Connected Women, a global community of women entrepreneurs, freelancers, and professionals, in partnership with Facebook and the Department of Information and Communications and Technology (DICT), welcomed over 230 women participants in the #SheMeansBusiness workshop held in Acacia Hotel in Muntinlupa City, one of the Information Communication Technology Centers for Excellence in the country.
The workshop participants heard from experts on online marketing and were given tutorials on tools that could help them start or grow their business online.
“Since 2017, #SheMeansBusiness has helped over 2,000 women entrepreneurs in the Philippines to build and grow their businesses. This year, we look forward to supporting more women entrepreneurs, by providing them with critical skills and tools to help them thrive in the digital marketplace,” said Beth Ann Lim, Head of Community Affairs, APAC, Facebook.
The #SheMeansBusiness program has been launched in 21 markets around the world, including the Philippines. It’s designed to reach both aspiring and established women entrepreneurs through a series of workshops and online resources that will arm them with the knowledge, skills, connections, and technology required to build and grow their business.
“Thank you, Connected Women and Facebook for your collaboration to help thousands of women skill up, scale, and provide them with the necessary support on how to conduct their business. We at the DICT are happy to work with Connected Women and Facebook to help us reach and teach women about ICT related livelihood opportunities and how to access them,” said Attorney Ivin Ronald D.M. Alzona, Department of Information and Communications Technology, Assistant Secretary for Management and Operations.
From Passion Project to Success Story
Trixie de Guzman, one of #SheMeansBusiness participants, was able to turn her passion project into a business in only a few months. After attending the pilot run of the #SheMeansBusiness program in 2017, she gained the confidence to leave her corporate job and start a full-time online business. Trixie felt ready to set up a bag and accessory company called Genuinely Everywhere.
In the early days of the business, Trixie was double hatting as owner and sole crafter. The biggest challenge was to expand her business with little to no capital. Through the #SheMeansBusiness program, Trixie learned how to market her products online and reach her customers more efficiently. She set up her Business Page on Facebook and Instagram, where she connected and engaged with customers and enthusiasts—some of whom were stay-at-home mothers who wanted to be trained on leather crafting.
From being a retail provider fulfilling individual orders, her business has scaled to provide products for corporate orders. Today, Trixie has expanded her operations and workforce, employing more full-time crafters to support the growth of her business. During peak production season, she also temporarily hires freelancing crafters that she has trained to ensure they can deliver to customers.
“Tools like Facebook have made it easier to grow your business and build better relationships with your customers. At Connected Women, we aim to educate women entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs on digital tools so they can scale their businesses and reach a global market, even while staying close to home. We hope women entrepreneurs who attend our events can take the lessons from the workshop to bring their business ideas to life,” said Gina Romero, CEO and co-founder of Connected Women.
The workshop in Metro Manila is the first of five free #SheMeansBusiness workshops all over the Philippines this year. #SheMeansBusiness will be holding a workshop in Baguio City this July 26th. For more information on the #SheMeansBusiness program, visit https://shemeansbusiness.fb.com/ph/ or to join the upcoming workshop in Baguio go to: connectedwomen.co/baguio.
May I ask when and where is your next free workshop after Baguio? I am very much interestes to join. Thank you.