7th Entrepreneurs’ Fair features new ventures

CEBU, Philippines - After three enterprises that graduated last semester, five new businesses operated and owned by the  entrepreneurship students of the University of San Carlos (USC) were introduced and added to the 19 groups who exhibited their varied products during the 7th Entrepreneurs' Fair last December 12 to 16 at Parkmall Cebu.

One of the requirements of the business practicum program course for USC students taking up Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurship and Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Double Major in Marketing and Entrepreneurship is to operate their own enterprises and market it to the public.

It was last August that the studentry conducted its 6th Entrepreneurs Fair at Ayala Activity Center.

The fair began in 2009 to serve as the avenue of hands-on experience for business administration students to showcase their enterprise management skills after the creation of a business plan, its feasibility defense and approval to operate.

Corazon Gaanan Anzano, faculty member of the USC Department of Business Administration and Economics, said that since it is Christmas time and since there are two enterprises dealing with pets, they had decided to relocate the five-day fair in Parkmall.

Recognizing a growing and challenging market in Cebu, two groups of Carolinian students put up Bunny and Tail Pet House that sells pet houses for dogs and fishes and Woof that offers clothes and other accessories for dogs.

Other innovative enterprises include two enterprises deals with Cebu-grown tablea as main raw material. These are House of Cacao that offers pastries and cakes made from cacao and CocoBurry & Co. which sells oil and food products from cacao. 

Another new business venture added to the list is the Sweet Garden Foods which sells squash ketchup.

Anzano cited that two of the five new enterprises were awarded with financial grants from the Industrial Guarantee and Loan Fund - Student Assistance Grant for Entrepreneurship of the National Economic Development Authority and Development Bank of the Philippines.

To contribute to the initial capital of starting the business, Sweet Garden Foods was granted financial assistance worth P143,000 or equal to 43 percent of their total project value while House of Cacao was given P150,000 that helped to fund half of their total project cost.

She also considered the recent fair as a success evident with the outstanding performance of the groups in terms of overall sales.

She further commented the student entrepreneurs who responded appropriately particularly on the inventory, manpower and motivation for the very hectic exhibit days.

Meanwhile, three enterprises already graduated from the first semester batch that also joined the Ayala fair last August.

It included Powderville Enterprise which sold pulverized tomato and pepper for seasoning and Concave SK8 Park that offers park for skateboarding located at Gen Echavez Street, Cebu City.

Right after graduation, Anzano said that Powderville stop its operations but will resume in January of next year in time for the renewal of permits.

Although with the same set of owners, she added that the group is currently undergoing reorganization of their roles and changes of the location and office.

Concave SK8 Park, on the other hand, have continued operations even after graduation with the same owners and same designations.

Existing enterprises include Burger Bites, Costume Factory, Dough It, Drive In Car Wash, E Compass, Eleganza, Homepage, Kyut Giftshoppe, Leaflets Handicrafts, Little Hand Creations, Mobile Skatepark, Polycrafts Gifts and Giveaways, Powderville Enterprise, Pro ACCS/ ID Prohold, Ragrats, S.T.A.R. Broiler Growers, Se7enshots Photography, SFC CO. – Vogawise Matbag, Sleeve-up Marketing, Terra Enterprises and You Deaal Guyabano Tea.

Aside from the 24 enterprises, USC Publication also joined the exhibit by showcasing the Pedro Calungsod coffee table book written by USC faculty member Jose Bersales with photos taken by Fr. Jun Rebayla, SVD.

There were also daily variety shows that were hosted and performed by business students and fine arts students. (FREEMAN)