College graduate cracks Philippines’s tough market with JW hyperlocal stack
- Previous platform None
- Industry Food Ordering and Delivery
- Product Yelo Marketplace
Meet Rome Dela Rosa. Rome is a young entrepreneur from the Philippines. He runs his own online food and delivery marketplace Gofers.
Rome graduated from a law college two years ago. That’s exactly also when he started his first business.
So, how a law student ends up doing business?
Rome quips happily, “I always wanted to create things. Lockdown gave me an opportunity to serve my local community. I realised there was a very strong need for this kind of business.”
Rome had no idea of how to run a business. He did some self-learning on the internet, gained some insights from his businessman father, took a loan and jumped at it.
Gofer is now the most popular app in his city. On an average, it does 400 orders in a day.
With Yelo, Gofers
- Increased number of orders to 400 in a day
- Diversified delivery portfolio
- Achieved highest efficiency with limited resources
- Gave tough time to competitors such as Food Panda
Keep reading to know how Gofers made his space in a tough market such as the Philippines.
Challenges
It is never easy for a local entrepreneur, is it? Rome lists out the major challenges he had to go through while launching his business.
Competition from giant players
The Philippines is a tough market because the customers are very price sensitive. And competitors like food panda don’t make it easy. Do they?
Limited resources
As a local entrepreneur and a young student, arranging funds is never convenient. Limited resources were a major roadblock for Rome as he did not have much to invest, specifically in technology.
Leadership during uncertainty
Being new in the business, there often are uncertain times. When you are not sure of your decisions or when you have to take major decisions, being a leader in those moments gave Rome a tough time.
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Solutions offered by Yelo
When Rome finally decided that he was in for the business, he started looking online for technology solutions. He came across Jungleworks and we were his first and last choice.
“I chose Jungleworks for its out-of-the-box solution. It was everything a local entrepreneur like me could wish for. With the limited resources I had, it was the best tool that helped me to compete in this kind of market”.
Rome Dela Rosa
Founder, Gofers
Diversification of portfolio
To compete with the big players, Rome had a foolproof strategy. He knew he had to differentiate his business from theirs and offer something unique. Rome studied the market and came up with delivery of items which were not just food.
“We tried to position our brand as an affordable alternative to the competitors. But what established us was doing all kinds of delivery. The ability of Yelo and Tookan to let us diversify was our major USP.”
The tools are so flexible and customisable that if you are creative, you can literally do anything with them. It is so easy and doable, he adds.
Scaling Up
Gofers started at 3-4 orders a day and is now handling 400 orders on an average. Rome says, “Yelo is a tool that has been helpful right from the start and while scaling up. It can accommodate hundreds of orders on a daily basis without any lag. This would not have been possible otherwise.”
Increase in returning customers
Rome dedicates the increase in returning customers to Hippo. “It was very useful in streamlining customer support. With the push notifications and email marketing, it increased our customers returning rate which is very crucial for a new business.”
Less Upfront Costs
As a local entrepreneur, resources are limited. Rome says it is the best part of JW Hyperlocal stack. “Apart from being highly affordable, you can pay on a monthly, annually basis. Whereas, the upfront costs of development are too much and many entrepreneurs don’t start because of this.”
Easy to use
Rome highlights using the software has increased the efficiency and reduced costs by 82%. He says, “It is so easy to manage so many restaurants with just one personnel by your side. Less manpower and more efficiency makes it extremely profitable.”
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Local entrepreneurs like Rome are trying to serve their local communities all over the world and bringing a difference. Creating something of value inspires Rome and his story inspires us.
We are happy to power him in his entrepreneurial journey. If you wish to learn more on our flagship products, get in touch with us today.
