The people of the Philippines are resourceful and resilient. Despite the loss of livelihood and business closures that occurred as a result of the lockdowns, Filipinos’ entrepreneurial spirit never seemed to weaken. Mekeni Food Corporation, one of the country’s top food production enterprises, exemplifies the Filipinos’ unwavering entrepreneurial spirit. It began as a backyard business run by a modest Kapampangan family, but through hard work and dedication, it has evolved into a native food brand with products sold both locally and internationally.
Mekeni’s tale continues to motivate and encourage other enterprises to strive for greater heights. The company has created its own timpla of service and care over the years, despite the ups and downs it has faced. Mekeni offers their recipe for success, which Filipinos can adapt to match their ambitions, in order to rekindle every Pinoy’s business spirit.
Stand out by offering the best products
Customers nowadays are more discerning. They want to get the best product for the best price. There is a wide-range of products you can offer—both for food and non-food. Mekeni’s rule of thumb on this aspect is to commit to offering the best quality products at reasonable prices. Remember that your skill at choosing the best product is crucial to your success.
Have a trusted business partner
Selling is the easy part of owning a business, but sustaining its growth is a whole new level. Find a reliable partner to help you grow your venture. For Mekeni, having a good relationship with its distributors, retail partners, and customers has helped them weather storms and challenges. It is also important that your values and objectives are aligned to ensure that you are headed towards the same direction.
Know your customers
As a micropreneur, knowing your customer base is the first step to being on top of the game. Mekeni puts emphasis on the importance of doing market research for a micropreneur to know more about the customers and their competitions.
Find out what matters to your customers. Does premium products matter to them most? Or do they put more importance on price point? How do they consume information—through digital or traditional media?
Knowing your competitors will also help you determine how to position your products and what niche you want to conquer.
With information such as these, you get to know what kinds of offers, products, and services would be appealing to your prospective target market.
Maximize your social media use
Almost everyone these days is online. Step up your marketing by putting an effort to tell your customers who you are, what you sell, and why they should buy from you. You do not need to be everywhere, but you need to be where your customers are and be consistent.
“It has always been our mission to uplift the lives of our communities and beyond—whether by offering quality products or forging partnerships. Knowing your stakeholders and valuing what is important to them is one of the keys to become a successful entrepreneur,” said Mekeni President Prudencio Garcia. “More importantly, setting a clear goal is an important ingredient to success.”
There is no one-size-fits-all recipe for achieving company success. However, Mekeni believes that incorporating these core concepts into your operations might help your company reach new heights. Visit Mekeni’s official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/mekeniph to learn more about the company, its products, and business prospects.
