The Philippines is a country of resourceful and resilient people. Despite the loss of livelihood and business closures during the lockdowns, the entrepreneurial spirit of Filipinos never seemed to falter.
Mekeni Food Corporation, one of the leading food manufacturing companies in the country, embodies the unfaltering entrepreneurial spirit of Filipinos. It started as a backyard business of a simple Kapampangan family, but through hard work and dedication, it became a homegrown food brand that offers products here and abroad.
Mekeni’s story continues to inspire and drive other businesses to aspire for something greater. Through the years, and the ups and downs that the company experienced, it has developed its own timpla of service and care. To fire up every Pinoy’s entrepreneurial spirit, Mekeni shares their recipe to success, which Filipinos can replicate to fit their goals.
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 specific formula to driving a business to success. However, Mekeni believes that embedding these fundamental principles in your processes can definitely propel your business to greater heights.