FAR EASTERN UNIVERSITY
Management
LEADERSHIP AND DECISION MAKING
Section 5
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP REPORT
“A Map Journey: Café Maiden”
By: Janella Marie Recaplaza
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------In Partial Fulfillment of the Course Requirement in Management Department
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------Team Name:
FEUture Leaders
Name of Members:
Batalla, Noreen Asia U.
Bigonia, Mikyla Mae B.
Lopez, Kristin Dane B.
Maisip, Aleah Sandria J.
Tan, Stephenie Ellaine I.
Valencia, Alliah Humphrey C
Professor: Dr. Leonardo F. Cada, Jr
November 12, 2021
1
Table of contents
Title Page………………………………………………………………….....................................1
Table of Contents ……………………………………………….……….......................................2
Executive Summary ……………………………………………….……………………………...3
I.
Overview/Name of Business ……………………………………………………………. 3
1. Vision and Mission Statement ……………………………....................................3
II.
Company Address and Contact Details …..........................................................................3
III.
Date of Virtual/Online Interview ........................................................................................3
IV.
Resume of Person Interviewed …................................................................................... 4-5
V.
Questionnaire Template…...................................................................................................6
VI.
Transcript of Interview …............................................................................................. 6-16
VII.
Photo Documentation…………………………………………………………………… 16
VIII.
Individual Reflection/Personal Plan.............................................................................17-23
IX.
Acknowledgement….........................................................................................................23
Appendix …...................................................................................................................................24
2
I.
Overview/Name of Business
Café Maiden is an online business of a coffee shop that sells beans and granules of
coffee. It is a sole proprietorship owned and founded by Janella Marie Recaplaza for about a year
now (2021). Its vision is to be the top provider of locally sourced coffee that is affordable,
sustainable, eco-friendly, and inclusive in physical and digital market platforms. Meanwhile, its
mission is to be a local coffee brand where customers can try different kinds of coffee Filipino
farmers, roasters, and traders offer and try in various sustainable and eco-friendly forms at an
affordable price yet a high-quality product.
II.
Company address & contact details
Café Maiden is located at 25A San Antonio Homes, Culiat, Quezon City, 1128. Its
contact details are the following:
Phone Number: 0966 400 8537
Email: j.recaplaza@gmail.com/cafemaidenph@gmail.com
Facebook: Café Maiden
Shopee: Café Maiden
Instagram: cafemaidenph
III.
Date of virtual/online interview
The interview with Janella Marie Recaplaza, the chosen leader of the group was
conducted last November 3, 2021, at 9:00-11:00 p.m. via Zoom.
3
IV.
Resume of the person interviewed
4
5
V.
Questionnaire template
1. As an entrepreneur, what do you think should come first when entering the industry is it the dream or passion? Why?
2. State one thing that you enjoy and dislike the most in doing business?
3. Why did you choose coffee as your business product?
4. Are you the type of person who likes to work with other people? Why or why not?
5. We experienced unexpected events last year. Do you think you are ready to face it if
something like this happens again in the future?
6. Have you adapted any kind of technology for your business during the pandemic?
7. What strategies do you employ to promote your business?
8. As business owner, what three abilities of a leader that you have utilized to achieve
where you are right now?
9. What are the solutions that you do whenever you experience a loss in your business?
10. Do you consider yourself a risk-taker? How?
VI.
Transcript of the Interview
Interviewer 1: Good day Miss Janella. I will be asking questions po about Café Maiden. Here are
the questions. It was an honor po to meet ang greet you. As for my question, as an entrepreneur,
what do you think should come first when entering the industry - is it the dream or passion?
Why?
Leader: Okay. So, actually a few months ago, I was a part of this course by US Embassy and
DLSU. That’s actually one of our lessons. In Lesson 1 they asked us about if dream or passion –
either one of those is important and actually the most important is that you have a dream.
Everything’s starts with a dream. For me, I had a dream of owning a business. So, as an
entrepreneur it’s important to be a dreamer – to have an inspiration. So, when I started my
business, I didn’t actually dreamt of owning a coffee shop or an online shop that caters to coffee
drinkers but my dream was specified at something that I want to have a business that will cater to
people that makes them happy. So, something that makes them happy. And then, when I saw that
oh! coffee is a really good business in the Philippines so I put it the two together and I realized
6
that coffee is a really great business that will help me pursue my dream as an entrepreneur. So, as
an entrepreneur I think it’s important for you to have a dream. So, yeah that’s my answer for the
question.
Interviewer 1: As for Miss Janella, dream is the most important when entering in the industry.
#CoffeeIsLife.
Lalong-lalo na po rito sa Pilipinas parang sobrang marami pong
youth
ang nagsasabi na hindi po nila kaya mabuhay ng walang coffee araw-araw and I’m one of those
youth before I got sick.
Interviewer 1: For the next question po, state one thing that you enjoy and dislike doing your
business.
Leader: My likes and dislikes? in running my business. Okay, actually, there’s no only good
thin, there’s no only bad things, there’s always both of them. So, what I like doing my business is
that it’s like I can actually use some skills that I never thought I have, for example, running a
business – being an entrepreneur because that’s a skill. Actually, being an entrepreneur is a skill
and I’ve never thought that I could be an entrepreneur so that’s number one. what I like about
running a business. Number two, what I like about running a business is that, related to number
one is that my business actually makes people happy in little ways like when they buy from me
the feel happy so when I see them happy, I see their reviews, na nagustuhan nila yung coffee
or yung pinagpadalhan nila nagustuhan. Because my is to have a business that makes people
happy. Hindi lang siya business na nag e-earn ako, hindi puro pera lang. I want to see people
happy
din;
in
exchange
the
service
and
products
that
I
provide
them.
So,
related siya doon sa having a dream is important as an entrepreneur. Then, third one is that I treat
my customers like they are not just customers but also people who like my business as a person.
So, pag kinakausap ko sila I treat them like – what is that you need, so I can offer it. Hindi
lang siya yung – ano ba yon, ganito yung price; parang puro pera lang pag ganyan. Kasi kung
puro pera lang lagi ang usapan sa business hindi siya may tatagal.
year na ung business
So
since
ko yun yung mga narealize ko
mas nagugustuhan ko yung pagiging businesswoman.
When
it
onekaya
comes
to
dislikes
naman, yung hardships of being a businesswoman. Since, one year pa lang yung business ko,
during the first three month it was very difficult, so, what I dislike about it is that I wasn’t
7
ready. Kapag mag-start ka pala ng business dapat prepared ka na with our mindset, hindi lang
financial, dapat pati yung market mo, yung puso mo. Isa pa is that here in the Philippines it is
very difficult for small businesses to thrive, small business ka lang, unless you will shell out a lot
of money para mas marami pang tao yung makakita ng business mo. Dito sa Pilipinas it is very
difficult
to
apply
for
a
license,
for
example sa BIR,
for
food kailangan meron kang FDA, kapang gusto mo naman na yung packaging mo maganda dapa
t maayos lahat yan – It is very difficult to find yung mga nag preprint or nag cacater for small
businesses, for example me, need ko lang na 100 na pouches, ang hirap makahanap ng
mag cacater. So, what I don’t like is that having a business in the Philippines is not small
business friendly. Other thing naman, running a business online, it is very difficult to find
customers that are high quality. Syempre diba sa customers they like to find high quality shops
but business owners din we want to find high quality customers din. What I mean about that
is, yung mga customers na compatible sa mga products na binebenta mo or yung shop
mo. Ibig sabihin non is no complaints sila sa price ng products kasi alam nilang high quality.
There are times kasi na may mag tatanong – bakit ang mahal, bakit ganito ung price mo eh
kay ano; samantalang sa ibang shop
mas mura…may
customers talaga na ganon and
as
a
business owner we have to deal with those kind. So those are some of my dislikes on running a
business.
Interviewer 1: Thank you po, for summarization lang po; Ms. Janella like about doing business
is that may skills, dream at customers on the contrary, meron pong mga high maintenance
customers – maraming demands, and hardship like business permits and such and in the
Philippines it is not a small business friendly.
Interviewer 2: Why did you choose coffee as your business product?
Leader: Uhuh, okay, actually I just taught coffee by chance, my friend actually he was already
running
a
coffee
parang tutulungan ko nalang s’ya kasi
business. Then
I
nag-aaral pa s’ya e. Ako
mas tulungan ko nalang s’ya mag
asked him pwede ba ako,
parang naisip ko
ahh
collab nalang kami ganon,
partner, pero sabi n’ya ikaw nalang kasi nga hindi rin n’ya magagawa kasi
8
mas
nag fofocus s’ya sa thesis n’ya so he gave the contact of the suppliers ganyan. Tapos naisip ko
parang uyy mabenta ‘to
made ganon tas parang
ah ganyan,
ground
ground
coffee
pa,
coffee, syempre parang
you
can
do
at
locally
home,
fresh
coffee na parang ano sa starbucks ganyan. So naisip ko na parang mabenta ‘to
kasi kahit anong age, yung kasi pag sa business mamimili ka talaga kung ano yung gusto mo, yu
ng may tinatawag na “niche”, yung very very specific
gusto mo sya, atsaka magagawa mo sa-ako parang
field na mama-master mo or
lahat
‘yon
nag-
aligned
parang
and
then, yung tumpak is yung coffee.Kaya sabi ko kahit sino pwedeng bumili n’yan, kahit anong ag
e babae man o lalaki pwedeng bumili kahit sinong gender, students, yung mga nag-wowork and
then, ahh after that nag-conceptualize ako kung paano s’ya ibebenta so hindi lang s’ya as ground
coffee,
ahh naisip ko
din
kasi nga ang mga pinoy mahilig sa tingi-tingi lang, yung sachet
lang ganon diba mahilig tayo yung ano, ah instant coffee, yung stick lang ganon so nag research
pa ako. Then, I
saw yung drip
bag
or yung tea
bag
then sabi ko pwede yon
para tikman muna nila kung hindi pa sila sanay ganon, tas nauuso na rin yung drip
bag
kasi
anywhere you can bring it and then the tea bag too, so ganon ko naisip yung business ko why I
started coffee. So actually hindi ako masyadong umiinom ng coffee kasi allergic ako pero yungyung parang
concept
ko, yung passion
ko
mag-run
ng
business, tapos alam kong magugustuhan to ng mga tao parang tinuloy ko pa rin s’ya, so yeah.
Interviewer 2: May mga naisip pa po ba kayong product na gusto n’yo pong isama sa coffee
business n’yo?
Leader:
So yung pinaka recent kong dinagdag is
ah yung coffee drip
bag, so nag market
research ako and then maraming coffee shop din online, nagbbenta sila ng mga gift set so ang
akin naman nagfocus ako is purely ground coffee muna s’ya ganon lang. Tas yung drip bags din
and then what I like to add is-actually yung first name ng shop ko e is “Coffee Maiden” tas I
changed it to “Café Maiden” kasi in the future actually I want to include all kinds of beverage
so hindi lang s’ya coffee then meron ding tea-yung loose leaf tea so balak ko din idagdag ‘yon
and there’s also yung mga coffee essentials for example, sugar ganon ahh yung mga coffee syrup
and
then yung mga equipments din
like french press, yung mga filter ganon, yung mug, so
anything related to ahh drinking coffee or having your ahh body stall at home
9
like yung mga equipments ganon, and then eventually I want to have my own café so
kaya ganon yung name “Café Maiden” so it actually like coffee girl, yun lang s’ya.
Interviewer 2: For my last question po, are you the type of person who likes to work with other
people? Why or why not?
Leader: Uhuh okay, actually isa pa palang ano sa online business na gusto ko is that you can run
it on your own or you can ahh run your business as a team, so right now for one-year na I’m just
running
my
business
independently,
just
by myself,but sometimes
when
I
need
help kakausapin koyang sina Aleah. Actually, ah tinutulungan nila ako kapag marami akong orde
rs ganon,
and
then yung kapatid ko rin or
my
friends
they
helped
me
kasi nga for
example yung 11.11 ganyan or yung 12.12 uhmm there’s flop in order so kailangan ko ng extra
help. But, ahh noong una gusto ko ako lang kasi I’m- hindi naman sa introvert but I prefer to
work alone ganon, pero after one year narealize ko, you actually need a team to run a business if
you
want
your
business
to
thrive, kasi hindi mo kayang gawin lahat nang aspects
ng
business mo, yung logistics, ah yung packaging ganon, ‘pag oorder ng supplies, pag manage ng
shop so hindi-kasi nga lumaki na yung business ko marami nang ahh loyal customers, repeat
customers, so if I want to add more repeat customer, I also need to have my own team, so right
now. my answer, so in the future also I prefer now to work with a team, kasi nga I want my
business to be successful, to thrive, or be bigger.
Interviewer 3: Good day, Ms Janella. For my question po, since we experienced unexpected
events last year, do you think you are ready to face it if something like this happen again in the
future?
Leader: Hmm, Yeah. Well since I started my business actually in the middle of pandemic, I
think I can handle future uhm... maybe related uh... – like situations like this.
Pero sana yung ganito lang yung sa bahay lang ganon,
wag
naman sana yung talagang... ano.. yung.. – pag may disaster ganiyan kase nga, that’s another
event to prepare. Ah... ibang issue na yon. So, I think if it’s the pandemic like this na you can
stay
at
home, kase nga I
ko, yung warehouse
ko
run
same
my
business
lang
at
home.
din siya lahat.
10
Parang ito na din yung office
Yung ano yung nag
pi-pick
up dito, yung mga stock courier. – Yeah, I think I can manage something like this, kase nga it’s
an online business. SO there’s no physical shop as long as there’s no physical shop it’s just
online, I think my business can manage.
Interviewer 3: For my next question po, have you adapted any kind of technology for your
business during this pandemic?
Leader: Hmm... Yes, so... uh, like I said previously, it’s an online business so it means that I’m
an online seller. So, in related... – Ah, in relation to technology, the latest technology, like the
social media applications, or the e-commerce platforms. Yes, I use so. – So for example, for ecommerce platforms I use shopee. So I have a shopee store for about one year now. So it’s very
important actually right now for business owners to have commerce, or to use a commerce
platforms kase, centralize people can see your shop there easily, and then you don’t need to think
about how to send the order to them. Lahat yun, yung e-commerce platforms na ang bahala and
then
kung
may
issues
so sila na nag aasikaso.
man,
And
or
refunds,
–
ah...
return,
right?
Ang maganda dun
Ah yung shopee na bahala,
is
for
example
right
now, mayron akong account manager. - Relationship manager, and she helps me with improving
my
shop,
so
parang
parang mga freebies kase nga it’s
may
tip ganiyan, ginaguide ako so... Tapos mayron din
growing,
the
shop
is
growing,
so yun yung maganda dun sa pag use ng online shop. – And then for social media app, since para
mas makita pa ng ibang tao. I use ads. So yun yung maganda sa social media, and then also
in shopee kase nga like ngayon, yung trend
is
ah...
– Dapat magpost ka lagi,
then sa tiktok ganun mag post ka ng video so... – Maganda ang ginagamit yung mga social media
app and the e-commerce platforms kasi very very helpful siya para mas ma expose yung business
mo.
Interviewer 3: Thank you for your response, Ms Janella, and I appreciate the information you
provided with. Let me give the floor to Ms. Ellaine Tan for her questions.
Interviewer 4: Thank you for that Ms. Lopez and welcome Ms. Janella. For the next questions.
What strategies do you employ to promote your business?
11
Leader: So, like in the previous question…Ah, I use social media to promote my business.
So pinaka importante yon,
but
right
now,
parang
nag
ga-gather
pa ako ng…
ng
pictures ganon, yung content yeah, content, para mas ma-promote ko pa yung business ko. And
then… Yeah, I also use like a content calendar and then planning, like I have to plan what I want
to post and then what I want to share or… Ah, for example, yung new product na gusto
ko na ano,
I-post
don
and
then,
there's
also…
for
example yung…Yeah,
I
used canva sa pag create ng design so ayun yung mga strategies ko. Kasi I'm not a graphic
designer and I can't hire a… A professional graphic designer yet, so I use canva as a way to make
the designs of the logo and then the social media content. And then…Ah, I also take
videos, yung TikTok Lite
videos,
para
mas
ma
kasi nga, sa tiktok, uso yung tiktok videos ngayon.
promote yung products
Mas
ko,
gusto nila yon,
so ayun yung mga strategies ko.
Interviewer 4: Oh wow, that was very fantastic and I can say that social media is important
nowadays, especially in promoting a business. So we appreciate it for sharing. For the next
question. As business owner, what three abilities of a leader that you have utilized to achieve
where you are right now?
Leader: Siguro yung mga leadership
skill,
Kasi nga I
just
run
my
business
independently. Siguro pang motivated ko nalang sa sarili ko kasi, I can't depend on others. I only
have to depend on myself. But also as a business owner…sharing it with my other business
owner, siguro sa first one is that you have to keep learning. So even if you have already learned a
lot before you started your business or when you're starting a business, you have to keep learning
new things. Like for example, ayun yung new trends, yung new designs, ano ba yung gusto
ng mga tao. You have to learn those things you have to keep up with the trends, you have to keep
up with…Ah, for example, where are people buying? How are they buying? So right now they're
using Shopee. Shopee is the number one platform. There's also Lazada like that, and then you
also have to utilize like Facebook marketplace, so you have you to have those skills. You need to
be a lifelong learner as a business owner. And then number two. I think…Time management, so
I actually saw quote it says… Parang, just start your business so you can have your own time, but
the
reality
is
that
when
you're
a
business
12
owner,
you
actually
work
24/7.
So hindi katulad na when you’re working,
you
just
work
at
8:00-5:00,
then pag ka
out mo yun na, that’s it wala ka ng trabaho. But when you're a business owner, it's actually all
day. So when it's 3:00 AM nag pa pack parin ako ng mga parcel ganyan, pero ang maganda don
is that the next I have dont have anything to do, parang tulog nalang. So you need to have time
management.
Kasi nga one-year palang parang tinitignan ko
pa
kung paano ba yung magiging setup, so it’s very important for you to learn time management. So
lifelong lerner, time management and then number two you need to communicate not just with
customers but also with business owners. So you need to…Network, yung networking.
Networking in a good way na dapat, makipag friends ka sa other business owner. So when I
joined the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs, I met other business owners. So I thought I
already
know
a
lot
running
a
small
ko onti palang pala yung alam ko, tapos…
business.
Ah, yung way
Pero nung nag
ng
join ako na realize
running
a
business
may iba pa palang version or iba pang klaseng business ganon, so it’s important to meet other
people, kasi…dahil nga small business owner ako, I run independently, nung sumali ako don, I
met other people, I had friends and then, I had mentors. So it's also important to be a mentor and
to find a mentor, so ayun yung mga importanteng skills as a business owner, yung leadership
skills.
Interviewer 4: Okay, so thanks for giving those strategies and now let’s go on to
Ms. Bigonia’s next questions.
Interviewer 5: What solutions do you do when you experience a loss on your business?
Leader: “…yung motivation nawawala. Maraming buts. Kung hindi ka prepared ‘don,
mawawalan ka ng business. So, for a year now, I think financially maraming loss kaysa sa gain
or profit yung business ko. When running a business actually, especially on you first years,
there’s a money loss not just financially but also when it comes to motivation. So, financially,
but it’s very common in businesses na magkaroon ng loss pagdating sa pera kasi you invest all of
your money para doon sa business mo then hindi naman agad babalik sa iyo ‘yon. So, when I
invested my money, I didn’t really expect to gain it back immediately kasi until now, hindi ko pa
13
siya nage-gain, there’s no profit yet. So, I think, yung loss ko ‘dun is yung financial. Then ‘yung
solution ko for that is just keep on going kasi nga you just need to keep running your business.
To keep it running, kapag wala [akong profit], I use GCredit and SPayLater. Those are to borrow
money, parang credit card. Then I buy my materials in advance and then the supplies. Kapag
naka-earn na ng money, I pay back those payments na hiniram ko from GCredit and SPayLater
kasi nga until now, I haven’t gain my profit yet or the capital that I used to invest in my shop.
Second, in business loss, I think, the loss is, especially when you’re an online business owner in
e-commerce platform, is yung mga return parcels. Kasi nga when we sell on shopee, we
wouldn’t know if those parcels will be accepted by the customers kasi may times na nangyayari
‘yun. But fortunately, ilang beses palang naman iyon nangyayari, yung loss ‘non is baka yung
parcel is mawala and maging loss parcel siya or nasira yung product kapag narecieve ko na, di ko
na ulit pwedeng ibenta lalo na it’s coffee, it’s fragile, kailangan fresh siya. Kapag na-recieve ko
na, actually I don’t want to sell it again. So ayun, nawawalan ako ng pera because of that,
nawalan ‘din ako ng profit, yung ininvest ko parang nawala lang siya. Kasi nga, when the parcel
returns to me, I don’t want to sell it again dahil nga I just want to sell a better coffee or
something that is in better presentation. So what I do is I want to make sure that the costumer
will buy it. In a previous question, I said, as a business owner it is important to us to attract high
quality customers lang, ‘yung sure na bibili, ‘yun ‘yung goal ng mga business owners. That’s the
loss that I can think of pa lang and ‘yung solutions.
Interviewer 5: Do you consider yourself as a risk taker?
Leader: “Yes, I consider myself as somebody who take risks that’s because I’m already a
business owner and as a business owner, you have to take risk and the first time you decided to
establish a business you are already taking a risk. It comes with risking your money, risking your
time, and risking your effort that you have. It’s important as a business owner to be a risk taker.
That’s also a skill, to take risk, because if you don’t take risks you won’t know if something will
succeed or fail. When running a business, it’s either of those. It’s either it’s going to succeed or
going to fail. As an entrepreneur, you are hoping that your business will succeed not just fail.
Failing to run a business or some parts of it is part as an entrepreneur and I’ve experienced both.
14
It is very important to me to be a risk taker and if I really want my business to succeed, I have to
take many risks.
Interviewer 5: What advices can you give to those who wanted to start their own business?
Leader: “For those who wanted to start their business, you can start a small business as a hobby.
If you really want to start a business you can do that because you can learn a lot about yourself,
about being in business, like I said previously na “ay kaya ko pa lang gawin ‘to, ganito pala,”
‘yung mga realizations. You have to do those things if you want to take risks especially in your
twenties. I want to do things while I’m still young. So, if you’re still young and wanted to learn
things about yourself, kung kaya mo bang mag-run ng business, just do it and just start. You can
have your own business with yourmpssion or as a hobby. If you wanted it to be grand, just start
big then. And then like in my previous answers, maghanap ng mentor. Before I thought hindi
naman kailangan ng mentor, but I think it is important to find a mentor, somebody who will give
you advice someone who will guide you how to run a business and there’s also networking.
Communicating with other business owners’ kasi sila ‘yung magiging friends’ mo in business so
it is important to have a mentor and also people in your business circle. You have to keep
learning for your business. I think ‘yung natutunan ko rin lately is you have to research and
analyze data. So in Shopee, thankfully there’s a data [where] we can see how many people visit
our shop, how many customers are clicking the product or checking out the product. So they
have this automate data for us to see and you have to learn those. Be in trend as a business
owner, be a data analysts if you really want your business to be competitive, especially in ecommerce platform and social media: you need to learn data. From those data, you’re going to
have those conclusions “paano mo siya i-aapply sa business mo.” For example, ‘yung graphic
designs mo maganda, attractive ba siya and then ano yung prices na gusto ng mga tao. You have
to keep learning on how to run a business and how to analyze data. So my last advice is you
should take advantage applying for online classes. The last time I enrolled in the Academy for
Women Entrepreneur by U.S. Embassy, a program by Department of States of U.S. Government,
a program around the world. So there’s many branches by U.S. embassy. Sila ‘yung nagmamanage for business women everywhere. It is their first time in Manila to do this course. We are
15
the first business women students. It runs for four months. In those four months, teachers,
mentors, and instructors teaches us on how to run our business, all aspects of the business. It is
very important to join those thing. There’s also online courses by future leaner, linkedin, and
more. If you go on facebook events, there’s many certifications or seminars na mahahanap ‘don
because I’ve taken lot of those before I start my business like digital marketing, there’s also
making social media contents; Canva also have seminars. So if you want run your business, you
have to keep learning and you can enroll on those. So if you’re interested on taking online
classes, you can join Academy for Women Entrepreneurs. If you’re from manila, they have it
there. They also have in Marawi and Bacolod. The professors are from DLSU and all of them are
experienced in running a business or currently a business owner themselves so they know how to
run a business and they share their experiences to us. Doon ko nameet yung mga friends ko in
business. So ‘dun ko rin nalaman na there’s other kinds of businesses, ‘yung service centered
business, example tutorials, travel agencies, online courses, and more. It gave me an idea on
what other businesses that I can do. To summarize, you have to start small, you have to keep
learning and take risks. If you can, you can join professional development courses for business
owners.”
VII.
Photo Documentation
16
VIII. Individual Reflection Paper/Personal Plan
A. Batalla, Noreen Asia U.
Being an entrepreneur isn’t an easy job. It’s a long-time commitment in life and you must
embody and attain the attributes of being an excellent entrepreneur inclined with the heart of it.
Now, as a part of the institute aligns with business and management, do I have the potential of
being an entrepreneur? Why or why not?
Last November 3, 2021, we interviewed Miss Janella Marie Recaplaza, the business owner of
Café Maiden that is a one-year-old now. It’s an online business wherein the entity offers coffee
beans by bags with freebies of it. According to Ms. Recaplaza, she started the business with a
dream of “to make people happy by drinking coffee” which I think is very vital especially when
the entity is just a start-up. An entrepreneur should have the dream first followed by passion in
order to achieve what you are aiming for in the first place proved by Ms. Recaplaza as she stated
that dream should come first when you’re opening up a business because without the dream,
you’ll be at lost and had no purpose at all. I personally think that the dream and purpose of
Ms. Recaplaza is rare as most of the entrepreneurs usually start-up a business in order to have
financial support, a responsibility in family (might an heir/heiress), or clearly as an insurance
plan. Upon hearing her stories about her business, I got amazed by her skills and personality
because there’s a lot of hindrances and obstacles that she went through which I think not
everyone can overcome it all especially when you don’t have a strong belief, trust, and
personality. Indeed, the beginning is always the hardest yet all of it will be worth it once you’ve
reached the peak/summit of your life/journey. One more thing that fascinates me is that there’s a
“love-hate” relationship between a seller and a customer. They are the one whom you’re
dedicating to but at the same time they are the one who makes the journey way harder than you
could ever think. You need them but sometimes they’re too out of control, but you can’t do
anything about it as they are one of the keys to your success and the entity itself. Lastly, I would
like to highlight the one that I think is the most important of being an entrepreneur: you better
keep on learning and have always the room of improvement as it would be a great help in
handling the business and make it successful internally and externally. I believe that I have the
17
potential to be an entrepreneur in the future as I had the willingness to learn and attain the needed
attributes and skills of being one of them as well as the dream and heart of it.
To sum it up, I realized that the only thing that is constant here in this world is change so we
need to keep up otherwise, we’ll be outdated and later on it’ll be a loss to the entity. Opportunity
isn’t always available so when you have the chance to grab it, seize it while it last. We never
know what will happen but we can always be ready to face and conquer it. Always have in your
heart the dream and purpose in everything that you do because it will be your shield whenever
there’s a cataclysmic event occurs in your life.
B. Bigonia, Mikyla Mae B.
Establishing a business is not easy. From considering which product to sell, to experiencing
loss or gain due to unexpected events. Having a business is time-consuming and tiring but as
we make a profit and see our business succeed, all the hard work will be worth it. We must be
ready with whatever events we may face in the future. Make plans ahead of time, predict or
assume the future of your business, and always seek improvements. Whether you like working
with a team or by yourself, it is a must to have someone who can help you manage your business
in order to be more organized and expand it in the future. Be a partner and input data to make
your business grow as time goes on.
That’s what I learn to our interview with Miss Janella Recaplaza, a business owner of Café
Maiden. She also talked about being a risk-taker. Every entrepreneur must possess that quality
because you will achieve nothing when you stay in your comfort zone. It is a competition
between you and your decisions. In business, nothing is certain. Some days you will make a
profit, the next day you might loss something, money or customers. But do not fret, you must be
wise in making decisions because it will also affect the future of your business.
Believe in yourself and be ready for whatever you may go through. She might start her
business during the pandemic but that doesn’t mean that she will be fully ready when another
18
pandemic hits us. We just must be determined and think about unexpected events in order to plan
solutions on how we can overcome it.
C. Lopez, Kristin Dane B.
From the conducted interview, there were a lot of realizations and information that I
gathered with regards to the process of working in groups. Admittedly, it was sort of difficult in
the beginning and we did encounter some roadblocks like any other groups, but I am proud to
say that we worked our way through the process smoothly, fairly, and effectively.
The group presentation that we conducted was an interview with a leader and the leader we
have chosen was Ms. Janella, a devoted leader and an entrepreneur. Our group arrived at an
agreement on what kind of characteristics we should look for in a leader. We arrived at
“visionary, ethical, and determined” as the traits that we’ll look for in a leader. I believe that the
leader we have chosen, Ms. Janella, encompasses these traits. As she mentioned in the interview,
everything starts with a dream. From that statement itself, we can say that she is a visionary. We
can say that she is also ethical because she sees the value in working in teams rather than
working individually, and she values the members of her team greatly as they are integral in the
progress of her business. And lastly, we say that she is a determined leader and entrepreneur as
she does everything that could ensure that her business would thrive including hiring a team,
following trends, and doing market research for the betterment of her relationship with her
customers.
I believe that our group has chosen a fair and strong leader to interview for this activity.
Though we have our fair share of struggles as a group, I realized that open communication and
mindfulness for the tasks and deadlines was integral in making sure that our interview would run
smoothly. The conceptualization and brainstorming of questions became a huge part as well of
our collaborative activity. This is where we all exerted our efforts to make sure that we would
ask relevant and appropriate questions to our interviewee.
19
D. Maisip, Aleah Sandria J.
Starting a business is risk, there will be challenges you will face along, but you must be
strong and always remember why you started your business. Risk is always there on a business;
you must be tough and willingly accept the result of everything. As we interviewed the owner
and founder of Café Maiden, Ms. Janella Marie Recaplaza, she is a teacher by profession and a
full-time dreamer. She gave us answers and lessons on how we can be a great leader and she also
gave us an overview of the journey of Café Maiden.
As a student and an entrepreneur, I have learned a lot from our interview with Ms. Janella. I
remember she said that the first three months of the business is the hardest and I can vouch
that because based on my experience it is really the hardest it is where we start to promote the
products full force and we use everything we have just for promotion. People doesn’t know yet
the products that we are selling, and the sales are very low. But then Ms. Janella said that you
must always look on your dream or goal of your business. Work hard and everything will follow.
Hardships are normal and you will always have to face them no matter what.
Another hardship that small business owners face is that there are only few opportunities
given to them such as business permits and other permits needed. If you don’t have the enough
money to provide permits for your business you can’t start it legally. Here in the Philippines,
there are a lot of permits needed such as DTI, BIR and FDA for foods and other consumables.
But small businesses are having a hard time to get these because it is very expensive and not
small business friendly unlike in the US where there is no permit needed to export their
products.
And lastly, Ms. Janella said that you must look for high quality customers too. High quality
customers will help you build a better relationship between the seller and buyer and also it could
give the business more customers and high quality feedbacks. People tend to look for shops that
has a high quality products and high rating, especially if it is e-commerce based. It is very
important for small businesses to give their best on every order that they receive and with that
customers will be satisfied with the work and product they paid for.
20
E. Tan, Stephenie Ellaine I.
Based on my observation, the business owner is a great leader who has her own set of goals
for her own business. She also shows leadership qualities such as "Focused" and "Strategic." It
was a pleasure to conduct an interview with her, and it was a privilege for us to meet a business
owner. And I can say that her business story was incredibly encouraging. Furthermore, because
all of the members of the group were active and participating, preparing the presentation was
simple for me, and working with them was fun and great.
During the interview with Ms. Janella, I’ve learned many things about Café Maiden's
journey and how she was able to handle it. When it comes to promoting her business, she
develops her own content. She makes a plan for what she will post or discuss in order to promote
her business. She also designs online platforms like "Canva" and promotes her business with
videos on "TikTok."
As a result, I came to realize the importance of social media in today's world, particularly
in terms of business promotion especially now that we are still in the middle of a pandemic. Most
of the people are always engage in social media, this is the most trending ways of sending
information to public. Traditional methods of business promotion, such as handing out flyers or
placing outdoor advertisements are also effective but not as fast modern technology can do.
Many business owners, including Ms. Janella, have found this to be really useful. The actual
interview inspired the group to face challenges in life positively.
F. Valencia, Alliah Humphrey C.
Every day, you have the chance to learn something new and meet someone new. Take
advantage of the opportunity. Learn and experience everything you can, and then use what
you've learned to change the world. Owning a business is also my childhood dream for as long as
I can remember. Interviewing Ms. Janella Recaplaza, the owner of Café Maiden, got me into
multiple realizations, and she serves as an inspiration for us students and aspiring entrepreneurs.
21
Everything starts with a dream. According to Ms. Janella, it is vital to be a dreamer, it is
the first step towards success, and she aims to own a business. She dreams about owning a
business that will make people happy because it will also make her happy. This dream got her
into the coffee business. Even though she is allergic to coffee, she pushed through this passion.
Hard work will indeed pay off because her business has been kicking in the industry for a year
now. She chose this type of business by chance due to the influence of her friend. She decided to
continue it because everyone can be her target market regardless of age, gender, sex, or
nationality, and for most people, coffee is their life now.
Dreams are more than just the images that flash through our minds while we sleep. I'm a
total daydreamer with my head in the clouds. I usually dream when I'm not in class or hanging
out with friends. I daydream about the future. I imagine everything I hope to achieve. Our most
extraordinary journeys will never begin without dreams, and it is the journeys we take in life that
we cherish the most. Dare to dream big, and the genuinely extraordinary can happen.
A dream that turns into passion. Ms. Janella's dream of becoming an entrepreneur
became the passion that makes her continuously thrive despite the circumstances. Ms. Janella
considers herself a risk-taker because opening a business is already a risk as she invested her
time, money, and effort into the business. She believed that if you didn't take the risk, you would
fail in life. Being an entrepreneur, she is grateful that she can use some skills she didn't know she
had. She does not treat her customers as just customers, but she treats her well enough to make
them come back.
Passion does not guarantee success, but it can significantly increase and boost our chances
of achieving our goals in life. First, passion fuels motivation; many people fail to achieve the
success they desire due to a lack of motivation. Second, passion increases focus; it is easier to
enter the flow state when you are passionate about what you do. Lastly, passion allows us to be
more creative; when you're passionate about something, you'll find ways to be creative
with it. You will want to produce better results because you enjoy doing it.
A passion that shapes her into who she is now. Her passion became her path to acquire
and enhance her leadership skills as she started her business independently and bravely. She
believed that it is crucial to have interpersonal skills and good communication with other people
22
or other entrepreneurs because she admits that there are times that she thinks her learnings are
enough. Still, when she met different people, she realized that what she knew was just a tiny part
of the whole.
As an aspiring entrepreneur, I am focused on the hope and dream of starting a business. I
can begin by aspiring but must move on to actual action to be considered an entrepreneur. After
the interview, I got inspired by Ms. Janella; what she says is eye-opening and pure of good
words that will fill my mind. She makes us open our eyes to the reality of life and gives us the
advice to start small and keep learning.
In conclusion, here are some of my key takeaways from the interview: keep learning and
have or be a mentor. Being successful frequently necessarily involves learning from those who
have already attained their specific goals. Having a mentor is a beautiful gift for any
entrepreneur, but not everyone is fortunate enough to find one in person. When starting a
business, you must face your fears; it is not easy, but it must be done. Fearlessness was like a
muscle: the more you worked it, the stronger it got. Furthermore, we must act because the world
is full of great ideas, but success can only be achieved through action. Next, who you associate
with influences you become; the quickest way to change yourself is to associate with people who
are already the way you want to be. Finally, continue to challenge yourself and treat life as a
comprehensive university education to learn more every day.
IX.
Acknowledgement
The interviewers would like to express gratitude and give the most profound and sincere
appreciation to Miss Janella Marie Recaplaza. She has an excellent attribution of being a leader
and brave entrepreneur at a very young age; through her knowledge, experiences, and wisdom
that have been shared, she inspires the interviewers and aspiring entrepreneurs. Throughout, the
project was well-executed and well-enjoyed. Without her participation and persistence to help,
this work would not have been possible.
23
Appendix/Appendices
Leadership and Decision-Making Approval Form
Group Members Names:
Section: ACTY101 Sec. 5
Batalla, Noreen Asia, U.
Bigonia, Mikyla Mae, B.
Lopez, Kristin Dane, B.
Maisip, Aleah Sandria, J.
Tan, Stephanie Ellaine, I.
Valencia, Alliah Humphrey, C.
Leader/s Names:
1.Janella Marie Recaplaza
Submitted by: FEUture
Leader
Position
Date: November 2, 2021
Organization/Business
Café Maiden
(Brewing Maiden Coffee and
Tea Trading)
Approved by: (SGD) Prof. Leonardo F. Cada, Jr.
Owner
24