Last November 2022, Viber for Business held a business event for the MSME (Micro, Small, Medium Enterprise) of Cebu. It was an event filled with business knowledge, marketing strategies, and inspiring stories.
One notable speaker imparted his knowledge on doing business during the event–Mr. Bunny Pages of Pages Holdings, Inc. The chairman and CEO of pages Holdings, Inc. is the entrepreneur behind well-known brands in the food industry such as Thirsty, Lantaw Native Restaurant, Top of Cebu, House of Lechon, Mooon Cafe, and many more, and many more to come in the future.
Mr. Bunny Pages spoke in front of hungry-to-learn entrepreneurs starting with his life as a middle-class man, working as a marketing agent to becoming one of the top insurance agents in the Southern Philippines, and then becoming one of the top Cebuano entrepreneurs. Mr. Pages has truly come a long way.
How did he reach such a feat? There are 8 Business Beliefs he lives by.
1 A Business is a Blessing
A business is a gift from God for you to nurture, grow, and serve others. Mr. Bunny Pages has definitely shown this aspect of his business as he continually creates more blessings through his various brands and how they grew and lasted for many years in operation.
2 The Main Purpose of a Business is to Create Satisfied Customers
Of course, customers are the ones giving you the income that you need. To gain more customers, you have to satisfy them so that they can have a good impression of your business and they will indulge your products and services over and over again. A big reason why you can see people lining up a Thirsty booth or chairs are filled with happy dining customers in Lantaw and House of Lechon.
3 Business is a Team Sport
You can’t win on your own. Winning requires people manning other positions that you, as the entrepreneur, have no skill or knowledge of, have no time for, or know someone better skilled. You need to work hand-in-hand with other people to achieve your goal for your business.
4 Leadership is the Key Difference
As an entrepreneur, you need to define what kind of leader you are. This will help you in handling your employees and give you a clear view of your goals for your business. Of course, part of being a good leader is treating your employees well.
5 People are not your Best Asset - only the RIGHT PEOPLE are.
While most businesses will say that people are your best assets, Mr. Bunny Pages thinks it’s not entirely true. It should be the RIGHT PEOPLE. People will come to your company and start working for you, but sometimes have ulterior motives. An employee can do something bad to your business regardless of how many times you have done well for them. If you find someone a liability to your business, don’t hesitate to let go of them. If you find someone a great asset to your business, treat them well and make sure to keep them as much as possible.
6 The Universe likes Speed
Doing business is about speed. There are so many opportunities that caused people to become rich just because they were the first ones to strike while no one was taking them. Mr. Pages has greatly expanded his business by striking first at an opportunity when it is there. When a new potential money-making location opens up such as a mall or commercial space, he surely will open a Thirsty stall there and create income.
7 Close Open Loops
Open Loops consist of unfinished projects, nagging tasks, and unfulfilled promises. As an entrepreneur, not closing these open loops will leave you noticeably unproductive and will urge you to do them as soon as you can. You don’t have to take notes necessarily. Just thinking about them constantly in your mind will bother you to take action on them. Be active in taking care of these loops to create a productive business environment.
8 Prayers Work
Bunny Pages revealed that he isn’t the most religious person you will meet, but prayers have worked wonders for him as a businessman. Pray every day in the morning for a bountiful harvest, for your employees to be healthy and to do well in their jobs, and for avoiding the worst-case scenarios such as accidents in the workplace or huge income losses.
