It came so unexpectedly. What we thought of as just a simple pandemic that would last only after few weeks of lockdown, turned out to be so much more. It wasn’t only about our health that we were worried about in the wake of COVID 19 virus outbreak, but the many jobs that have been lost and businesses that have closed down. The economy has experienced a severe slump as a result. One negative impact led to another; it had everyone wondering how to get by each day when there’s no more security of income you can depend on.

I must admit, the first few days since the announcement of the lockdown by President Duterte in March 17, 2020, my family welcomed the idea. Maybe a forced vacation from stressful work is what we need. With all offices and amusement places temporary closed down, there is nothing left to do but to kill time with the family.  Suddenly, we found a good excuse to binge watch all those famous Netflix series such as “Crash Landing on You” and “Money Heist”. However, I learned that if you are inherently a proactive individual, you’ll soon realize just how much time you burn away on unproductive activities and how much you put into good use.

We found it hard to feel positive as we update ourselves with the news. With so many people expressing doubt and fear of the future, it’s but natural to have the same sentiments. As somebody who runs a business, we felt the burden of financial responsibilities. And if our businesses experience their share of “blows”, it’s uncertain whether we can even recover from it.

But we can’t stay in that mode of fear for so long, nor can we put all the blame in one situation or in our government in this case. If we want to break free of that fear, then we must act upon it instead of not trying. We just can’t wait for good graces to arrive at our doorsteps, but instead strive work something out so that good may come out of it.

And so recalibrated . . . For us, that is what the pandemic is all about – a reboot. And part of that reboot is revisiting our faith in God, in acknowledging that no matter how we sometimes don’t understand the situation, it is still part of his plans. And from there we are able to redirect our focus on building our business and helping our community. As we did one positive action, it led to another until it diminishes our fears entirely.

Let me share some of the things we did that helped us survived the pandemic:

  1. We utilized our commercial spaces to expand and improve the efficiency of our online coaching and dropshipping businesses.
  2. We sold products online that we know people need at this time: PPEs, face masks, sanitizing products, and even food.
  3. We asked the help of our students in our online coaching programs, as well as community members, to sell our products through their Facebook accounts. We give the products to them at a huge discount and they sell it based on SRP.
  4. We continued to invest in developing our skills in digital marketing and Facebook ads, and as a result our sales continued to pick up.
  5. We expanded our sales distribution channels by opening Lazada and Shoppee stores.
  6. We continued to connect with like-minded entrepreneurs who could help us market our products and services.
  7. We built an online delivery business for a more efficient delivery of our products and to extend help to other entrepreneurs selling online.

Overall, don’t underestimate what you can do at this time of pandemic. No matter how small that action is, or how insignificant it may seem, it will create a ripple effect that will eventually help the economy recover. And cliché as it may sound, I owe everything to our strong faith in God; because of it we were able to accept the situation with peace in our hearts. Give no room for crippling fear to thrive in you, instead gather as much stories of strength and courage to help inspire you get back on your feet.