Davao City: Ingenuity, a Davao City-based software development company has recently launched BuyLocal.ph, that aims to help local businesses particularly MSMEs (Micro, Small and Medium scale Enterprises) sell their products online.
“BuyLocal is a platform to connect local businesses to customers digitally, it is a virtual marketplace where local SMEs can sell their products online and also for shoppers to buy and pay for these products inside the convenience of their homes using laptops or smartphones,” says John Naranjo, CEO and founder of Ingenuity.
“If you are a business owner wanting to take your business online, just go to the https://buylocal.ph website and register. Once your business is listed, the platform will create a website for your business where you can post pictures, prices, and other information,” Naranjo said.
The business will also have the choice to upgrade the website to a full blown eCommerce website or “online store” where customers can not only view the products, but have the capability to order and pay directly from your own online store.
Born out of Quarantine
“During this quarantine as we were adjusting into our work-from-home arrangements, we realized three things: 1. Businesses are starting to feel the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the strict enforcement of lockdowns. 2. That we are lucky to still be able to work (from home) despite the lockdown measures. 3. That we now have more time than ever since we were all stuck in our homes,” the Ingenuity CEO recalls.
With the realization, Naranjo organized an internal online hackathon with the Ingenuity team and began pitching ideas. The top three ideas were picked and which became the foundation for the realization of the online platform.
“This pandemic and lockdown have threatened the existence of businesses everywhere. The only way for most or perhaps nearly all businesses to survive now is to adapt by offering an alternative means: a. for your customers to reach you and order your goods (besides physically visiting your stores), and b: for you to deliver the goods to the customers’ doorsteps,” Naranjo said.
Prepping businesses for the new normal
Naranjo said that the most glaring problems he noticed in the country is that local businesses particularly the MSMEs are not prepared to adapt to this new ‘new normal’ as most of them are doing businesses the traditional way.
“You physically go to their stores, pick the goods, pay in cash, bring the goods home. Even during this day and age of the Internet and smartphones, a lot of our SMEs have not invested in bringing their businesses online,” Naranjo said.
By bringing business online, reach and scale will be expanded as the business will be more visible to a lot of potential customers.
“Your business can operate 24 hours of the day, 7 times a week, you have better means to promote your products, and customers can order and pay for your products without them having to physically go to your stores,” Naranjo said.
He adds that BuyLocal will take their businesses online quickly and effortlessly. “We firmly believe that by helping our SMEs, our economy can slowly bounce back.”
He is the current President of the Davao Software Association under ICT Davao, Inc., and the Founding President of the Davao City Young Entrepreneurs Association. (PIA/RG Alama)