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As 2010 nearly reaches mid-year, it is time that we look back at 2009 and remind ourselves of the lessons that we learned from the previous year marked by calamities, sorrows and even resilience of Filipinos.

We give you  10 Entrepreneurs’ Takes on 2009

10. Opportunity:

We actually saw opportunity in the recession because people will be looking for ways to save money—and what we offer is a cheaper alternative to buying brand new games. We are now planning on opening another branch in Makati City.

[Read seeking opportunities in retail during a downturn here]

Uyay Ypon
Owner, Game On!
Game On sells second-hand, original games for PSP, Xbox, Nintendo and other consoles

9. Good Start:

2009 was challenging, but not any harder than any business’ first year. Good businesses are the ones that take time to build; building during the tough times is a great strategy so that you can maximize your growth once the economy becomes better.

[Read economy off to a rousing start in 2010 here]

Gerrel Roa
COO, Qartas Corp.
A third-party certification company

Page 2: Challenges and changes

8. Reorientation:

2009 was difficult for us. One has to work harder now to earn the same amount one earned about five years ago. If a lot of people are unemployed or underemployed, there goes our market! With the economic turmoil and environmental catastrophes, I think there should be a reorientation of our outlook of business—people first, before profit.

[Read how a teambuilding session helps people in an organization to work towards a common goal here]

Geraldine Po
Second-generation owner, Popular Bookstore

7. Startup Woes:

We were a startup business operating in its first year. The recession’s impact was secondary to the  greater and more pressing trials that being a startup business entails.

[Read 10 startup challenges of Oustanding Entrepreneurs here]

Patrica Flores
Co-founder, Bejeweled Slippers
Bejeweled provides jobs to poor women of
Gawad Kalinga communities.

6. Growth:

It was a good year to expand and grow our food and catering business in Los Baños, Laguna. Despite the current economic situation, people still dine out, as long as you serve them food that has value for the money that they spend.

[Read franchising as an expansion mode here]

Jeff and PJ Aquino
Owners, Arla Restaurant
Los Baños, Laguna


5. Chilling Effect:

For us, 2009 was generally good, despite the global financial meltdown. However, the recent typhoons had a chilling effect on our sales. Many people were afraid to go out at the slightest sign of rain, and flood stories dominated conversations, inducing pessimism. Still, I believe the slowdown is just temporary and, for most businesses, it is a good year as any to plan for growth.

[See 15 success tips from business veterans here]

Ruben Anlacan Jr.
President, BusinessCoach Inc.
Business training provider

Page 3: Trials and triumphs

4. Fantastic:

For Gymboree, 2009 was a fantastic year despite the challenges. We expanded by three centers, all within 2009. We have yet to see how profitable it would be by the year end.

[Read how reinvesting profit begets profit here]

Ann Tan
Owner, Gymboree Play and Music

3. Excellent:

For franchising, the year was excellent. The scare of the financial global meltdown at the start of the year coupled with the rural bank scandals brought us a lot of franchise buyers, since plenty of people did not trust the banks anymore and preferred to place the money in business. Also, quite a number of OFWs came back for good, so they invested their money in a franchise.

What slowed franchising was the typhoons that hit in September and October, but then again that was only in Metro Manila and Luzon. Franchise development and marketing was unchanged and stayed strong in the Visayas and Mindanao.

[See hot eight businesses that are franchising here]

Rudolf Kotik
RK Franchise Consultancy

2. Up Time

For a business involved in people development, recession is a plain opportunity. I’m able to strengthen LLOYDLUNA brand, triple my seminars and book sales, and establish strong consultancy connections with both seasoned and startup businesses. 2009 for some is a down time; for me, it’s an up time. Any year can be your best year ever, when you know how to handle your resources and respond to challenges.

[Read how to protect your assets here]

Lloyd Luna
Author and motivational speaker
www.lloydluna.com


1. Struggle, with Hope

With the so-called economic crisis that we all waited for but never really arrived, the feeling of anticipation, the stress of waiting, and the tension of what was to come created a struggle. It’s been a tough year, when everything seemed to have been fast-tracked. But that had also given us some hope for something better in 2010.

[See five ways to survive difficult times here]

Jorge Wieneke
President, First Asian Food Project Inc.