The Challenge
It seems like Bill Gates, one of the most successful founders who brought Microsoft to life, was able to predict the future with his famous quote: “If your business is not on the internet, then your business will be out of business.” This has never been truer in the majority of Filipino business owners as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to hinder MSMEs’ business continuity to date.
Most businesses today are struggling to stay afloat and adapt to the new normal. They can only either go out-of-business or “go online”. Seeing how e-commerce manages to run their business amidst the pandemic, retail store owners are convinced that it’s their only salvation to keep their enterprise from shutting down—highlighting the value of digital solutions in business sustainability, especially when faced with a dismantling crisis.
Challenge Accepted
Over a million workers in the country have been affected by the economic standstill brought about by the coronavirus disease, with Metro Manila having the highest displacement of 246,810, people started looking for ways to earn online. This is the same case with brick-and-mortar businesses, with the quarantine reducing people’s mobility, resulting in road traffic plunging by as much as 80%, they are also exploring the possibilities in the digital space.
Since its launch, UBX has always been true to its mission— to develop digital platforms and actively support MSMEs in growing their businesses. Now that the demand for technology is rising, UBX showed that amidst the pandemic, they are ready and prepared to aid businesses by opening up new opportunities through innovation and technology, and by helping businesses bounce back and achieve success throughout a crisis. One of their initiatives is Sentro.
Sentro, UBX’s Online Shop Builder, was launched last April 27, 2020, to provide a free platform for anyone who is looking to showcase their products online, have their own website, or just want to venture online.
With Sentro being the first and only e-commerce platform that is truly end-to-end in the Philippines, Sentro is making sure that there’s no business left behind. Now, merchants don’t need to worry about accepting cash payments and going cashless because it already has a pre-integrated payment gateway that offers multiple payment options like cash, over-the-counter, and other various online payment methods. Driven by its goal to continuously improve its features, Sentro partnered with MrSpeedy as its logistics partner, making it an all-in-one online shop builder where payments and deliveries are already taken care of.
Don’t get intimidated by Sentro’s technology. Merchants, who are transitioning into the digital space, need not be tech-savvy. In fact, building your own Sentro online shop requires zero to no tech experience. Now, all you need is a mobile device to use Sentro. You can manage your business at your fingertips and enjoy all of its features 100% free.
Since its launch, Sentro has helped over 30,000 Filipino SMEs and business owners to tech-up their businesses and has been truly exceptional in making businesses naka-Sentro literally and figuratively amid the pandemic.
The new normal
As we enter a new year, online shopping, food deliveries, and cashless transactions are just some of the new normal we have to embrace. Individuals, communities, and businesses are all learning new ways to connect, with in-person conferences gone virtual.
The majority of the Filipino MSMEs were brought to the realization that in order to survive such an adverse crisis, they must combat it with resilience. And with the current situation that our economy is in, digital transformation has become key to achieve business resilience.
This pandemic is still far from over, but Sentro is committed to supporting MSMEs in building their resilience and sustainability. Sentro is seasoned enough to be able to provide the digital platform to SMEs to ensure that their operations are continuous even when faced with business continuity challenges.
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About Sentro – Sentro is a FREE online shop builder from UBX PH, the financial technology arm of Union Bank of the Philippines. UBX is predicated on a future where financial services are invisible: seamlessly embedded into the experiences and activities that truly matter to businesses and people. Thus, Sentro is a platform that will help to start, run and grow business. It has various digital tools and solutions to help manage it.
Visit https://www.ubx.ph/ or https://sentro.ph/home for more information or please contact hello@ubx.ph
