Personal Entrepreneurial Competencies (PECs)

Content Standards Performance Standards

The learner demonstrates The learner independently creates a

understanding of one’s PECs in plan of action that strengthens
Contact Center Services. and/or further develops his/her
PECs in Contact Center Services.

Quarter I Time Allotment: 4 hours

Module 1
Personal Entrepreneurial Competencies
Introduction

In this module, you will learn more about entrepreneurship and the
entrepreneurial competencies related to Contact Center Services. You will
have a first-hand experience in educational activities leading to assessment
of your personal entrepreneurial competencies (PECs) and the
entrepreneurial competencies of a successful telemarketing or call center
representative within your province. You will also have several activities that
will align your competencies with those of successful practitioners. Moreover,
this module will encourage you to think about entrepreneurship and its role in
the business community as well as in the economic and social development
of an individual.

To start with this module, let us first understand entrepreneurs and

entrepreneurship.

Entrepreneurs are those with the skills and capabilities to see and
evaluate business opportunities. They are individuals who can strategically
identify products or services needed by the community, and have the capacity
to deliver them at the right time and at the right place.

Entrepreneurs are agents of economic change; they organize,

manage, and assume risks of a business. Some of the good qualities of
entrepreneurs are: opportunity-seeker, risk-taker, goal-setter, excellent
planner, confident problem-solver, hardworking, persistent and committed.

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 Entrepreneurship, on the other hand, is not just a simple business
activity but a strategic process of innovation and new product creation.
Basically, entrepreneurship is both an art and science of converting business
ideas into marketable products or services to improve the quality of living.

Now that you have background knowledge about entrepreneurs and

entrepreneurship, you can now walk through in assessing your PECs. Always
remember that successful entrepreneurs continuously develop and improve
their PECs.

To begin, let us find out the competencies you will have gained upon
completion of this module.

Objectives
At the end of this module, you are expected to:

• identify areas for improvement, development, and growth,

• align your PECs according to your business or career choice, and
• create a plan of action that ensures success in your business or
career choice.

Now try to take the first challenge in this module, the pre assessment.

Pre-assessment

As part of your initial activity, try to assess your prior knowledge and
experience related to personal entrepreneurial competencies. Answer Task 1.

Task 1: Matching Type

Directions: Match the entrepreneurial competencies in column A with their

meaning in column B. Write the letter of the correct answer on the space
provided before each number.

A B

1. Creative A. makes wise decisions towards the

set objectives
2. Profit-oriented B. strategic thinking and setting of goals

3. Disciplined C. trusting in one’s ability

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 4. Sound decision maker D. adoptable to change

5. Possess people skills E. innovates to have an edge over other

competitors

6. Excellent Planner F. solid dedication

7. Confident G. skillful in record keeping

8. Hardworking H. always sticks to the plan

9. Ability to accept change I. work diligently

10. Committed J. effective and efficient

communication skills and relates
well to people

K. always looking for an opportunity to

have/earn income.

Task 2: Guide Questions

Directions: The following are guide questions which covers the entire
module. Write your answers on your assignment notebook. Discuss / share
these to the class.

A. Explain why entrepreneurial activities are important to social

development and economy progress.
B. What entrepreneurial activities related to Contact Center Services do
you know and are capable of doing?
C. If you were given the opportunity to own a business that relates to
Contact Center Services, do you think you will be confident to manage
it? Explain your answer.
D. What do you think are the most important competencies one must
possess in order to be successful in running a chosen business?
E. Name successful entrepreneurs from your province whose businesses
are related to Contact Center Services. Make sure you will be able to
share with the class the PECs that made them successful.

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 After all the guide questions are answered, share these with your classmates. You may also com

Learning Goals and Targets

After understanding the objectives of this module, having gone through

pre-assessment, and answering the guide questions, you will be asked to set
your own personal goals and targets. These goals and targets will urge you to
further achieve the ultimate objective of this module. In the end, these
ultimate goals will motivate you to learn more about PECs.

Goals and Targets Learning Activities Ultimate Goal

Figure 1: Strategic process to achieve the objectives of this module

Reading Resources and Instructional Activities

After setting your own personal goals and targets in achieving the
objectives of this module, check your inherent knowledge of PECs. Answer
the following guide questions with the help of your classmates.

Task 3: Group Activity

Directions: Answer the following guide questions on a separate sheet of

paper. Share your answers with the class.

1. Explain the importance of assessing one’s PECs before engaging in a

particular entrepreneurial activity.

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 2. Are there other strategies or approaches where you can assess your
PECs? Explain how these strategies will become more useful in
selecting a viable business venture.

3. What are the desirable personal characteristics, attributes, lifestyles,

skills, and traits of a prospective entrepreneur? Why are these
important?

4. Why is there a need to assess one’s PECs in terms of characteristics,

attributes, lifestyles, skills, and traits before starting a particular
business?

5. What is the significance of evaluating PECs of a successful

entrepreneur? What helpful insights can you draw from this activity?

How was your experience in answering the guide questions with your classmates? Were you

This time you’re going to study the different topics that will enrich your
knowledge of PECs. Read all the important details about the succeeding
topic carefully.

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 Know

Assessment of Personal Entrepreneurial Competencies (PECs) and

Skills vis-à-vis a Practicing Entrepreneur in a Province

Entrepreneurial competencies refer to the important characteristics that

should be possessed by an individual in order to perform entrepreneurial
functions effectively. In this module, you will learn some of the most important
characteristics, attributes, lifestyle, skills and traits of a successful
entrepreneur or an employee to be successful in a chosen career.

Below are few important characteristics / traits / attributes of a good

entrepreneur:

• Hardworking: One of the important characteristics of a good

entrepreneur is hardworking. This means working diligently and
being consistent about it. Hardworking people keep improving their
performance to produce good products and/or provide good
services.

• Confident: Entrepreneurs have self-reliance in one’s ability and

judgment. They exhibit self-confidence to cope with the risks of
operating their own business.

• Disciplined: Successful entrepreneurs always stick to the plan

and fight the temptation to do what is unimportant.

• Committed: Good entrepreneurs assume full responsibility over

their business. They give full commitment and solid dedication to
make the business successful.

• Ability to accept change: Nothing is permanent but change.

Change occurs frequently. When you own a business, you should
cope with and thrive on changes. Capitalize on positive changes
to make your business grow.

• Creative: An entrepreneur should be creative and innovative to

stay in the business and in order to have an edge over the other
competitors.

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 • Has the initiative: An entrepreneur takes the initiative. You must
put yourself in a position where you are responsible for the failure
or success of your business.

• Profit-oriented: An entrepreneur enters the world of business to

generate profit or additional income. The business shall become
your bread and butter. Therefore, you must see to it that the
business can generate income.

Listed below are the important skills of a successful entrepreneur:

• Excellent planner: Planning involves strategic thinking and goal

setting to achieve objectives by carefully maximizing all the
available resources. A good entrepreneur develops and follows the
steps in the plans diligently to realize goals. A good entrepreneur
knows that planning is an effective skill only when combined with
action.

• Possesses people skills: This is a very important skill needed to

be successful in any kind of business. People skills refer to
effective and efficient communication and establishing good
relationship to the people working in and out of your business. In
day-to-day business transactions, you need to deal with people. A
well-developed interpersonal skill can make a huge difference
between success and failure of the business.

• Sound decision maker: Successful entrepreneurs have the ability

to think quickly and to make wise decisions towards a
pre-determined set of objectives. No one can deny that the ability
to make wise decisions is an important skill that an entrepreneur
should possess. Sound decisions should be based on given facts
and information and lead towards the pre-determined objectives.
Process

To firm up what you have learned and have a better appreciation of the
different entrepreneurial competencies, read the PECs checklist below, then
answer the same.

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Task 4: PECs Checklist

Directions: Using the PECs checklist, assess yourself by putting a check

( ) mark in either strengths or development areas column. Interpret the
results by counting the total number of check marks in each of the columns.
After accomplishing the checklist, form a group and share your insights on the
result of the personal assessment.

Table 1: PECs Checklist

Personal Assessment in terms

of:
Personal Entrepreneurial Competencies
(PECs) of an Entrepreneur Strengths Development
Areas

Hardworking
- Works diligently
Confident
- Self-reliance in one’s ability
Disciplined
- Always stick to the plan
Committed
- Solid dedication
Ability to accept changes
- Adaptable
Creative
- Innovative to have edge over other
competitors

Profit-oriented
- Always looking for an opportunity to
have/earn income

Excellent planner
- Strategic thinking and setting of
goals

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 Possess people skill
- Effective and efficient
communication skills and relates well
to people
Sound decision maker
- Makes wise decisions towards the
set objectives

TOTAL

Interpretation or Insight:

Reflect and Understand

How was your experience in discovering the strengths and the areas
you need to develop? Did you gain a valuable experience in exchanging
insights with your classmates? To learn more and deepen your understanding
of PECs, do task 5 below.

Task 5: Interview

Directions: In your province, interview a successful telemarketing or call

center representative or entrepreneur whose type of business is related with
contact center services. Focus your questions on PECs and other business-
related attributes that helped them become successful. Analyze the results of
the interview and reflect on the similarities and/or differences. Write your
answer on a separate sheet of paper.

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Sample Interview Guide

Name of Proprietor/Practitioner:
Age: Number of Years in Business:
Business Name:
Business Address:

1. What preparations did you make before you engaged in this type of
business or job?

.
2. What special skills and characteristics do you have that are related
with your business or job?

3. How did you solve business-related problems during the early years
of your business operation?

4. Did you follow the tips from a successful businessman or

practitioner before you engaged in your business?

5. What best business practices can you share with aspiring

entrepreneurs?

6. What do you think are the salient characteristics, attributes, lifestyle,

skills and traits that made you successful in your business or job?

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Directions: Copy the tables below in your notebook or in a separate sheet of
paper. Gather the needed information from the interview to supply answer/s
to row 1 in the table below, after which, fill out the second row with your
PECs.

Personal
Entrepreneurial Characteristics Attributes Lifestyles Skills Traits
Competencies

Successful
Entrepreneur in
the province

My PECs

Using the information on the table above, analyze and reflect on the
similarities and differences in your answers. Put your reflection on the table
you copied in your notebook or in a separate sheet of paper. Write your
conclusion on the space provided.

Personal
Entrepreneurial Similarities Differences
Competencies
Characteristics

Attributes

Lifestyles

Skills

Traits

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Conclusion:

Transfer

After performing the activities on the importance of PECs, let’s

determine how much you have learned. Perform task 6 to determine how well
you have understood the lesson.

Task 6: Preparation of a Plan of Action

Directions: Use in a separate sheet of paper / in your notebook the

information generated from task 5 (Interview) and prepare an action plan that
indicates alignment of your PECs to the PECs of a successful entrepreneur in
contact center services in your province.

Time Expected
Objective Area Activities Strategies
Frame Outcome

To align my Characteristics
PECs with
the PECs of
a successful
entrepreneur
in contact Skills
center
services

Attribute

Traits

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Task 7: Essential Questions

Directions: Read and study the following questions below. You may use a
separate sheet of paper or your notebook to write your answers.

1. Why is there a need to compare and align one’s PECs with the PECs
of a successful entrepreneur?

2. How does your action plan help sustain your strong PECs and/or
address your development areas?

3. What plan of action will you utilize to address your development areas?

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 ENVIRONMENT AND MARKET (EM)

Content Standards Performance Standards

The learner demonstrates The learner independently creates a

understanding of environment and business vicinity map reflective of
market in Contact Center Services potential market in Contact Center
in one’s province. Services in a province.

Quarter I Time Allotment: 4 hours

Module 2
Environment and Market

Introduction

Aspiring entrepreneur need to explore the economic, cultural, and

social conditions prevailing in an area. Needs and wants of the people in a
certain area that are not met may be considered business opportunities.
Identifying the needs of the community, its resources, available raw materials,
skills, and appropriate technology can help a new entrepreneur seize
business opportunities.

To be successful in any kind of business venture, potential

entrepreneurs should look closely at the environment and market. They
should always be watchful of existing opportunities and constraints, and to
take calculated risks. The opportunities in the business environment are
factors that provide possibilities for a business to expand and make more
profit. Constraints, on the other hand, are factors that limit business growth,
hence reduce the chance of generating profit. One of the best ways to
evaluate opportunities and constraints is to conduct a Strengths,
Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) Analysis.

SWOT Analysis is a managerial tool used to assess the environment. It

is used to gather important information which is then used in strategic
planning. Strengths and weaknesses are internal in an organization. They
relate to resources owned by an organization that you have control over and
also the extent of its marketing.

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 Opportunities and threats exist in the external environment.
Opportunities relate to the market, new technologies, and the external factors
such as government policies, climate, and trends. Threats replace what the
competitors are doing. It also includes legal and other constraints.

Now that you have read some important considerations to explore to

be successful in any business, you are now ready to explore more about the
environment and market.

To begin with, let’s find out the competencies that you will master as
you finish this module.

Objectives

At the end of this module, you are expected to:

• identify what is of “value” to the customer,
• identify the customer to sell to,
• explain what makes a product unique and competitive,
• apply creativity and innovative techniques to develop
marketable products, and
• employ a unique selling proposition (USP) to a product and/or
service.

Now that you have an idea about the things you will learn, take the first
challenge in this module – the pre-assessment.

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Pre-assessment

Task 1: Multiple Choice

DIRECTIONS: Choose the letter of the best answer. Write your answer on a
separate sheet of paper.

1. It is generated by examining the goods and services sold in the

community.
A. business creation C. business concept
B. business pricing D. business idea
2. It is a process of making new products which will be sold to the
customers.
A. product analysis C. product
development
B. product conceptualization D. product
implementation
3. These are luxuries, advantages and desires that every individual
considers beyond necessary.
A. wants C. requirements
B. desires D. needs
4. It is a factor or consideration presented by a seller as the reason that a
product or service is different from and better than that of the
competition.
A. unique selling plan C. unique
pricing policy
B. unique selling proposition D. finding value-added
5. A stage in which the needs of the target market are identified,
reviewed, and evaluated.
A. concept development C. project development
B. economic analysis D. refine specification
6. It is the introduction of new ideas to make the product and
services more attractive and saleable to the target customers.
A. new idea C. product development
B. creativity D. innovation
7. It is a managerial tool used to assess the environment and to gather
important information that can be used for strategic planning.
A. scanning C. WOTS Analysis
B. SWOT Analysis D. survey analysis

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 8. It is creating names, symbol, or designs that identifies and
differentiates a product from the other products.
A. product naming C. branding
B. unique selling proposition D. tagline
9. It is a meaningful and unforgettable statement that captures the
essence of the brand.
A. product naming C. branding
B. unique selling proposition D. tagline
10. These are things that people cannot live without.
A. wants C. requirements
B. desires D. needs

Task 2: Guide Questions:

Directions: Read and study the guide questions below. Use a separate
sheet of paper to write your answer.

1. How does one determine the product or services to be produced

and/or to be provided to the target customers?

2. How does one select an entrepreneurial activity?

3. When can one say that a certain product has “value?”

4. Does applying creativity to your product or services important? Why?

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 5. How can one effectively respond to the needs of the target customer?

6. From the viewpoint of business owner, discuss the importance of

scanning the environment and market in generating business ideas.

7. Using self-assessment, explain the level of your confidence in

formulating a business idea.

After all the guide questions are answered and skills have been mastered, share insights/ideas with

Learning Goals and Target

After reading and understanding the objectives of this module and

having gone through the pre-assessment and guide questions, you will be
asked to set your own personal goals. These goals will urge you to further
achieve the ultimate objective of this module. In the end, these goals will
motivate you to learn more about environment and market.

Goals and Targets Learning Activities Ultimate Goal

Figure 2: Strategic process to reach the objectives of this module

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Reading Resources and Instructional Activities

After setting your own personal goals and targets in achieving the
objectives of this module, you will have the opportunity to read and learn
more about environment and market. You will also be given a chance to do
practical exercises and activities to deepen your understanding of the topic.

Know

Product Development

When we talk of product development, we are referring to a process of

making a new product to be sold by a business or enterprise to its customers.
Product development may involve modification of an existing product or
its presentation, or formulation of an entirely new product that satisfies a
newly-defined customer’s needs, wants and/or a market place.

The term development in this module refers collectively to the entire

process of identifying a market opportunity, creating a product to appeal to
the identified market, and testing, modifying, and refining the product until it
becomes ready for production.

There are basic, yet vital questions that you can ask yourself about
product development. When you find acceptable answers to them, you may
now say that you are ready to develop a product and/or render services.
These questions include the following:
1. For whom are the product/services aimed at?
2. What benefit will the customers expect from product/service?
3. How will the product/service differ from the existing brand? From
its competitor?
In addition, needs and wants of the people within an area should also
be taken into big consideration. Everyone has his/her own needs and wants.
However, each person has different concepts of needs and wants. Needs in
business are the important things that an individual cannot live without in a
society. These
1. basic commodities for consumption,
2. clothing and other personal belongings,
3. shelter, sanitation and health, and
4. education.
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 Basic needs are essential to an individual to live with dignity and pride
in a community. These needs can obviously help you generate business
ideas and subsequently to product development.
Wants are desires, luxury and extravagance that signify wealth and
expensive way of living. Wants or desires are considered above all the basic
necessities of life. Some examples of wants or desires are: fashion
accessories, expensive shoes and clothes, travels, eating in an expensive
restaurant, watching movies, concerts, having luxurious cars, wearing
expensive jewelry and perfume, living in impressive homes, among others.
Needs and wants of people are the basic indicators of the kind of
business that you may engage in because it can serve as the measure of
your success. Some other points that might be considered in business
undertakings are the kind of people, their needs, wants, lifestyle, culture and
tradition, and their social orientation.
To summarize, product development entirely depends on the needs
and wants of the customers. Another important issue to deal with is the key
concepts of developing a product. The succeeding topic shall enlighten you
about the procedure in coming up with a product.
Concepts of Developing a Product
Concept development is a critical phase in the development of a
product. In this stage, the needs of the target market are identified, and
competitive products are reviewed before the product specifications are
defined. The product concept is selected along with an economic analysis to
come up with an outline of how a product is being developed. Figure 3 shows
the stages of concept development of a product.

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 Identif Establish Genera
y Target te
Custom Specificatio Produc
er ns t

Selec
Refine
t a
Specificatio
Produ
ns
ct

Concept
Development Plan
Figure 3: Stages of Concept Development Remaining
Analyze Developme
Perfor
The process of Competiti
product development follows the following stages: nt Project
m
ve
Econo
Products
1. Identify customer needs: Using survey forms,micinterviews,
researches,
focus group discussions, and observations, an entrepreneur can easily
identify customers’ needs and wants. In this stage, the information that
can be possibly gathered are product specifications (performance, taste,
size, color, shape, life span of the product, etc.). This stage is very
important because it would determine the product to be produced or
provided.
2. Establish target specifications: Based on customers' needs and
reviews of competitive products, you can now establish target
specifications of the prospective new product and/or services. A target
specification is essentially a wish-list.

3. Analyze competitive products: It is imperative to analyze existing

competitive products to provide important information in establishing
product or service specifications. Other products may exhibit successful
design attributes that should be emulated or improved upon in the new
product or service.

4. Generate product concepts: After having gone through with the

previous processes, you may now develop a number of product

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 concepts to illustrate the types of products or services that are
technically feasible and will best meet the requirements of the target
specifications.

5. Select a product concept: Through the process of evaluation between

attributes, a final concept is selected. After the final selection, additional
market research can be applied to obtain feedback from certain key
customers.

6. Refine product specifications: In this stage, product or services

specifications are refined on the basis of input from the foregoing
activities. Final specifications are the result of extensive study, expected
service life, projected selling price among others are being considered in
this stage.
7. Perform economic analysis: Throughout the process of product
development, it is very important to always review and estimate the
economic implications regarding development expenses, manufacturing
costs, and selling price of the product or services to be offered or
provided.

8. Plan the remaining development project: In this final stage of concept

development, you can prepare a detailed development plan which
includes list of activities, necessary resources and expenses, and
development schedule with milestones for tracking progress.

Finding Value

People buy for a reason. There should be something in your product or

service that would give consumers a good reason to go back and buy more.
There must be something that will make you the best option for target
customers; otherwise, they have no reason to buy what you are selling. This
implies further, that you offer something to your customers that will make
them value your product or service.

The value you incorporate in your product is called value proposition.

Value proposition is a believable collection of the most persuasive reasons
why people should notice you and take the action you’re asking for. It is what
gets people moving, what makes people spend for your product or service.

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Innovation
Innovation is the introduction of something new in your product or
service. This may be a new idea, a new method, or a new device. If you want
to increase your sales and profit, you must innovate. Some of the possible
innovations for your products are change of packaging, improvement of taste,
color, size, shape, and perhaps price. Some of the possible innovations in
providing services are application of new and improved methods, additional
featured services, and possibly freebies.

Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

Unique Selling Proposition is the factor or consideration presented by a

seller as the reason that one product or service is different from and better
than that of the competition. Before you can begin to sell your product or
service to your target customers, you have to sell yourself in it. This is
especially important when your product or service is similar to your
competitors.
USP requires careful analysis of other businesses' ads and marketing
messages. If you analyze what they say or what they sell, not just their
product or service characteristics, you can learn a great deal about how
companies distinguish themselves from competitors.

Here's how to discover your USP and how to use it to increase your sales and
profit:

• Use empathy: Put yourself in the shoes of your customers. Always

focus on the needs of the target customers and forget falling in love
with your own product or service. Always remember, you are
making/providing this product not for yourself but for the target
customers to eventually increase sales and earn profit. Essential
question such as what could make them come back and ignore
competition, should be asked to oneself. Most possible answers may
be focused on quality, availability, convenience, cleanliness, and
reliability of the product or service.
• Identify customer’s desires. It is very important for you to understand
and find out what drives and motivates your customers to buy your
product or service. Make some effort to find out, analyze and utilize the
information that motivates the customers in their decision to purchase
the product or service.

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 • Discover customer’s genuine reasons for buying the product.
Information is very important in decision making. A competitive
entrepreneur always improve their products or services to provide
satisfaction and of course retention of customers. As your business
grows, you should always consider the process of asking your
customers important information and questions that you can use to
improve your product or service.

Process

To enhance your understanding of the topic previously presented, you

will be tasked to form a group and arrange an interview with a successful
entrepreneur or practitioner. You have to document this interview and present
this to the whole class for reflection and appreciation.

Task 3: Interview
Directions: Select a successful entrepreneur or practitioner. Conduct an
interview using the set of questions below. Document the interview and
present it to the class. Use a separate sheet of paper.

1. How did you identify your customers?

2. What were your considerations in selecting your customers?

3. Explain how your product or service became unique to other products.

4. Did you consult somebody before you engaged in this business?

Cite / give sample insights that you gained from the consultation.

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 5. What were your preparations before you started the actual business?

6. What creative and innovative techniques did you adapt in the

development of your product or service? What was the effect of the
innovative techniques to the sales and profits of your business?

7. What strategy did you consider to create a unique selling proposition to

your product or service?

Reflect and Understand

Task 4: Browsing the Internet

Directions: To deepen your understanding of the lesson, perform the

following tasks:

1. Browse the internet and view the topics related to:

a. customers’ needs and wants
b. techniques in identifying customers’ needs and wants
c. creativity or innovations in products and services
d. unique selling proposition
e. product development

2. Prepare a short narrative report about these topics and discuss it to the
class. You can highlight the aspect that intensifies your knowledge of
product development.

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 Transfer

Task 5: Product Conceptualization

Directions: In a separate sheet of paper or in your notebook. Develop your

own concept of your product or service by using the figures on this page. Use
bullets in every stage of product conceptualization in listing important key
ideas.

1. Identify Customers Need

-
7. Prepare a 2. Target
Development Plan - Specifications

- -

- -

6. Refine Product Specification 3. Analyze a

Competitive Product

-
-
-
-

5. Select A product 4. Generate Product

Concept Concept

- -

- -

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 Know

Generating Ideas for Business

The process of developing and generating a business idea is not a

simple process. Some people come up with a bunch of business ideas that
are not really feasible. There are two problems that arise; first is the
excessive generation of ideas that can forever remain as a dreaming stage
and the second is when they don’t have ideas and don’t want to become
entrepreneurs.

The most optimal way is to have a systematic approach in generating

and selecting a business idea that can be transformed into a real business.
Here are some basic yet very important considerations that can be used to
generate possible ideas for business:

1. Examine existing goods and services. Are you satisfied with the
product? What do other people who use the product say about it? How
can it be improved? There are many ways of improving a product from the
way it is made to the way it is packed and sold. You can also improve the
materials used in crafting the product. In addition, you can introduce new
ways of using the product, making it more useful and adaptable to the
customers’ many needs. When you are improving the product or
enhancing it, you are doing an innovation. You can also do an invention
by introducing an entirely new product to replace the old one.

Business ideas may also be generated by examining what goods and

services are sold outside the community. Very often, these products are
sold in a form that can still be enhanced or improved.

2. Examine the present and future needs. Look and listen to what the
customers, institutions, and communities are missing in terms of goods
and services. Sometimes, these needs are already obvious and identified
right away. Other needs are not that obvious because they can only be
identified later on, in the event of certain development in the community.
For example, a province will have its electrification facility in the next six
months. Only by that time will the entrepreneur could think of electrically-

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 powered or generated business such as photo copying, computer service,
digital printing, etc.

3. Examine how the needs are being satisfied. Needs for the products
and services are referred to as market demand. To satisfy these needs is
to supply the products and services that meet the demands of the market.
The term market refers to whoever will use or buy the products or
services, and these may be people or institutions such as other
businesses, establishments, organizations, or government agencies.

There is a very good business opportunity when there is absolutely no

supply to a pressing market demand.

Businesses or industries in the locality also have needs for goods and
services. Their needs for raw materials, maintenance, and other services
such as selling and distribution are good sources of ideas for business.

4. Examine the available resources. Observe what materials or skills are

available in abundance in your area. A business can be started out of
available raw materials by selling them in raw form and by processing and
manufacturing them into finished products. For example, in a copra-
producing town, there will be many coconut husks and shells available as
“waste” products. These can be collected and made into coco rags or
doormats and charcoal bricks and sold profitably outside the community.

A group of people in your neighborhood may have some special skills that
can be harnessed for business. For example, women in the Mountain
Province possess loom weaving skills that have been passed on from one
generation to another. Some communities set up weaving businesses to
produce blankets, decorative, and various souvenir items for sale to
tourists and lowlanders.

Business ideas can come from your own skills. The work and experience
you may have in agricultural arts, industrial arts, home economics, or ICT
classes will provide you with business opportunities to acquire the needed
skills which will earn you extra income should you decide to engage in
income-generating activities. With your skills, you may also tinker around
with various things in your spare time. Many products are invented this
way.

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5. Read magazines, news articles, and other publications on new
products and techniques or advances in technology . You can pick up
new business ideas from magazines such as Newsweek, Reader’s Digest,
Business Magazines, “Go Negosyo”, Know About Business (KAB)
materials, and Small-Industry Journal. The Internet also serves as a
library where you may browse and surf on possible businesses. It will also
guide you on how to put the right product in the right place, at the right
price, and at the right time.

Key Concepts of Selecting a Business Idea

Once you have identified business opportunities, you will eventually

see that there are many possibilities available for you. It is very unlikely that
you will have enough resources to pursue all of them at once.

You have to select the most promising one among hundreds of ideas.
It will be good to do this in stages. In the first stage, you screen your ideas to
narrow them down to about few choices. In the next stage, trim down the
choices to two options. In the final stage, choose between the two and
decide which business idea is worth pursuing.

In screening your ideas, examine each one in terms of the following

guide questions:

1. How much capital is needed to put up the business?

2. Where should the business be located?
3. How big is the demand for the product? Do many people need
this product and will continue to need it for a long time?
4. How is the demand met? Who are processing the products to
meet the needs (competition or demand)? How much of the need
is now being met (supply)?
5. Do you have the background and experiences needed to run this
particular business?
6. Will the business be legal and not against any existing or
foreseeable government regulation?
7. Is the business in line with your interest and expertise?

Your answers to these questions will be helpful in screening which

ones among your many ideas are worth examining further and worth
pursuing.

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Branding

Branding is a marketing practice of creating a name, a symbol or

design that identifies and differentiates product or services from the rest. It is
also a promise to your customers. It tells them what they can expect from
your product or service and it differentiates your offerings from other
competitors. Your brand is derived from who you are, who you want to be and
what people perceive you to be.

Branding is one of the most important aspects in any business. An

effective brand strategy gives you a major edge in increasingly competitive
markets.

A good product can:

- deliver message clearly,
- confirm credibility,
- connect to target prospect,
- motivate buyers, and
- concretize user loyalty.

Here are simple tips to publicize your brand:

• Develop a tagline. Write a statement that is meaningful,

impressive, and easy to remember to capture the essence of your
brand.

• Design a logo. Create a logo symbolic of your business and

consistent with your tagline and displace it strategically.

• Write a brand message. Select a key message to communicate

about your brand.

• Sustain a brand quality. Deliver a promise of quality through

your brand.

• Practice consistency. Be reliable and consistent to what your

brand means in your business.

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 Process

In generating a business idea, you should first identify the type of

business suited to your business idea. You should analyze and scan the
potential environment, study the marketing practices and strategies of your
competitors, analyze strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in
your environment to ensure that the products or services you are planning to
offer will be patronized and within easy reach of target consumers.
How to conduct SWOT Analysis:

• Be realistic about the strengths and weaknesses of your business

when conducting SWOT Analysis.

• SWOT Analysis should distinguish between where your business is

today, and where it can be in the future.
• SWOT Analysis should always be specific. Avoid any gray areas.
• Always apply SWOT Analysis in relation to your competition,
i.e. better than or worse than your competition.
• Keep your SWOT Analysis short and simple. Avoid complexity and
over analysis.
• SWOT Analysis is subjective.

Task 6: SWOT Analysis

Directions: In a separate sheet of paper or in your notebook list down all your
observations for your business idea. Categorize your observations according
to strengths, weakness, opportunities and treats. After carefully listing them
down, use the stated strategies to come up with a sound analysis, activities
and best business idea.

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 Strength (S) Weaknesses (W)

- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
Opportunities (O) Threats (T)

- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -

Strategies:

• SW - Maximize on the Strengths to overcome the internal Weakness.

• OW - Capitalize on the Opportunities to eliminate the
internal Weakness.

• ST - Maximize on your Strengths to eliminate the external Threats.

• OT - Take advantage of the available Opportunities to eliminate
the external Threats.

Analysis:

Activities:

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 My Best Business Idea:

Reflect and Understand

To deepen your understanding of the topics previously discussed, you

will be asked to perform the following activities:

Task 7: Extra Reading and Video Viewing

Reading books and watching videos have been considered as some of

the most effective educational activities that can help learners broaden their
understanding on a certain topic. In this particular task, you will be asked to
conduct extra reading and video viewing on the Internet with the following
topics:
A. Steps in selecting a business idea
B. Criteria of a viable business idea
C. Benefits of a good brand
D. Ways on developing a brand

After successfully performing the assigned task, make a narrative

report about it and share it with the class.

Transfer

Task 8: Designing a Logo

Directions: In a separate sheet of paper or in your notebook draw a logo that

you will use in your business. Provide a simple statement to describe your
logo.

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 Logo

Tagline

Task 9: Making My Own Vicinity Map

Directions: In a separate sheet of paper or in your notebook draw a vicinity

map reflective of potential market in Contact Center Services in your
province. Provide a simple statement to describe your map.

Vicinity Map

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