THE Covid-19 pandemic has had tremendous impact on the global economy—with most industries and businesses folding up due to restricted mobility of people, especially during the lockdown periods—but not the online trade.
Electronic commerce, or more popularly known as e-commerce, is the buying and selling of goods and services, as well as the transfer of payments or data, over an electronic network, most notably the Internet. Though, initially, it was not widely accepted internationally amid the emergence of digitalization in the past recent years, it took a health crisis before the consuming public began to embrace and, eventually, become heavily dependent on it both for their basic necessities and wants.
The accelerated adoption of e-commerce since the deadly coronavirus spread out in the latter part of 2019, eventually, opened the door for more new players to enter the industry. Amid a glut of online sellers, their sales continued to increase as consumers were constantly stuck at home and greatly concerned over the deadly virus. Such growth has been sustained post-pandemic, as the World Health Organization recently declared the end of Covid-19 as a health emergency.
According to Gencys Digital Trading Inc. CEO Hernani H. Razon, e-commerce will continue to stay being a “new normal” in the retail landscape as most Filipinos are more inclined now to do online shopping even with the reopening of the economy.
“What will prolong an industry are its initiators, innovators and recipients which are the consumers. Right now, the consumers are more comfortable in e-commerce,” he told the BusinessMirror on the sidelines of their Batch 5 Masterclass held at the Crimson Hotel in Alabang, Muntinlupa City, last July 15.
Baby steps
HAVING been emergent for less than 20 years, e-commerce as an industry in the Philippines is still in its infancy period, hence, the future of enterprises in this space, though moneymaking today, remains uncertain, the top executive said.
Forward thinking as it is, Gencys, which started as a home-based virtual retailer of general merchandises such as bath care and kitchen wares imported from China and was incorporated in 2021, endeavors to bridge the gap between profitability and longevity for Filipino entrepreneurs in the online trade market.
“The common problem of entrepreneurs in e-commerce, or what we call ‘e-commpreneurs’ is sustainability. They cannot create or delegate tasks that’s why scaling or expanding their business is hampered or slowed down,” Razon explained.
To help their growing community, the CEO and his co-founder and chairman, Charlie P. Gengos, established the company to provide cutting-edge e-commerce technology solutions and services by focusing on innovation, systems and stability.
They are committed to perfecting their e-commerce system, treating their employees as partners by equipping them with the right knowledge and skills, ensuring the success of their business allies, sourcing high-quality products, and offering training programs to help e-commpreneurs.
Its wide array of services and solutions support the specific needs of businesses in accordance to their size and objectives.
Development partner
BUSINESS is a complex world. The stature of well-established or big players in this field does not come in a silver platter. Most, if not all, started from small beginnings.
“So we do offer a partnership program to help entrepreneurs develop their business from small to medium enterprise,” Razon said.
With this, the owners of newbie and start-up e-commerce businesses are given access to the firm’s sales and marketing, warehouse and logistics, finance, human resource (HR), and administration departments.
Gencys Business Development Program helps mitigate the challenges and three common pitfalls linked with starting up, such as sales and marketing, finances and handling of people, allowing Gencys Partners to effectively streamline their operations and reach their business goals.
“The bonus that we teach is vision. If you’re into money making in e-commerce, you will not last that long. What matters is the role that you want to take on to help the community. Making money or not, but if you believe in your vision, you can raise your business,” he pointed out. “Building a business will take years. So the vision is important.”
Gencys Business Development program started its beta testing the last year with just three company-clients. Now it has 28 partners, of which eight will graduate from small to medium enterprise with eight-digit or at least P10 million in revenue, he shared.
Putting system in place
MEDIUM-SIZED businesses that have established themselves in the e-commerce space for quite some time are not spared from challenges in areas such as sales and marketing, warehousing and logistics, company culture, employee well-being, bookkeeping and managing finances, compliance, and internal processes.
To their aid, Gencys Business Consultation is available to them. This three to four months project is well structured to effectively address a company’s end-to-end business requirements.
The experienced leaders and practitioners at Gencys are data-driven and solution-focused, capable of assisting businesses scale up amid setbacks and threats. By leveraging their expertise, tools and processes, enterprise-clients are guaranteed to reach their maximum potential. They cater new business strategies in synch with the firm’s envisioned future, allowing for growth and development.
“So it’s more on about selling the system of Gencys,” Razon said, while citing that they just get specific advisory or partner shares from their business customers.
People empowerment
EMPLOYEES are the main assets of a company. Treating and taking good care of them makes them reciprocate the favor by performing well their job for the betterment of their organization and its business.
“So if you want to start an enterprise, just start with the people,” the CEO hinted. “Because no matter how good your system is, if your people do not implement it right, it’s still useless.”
Gencys HR Consultation provides a highly tailored solution to address problems in areas, such as the hiring process, employee well being, and company culture. It specializes in seven facets of human resources: Recruitment and selection, records management, employee relations, training and development, labor relations, organizational development, and compensation and benefits.
Focusing on these crucial aspects, Gencys HR Consultation helps businesses to hurdle their challenges, enhance their HR processes, and create a positive work environment. With the mastery and customized approach of its team, businesses are enabled to optimize their manpower practices and ensure the well-being and satisfaction of their employees.
E-commerce mastery
BY and large, it took time to become proficient at any field. But in e-commerce, there’s a convenient alternative available that is shorter yet rewarding—the Gencys E-Commerce Masterclass.
For four days, attendees for this very comprehensive interactive e-commerce mastery course will become more adept on the “ins” and “outs” of the marketplace. It covers various tactics for sales and marketing, research and development, warehousing and logistics, company culture, employee well-being, bookkeeping and managing finances, compliance, and internal processes.
The masterclass presents the information in an easy-to-understand, chronological format, saving the valuable time and effort of entrepreneurs. Likewise, it is supplemented with dozens of proven methods and tools developed by Gencys’ experienced leaders and practitioners.
Enrollees can gain valuable insights and acquire the needed skills and knowledge to effectively explore the complicated e-commerce sector. Entrepreneurs may improve their e-commerce entities, overcome problems successfully, and prosper in this dynamic sector by applying the resources and information learned during the masterclass.
Online sellers, in particular, are given unique value with its specialized training and information customized exclusively to the e-commerce market. What’s more, it lends specialized education, tried-and-true methodologies and tools, interactive learning experiences, access to seasoned industry leaders, networking opportunities, and assistance with business growth and expansion.
On the other hand, HR professionals are enabled to enhance their knowledge, skills, and expertise. It equips them with the necessary tools, updated processes, and insights to navigate the complexities of HR effectively, make informed decisions, and bring positive change within their organizations.
“Right now, we want to introduce them to data-driven training. So we put a free Lean Six Sigma, which is a system from Japan used by Fortune 500 companies. It’s more on efficiency and also the right process flow in putting up a business,” Razon said.
Gencys E-Commerce Masterclass began in December 2021. It is offered twice a year—each with a three-day online session and one-day in-person class. Every masterclass draws an average of 150 enrollees, with a livestream reaching around 1,200 viewers to date worldwide.
Collaborative effort
GENCYS’ tie up with brands and logistical services is beneficial to its e-commerce platforms and services.
The relationship it builds with partners guarantees access to trusted brands and high-quality items, boosts product availability, streamlines logistics operations, improves customer assistance, and promotes trust and credibility. Collaborating with like-minded organizations results to a seamless and gratifying experience of customers, which, in turn, earns their loyalty and realizes business growth for Gencys.
The company dedicates itself to be at the forefront of digital transformation in the e-commerce industry by utilizing best-in-class technologies to ensure a seamless shift to the digital age. This is in line with its vision and commitment to lead the industry in innovation, systems and stability.
“Looking forward, we envision Gencys to be a leading e-commerce through innovation system stability and the choice of Filipino entrepreneurs in cutting-edge e-commerce technology. We want any starting company, whether small, medium or large, to think first of Gencys when they put up an e-commerce business,” Razon stressed.