space when needed.
Penbrothers is one of the stepping stones that helped these businesses reach their success. At the same time, within the Penbrothers community, you also get to meet a variety of startup companies that you can either work for or learn from. They are the gateway to build what you started especially with the economy and community we live in today.
Here in the Philippines, the startup community is expanding. It is still growing rapidly with over 300 startups in the country. The PH is off to a great start in the world of startups–maybe you should start one, too!
If anything we can take away from this, it’s the three things that these startups have in common that made them successful: timing, quick thinking, and adapting. Learn your way through the community. You don’t have to be successful right away. Sometimes, failure is the key to success.
