Canva Empowers Home Based Entrepreneurs with its Accessible Suite of Tools

With the passion for helping more online entrepreneurs, Canva has launched Canva for Negosyo, the Filipino business owner’s partner in creativity and productivity for their digital footprint. It’s an online hub that offers a wide selection of resources useful for designing, marketing, and managing a small business online: from video tutorials on branding and graphic design to customizable marketing templates and toolkits.

Entrepreneurs who are looking to present their products and services to attract more customers can choose from among Canva’s many user-friendly templates and toolkits. Then, there are entrepreneurs, like Sandee Sevilla, who use Canva as their main business tool.
Sandee, a stay-at-home mom, creates banners, visual content, marketing assets, and various other designs for her clients. “I had a client 3 years ago who needed a postcard. I did my research, saw Canva, tried it and fell in love with it.” She has been taking on her clients’ design needs ever since, averaging 30 clients a month. “I have taken on more than 600 projects already, with 14 regular clients who ask me for social media graphics, banners, etc.,” she says proudly.

Currently she earns up to 150,000 pesos monthly. Sandee has been able to provide employment opportunities as well. “I started as a one-woman team, but with the big demand, I then had to hire my first assistant.” Now, she has five team members who are mostly fellow Filipino stay-at-home moms.

With her home based business allowing her to earn as much as P20,000 to 30,000 a month back in 2016 to 2017, Sandee has been able to contribute significantly to their family income, “We have been able to move to a bigger home where my four kids now have rooms of their own. My husband and I have also transferred them from public school to private school.”
“For me, Canva is a time-saver because it is so easy to use. It allows me to compete internationally even though I am just a self-taught designer. It has opened so many doors for me. There are really a lot of opportunities through Canva,” Sevilla shares.

Maisie Littaua, Head of Growth for Canva Philippines says that Canva is happy to partner with “homepreneurs” in building their online businesses. “Canva is designed for ease of use, and with our toolkit, we offer a variety of choices which small businesses can harness for their growth. Madaling matutunan at gamitin ang Canva, at maraming business opportunities ang pwedeng pag-gamitan ng skills dito. With Canva, truly, your imagination is your limit.”

Canva for Negosyo also hosts a series of webinars covering topics such as Intro to Canva and Designing 101, Branding for your Business & Social Media Mastery, and Designing Your Marketing Materials on Canva. A Canva for Negosyo Facebook community is also online, where members can network and share their own tips on how to expand their market. These and other business help tools are available on Canva.

If you are a small business owner, a local entrepreneur, visit https://www.canva.com/canva-for-negosyo/ to know more about Canva for Negosyo.

CMA Launches Search for COVID-19 Resilient Microentrepreneurs

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), Citi Philippines, and the Microfinance Council of the Philippines, Inc. (MCPI) have launched its annual Citi Microentrepreneurship Awards (CMA), which aims to recognize the achievements and contributions of microentrepreneurs all over the country. Now on its 18th edition, this year’s CMA has been modified to respond to community needs resulting from the impact of the COVID-19 crisis.

Through a virtual launch held via Zoom, BSP governor Benjamin Diokno and Citi Philippines chief executive officer Aftab Ahmed revealed that the 18th CMA will have two components: the COVID-19 rehabilitation support package and the recognition of outstanding microentrepreneurs amid the crisis.

“More than ever, it is vital to sustain our microentrepreneurs, who provide essential products and services in the “last mile.” Predominant in low-income areas and serving as engines driving local economies, microentrepreneurs also nurture swathes of the Filipino population depending on them for post-pandemic recovery and rebuilding. Through CMA 2020, we highlight the creativity and internal fortitude of our microentrepreneurs to serve as a great inspiration,” said BSP governor Diokno.

"We are happy that through the CMA program, we are able to help microentrepreneurs overcome some of the financial challenges that they are facing and to improve their business proposition, their products and their services. It is essential for these businesses to learn to adapt as well as implement new strategies. This will be particularly important in the coming months as we start moving towards normalization," added Citi Philippines CEO Aftab Ahmed.

The first component focused on responding to the rehabilitation needs of previous CMA winners, with each winner getting a cash incentive of up to Php 50,000 each. Among the recipients of the COVID-19 rehabilitation support package are 2017 Youth Microentrepreneur of the Year Keith Gonzales Varias and 2018 CMA Regional Awardee for Visayas Rosario Amoroto.

On the other hand, the second component will highlight the important role of microentrepreneurs in rebuilding local economies during the COVID-19 crisis. The awards are open to microenterprises with assets less than P3 million. Three island group winners from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, as well as two other special awardees, namely the Youth Entrepreneurship awardee and the COVID-19 response champion, will be recognized.

All five awardees should have successfully rebuilt their enterprise to a level that is now contributing to local economies during the COVID-19 crisis, while maintaining a healthy repayment record on their loan even as they continue to rebuild their enterprise. Additionally, the COVID-19 response champion should have supported, innovated, or led pandemic response initiatives to help others.

The three island group winners, the Youth Microentreprenuer, and the COVID-19 response champion will get Php100,000 each, as well as one-year microinsurance coverage. From the five winners, a National Winner will be selected who will be receiving an additional Php100,000. All winners will be determined by the NSC and recognized in a simple awards ceremony in June 2021.

Through these efforts, the CMA will ultimately highlight role models for aspiring and hardworking entrepreneurs and generate greater awareness and appreciation of microfinance and microenterprise development as a tool for employment generation and poverty reduction.

Top HIV Advocates Call on Filipinos to Prioritize Health Safety in Next Normal

During last month’s World AIDS day, some of the country’s most known personalities came together to support the Protection and Preparedness Education (PPE) campaign of Durex, which is anchored on the Always Come Prepared message. Stressing the point that, “no one is invulnerable to catching HIV so always being prepared in encounters is a must,” the campaign is the brand’s way of advocating for HIV awareness and health safety during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Through Durex’s World AIDS Day Campaign, which encourages everyone to join in on the fight against HIV/AIDS, celebrities and HIV advocates including TonyToni, Slick Rick, Sam YG, Ian Pangilinan, Paolo Pangilinan, Elijah Canlas, Kokoy De Santos, Macoy Dubs, Marc Teng, Freak & Jerck, Rica Cruz, Jabar Esmael, MA Buendia, and others all shared social media posts that showed them donning Durex statement face masks that carry such catchy but timely messages such as ‘Safety is Sexy,’ ‘Don’t Blow It,’ ‘Suit Up Before Hook Up’, ‘Always Come Prepared’ and more!

“Even in the face of the pandemic, the brand strongly believes that continuing to raise awareness on HIV should not stop. This is why we launched the Protection and Preparedness Education (PPE) campaign,” says Durex Philippines. “We’re extremely pleased that a number of celebrities and influencers have all agreed to take part in this endeavor, which includes our fun but sensible Mask Initiative, by helping spread the word through their respective social media accounts.”

To help boost their efforts to combat HIV/AIDS amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and promote health safety, Durex also recently donated personal protective equipment (PPEs)—a total of 1000 face masks, 1000 face shields, and 7000 boxes of Durex Condoms each—to local HIV-advocate groups LoveYourself, The Red Whistle, and the PLHIV Response Center.