There's this saying that "Nothing is certain but death and taxes." Speaking of taxes, it is the one of the most grueling things that businesses worry about. Yes, we have to pay our taxes - it's our obligation after all - but with all the processes businessmen need to do, they often come out worried or frustrated.

There has been a need to amend and simplify the country's current tax system further, especially for Micro, Small and Medium enterprises, in order to raise the country's economic status further. Easing up the tax payment process means that valuable resources - time, money and manpower - are spent well. The extra time that businesses will save from the amends will then be used for future projects and activities that are valuable to them.

To be fair, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has done measures to modernize the tax system, by doing the processing via the eBIR Forms that can be done at the companies' offices; but there is a lot to do to definitely improve it. Digitizing the process is one step, simplifying it is another.

There are individuals and organizations that are helping MSMEs to make full use of the current tax system, but that's not enough. There are high hopes that the next administration will be doing its best in answering to the needs of the MSME industry, and every business in the country are hoping for the same change.

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 resource website SearchCRM of TechTarget defines CRM as "a term that refers to practices, strategies and technologies that companies use to manage and analyze customer interactions and data throughout the customer lifecycle, with the goal of improving business relationships with customers, assisting in customer retention and driving sales growth." In short, CRM is a way to know what your customers do.

Today, we are going to expand what we've talked about in the past few weeks to dig deeper and give you the benefits of Customer Love to improve your business. Maybe you're still not convinced to have your loyalty and rewards system until now, so we'll be delving more on why there is a need for businesses to have these kinds of systems.

To Attract Customers

One reason why your business has a need to implement rewards systems is to attract customers. There are customers who are buying pizza pies at the pizza parlor because they have a loyalty card, more so if they have friends tagging along. Their friends in turn will think of getting their own cards because chances are they are attracted to getting a delicious pizza pie at a discounted price.

To Know Your Customer

"Never waste an opportunity to get to know your customer," said speaker, consultant and book author Don Peppers in a Fast Company article. Knowing your customers mean knowing the purchasing decisions they are doing. If you know they're buying apples each time you put them on sale, you know that your customers are looking forward to your apples when it's sold less. This should make you think more about the value of those delicious apples.

To Influence Purchasing Decisions

Clothing brands also have their system of rewarding its loyal customers, thus affecting their purchasing decisions. Aside from having a sale on clothes, having a loyalty and rewards system adds more value to it, making it more sell-able.

These are just a few reasons why your business needs to reward your loyal customers, and if you look online, there are lots of great examples of companies having their own, some of which we are sharing in the "Love thy Customer" series on this space. Having a loyalty and rewards system is the norm these days, so think about these further as a way to solidify your business.

The Customer Love Fest will happen at the New World Hotel, Makati on October 20 to 21, 2016 from 9am to 5pm. This event will feature key resource speakers and the latest concepts in customer loyalty, rewards and experience. 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. For more information, 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.

Every business is supported by its customers, and the hunt for the next customer is a challenge for promising businessmen in order to thrive and survive. Luckily, there are expositions and trade fairs that opens their windows to them.

Getting even a small space inside will bring you big opportunities as you will be able to observe how your business or brand fare well with your fellows. There are two things you need to consider: Exposure, and Experience.

Event managers such as Ex-Link Events come up with new concepts for events to gather a specific market. Almost every month, there's a different event for each specific audience, and once the audience comes to an event and gets to your booth, that's Exposure.

Now, as the business, you want to turn that Exposure into good use, so you will think of a concept that will provide a great Experience to those who can see your booth. If your plan is efficient and the exposure is fully utilized, then the audience won't be spectators anymore - they are now your customers, and your leads.

Now that you have learned these two Es that you need to consider, you are on your way to book a booth for an event.

While you are thinking about your eye-catching concept, you might want to consider booking for the 7th Philippine Business and Entrepreneurs' Expo this August at the SM Megatrade Hall. The PBEX's attendees will be looking forward to owning their own business, and if you are seeking to spread out, this is your chance!


If you want to know more about doing business in the Philippines, come to the 7th Philippine Business & Entrepreneurs' Expo 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.

Joining the Ex-Link Staff is 2015-2016 Rotary Club of Mutya ng Pasig (R.I. District 3800) president Marian Claudette Tan. Ms. Tan is succeeded by Ex-Link Events CEO Ms. Michelle Ballesteros who is now leading the club's 2016-2017 Rotary Year (RY) as of June 1, 2016. This activity is also the club's project for RY 2015-2016.

During the program, Ms. Ballesteros emphasized the importance of education in building people of good character that may become leaders in the future, and implores the youth to study hard.

Ex-Link Events has done this activity years ago, and is committed to continue giving back to others in the coming years.


For more moments from the recent CSR activity, see the full album on Ex-Link Events' Facebook page.

Ex-Link Management and Marketing Services Corporation is a local business organizer in the country. For inquiries, contact 633-01-53, 640-12-80 or send an email at info@exlinkevents.com. Ex-Link Events is also in Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Just in time for a special #ThrowbackThursday, on this edition of "Love thy Customer," we'll talk about our beloved video rental store, Video City. Most of you won't see a Video City nearby, but at a time where renting DVDs were common, they were a go-to place for movie lovers who want to watch their favorite movies over and over again at the comfort of their home.

Video City lends a wide variety of local and foreign films on DVDs, VCDs and even VHS tapes, and they have a membership card where you can get discounts and good deals on movie rentals. What they do is a good example of implementing Customer Rewards practices - you can rent three movies for the price of two using your membership card.

Most of your parents have known Video City through the years, and they will remember that special place, so go ask them. In a world where YouTube and Vimeo are the choices to watch videos, the nostalgic feeling of renting a movie is priceless.

This is the fourth part of our "Love thy Customer" series as part of the preparations leading to the 2016 Customer Love Fest. This series will look back at the best customer relationship, rewards, loyalty and experience practices done by various businesses over the years. There's more case studies to reminisce to, and we'll be talking more about it in the next few weeks.

The Customer Love Fest will happen at the New World Hotel, Makati on October 20 to 21, 2016 from 9am to 5pm. This event will feature key resource speakers and the latest concepts in customer loyalty, rewards and experience. 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. For more information, 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.

John Gokongwei, Jr. Henry Sy, Sr. Andrew Tan. Lucio Tan. Tony Tancaktiong. Manuel V. Pangilinan. Manuel Villar. All of these people are businessmen, and they have endured years of challenges and obtained years of experience in their fields.

You, as a budding businessman, are inspired by these people and their successes. Imagine yourself in the starting points of your work as a businessman, and think about the things that are happening around you. To help you, here's a quick quiz that will ask you questions about your business behaviors.

---

If you want to know more about doing business in the Philippines, come to the 7th Philippine Business & Entrepreneurs' Expo 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.

You're just about to go home when your boss told you to re-send the email that you sent him earlier. the problem is, you don't have a data connection. You see a silver lining in the form of a 7-Eleven store which has a WiFi connection open for those who have their Every Day! Rewards card. Lucky you.

7-Eleven Philippines introduced its Every Day! Rewards three years ago, and one of its features is their points-to-WiFi data conversion, where 1 reward point is equal to 20MB of WiFi data. to get points, buy items at 7-Eleven stores, show your Every Day! Rewards card or CLiQQ app before the transaction, and get points for every Php50 spent. This approach is simple.

While the speed varies from branch to branch, this feature is loved by its customers, and this is among the reasons why some go to 7-Eleven frequently.

Combined with the CLiQQ mobile application, this has made transactions more convenient, as the mobile app doubles as a rewards card as it includes the card's bar code. Tapping into users with mobile phones is very effective for 7-Eleven, and eventually other brands will try and follow the same effort that they've done. That's what you get by loving your customers.

This is the third part of our "Love thy Customer" series as part of the preparations leading to the 2016 Customer Love Fest. This series will look back at the best customer relationship, rewards, loyalty and experience practices done by various businesses over the years. There's more case studies to reminisce to, and we'll be talking more about it in the next few weeks.

The Customer Love Fest will happen at the New World Hotel, Makati on October 20 to 21, 2016 from 9am to 5pm. This event will feature key resource speakers and the latest concepts in customer loyalty, rewards and experience. 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. For more information, 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.

To serve our clients and customers better, Ex-Link Events are going to utilize Facebook's latest features.

Facebook Shop

If you have noticed the "Shop" part of our Facebook page, you can see the different events that we market the booths for - and clicking on one of them shows you the full details of each event or promotion that we offer. There are more featured offerings on the Shop section of our Facebook page.

Messenger Code

[1] See the 'Friends' tab on your Messenger app, [2] scan the code with your camera, and [3] it will automatically direct you to the person/business you wish to chat with.

The latest addition in the evolving Facebook Messenger is the Messenger Code which you can scan through your phone's camera, making connections to businesses and people much easier.

If you have a quick message to us, or if you would like to inquire about our services, just scan the code below using your Messenger app and let's have a talk. (We usually monitor messages during office hours, 9am to 7pm, Mondays to Fridays).


These two new features are available on our Facebook page, facebook.com/exlinkevents. We're looking forward to good conversations with you here at Ex-Link Events, further enhanced by Facebook's up-to-date services.

If you prefer to talk to us via phone, no problem - call us at 633-01-53, 640-12-80 or send us an email at info@exlinkevents.com. Aside from our Facebook page, we're also on Twitter and Instagram.

In just two weeks, we'll witness the biggest pop culture event in the country, ToyCon 2016. Let's take a peek at what will happen inside ToyCon 2016.

The Biggest ToyCon Yet

For years, the ToyCon has been held at the SM Megatrade Halls, but this year, its organizer, the Asian Comics, Toys and Hobbies Collective, Inc. (ACTHCI) has decided to conquer all halls in the ground level of SMX Manila in Pasay, making it the biggest ToyCon yet.

This is the 15th year of ToyCon

ToyCon's been with us for fifteen years. Imagine, a small gathering of toy collectors have assembled to hold a small event somewhere in the metro, only to become one of the major events that fans look forward to every year.

Hodor is Coming

As part of this year's event, ToyCon has partnered with PopLife Entertainment to being the POP! Life FanXperience in Manila, the first one in Asia. Aside from artists such as Bronson Pellitier, Kiowa Gordon, Frankie J, and Mario Maurer, Kristian Nairn (who is well-known as Hodor from the hit series "Game of Thrones") will be coming to Manila.

Yes, Hodor is coming - no, don't hold the excitement in your hearts. You know you want to see him up close.

Big Exhibits coming through

As part of the POP! Life FanXperience, ToyCon will be bringing us the following exhibits:

• Stan Lee's Excelsior! Exhibit, featuring his works from Marvel Comics,
• Kotobukiya and Enesco Exhibit, featuring figures from notable Japanese hobby shop Kotobukiya,
• The Suicide Squad Movie Exhibit,
• POP! Life Exhibit, featuring Funko POP! Vinyl Figures, and
• The Voltes V 40th Anniversary Exhibit, which is expected to be the tallest one (25 feet high) to be done inside ToyCon.

In addition, GMA Network's Encantadia 2016 will be at ToyCon as well! Not only that, this year's event will have the biggest dealer floor, so if you think that last year's exhibit is too small for you, wait until you see for yourself the biggest gathering of toy collectors, sellers and enthusiasts which makes ToyCon THE toy event of the year.

CosFanX

Calling all cosplayers! Also a part of the POP! Life FanXperience, the CosFanX Cosplay Competition will be held inside ToyCon, and the champion will go to Thailand to compete in the grand finals.

---

This is the next level of the Philippine Toys, Hobbies and Collectibles Convention as it sails forth to become a world-class event, and we hope everyone joins us in being a part of another milestone in the making.

ToyCon 2016 will be held at Halls 1 to 4 of SMX Manila in Pasay City this June 10 to 12, 2016. Tickets are on sale at SM Ticket outlets and online at smtickets.com.

Ex-Link Events is the Expo Manager for the 15th Philippine Toys, Hobbies and Collectibles Convention. For inquiries and partnerships, contact us at 633-0153, 640-1280 or send us an email at info@exlinkevents.com. Ex-Link Events is also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Last Tuesday on our "Love thy Customer" series, we talked about the Starbucks Philippines Planner and how they made use of the brand's experience to reward their loyal customers. As promised, we'll talk about another planner that made full use of its experience to build a community - ladies and gentlemen (especially ladies), we'll talk about the Belle de Jour Power Planner.

Ten years ago, Viviamo, Inc. released the first BDJ Power Planner which aims to help women conquer the world. Included in it are full-color pages filled with inspiration, spaces to jot on, and coupons from different brands. The Power Planner's users love it, and with their support, Viviamo set up websites such as www.ilovebdj.com and www.bdjbox.com. They even have their own series of events like the BDJ Fair!

What should brands take note of about the BDJ Power Planner? In the case of Starbucks, the planner is more of a reward for staying to drink; but in the case of the Belle de Jour Power Planner, the planner is more of a benefit to those who got one.

Vivamo focused on targeting its market of passionate women through it and then expanded it further through below-the-line activities (such as events). They've reinvented "Customer Experience" further.

This is the second part of our "Love thy Customer" series as part of the preparations leading to the 2016 Customer Love Fest. This series will look back at the best customer relationship, rewards, loyalty and experience practices done by various businesses over the years. There's more case studies to reminisce to, and we'll be talking more about it in the next few weeks.

The Customer Love Fest will happen at the New World Hotel, Makati on October 20 to 21, 2016 from 9am to 5pm. This event will feature key resource speakers and the latest concepts in customer loyalty, rewards and experience. 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. For more information, 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.