r/BusinessPH

3 years in the making na ang business, yet this month is surprising for us - ang baba ng sales namin, even number of inquiries eh mababa than we expected. And ngayong april, hindi rin maganda yung numbers namin. Even yung mga regular clients namin na construction firms - nagkakabenta pa rin naman kami from them pero yung numbers is lower talaga compared sa ineexpect namin especially this summer season.

We do have social media presence and even paid ads sa meta, might as well as nag-ooutbound rin naman kami via cold mails and even actual visitations to construction firms.

While we do acknowledge na probably epekto ito ng oil prices, we still want to see the grey areas na baka hindi namin nakikita.

Advice from fellow similar niche are extremely helpful. Thank you!

Hi I run a small shop and plan to offer drinks (like coconut water, juices etc) in our chiller.

Please recommend saan makakamurang bumili! Do you buy from wholesalers? or sa supermarket like Puregold or S&R?

BIR audits can catch businesses off guard especially when documents are scattered across different folders, emails, or worse still physical.

Curious how other Philippine businesses are handling this. Do you have a system for organizing and storing your financial records, or is it still a work in progress?

Problem/Goal: Founders often focus on big features while "invisible" UX gaps, vague confirmations, missing trust signals, or jarring transitions quietly drive users away before they reach the "Aha!" moment.

My Advice: I’ve been building a tool to automate UX audits, and to train it, I’ve been manually scanning product flows. Across several early-stage MVPs, I’ve noticed three recurring "micro-friction" points that almost every founder overlooks:

1. The "Now What?" Gap: After a user completes an action (like an upload), there’s no clear success state. Users often "double-click" or bounce because they aren't sure it worked.

2. Transitions that move a user to a new screen without maintaining visual anchors, making them feel like they’ve accidentally left the app.

I’m doing a few more free manual scans this week to see if these patterns hold.

If you want a fresh set of eyes on your flow, drop your product link below (completely free, just looking for more use cases to learn from). Alternatively, if you want to try the beta version of the scanner yourself, it’s currently open at blinkd.site for free.

Hi,

I’m thinking of handing over a construction business setup to someone who might want to run or scale it.

Hindi siya from scratch. May brand na, may audience, and may system na for getting clients.

Just exploring options for now. Gusto ko lang makita if may right person na interested.

Could be good for someone in construction, real estate, or kahit entrepreneur na gusto pumasok sa industry with a head start.

Message me and let’s discuss.

I just launched my online products (Accessories) on friends and relatives first. They showed interest and would check it out but I haven't received an order. I am in the process of setting up Shopee, TikTok etc. and working on FB ads as well. I do have a website too.

I have been iterating continuously to see why I haven't gotten any sales and that my anxiety is slowly building up.. Have you guys encountered the same? Paano niyo po naManage yung overthinking? Thank you po sa advice..

Hi, i’m thinking of doing a flip business involving high-end sunglasses (e.g. oakley, ray-ban, persol, gentle monster, etc), and honestly still trying to teach myself about these products pa lang. Any advice on the market demand or these items itself? TYIA

How effective is philgeps in terms of getting leads/clients? Their portal is sub-standard and it is a hassle registering as a supplier. I just wanna know if putting in the effort is worth it or not.

Nakuha na namin and SEC certificate at BIR COR. Anong bank ang okay for checking account? Nag inquire kame BDO sabi nila need muna 6 months na mag ADB yung account para makakuha ng check book

want to be upfront that i almost didnt build this. after someone says no it feels awkward to keep contacting them and most people just move on. but we had a slow month and i went back through everyone who had said not right now over the previous 4 months and decided to try something structured instead of just hoping they would reach out.

4 of them closed within 90 days. one of them became our biggest client that quarter.

here is the exact sequence we used and why each touchpoint was structured the way it was

the context that matters is that these were all warm leads who had been on a call with us, understood what we do, and said some version of not the right time or we are not ready yet. they were not cold. they had already decided we were credible. the only thing missing was timing or internal buy in on their end.

the sequence

week 2 after the no

we sent a short email with no pitch in it at all. just something relevant we had come across that connected to a specific thing they had mentioned on the call. if they said they were struggling with client retention we sent them something genuinely useful about client retention. not our content, just something useful.

no ask at the end. no so when you are ready. just, saw this and thought of what you mentioned, figured it might be useful.

the goal of this touchpoint is purely to stay present without being annoying. you are reminding them you exist and that you were actually listening on the call.

week 5

we shared a short result from a client we were working with, anonymised, specific numbers, no fluff. something like, wanted to share a quick update from a client we have been working with for 6 weeks, they went from 2 inbound leads a month to 9, mostly from one change we made to how they were following up with existing customers.

again no ask. no is now a better time. just the result sitting there.

this touchpoint does two things. it shows we are actively getting results for people and it makes the no feel slightly more expensive in their head. they said no when you were unproven. now you are proving it to someone else.

week 9

this one had a soft question in it. something like, we have had a couple of spots open up this month, not sure if the timing is any different for you now but happy to have a quick chat if things have shifted.

this is the first time we asked for anything since the original no. and we asked lightly. no pressure, no urgency, no this offer expires language. just a genuine check in.

2 of the 4 replies that eventually closed came from this touchpoint. the timing had genuinely shifted for both of them. one had just hired someone new and now had bandwidth, one had just had a bad month and was more open to trying something different.

week 13

for the people who hadnt replied yet we sent something that was more honest than strategic. something like, i know we spoke a few months ago and the timing wasnt right, i am not sure if that has changed but i wanted to reach out one more time before i stop bothering you. if things have shifted and you want to chat we are here, if not no worries at all.

the honesty of that message is what made it work. it acknowledged the situation directly instead of pretending the previous touchpoints hadnt happened. 2 more replies came from this one, one of which became the biggest client.

what made the whole sequence work

the thing that made this different from just pestering people was that every touchpoint before the ask gave something. the first message gave them a useful resource. the second message showed them proof of concept. by the time we asked they had received two things from us with no strings attached. the ask felt lighter because of that.

most follow up sequences go, no, follow up with a pitch, follow up again with a slightly more urgent pitch, follow up again asking if they saw the last message. that sequence is exhausting to be on the receiving end of and everyone knows what it is.

our sequence went, no, here is something useful, here is proof we are doing good work, okay is now a better time, one last genuine check in. that is a completely different experience.

what we tracked

reply rate on each touchpoint

which touchpoint triggered the eventual yes

how long from original no to close

the average time from original no to close across the 4 was 67 days. the longest was 84 days. none of them closed before week 9.

that last number matters because most people give up around week 3 or 4. the patience is part of the strategy.

to keep all of this organised without it becoming a full time job we hired a va through offshorewolf, $199 a week full time, she manages the follow up calendar, drafts the touchpoint messages for my review, and tracks every lead through the sequence in a spreadsheet. without that system it would have fallen apart after the first few people because there are too many touchpoints to track manually across a growing list.

things i got wrong

the first version of this sequence had too many touchpoints. we were following up every 2 weeks and it felt pushy even though the content was good. stretching it to roughly every 3 to 4 weeks made a noticeable difference in how people responded. less frequent but more considered.

i also made the week 9 message too long at first. it was 3 paragraphs when it should have been 4 sentences. shorter felt less like a pitch and more like a genuine check in.

what i am still not sure about

i dont know how much of this is the sequence versus the fact that these were already warm leads who had self selected by getting on a call with us in the first place. someone who never got on a call probably responds completely differently to the same messages. we have only tested this on people who already knew us.

also 4 closes from one cohort of about 22 nos is an 18% close rate on people who already said no. i dont know if that is repeatable or if we just got lucky with the timing on those 4. we are running it again on the current batch and i will know more in about 3 months.

If anyone wants the exact sequences that we used, just drop a comment below, and I'll dm you.

Hello po 👋 Quick question sa lahat ng business owners dito.

Anong gamit niyo na tools or apps to track your daily/monthly expenses or organize your monthly budget? Meron ba sa inyo dito? Thank you sa sagot.

Reposting cause i think my previous title was misleading. Hi everyone, I’m in the middle of setting up my own in business both in Visayas and Luzon.

I’ve factored in the obvious stuff (roofing, floods), but I’m terrified of the "butterfly effect" typhoons have on operations here. For those of you running businesses or in management:

1. ⁠What was the one problem you DIDN’T see coming after a major typhoon? (e.g., port congestion, specific supply chain snaps, labor issues).

2. ⁠How long does it actually take for your B2B partners to get back to "normal"?

3. ⁠What’s the most expensive "workaround" you’ve had to pay for? (e.g., paying 3x for a delivery truck or diesel).

I'm trying to build a resilient Business Continuity Plan (BCP) and would love to hear your "war stories" so I can avoid the same traps.

People always talk about "building rapport" when doing business. But almost no one explains what rapport actually means. It is simply the science behind why people choose to trust you or why they do not.

Let us clear up a silly myth first

Rapport is not just chatting about the rain or the weather outside.

It is not just finding out you both like to play the same sports.

And it is definitely not copying how someone sits or moves like a shimpanzee.

Rapport is actually just a quiet feeling. It is when someone's brain decides very quickly: "This person is safe. I can relax and be myself now."

That choice happens very fast inside our heads. And it happens whether we want it to or not.

Here is how you can help people feel safe with you:

The Real Mechanics of Trust (What is actually happening inside their brain)

Everyone has a "secret operating system." Deep inside every single person is a special collection of things they care about and believe in. These feelings are built from years of happy moments, hard days, and life lessons. People protect these feelings like a shiny treasure hidden behind an electric fence. But here is the secret: people drop little clues about their treasure in almost every sentence they say. Your job is to listen and catch those clues.

The "pulse words" are the master key. When a person says, "I really love..." or "What matters most to me is..." or "I used to think this, but now..." that is not just normal talking. That is their secret operating system flashing a bright light at you. If you miss that light, you are guessing how to sell to them instaed of knowing. If you catch it, you hold the map to understand them completely.

Being alike means being safe. We naturally trust people who feel similar to us. This is not because we are picky. It is because, centuries stayed safe by sticking close to their family group, or their tribe. When you find a shared value with someone, not just a shared hobby you both have, but something you both care about deep down in your hearts you are not a stranger anymore. You become part of their tribe.

People trust people who do not act desperate. Being too needy ruins trust fast. If you are begging for someone to like you or work with you, they can feel it. And acting desperate makes people worry. They think, "Why do they need this so badly? What is wrong with them?"

Do not confuse knidness a very positive thing, with neediness wich is a weakness. You should walk into the room feeling calm, like you left all your own worries hanging on a tree outside. Be completely there just for them, instead of swimming in your own problems.

The Unspoken Rules (Things that sound simple but nobody actually does)

They are the star of the show. You are just the person holding the flashlight. Every person feels like the main hero in the story of their own life. The second you try to steal the spotlight from them, you become a rival instead of a friend. Keep the light shining on them. Ask them questions about their world. Let them shine brightly.

Show your little cracks and imperfections. Acting completely perfect makes people uneasy. People do not feel close to someone who acts like they are perefct, no one is and it creates distance. They feel close to a real human being. Sharing a small worry, or saying, "Yes, I have a hard time with that, too," is what opens the door to friendship. A baby's smile makes us happy because it is completely honest and open. Your smile and words should be just as open.

The very first question sets the mood. Saying, "So, tell me about what you do," is lazy. It shows you did not take the time to learn about them first. Instead, try saying: "I saw you recently started doing this new thing how is that going for you?" That shows you did your homework. It shows you actually care. That simple change can mean everything for someone.

Small talk is not actually small. Those first two or three minutes of talking about regular things? That is not wasted time at all. That is exactly where the secret "pulse words" like to hide. That is when they show you who they really are inside, if you are listening closely. So, do not rush through it. The more you spend here to map their operating system of values and belifs, the easier the sale happens.

The Mistakes That Ruin Chemistry Before It Even Starts

Talking too much about yourself. The moment you start bragging about all the great things you have done or how smart you are, you stop being a "curious friend." You turn into a person who just wants something from them. They already know you are there for work. You do not need to remind them.

Being way too serious. Sometimes, acting totally "professional" just makes you seem cold and stiff. No jokes. No warm smiles. People do not want to connect with a boring rule-follower. They want to connect with kind humans they can trust, who also happen to do good work. One gentle, happy comment is much better than asking twenty forced questions.

Hearing words, but not truly listening. Imagine they say, "My family is everything to me," and you just nod your head and ask a totally different question. You just missed the most important part! That was the magic key. Go back. Ask them more. Say, "Please, tell me more about that."

Forgetting about the iceberg. What you see when you first meet someone is only a tiny piece of who they are, like the top of an iceberg poking out of the water. The real story, their deep values, their scary fears, and what makes them happy, is hidden safely underwater. You do not find that hidden part by talking. You find it by asking questions and shutting up.

The Litmus Test

Ask yourself this after the first few minutes of talking:

Did I catch at least one "pulse word", one clue about what they care about most?

Did I make them laugh, even just once? not a must.

Did they share something special that they probably do not tell just anybody?

Did I let them be the star, or did I try to steal all the attention?

If your answer to any of these questions is "no," despite the lough, then you have not built that special chemistry yet. You are still just waiting at the front door.

The Surprising Truth

The very best in business do not "build rapport." They figure people out.

They listen closely for those bright signals that show what a person truly cares about in their heart, and then they structure the full conversation and sale based on those values.

The more you try to create this chemistry, the more it happens. Because real chemistry is a skill you can learn. It is just what happens when someone feels like you truly see them and understand them.

Most business advice teaches people what to say.

Very little teaches you how trust is actually formed.

That's why I building a simple step-by-step system for new entrepreneurs especially unfunded, small to no teams or staff, who wants to understand human behavior, How people think, decide, and buy, and apply it in their business.

I'm looking for entrepreneurs who believes business is about people and emotions first, numbers second, as the outcome of the behaviour not the cause of it.

If you want to use it comment “IN”.