Way back the old times, Cebuana Lhuillier is simply known as a pawnshop; but the times have changed and they now offer more than just the usual pawning-lending services. They offer remittance services, e-loading and bills payment and micro-insurance services as well. The pawnshop's innovations has made them a leader in their field.


See Cebuana Lhuillier's financial services for businesses and individuals up close plus more surprises at the 7th Philippine Business and Entrepreneurs' Expo this August 26 to 28 at the SM Megatrade Hall 1 in Mandaluyong City. You can talk with fellow entrepreneurs, or just observe and gain knowledge to polish your business and expand it further.



This event is organized by business event organizer Ex-Link Management & Marketing Services Corporation. For inquiries and partnerships, call telephone numbers 633-01-53, 643-3887 or email info@exlinkevents.com. Ex-Link Events is also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Driver's license validity is to be lengthened up to 5 years. Passport validity to be lengthened up to 10 years. Processing is to be done online to decrease queues. Commitments in processing of documents will be delivered at a set time and date.

These are the things that President Rodrigo Duterte opened to the 17th Congress at the 2016 State of the Nation Address last Monday, and while there are some things that are not mentioned, what supposed to be a 30-minute speech went up to 100 minutes - and yet, we can say that it is mesmerizing.

President Duterte pointed out problems one at a time, and then proposed a solution. One of them is the establishment of the 8888 anti-corruption hotline, which will be connected to the Executive branch. This will complement the signed Freedom of Information executive order that he signed.

To sum his statement on the 8888 hotline, he made it clear that when he hears something wrong within his scope (Executive branch), "even a whisper," he'll take charge, go visit the person involved and ask why. "[...] hiwalay-hiwalay na tayo [...]," as he says it, should deter those who will try to do so.

The relation, or perhaps the benefit, of the 8888 hotline is that it is set up to help streamline the process of documents and to mitigate red tape that has been hampering the development of most Filipinos, including in the MSME industry. Once the hotline is set up in the succeeding weeks, we'll see how things will work - for the better, we really hope.

In what is dubbed as the "saddest US$5 [actually US$4.8] billion deal in tech history," the core assets of Yahoo!, Inc. (once an internet giant before Google and Facebook took over; and also the place where most Filipinos signed up for email) has been sold to the biggest wireless telco in the U.S., Verizon. Now what happens after this?

First, let's describe the assets that are sold to: Yahoo!'s email, sports, news, finance, real estate and advertising tools aside from some patents. Let's put a big emphasis on email: Coming back from what we said earlier, most of us (if not all) have Yahoo! email addresses. Now that a major US telco will soon own Yahoo! Mail and Yahoo! Finance, should we be bothered? Not at all.

In the words of Forbes' Brian Solomon, "It’s an ironic end. While the opening of the consumer web made the portal an early online superpower, now Yahoo will be eaten by a company that enables more users to access the Internet every day, from anywhere, than Yahoo’s founders [Jerry Yang and David Filo] ever could have dreamed when they first launched."

Moreover, Solomon also mentioned that Yahoo! will be reunited with another then-giant, America Online (AOL). Yahoo! and AOL were the big ones in content, and not to mention AOL's assets include websites catering to news and tech which has a big following.

While the present time of Yahoo! is definitely turbulent - shout-out to that deal they had with Tumblr - some are optimistic that the deal will bring life back to it. Maybe this will be the next thing that people will remember in the future, after the search engine and the Yahoo! yodel. Who knows?

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The Customer Love Fest will feature key resource speakers and the latest concepts in Customer Experience Management, Customer Relationship Management, and Customer Loyalty and Rewards. Join in on the fun and don't be left out.


This event is produced and organized by Ex-Link Management and Marketing Services Corporation, a business organizer in the Philippines. 

To be part of the Customer Love Fest, call telephone numbers 633-01-53, 643-38-87, mobile number 0920-981-4376 or send an email at info@exlinkevents.com. Ex-Link Events is also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Today marks the opening of the 17th Congress of the Republic of the Philippines, and as stated in the constitution, the Congress will open with a State of the Nation Address led by the president of the republic. This year, the State of the Nation Address will be done by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, dubbed as the first president elected from the Mindanao region.

Last week, we did a quick survey among our peers on what are the 10 things that we would like to hear in President Duterte's first SONA:

1. No tax for employees earning below ₱25,000 - so that employees will have less burden budgeting their monthly allowances.
2. Increase in SSS Pension benefits - senior citizens depend on pension more to sustain themselves.
3. Make food prices affordable and accessible - more food bought for a set budget means more nourished families.
4. Ease transportation - less time spent on traffic means more time to spend on being productive
5. Increase and unify the minimum wage - so that businesses won't need to adjust wages if they are going to branch out to multiple locations across the country.
6. Abolish contractualization - secured jobs mean secured futures.
7. Improved healthcare services - If everyone can benefit from the government's healthcare services, the better.
8. Ease of doing government transactions - reducing the days alloted to business registration saves time, money and sweat.
9. Telecommunications infrastructure - faster connections mean faster processing of transactions.

The Internet of Things (IoT). Drones. Web 3.0. Startups. These are some of the buzzwords that describe how technology has helped (and for those who are wary of it, taken over) society as we know it. Just imagine your business integrating with the latest technology:

• You can make full use of drones to show your store's facade
• You can develop applications that will also serve as your virtual store
• Your website can have the best-pleasing design and yet still serve customers
• You can describe yourself as a startup

Simply taking your business online is one step of integrating the latest technologies into it. Imagine the number of debit card holders who does their transactions online now from those in the next five to ten years. Imagine how many people are using mobile phones now, and how many of them have set up their virtual debit cards; or has their coupons inside it. We are merely estimating that a few utilize these new technologies, and we can predict that in that time frame it will reach to a quarter or third of the populace.

This is just a nutshell in a plethora of reasons why businesses should enhance themselves using technology, and there will be more reasons in the future. Let's use the available resources that we can use now and play with it, for it will sure help us one way or another for the next wave of technologies.

Facebook has released its insights on what people seek for the most on the Facebook and Instagram platforms, and the results may surprise you.
While both Instagram and Facebook are social media, and is used to share everyone's moments, the difference between the two is that Facebook is more on current events while Instagram is more on style.

Here's the gist of the excerpts from the said post:

• "20% of Americans’ time on mobile is spent on Facebook and Instagram"
• "On Instagram, people follow celebrities, get DIY inspiration and are visually transported to new places—while on Facebook, the primary appeal is connecting with family and friends."
• "[...] Based on these findings, marketers might experiment with sharing reactions and opinions on Facebook and behind-the-scenes content on Instagram."
• "[...] fun on Facebook is more about humor, and fun on Instagram is more about encountering the unexpected."
• "[...] Compared to women, for instance, men were more likely to agree that Facebook and Instagram help them organize their lives. This might include learning about and RSVPing to events or joining special interest groups. On the other hand, women were more likely than men to agree that Facebook and Instagram help them stay in touch with close friends and family."
• "Parents we surveyed aren’t just posting cute kid photos. They also said they seek video content on Facebook as often as Millennials surveyed [...]"
• "Compared to older generations, Millennials (18–34) surveyed are more eager for video content. They’re also more likely to follow content related to fashion, beauty and interior design on Instagram than on Facebook." 

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The Customer Love Fest will feature key resource speakers and the latest concepts in Customer Experience Management, Customer Relationship Management, and Customer Loyalty and Rewards. Join in on the fun and don't be left out.


This event is produced and organized by Ex-Link Management and Marketing Services Corporation, a business organizer in the Philippines. 

To be part of the Customer Love Fest, call telephone numbers 633-01-53, 643-38-87, mobile number 0920-981-4376 or send an email at info@exlinkevents.com. Ex-Link Events is also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The 2016 Customer LoveFest welcomes SM Hotels and Conventions Corporation Loyalty Program Manager Ms. Brie Caces!

Ms. Caces has four years of experience in the events industry, having worked in the events management industry. As the Loyalty Program Manager for SM Hotels and Conventions, she is responsible for the launch, conceptualization and management of the company's loyalty program activities.

See her and other international speakers at the New World Makati Hotel this October 20 and 21, 2016.


The Customer Love Fest will feature key resource speakers and the latest concepts in Customer Experience Management, Customer Relationship Management, and Customer Loyalty and Rewards. Join in on the fun and don't be left out.


This event is produced and organized by Ex-Link Management and Marketing Services Corporation, a business organizer in the Philippines. 

To be part of the Customer Love Fest, call telephone numbers 633-01-53, 643-38-87, mobile number 0920-981-4376 or send an email at info@exlinkevents.com. Ex-Link Events is also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

In preparation for the 7th Philippine Business & Entrepreneurs' Expo which will be held at the SM Megatrade Hall this August 26 to 28, we are giving away a vacation package at the "My Idea" online contest, and it's easy to join! Just follow the Rafflecopter widget below, and you're all set!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Our criteria in determining the winner are based on:

• Number of likes (25%),
• Number of shares (50%), and
• The answer itself (50%)

The points added by completing the tasks in the Rafflecopter widget will be then added, as follows:

• 1 to 6 points = 80%
• 7 to 11 points - 85%
• 12 to 14 points = 95%

The average percentage of the two scores will be totaled, and the top 5 finalists will be called to show up at the third day of the 7th PBEX on August 28 and will receive goodies.

This promotion will run until August 14, 2016.


The 7th Philippine Business & Entrepreneurs' Expo will happen this August 26 to 28 at the SM Megatrade Hall in Mandaluyong City.

This event is organized by business event organizer Ex-Link Management & Marketing Services Corporation. For inquiries and partnerships, call telephone numbers 633-01-53, 643-3887 or email info@exlinkevents.com. Ex-Link Events is also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

It's more than a month away before the 7th Philippine Business and Entrepreneurs' Expo, and we have updates for everyone about this annual event.

First up, we are on Eventbrite, which means that you can check up on our events and even register your visit online to avoid the hassle of staying in the line for a long time. The three PBEX 2016 conferences are live on Eventbrite, and you can also register your visit on this page.

ASEAN MSME Business Summit 2016 (August 26, Friday)

Discuss the latest trends and best practices for the MSMEs in the ASEAN region

The ASEAN MSME Business Summit aims to bring together key resource speakers from various parts of the ASEAN region to give insights to the Filipino MSME community in time for the country's transition to the ASEAN Economic Community.

Among our key resource speakers is from Vietnam, who will talk about the opportunities in Trade and Investment in the said country. Take note, Vietnam is dubbed as an "emerging market standout" by Bloomberg, an that is a great opportunity for those who would like to expand their businesses internationally. We'll be providing more information in the next few weeks.

Business Readiness & Disaster Preparedness Summit 2016 (August 27, Saturday)

Prepare your business for possible incoming financial or natural disasters

The Business Readiness and Disaster Preparedness Summit aims to bring together key resource speakers to provide tips on how Filipino Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) should prepare their business for possible setbacks that could hamper their businesses.

Our industry partner for this summit is the Philippine Marketing Association, composed of experienced marketing professionals, and they'll be sharing insights, ideas and lessons on preparing your business for possible disasters.

MSME Success Forum (August 28, Sunday)

Get insights on the best practices of successful Filipino MSMEs

The MSME Success Forum aims to bring together key resource speakers to share insights and tips on how Filipino Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) can improve their businesses. Prior to this, a meetup of MSME entrepreneurs is set to be held before the Forum, so you are free to get ideas from them.


There's a lot of slots now, but these slots might get occupied - if we were you, go register here and mark the calendar. FREE Online registration is up until August 8, 2016.  Program highlights are subject to change without prior notice.

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There are lots of ideas and concepts on doing business in the Philippines and more at the 7th Philippine Business & Entrepreneurs' Expo this August 26 to 28 at the SM Megatrade Hall in Mandaluyong City. You can talk with fellow entrepreneurs, or just observe and gain knowledge to polish your business and expand it further.


This event is organized by business event organizer Ex-Link Management & Marketing Services Corporation. For inquiries and partnerships, call telephone numbers 633-01-53, 643-3887 or email info@exlinkevents.com. Ex-Link Events is also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The 2016 Customer LoveFest welcomes retail mentor and adviser Mr. Darrell Wisbey! Mr. Wisbey has experienced the Asian retail market for two decades.

He has held senior executive roles in Merchandising, Store Operations and Marketing in Specialty Stores, Department Stores, Mass Merchants, Hypermarkets and Supermarkets and Convenience Stores in Japan, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, India and the Philippines.

As a "career retailer who is passionate about delivering success," Mr. Wisbey will be bringing his insights on retailing in the 5th Customer Loyalty Conference and Expo at the 2016 customer LoveFest. See him and other international speakers at the New World Makati Hotel this October 20 and 21, 2016.


The Customer Love Fest will feature key resource speakers and the latest concepts in Customer Experience Management, Customer Relationship Management, and Customer Loyalty and Rewards. Join in on the fun and don't be left out.


This event is produced and organized by Ex-Link Management and Marketing Services Corporation, a business organizer in the Philippines. 

To be part of the Customer Love Fest, call telephone numbers 633-01-53, 643-38-87, mobile number 0920-981-4376 or send an email at info@exlinkevents.com. Ex-Link Events is also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The twin activity of the 23rd National Retail Conference, Stores Asia Expo 2016, is set to bring another milestone in the Philippine retail industry!

As the only exhibit dedicated to retail suppliers in the Philippines, the Stores Asia Expo expects 3,000 visitors in the country's only focused and dedicated event for retail suppliers, which includes top executives from retail businesses. Retail Solutions, E-Commerce & Mobile Commerce, Shopfit & Stores Design, Digital Marketing and Retail Marketing are the segments that this event tackles every year.


With the overall theme of "Shifting Gears in Retail: Consumption in the Digital Age," the National Retail Conference will be bringing in the innovations that has set the trends in retail. Aside from marketing professionals and retail business owners, everyone is also welcome to see the activities, which include talks from various companies.

Coming to this event is FREE, and if you want to avoid going in the queue at door, you can register below!


Stores Asia Expo 2016 will be held at the SMX Convention Center - Manila inside the Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay City this August 10 to 11. Updates on the Expo and the 23rd National Retail Conference are posted on the official Facebook page of the Philippine Retailers Association.

This event is managed by business event organizer Ex-Link Management & Marketing Services Corporation. For inquiries and partnerships, call telephone numbers 633-01-53 or email info@exlinkevents.com. Ex-Link Events is also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

When we talk about Social Media, it's Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, so on and so forth. Most of us just want to share the best moments of their life online, but only a few of us know the value of social media. Just how valuable is your social media profile?

• It is your gateway to fame - 15 seconds is all it takes for someone to notice others, so what if those 15 minutes were spent on doing brilliantly crazy things, or saying things that hit the guts and make sense? 
• It is your resume - Even if you're not in the world's largest professional social networking site, your social media profile is your resume. Nowadays, recruiters add this into the things they need to see before getting hired (or fired).
• Companies use it; heck, even the government uses it - You can connect directly to different agencies or companies which has their own Facebook or Twitter accounts.
• The government may even ask for your social media handles - In the United States, the Department of Homeland Security wants to add a social media field for those who are coming in their country, though this has yet to be discussed; and it is optional, according to the US DHS.
• You can check its value online - There are services online that checks the worth of your social media handles, and most of them are free (though be wary of some of them, and focus closely at what their systems do).

There's just a lot of reasons why social media is valuable, and if these don't convince you, what will?

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Get to know the latest updates and insights on Customer Love at the Customer LoveFest, which will happen at the New World Makati Hotel this October 20 and 21, 2016.

The Customer Love Fest will feature key resource speakers and the latest concepts in Customer Experience Management, Customer Relationship Management, and Customer Loyalty and Rewards. Join in on the fun and don't be left out.


This event is produced and organized by Ex-Link Management and Marketing Services Corporation, a business organizer in the Philippines. 

To be part of the Customer Love Fest, call telephone numbers 633-01-53, 643-38-87, mobile number 0920-981-4376 or send an email at info@exlinkevents.com. Ex-Link Events is also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The last two weeks showed us that the new government is results-oriented, and what more good example of this is the recent developments in the Agriculture Department (DA):

• Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol urged everyone to ensure implementation of programs to ensure rice sufficiency in the country,
• The National Irrigation Administration, the National Food Authority and the Philippine Coconut Authority are under the DA again,
• The secretary himself vows to focus on food production, which is the raison d'etre (reason of existence) of the department.
• Piñol also said that he plans to adopt the best practices of farmers in rice self-sufficient regions, and asks for updated soil data which has been used for four decades.

It is reported that the Philippines has the second-highest in Asia when it comes to electricity rates, just next to Japan. The high cost of electricity is a problem that is to be tackled by the Department of Energy under the new administration. Meanwhile, a 2014 ADB report puts the country next to Indonesia in the places with high water tariffs.

What does this mean for us, especially those in the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise industry? High cost of utilities caused by high demand and low supply means that we have to build more sources of energy or basins of water to supply the needs of the public.

Building more sources of water and energy will require money, land and human resources. There are other sources that are active, such as water treatment facilities and wind power plants, but these won't be enough as there will be more people in the future. There's a reason why some people are more happy to invest in companies related to utilities, as it is expected that these companies will build more sources of utilities.

Of course, these things will not just be the government's responsibility alone - we have a part on this. If we know the value of these utilities, we will then take care of it, especially in a country where it is a bit pricey. If the MSMEs have their own measures to conserve water and energy, the better.

Utilities are so valuable - just a blackout or a water or phone interruption will hamper sales and the delivery of services, and if you know the value of something, you will use it wisely.

There are lots of ideas and concepts on doing business in the Philippines and more at the 7th Philippine Business & Entrepreneurs' Expo this August 26 to 28 at the SM Megatrade Hall in Mandaluyong City. You can talk with fellow entrepreneurs, or just observe and gain knowledge to polish your business and expand it further.


This event is organized by business event organizer Ex-Link Management & Marketing Services Corporation. For inquiries and partnerships, call telephone numbers 633-01-53, 643-3887 or email info@exlinkevents.com. Ex-Link Events is also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The 2016 Customer LoveFest welcomes the Founder and President of AllFamous Digital Ms. Pauline Pangan as one of its speakers.

Ms. Pauline Pangan's Allfamous Digital has served big clients such as local companies TV5 Network, Inc., Meralco, BPI, Cebu Pacific and international companies Malaysia Airlines, Qantas and Changi Airport Group. The company she founded is among those that are accredited by CRM provider SalesForce to provide technical support for their Marketing Cloud products.

See her and other international speakers at the Customer Love Fest happening at the New World Makati Hotel this October 20 and 21, 2016.



The Customer Love Fest will feature key resource speakers and the latest concepts in Customer Experience Management, Customer Relationship Management, and Customer Loyalty and Rewards. Join in on the fun and don't be left out.


This event is produced and organized by Ex-Link Management and Marketing Services Corporation, a business organizer in the Philippines. 

To be part of the Customer Love Fest, call telephone numbers 633-01-53, 643-38-87, mobile number 0920-981-4376 or send an email at info@exlinkevents.com. Ex-Link Events is also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Today is a public holiday, as declared by the Philippine government, in observance of the Feast of Ramadan or Eid'l Fitr. Eid'l Fitr is celebrated by the Islamic faith three days after the end of the month of their fasting (Ramadan).

Speaking of the Islamic faith, they are the second largest population in the country, with 94% of them living in the southern part of the Philippines, especially in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) region, according to the data of the Philippine Statistics Authority (then called the National Statistics Office).

Imagine that you are in the food service industry and you want to cater to people of various cultures, including the Islamic faith. You will then research about their dietary laws, and why they do what they do. This is what you've found:

• They don't eat swine (pork) meat
• They don't eat meat of animals that has felt pain before being slaughtered, or has died of themselves
• They don't eat blood (thus they have a method of slaughtering that is based on their Quran called Dhabīḥah)
• They don't eat meat dedicated to other than Allah (God in Arabic)
• They don't drink alcoholic beverages
• They have a certification called "Halal," where the produce has been processed with the Islamic demographic in mind making it safe to eat by their standards.

After knowing this, you start to ask your friends who are Muslims what to do next so that you can cater to them. If your business caters to a wide variety of cultures, not just Islam, you will take consideration of the processes they do and the rules that they follow. Having a product or service that caters to, and respect different cultures is appreciated by your target market, so better think about the possibilities.

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There are lots of ideas and concepts on doing business in the Philippines at the 7th Philippine Business & Entrepreneurs' Expo this August 26 to 28 at the SM Megatrade Hall in Mandaluyong City. You can talk with fellow entrepreneurs, or just observe and gain knowledge to polish your business and expand it further.


This event is organized by business event organizer Ex-Link Management & Marketing Services Corporation. For inquiries and partnerships, call telephone numbers 633-01-53, 643-3887 or email info@exlinkevents.com. Ex-Link Events is also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

It's the year 2016. Condominiums are booming around the metro and nearby areas, and one of the challenges that marketers are having is how to actually sell the units. The tried-and-tested method of setting up booths in high-traffic locations are still applicable but yet ignored, and so they thought of other ideas to make sealing deals easier.

There are major condominium developers that are including the "Experience" vibe in their methods, wherein they invite potential buyers to dinners, and even concerts - a major developer has done a concert with a notable singer-songwriter, in fact.

By applying the "Experience," these developers are making the buyers more enticed to buy a condominium unit from them. There is no public information on how effective this method is, but this innovation aims to expand the target market by providing something that is unique and bundling it with the elevator pitch of selling a condo unit.

Notable, there are two developers that are doing this out front, and we are expecting other developers to follow suit.

Get to know the latest updates and insights on Customer Love at the Customer LoveFest, which will happen at the New World Makati Hotel this October 20 and 21, 2016.

The Customer Love Fest will feature key resource speakers and the latest concepts in Customer Experience Management, Customer Relationship Management, and Customer Loyalty and Rewards. Join in on the fun and don't be left out.


This event is produced and organized by Ex-Link Management and Marketing Services Corporation, a business organizer in the Philippines. 

To be part of the Customer Love Fest, call telephone numbers 633-01-53, 643-38-87, mobile number 0920-981-4376 or send an email at info@exlinkevents.com. Ex-Link Events is also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

We've referred to earlier reports from the Philippine Statistics Authority on the tourism industry's contribution to the country's gross domestic product, which we can consider as well as the income generated by the country through its manpower.

This video gets in the details of Tourism Industry's "Big Chunk" that it has contributed to the growth of the country's income last year, and this is a must-see for those who want to take a step in the business of tourism.


There are lots of ideas and concepts on doing business in the Philippines at the 7th Philippine Business & Entrepreneurs' Expo this August 26 to 28 at the SM Megatrade Hall in Mandaluyong City. You can talk with fellow entrepreneurs, or just observe and gain knowledge to polish your business and expand it further.


This event is organized by business event organizer Ex-Link Management & Marketing Services Corporation. For inquiries and partnerships, call telephone numbers 633-01-53, 643-3887 or email info@exlinkevents.com. Ex-Link Events is also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

It's 2016. The word "startup" no longer applies to technology companies, and even some bigshot companies are now thinking like a startup. Design and appearance has evolved back to basics. Everything is connected.

As everything steps up, you and your workplace should do so as well, and here are three things you need to consider in innovating it:

• Know the latest trends. Knowledge is key when it comes to turning your business to a different direction, so read on the latest customer, employee and business trends to add to your knowledge. Get the concepts on the latest technology, visit expos and conferences, listen to resource speakers, so on and so forth.
• Observe your company's behavior. Your business' culture defines its personality, and if your business has a culture that you think is regressing nowadays, you need to step up and make your employees more alive through motivation and positive forward-thinking concepts.
• Build a transition plan. This is important especially if you are letting a new concept to your employees in and even to yourself. Start by letting everyone understand what the business is heading to in the future, and then show applicable proof/s that the direction will lead everyone to the goal. Once that's done, start changing the mindset of everyone gradually. This might take long (but not too long), but everyone will bear the fruits of a passionate workforce.

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There are lots of ideas and concepts on doing business in the Philippines at the 7th Philippine Business & Entrepreneurs' Expo this August 26 to 28 at the SM Megatrade Hall in Mandaluyong City. You can talk with fellow entrepreneurs, or just observe and gain knowledge to polish your business and expand it further.


This event is organized by business event organizer Ex-Link Management & Marketing Services Corporation. For inquiries and partnerships, call telephone numbers 633-01-53, 643-3887 or email info@exlinkevents.com. Ex-Link Events is also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The 2016 Customer LoveFest welcomes AudioWAV Media Inc.'s Mr. Jose Mario "JJ" Sison.

AudioWAV takes the lead in sensory branding. If you come inside a store or a mall and hear the background music, or get a hint of the distinct smell that goes with the brand, chances are they did it. Mr. Sison is a Director for one of AudioWAV's business units.

See him and other international speakers at the Customer Love Fest happening at the New World Makati Hotel this October 20 and 21, 2016.

The Customer Love Fest will feature key resource speakers and the latest concepts in Customer Experience Management, Customer Relationship Management, and Customer Loyalty and Rewards. Join in on the fun and don't be left out.


This event is produced and organized by Ex-Link Management and Marketing Services Corporation, a business organizer in the Philippines. 

To be part of the Customer Love Fest, call telephone numbers 633-01-53, 643-38-87, mobile number 0920-981-4376 or send an email at info@exlinkevents.com. Ex-Link Events is also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Now that we're almost days away to a new presidency, the hopes of putting the country into a Federal state of government (if allowed by the congress) is coming to us. Nevertheless, with all the stress in the metro and the moves of various companies to relocate their sites outside of it, you should follow the same.

There's a lot of benefits in setting up your business outside of the metro, such as:

• Ease of access. You won't have to stay in traffic for two hours just to get to your office - plus points if you already have a home nearby, or better, you have a home-office setup.
• New customers, new behaviors to observe. If you think you know how your target customers behave, you're wrong. In every place, there's set of customers with different behavior, with different needs and wants, so it depends on the environment your business is into. Closely observing these behaviors will add more to your decision-making knowledge. Say, if a client gets to you and asks help to you, you know what you will answer. 
• New opportunities. Sure, you have to keep up with your target market, but that is the challenge. You can't take a bigshot coffee chain to a place where there's a few who can buy it, but you can size it down to reach your audience further.
• You got there first. Being the first in that area is a struggle, but you can put that short-term business into long-term with sheer dedication, and perseverance. If you were able to pull that off, chances are your business will be the first thing that your audience will recommend to.

If you are setting up a business in the countryside, there's definitely risks to take; but with risks comes opportunities to look further to accomplish your goals. The government support is there, the opportunity to serve your market is there, you just have to take the first step.

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There are lots of ideas and concepts on doing business in the Philippines at the 7th Philippine Business & Entrepreneurs' Expo this August 26 to 28 at the SM Megatrade Hall in Mandaluyong City. You can talk with fellow entrepreneurs, or just observe and gain knowledge to polish your business and expand it further.


This event is organized by business event organizer Ex-Link Management & Marketing Services Corporation. For inquiries and partnerships, call telephone numbers 633-01-53, 643-3887 or email info@exlinkevents.com. Ex-Link Events is also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The 2016 Customer LoveFest welcomes LOFT Innovation Fellow Mr. Philipp Kristian Diekhöner.

An emerging innovation leader and expert in building trust and value in the digital age, Mr. Diekhöner is an startup series organizer who has experience in management consulting and has helped establish financial services innovation activities in Asia.

He also shares his insight on print and online publications such as Esquire Magazine, E27 and Marketing Magazine among others.


See him and other international speakers at the Customer Love Fest happening at the New World Makati Hotel this October 20 and 21, 2016.

The Customer Love Fest will feature key resource speakers and the latest concepts in Customer Experience Management, Customer Relationship Management, and Customer Loyalty and Rewards. Join in on the fun and don't be left out.


This event is produced and organized by Ex-Link Management and Marketing Services Corporation, a business organizer in the Philippines. 

To be part of the Customer Love Fest, call telephone numbers 633-01-53, 643-38-87, mobile number 0920-981-4376 or send an email at info@exlinkevents.com. Ex-Link Events is also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

After all the good news that we've had a couple of weeks ago, we will face the biggest bad news that we've encountered by far this year, and that is when the United Kingdom of Great Britain has decided to leave the European Union (EU) just last week.

Great Britain has been part of the Union for 43 years. As part of the EU, the country takes part in its trade agreements. The "Brexit," as they call it, has brought in panic among investors, as it gets Great Britain back to scratch, leaving its residents, immigrants, investors and all worrying about their future.

What's worse, is that it seems the promises of leaving the UK will not be upheld at all, as news reports show that the ones who were leading the campaign had a major miscommunication with each other. The issue of immigration was among the reasons why the majority of the country's older generation has voted to leave the Union. The country's prime minister, David Cameron, has declared his resignation effective October.


Meanwhile, in Asia, the Japanese Yen is being monitored closely for developments, as it is said that the Yen is a safe spot. The Philippines is not safe, and will be affected by the Brexit. At the moment, the US Dollar is at 47 pesos, compared to the exchange rate of 44.88 pesos last June 18. This has a big impact on Filipinos who are working or residing in the UK as well, according to an economic expert.

Now, there are reports that its citizens are regretting the vote, and there is now a movement to nullify it. One thing is for sure at the moment: This news should be observed closely, as it has already affected the EU, the Euro, and even other countries. The Philippines, whether we like it or now, will feel the effects of the Brexit, especially those who rely on the Great Britain Sterling (GBP, also known as the British Pound).

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There are lots of ideas and concepts on doing business in the Philippines at the 7th Philippine Business & Entrepreneurs' Expo this August 26 to 28 at the SM Megatrade Hall in Mandaluyong City. You can talk with fellow entrepreneurs, or just observe and gain knowledge to polish your business and expand it further.


This event is organized by business event organizer Ex-Link Management & Marketing Services Corporation. For inquiries and partnerships, call telephone numbers 633-01-53, 643-3887 or email info@exlinkevents.com. Ex-Link Events is also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

"United we stand, divided we fall." This is the common quote attributed to teamwork, and this does not just apply to sports or politics, it's the motion that makes society work its way.

Today on our Road to PBEX series, we will discuss the basics on the Cooperative, why there are so many of them in the country, and why they're set up.

The concept of cooperatives started in England in 1844 with the Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers, who designed its Rochdale Principles which is included in Corporate Law studies of today.

A cooperative is like a corporation, and the "stock holders" are owners of micro, small and medium enterprises with each contributing an equity stock. Each member has to contribute something; but compared to a corporation, the members have equal voting power that is not determined by the value of the investment they gave to it. To add, the owner-members operate the cooperative for their own benefit. When the cooperative gains profit, its members has its share.

Taking a cue from our first post in the Road to PBEX series, "Who is Juan in the ASEAN Economic Community?," one has his share of contributions to others, and once they gather, they are building a community of owner-members that has its chance to stand amid incoming economic challenges.

While we are talking about Cooperatives in a business sense, there are also other kinds of cooperatives for personal benefit such as credit, insurance, consumer cooperatives, so on and so forth. Multi-purpose cooperatives are also common.

Being in a cooperative has its benefits, such as loans (in case of Credit Cooperatives). They require you to pay a membership fee and follow its rules and regulations which are set with a goal of benefiting its members.

Overall, joining a cooperative can be beneficial to those who will commit to it. As with the stock market, this can be a high-risk investment, depending on which cooperative you will join. Now that we have brought you the basics on cooperatives, it is your step if you will pursue an investment.

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There are lots of ideas and concepts on doing business in the Philippines at the 7th Philippine Business & Entrepreneurs' Expo this August 26 to 28 at the SM Megatrade Hall in Mandaluyong City. You can talk with fellow entrepreneurs, or just observe and gain knowledge to polish your business and expand it further.


This event is organized by business event organizer Ex-Link Management & Marketing Services Corporation. For inquiries and partnerships, call telephone numbers 633-01-53, 643-3887 or email info@exlinkevents.com. Ex-Link Events is also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The 2016 Customer LoveFest welcomes AVANZA, Inc. President and COO Ms. Yayu Javier as one of the speakers for this year's event.

She is an MBA graduate of the Ateneo de Manila university and has over 20 years of experience in loyalty and customer relationship marketing. She also has exposure in various companies ranging from retail, consumer goods and banking, and is an established expert in loyalty.

Ms. Javier has been part of the roster of speakers for the Customer LoveFest before, and now she's back to update us with the latest insights on effective loyalty and rewards program practices in the country.

See her and other international speakers at the Customer Love Fest happening at the New World Makati Hotel this October 20 and 21, 2016.

The Customer Love Fest will feature key resource speakers and the latest concepts in Customer Experience Management, Customer Relationship Management, and Customer Loyalty and Rewards. Join in on the fun and don't be left out.


This event is produced and organized by Ex-Link Management and Marketing Services Corporation, a business organizer in the Philippines. 

To be part of the Customer Love Fest, call telephone numbers 633-01-53, 643-38-87, mobile number 0920-981-4376 or send an email at info@exlinkevents.com. Ex-Link Events is also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The "Sulong Pilipinas: Hakbang Tungo sa Kaunlaran" dialogue at the SMX Convention Center finished yesterday. The two-day dialogue-workshop was initiated by the incoming administration of president-elect Rodrigo Duterte in an effort to pull out 9 million Filipinos from poverty.

What is Duterte's 10-point agenda for inclusive growth?

The incoming administration has set a ten-point agenda for inclusive growth, which are as follows (emphases ours):

1. Continue and maintain current macroeconomic policies, including fiscal, monetary and trade policies;
2. Institute progressive tax reform and more effective tax collection, indexing taxes to inflation. A tax reform package will be submitted to Congress by September 2016; 
3. Increase competitiveness and the ease of doing business. Relax constitutional restrictions on foreign ownership, except on land ownership, in order to attract foreign direct investment;
4. Accelerate annual infrastructure spending to account for 5% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), with Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) playing a key role;
5. Promote rural and value chain development toward increasing agricultural and rural enterprise productivity and rural tourism;
6. Ensure security of land tenure to encourage investments, and address bottlenecks in land management and titling agencies;
7. Invest in human capital development, including health and education systems, and match skills and training to meet the demand of businesses and the private sector;
8. Promote science, technology and the creative arts to enhance innovation and creative capacity towards self-sustaining, inclusive development;
9. Improve social protection programs, including Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program, to protect the poor against instability and economic shocks; and
10. Strengthen implementation of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Law to enable couples to make informed choices on financial and family planning.

In these past weeks, we've talked about the efforts and strategies in improving the ease of doing business in the country, such as Project Repeal of the National Competitiveness Council, the importance of amending the country's tax system and the Negosyo Centers, and so we ask...

What's the importance of the 10-point agenda in the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) industry?

• The 10-point agenda gives the feeling of being welcomed to set up shop,
• Increases the morale of budding businessmen as the agenda gives them optimism to pursue their own business plans, and
• Gives assurance that the government will back them up, and help them succeed.

We have seen news that provides inspiration and positivism these past few weeks, and we are one with everyone in the MSME industry in wishing and looking forward to the positive changes that are in store for us.

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There are lots of ideas and concepts on doing business in the Philippines at the 7th Philippine Business & Entrepreneurs' Expo this August 26 to 28 at the SM Megatrade Hall in Mandaluyong City. You can talk with fellow entrepreneurs, or just observe and gain knowledge to polish your business and expand it further.


This event is organized by business event organizer Ex-Link Management & Marketing Services Corporation. For inquiries and partnerships, call telephone numbers 633-01-53, 643-3887 or email info@exlinkevents.com. Ex-Link Events is also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The 2016 Customer Love Fest welcomes IKEA UAE, Qatar, Egypt and Oman Regional Digital & Content Marketing Manager Mr. Usama Qasem.

Usama has been working in web and digital marketing for over 10 years. He is one of the pioneers who early advocated for the importance of user experience (UX) and social media in the region.

During his career at IKEA he has helped the brand become the first furniture retailer in the Middle East to sell furniture online. In addition, his contribution towards the IKEA website and mobile website has earned the brand 2 awards for enhancement of these digital platforms. He as well launched the brand social media presence in the region.

Early in 2015 he founded ESTAND.ME an online shopping website specialized in selling unique and smart products.

See him and other international speakers at the Customer Love Fest happening at the New World Makati Hotel this October 20 and 21, 2016.

The Customer Love Fest will feature key resource speakers and the latest concepts in Customer Experience Management, Customer Relationship Management, and Customer Loyalty and Rewards. Join in on the fun and don't be left out.


This event is produced and organized by Ex-Link Management and Marketing Services Corporation, a business organizer in the Philippines. 

To be part of the Customer Love Fest, call telephone numbers 633-01-53, 643-38-87, mobile number 0920-981-4376 or send an email at info@exlinkevents.com. Ex-Link Events is also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.