Entrepreneurship in the Philippines looks deceptively easy. A milk tea shop can open for around ₱50,000, with suppliers offering complete packages that include equipment, recipes, and even store setup assistance. The barrier to entry feels almost nonexistent. Yet the data tells a different story: 20% of new businesses in the Philippines fail within their first year, 50% fail by their
You’re not imagining it. A 2023 study found that around 82% of small and medium businesses in the Philippines fail due to poor cash flow management. That single number explains a lot about why so many owners feel like they’re always putting out fires — because they are. The scramble to cover payroll, chase late payments, or fix a compliance
Philippine companies are staring down a projected 20% employee attrition rate in 2026, the highest in Southeast Asia and well above the regional average of 17.5%. For small and medium-sized businesses, the pain isn’t just in the number — it’s in who walks out the door. The employees most likely to leave are in sales (24%), IT/AI (21%), and cybersecurity
Many business owners in the Philippines treat their annual financial statements as a compliance chore—something to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and then forgotten. The documents get signed, submitted, and filed away without a thorough review by the people who run the company. This avoidance is common, but it
The pressure to expand a business in the Philippines can feel overwhelming. A growing middle class, wider access to digital banking, and rising investor confidence create a climate where scaling up seems like the only logical next step. But the decision to grow before a business is internally ready carries serious risks. Many entrepreneurs discover that what looks like momentum
Every few months, a new platform gains traction. Teams feel the familiar anxiety — the fear of missing out — and strategy lurches toward the latest app without a clear goal or a way to measure success. This constant pivoting makes brands noisier and erodes focus, causing teams to lose depth and consistency. Shradha Sharma, Founder and CEO of YourStory,
