Whether we are ready or not, the integration of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is set to happen this December. Governments, schools, businesses—in fact, everyone is busy preparing for this. A momentous event, businesses and individuals are gearing up to participate through various activities. One such occasion took place at the SMX Convention Center from October 2 to 4. Individuals and key players from different industries gathered together at the Philippine Small and Medium Enterprise Business Expo (PHILSME) for its third show.
For the past three years, the PHILSME carried the same tagline, “Boost Your Business,” as affirmation of its dedication to boost the ASEAN SME in the country. With the upcoming integration, PHILSME is a great platform for small and medium businesses to be in sync with the current trends and seek growth opportunities in the coming years. Not only that, the expo also provided a great venue for industry professionals to meet and connect.
Businessmen, industry key players, aspiring businessmen, and even students were present during the event to listen to the leaders dedicated to empowering small and medium businesses. Among those present are Mercato Centrale co-founder and organizer RJ Ledesma, RB Global Holdings CEO Raymond Lim, and Horsepower.ph co-founder Jojy Azurin.
As preparations for the ASEAN integration are well under way, language barriers will be one of the challenges that each business and individual will face. We cannot deny the fact that we speak different languages and that makes proper communication difficult. This is why localization is no longer an option but a necessity.
