*PHOTOS WERE TAKEN PRE-ECQ

Entrepreneurs catering to hard-hit industries such as the hospitality and events space had to deal with a big drop in sales, making cash flow a concern. Cancellations of orders and projects being postponed to next year are common problems they are now facing. What insights can Abigail Joan Lim, founder of Alfox Printing Services, share to help other business owners bounce back from the crisis?

1) What is ALFOX PRINTING and what do you offer?

Alfox Printing Services – We print business cards, flyers, catalog, brochures, product labels, posters, tarpaulins, delivery receipts, personalized items and more. Please check out www.alfoxprinting.com, an online printshop, where our customer can order and pay online and have their print orders delivered directly to them.

2) What opportunities did you lose when the lockdown was implemented?

80% of our customers are in the hospitality and events business space. Our business got disrupted since the Taal eruption. We do have overseas customers especially ASEAN organizers who orders event materials from us. Well during the Taal and Lockdown events got cancelled and business of our customers were temporarily closed.

3) How did ALFOX PRINTING do during the lockdown period?

During the lockdown period, a lot of home-based business sprouted that offered home-cooked food, disinfectant and other necessity. We started accepting product labels, stickers and posters We also supported those frontlines and delivery providers that needed to have IDs printed.

4) How did you innovate the way you sold your products to bounce back from the crisis?

We normally get organic queries and orders on our website – alfoxprinting.com where customers can ask for quotes and order online. But, during the lockdown period a lot of business owners has also shifted their business online and has implemented innovation. Thus, the competition is a bit stiff now compared to before the lockdown. So, we need to find ways to reach out to more prospect customers. One channel that helped us is the Bounce Back PH FB group, we were able to connect with new customers and eventually became one of our regular customers now. The admin is also very supportive and very innovative providing webinars. Also, we have chosen to support some of Bounce Back community partners that gave us added exposure. Business is still slow but I believe we will can bounce back from the crisis.

5) What is your advice to the Bounceback community?

I can only see two choices during the lockdown – one stay the same and do nothing or two innovate and do extra ordinary things in this extra-ordinary times Of course, one shall choose the later if not we can’t think of ways to innovate and do extra-ordinary things. Most importantly, join a community like Bounce Back PH, remember we are not alone. We can heal as one.