Group picture of the attendees of seminar on how to create business website through Google My Business.

The Department of Trade and Industry—Laguna Provincial Office (DTI-Laguna) through Negosyo Center Paete and in cooperation with the Local Government Unit of Paete, conducted an SME Roving Academy (SMERA) entitled “How to Start a Business cum E-Marketing: Creating Your Business Website through Google my Business” to thirty (30) potential and existing micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the said municipality on September 13, 2022.

One of the responsibilities of the Negosyo Center is to serve as a support system to nurture and facilitate the growth of MSMEs. To further promote the services of the center to inform potential MSMEs and encourage them to register and formalize their businesses, MSMEs should understand how to start and manage their businesses appropriately and effectively. It also strives to educate the public about the department’s entrepreneurship initiatives and services.

In line with this, the goal of this activity was to provide our potential and existing MSMEs in Paete, Laguna, with knowledge on how to start their business effectively. Moreover, this activity aimed to provide them with the necessary guidelines and procedures for setting up business. Participating MSMEs were given information on how their enterprises may benefit from doing e-marketing, specifically on how to create their business website through Google My Business. As a result, their businesses can reach a larger audience, grow, and become more competitive.

Attendees of the seminar while listening to the resource speaker.

Ms. Katherine C. Cadapan, Secretary to the Mayor, delivered a short inspirational message to start the activity. Afterwards, Ms. Apple Plopino, Negosyo Center Business Counselor assigned in Paete, Laguna, officially started the activity by discussing how to set-up a business, detailing a step-by-step guide in this order: 1) analyzing one’s self; 2) analyzing business environment; 3) selecting the form and type of business; 4) generating a concrete business plan; 5) sourcing of capital; 6) identifying government and non-government agencies for assistance; 7) selecting business location; 8) registration of the business; and 9) hiring and training of employees. Then, Mr. Joel Nico Toriano, Resource Speaker, talked about and understandably tackled E-Marketing, specifically how to create a business website through Google My Business, from checking the location on the Google map up to receiving the verification code to be sent by Google.

The seminar received positive comments from the participants, who expressed their satisfaction with the learning activity. Overall, the said SMERA was commended by the participating MSMEs, and they expressed participation in future seminars, mentoring, and coaching sessions of Negosyo Center Paete. ♦

Date of Release: 5 October 2022