Released in November 2003 issue of eNegosyo Newspaper, this is one of my favorite stories because to this date I'm deeply inspired on how Genevieve Lim gained so much success at a young age.
I love her determination to succeed and her passion on what she is doing. Sharing with you one inspiring business success story of a young lady I met 9 years ago, during my early years as a writer of a business newspaper ...
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| Photo of the actual write-up |
The Lowly Sago Turns World-Class
When Genevieve Lim
went back home from Canada, all she has in mind is to get a stable job in a
multinational firm in the country.
Earning a degree in Good Science from British Columbia in Vancouver,
Canada, Genevieve never expected that she would find better opportunities in
the country other than being successfully employed.
Despite the ailing
economy, her passion for good food and milk tea guided her towards the
realization of an opportunity that only few entrepreneurial people like her
would recognize. With enough encouraging
words from her father and great ideas in mind, Genevieve gave birth to Zagu -
an innovation of the Filipinos' favorite drink especially during the hot
season.
Good Quality Remains Intact
In April 1999, Zagu
initially offered Taro and Honeydew flavors at its roadside outlet in A.
Mabini, San Juan. Promoting the product
in the beginning has been difficult for Genevieve, since Filipinos are not used
to pearl shakes. However, luck seems to
be on her sided that interviews for print, radio and television came pouring in
giving her the opportunity to promote Zagu without spending a single centavo.
When Zagu outlets
opened, Genevieve sets an allocation for free taste to sample the product to
their target customers, which indeed, helped them introduce the product
effectively.
Zagu's aggressive
growth is very evident with their continuous nationwide and innovation in terms
of packaging and formulation of new flavors.
"In any business, you have to keep innovating to be competitive," Genevieve said. But besides continuous growth and innovation,
maintaining good quality of products is very important that's why until now
Zagu never changed the recipe or increased price of their products."
Years of Struggle and Success
Being in the business
for almost five years, Zagu has gone through a lot - from economic slowdown to
black propaganda to the existence of direct competition. Genevieve faced all the challenges with
confidence, "If ever we'll go down,
we'll go down fighting." Genevieve
studied the behavior and the buying pattern of her target market. From there, she developed the Baby Z size,
which provided Zagu at a cheaper price but with the same taste and
quality.
Today, Zagu has 150
outlets nationwide, where 50% of which are franchised outlets. Genevieve started franchising on October 1999
through an outlet in Festival Mall, Alabang.
She said that one of the reasons that keep her high-spirited is the
fulfillment that she feels whenever she sees how regular people become
successful entrepreneurs through the business opportunities she provides them
with.
Genevieve's dream of
making Zagu a regular item in the market keeps her strong amidst all the
hurdles she has to win over. That's why
instead of focusing in the local market alone, Zagu goes international with its
outlets in Australia and Indonesia, through its appointed distributors and
dealers. Part of making Zagu a regular
item in the market, Genevieve and her management team also offers business
opportunity to canteen and restaurant owners, without the need of paying a
franchise fee. However, the suppliers
should be purchased solely from Zagu to maintain quality and uniformity.
Dream Big and Pursue It
"If you believe
in something, pursue it. You have to be
persistent and believe in yourself.
Don't underestimate an idea.
Pursue even the smallest idea,"
Genevieve shares to aspiring entrepreneurs.
Genevieve's story
simply proves that even the slightest and humblest idea is capable of bringing
great success and fame. As a famous
saying goes, "Great things start from small beginnings."
