Grabbing your customers’ attention online requires tried-and-true strategies, and nothing quite captures an impulsive buyer’s eyes and wallets than putting up a “Flash Sale” or “For a Limited Time Only!” sign on your website or product page.

Flash sales and limited-time offers have emerged as potent tools for businesses online, whether you’re located in the United States or the Philippines. Amazon, for instance, has their Lightning Deals, which typically lasts for 2 to 6 hours. Meanwhile, the Philippines’ largest online ecommerce platforms, Lazada and Shopee, have their monthly Payday and Flash sales. These promotions are designed to create a sense of urgency and encourage swift decision-making. If done properly, they prompt buyers to add items to their cart without previously intending to do so, boosting your sales in record time.

This article sheds some light on why your business should provide flash sales and limited-time offers for your customers. It also covers key strategies and best practices to maximize your success.

Defining Flash Sales and Limited-Time Offers

Flash sales are time-bound promotional events during which products or services are offered at significantly discounted prices. They typically last for a few hours or even an entire day in some cases, creating a sense of urgency and excitement among customers. On the other hand, limited-time offers are short-term promotions that run for a specific duration, often a few days to a week, with special pricing or added value benefits.

Whether it’s a flash sale or a limited-time offer, these kinds of deals are the best opportunities to promote your products and services locally and abroad. With low-cost and convenient logistics providers, shipping from US to the Philippines is hassle-free. 

Benefits of Flash Sales and Limited-Time Offers for Online Businesses

1. Boosting Sales and Revenue. One of the primary benefits of flash sales and limited-time offers is their ability to drive immediate sales. And due to the time-sensitive nature of these promotions, your customers are compelled to act quickly, resulting in a surge in transactions and revenue.

2. Creating a Sense of Urgency and FOMO. Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) is a powerful psychological trigger. You can capitalize on this by creating a sense of urgency with limited-time offers, prompting your customers to make purchasing decisions swiftly before the opportunity disappears.

3. Clearing Excess Inventory. If your business has surplus inventory, discounted sales offer an effective way to clear stock quickly. By providing attractive discounts, your business can move products that might otherwise stagnate.

4. Attracting New Customers and Expanding the Customer Base. The excitement and buzz generated by time-limited promotions can attract new customers to your online store. Once acquired, these customers can become repeat buyers with the right marketing strategies.

5. Building Customer Loyalty and Engagement. Offering exclusive access to loyal customers during flash sales fosters a sense of appreciation and loyalty. Engage with your customers through personalized offers to enhance the overall shopping experience and to strengthen your customer-business relationship.

Key Strategies for Successful Flash Sales and Limited-Time Offers

1. Define Clear Objectives and KPIs. Begin by setting clear goals for your flash sale or limited-time offer. Are you aiming to increase sales, clear inventory, or attract new customers? Define key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the success of your promotion.

2. Segment Target Audience for Personalization. Tailor your offers to specific customer segments based on their preferences and buying behavior. Personalized promotions resonate better with customers and increase the likelihood of conversion.

3. Create Genuine Scarcity and Urgency. Emphasize the limited availability of the products or services on offer. You can use countdown timers, compelling headlines, and persuasive calls-to-action to instill a genuine sense of scarcity and urgency.

4. Utilize Multiple Marketing Channels. Promote your flash sale or limited-time offer across various marketing channels. To reach a broader audience and increase visibility, employ email marketing, social media, paid advertising, and website banners.

5. Optimize Website Performance for Increased Traffic. Ensure your website can handle the surge in traffic during the promotion. Perform stress tests and optimize your website to prevent crashes and slow loading times that can frustrate potential customers.

6. Leverage Mobile Optimization for Mobile Users. With the increasing number of mobile shoppers, optimize your website and promotions for mobile devices to capture mobile users’ attention effectively.

7. Offer Exclusive Access to Loyal Customers. Reward loyal customers with early access to the sale or special offers. This exclusivity enhances customer loyalty and encourages repeat business.

8. Highlight Social Proof for Credibility. Showcase positive customer reviews and testimonials to build trust and credibility. Social proof reassures potential customers about the value of the offer and encourages them to make a purchase.

9. Upsell and Cross-sell to Maximize Sales Potential. Use sales and limited-time offers as an opportunity to upsell customers with relevant add-ons or cross-sell complementary products or services.

10. Monitor and Analyze Performance for Continuous Improvement. Track and analyze key metrics such as conversion rates, customer acquisition costs, and overall revenue generated. Use these insights to refine your future flash sales and limited-time offers for even better results.

Flash sales and limited-time offers are effective sales and marketing tactics that can significantly impact the success of your online business locally and abroad. This has been proven many times over with famous sales events such as the Black Friday Sale after Thanksgiving in the US and the Philippine’s monthly online flash deals.

When planned and implemented thoughtfully, these time-limited promotions can boost sales and attract new customers. Aside from that, your company is more likely to retain loyal customers who are appreciative of the discounts afforded to them. And with multiple successful promotions, your business can steadily gain ground against the competition and be the brand leader it deserves to be.

The Philippines is a tropical country, so the summers here can be quite brutal. Aside from the intense heat, many Filipinos also have to deal with high levels of humidity. The latter can hinder the body’s ability to cool itself and leave you feeling sticky and overheated for a good portion of the day. This can be bad for business, as heat is a potent productivity killer. Overheated employees may find themselves with low energy levels that make it difficult to focus on their work, while uncomfortable customers will not likely wish to stay for too long inside a warm store. Thus, investing in reliable cooling solutions for your office and other commercial spaces can be a beneficial move for your business.

There are plenty of options that you can explore for cooling your office or store this summer, and one of these is purchasing appliances that are dedicated to maintaining the temperature in a room. Often, this choice comes down to choosing between an air conditioner and an air cooler. While both are effective cooling solutions, the best option is the one that matches your business needs. Here’s how you can see if it makes more sense to buy air cooler online or if you’re better off spending your money on an air conditioner. 

Understanding How Air Coolers and Air Conditioners Work

Before setting your heart on an air cooler or an air conditioner model, it’s important to know exactly how these appliances work. An air cooler may seem very similar to an aircon, but there are a few key differences in how they function. While they share the same end goal—that is, to bring down the indoor temperature—these two appliances achieve this effect in different manners.

This is quite obvious by observing the key components of an air cooler, which is also sometimes called an evaporative cooler. The appliance has three main components: a fan, a water tank, and an absorbent pad. The air cooler blows air through the water-soaked pad to reduce the temperature in the room. This works as intended, but it can also raise the humidity levels in enclosed spaces. In the long run, the rising humidity levels can make the room feel stickier and hotter than it already is.

Meanwhile, air conditioners are presented as more sophisticated devices. There are different makes and models of air conditioners, but in general, this appliance features an evaporator coil, a condenser coil, a compressor, and an expansion valve. The compressor pressurizes the liquid refrigerant, or the fluid that readily absorbs heat from the environment, while the expansion valve regulates the flow of the refrigerant into the evaporator.

The evaporator and compressor coils, respectively, receive the refrigerant and facilitate the transfer of heat. The cool side of the air conditioner features the evaporator and a fan that blows cooled air into the room, while the other components except for the expansion valve are usually found on the hot side of the appliance.

A Quick Look at the Pros and Cons of Each Appliance Type

Apart from the differences in how they operate, there are also different pros and cons to investing in either an air conditioneror an air cooler. Here’s a quick overview of what to expect from each appliance, so you can better determine the right option for your needs:

Air Cooler Pros and Cons:

• It’s more affordable compared to air conditioners.
• It’s easy to install, clean, and maintain.
• It consumes less energy and is cheaper and more eco-friendly to run.
• Its cooling capacity is limited to reducing only 5 degrees Celsius from the original temperature.
• Its water tank must be topped up once it runs out of water.
• It increases humidity levels as it cools the room.
• It requires continuous air circulation in the room to eliminate the excess humidity.

Air Conditioner Pros and Cons:

• It is capable of cooling a room down to as low as 14 degrees Celsius.
• It can reduce humidity in the room as it brings down the temperature.
• It can be a challenge to install if the room doesn’t have a built-in slot for a window-type aircon, or if you choose a split-type aircon that requires professional installation.
• It can be quite pricey, depending on the features of the model.
• It consumes more electricity compared to air coolers.
• It requires regular professional cleaning and maintenance.
• The use of certain refrigerants can contribute to climate change.

If you have the budget and you want to create a cool and comfortable indoor environment that allows people to focus on their tasks, then the air conditioner is a clear option. With such an appliance in your shop or office, you can rest assured that everyone can feel relaxed and unbothered by the heat, even at the peak of the summer season.

If you have an indoor space with plenty of windows for ventilation, however, then an air cooler may be a more practical choice. It should be an adequate solution for keeping a cool breeze circulating in the area without raising your energy consumption. Keeping these considerations in mind will help you make the best possible purchase for your business.

As newlyweds, you and your spouse will be blending all aspects of your life, including your finances, which means the two of you will be sharing your income, expenses, assets, and liabilities. As such, it’s a good idea to discuss your financial management plan as a couple as early as possible. It’s certainly ideal to talk things through when it comes to money matters since it is one the most common sources of disagreements in the first three years of marriage.

While your household finances isn’t the most romantic topic of conversation out there, it’s a subject that certainly needs to be discussed. It allows you to plot the best ways to handle your money, from paying your bills to managing your savings, all while supporting the lifestyle that you want for yourselves. It also helps you prepare for future plans, like adding new members to your family. 

As you transition from handling your finances independently to doing it as husband and wife, here are six practical money management tips you can take into consideration. 

Buy Household Items Secondhand

When moving into your new home, it can be tempting to purchase brand new household items to welcome your new life together as a married couple. However, getting new furniture and appliances to match your new home can be a costly choice. Unless you have the budget to buy everything brand new, you can consider getting some of them secondhand. It will help you save up money and still furnish your home. 

Additionally, purchasing secondhand is a great way to discover quality items at  lower prices. You’re likely to find a second hand sofa or dining set in good condition at a fraction of the cost that you would typically pay for when you get the set brand new. Moreover, you’re also more likely to stumble upon unique pieces when you buy secondhand, since many of these items are no longer being produced or they may come from faraway places where the original owners lived. Think of furniture and decorative pieces of rare designs, or even custom creations you probably wouldn’t find elsewhere. 

Open a Joint Account for Household Expenses

Having a joint account mainly for household expenses will help you monitor the money that comes in and out of your coffers. You can also use it as your central fund to pay for your common household expenses such as food, rent, utility bills, and others. Sharing a joint account also allows both of you to access the money should you encounter emergencies.

And if you’re wondering about whether or not it’s advisable to keep separate accounts as a married couple, the short answer is “it’s totally up to you.” Many relationship experts and even long-time couples recommend the practice of letting one’s spouse maintain their financial independence while also sharing financial responsibilities.

Talk about Who Pays for What

If you have a two-income household, be sure to define what your monthly contributions will be for the household. You can also discuss how much you’ll give to the joint account monthly, as well as how much you’ll spend, save, and invest. In case you prefer maintaining separate accounts, you can assign certain payments to each other. This can depend on your earnings and if you have any loan obligations to fulfill before getting married.

Some couples assign between them who will manage certain daily expenses. One might be assigned to handle food, utilities, and transportation, while the other might be tasked to make contributions toward the household’s insurance, retirement funds, and investments. This is a practical approach because you get to distribute your household’s financial responsibilities. That said, make sure that these financial responsibilities are distributed equitably.

Set Up a Luxe Fund

Do you want a new smart TV or go on a vacation? Prepare for these non-essential expenses by creating a “luxe fund” and channeling a portion of your income into it. Doing this will allow you to still take care of essential expenses while saving up for the little luxuries you want. Also, it’s a good practice to splurge on dispensable expenses only when you already have enough budget for them. It will help teach both you and your spouse to plan and control your spending.

Build an Emergency Fund

It’s never too early to set up an emergency fund, and you won’t regret doing it. An emergency fund is a stash of money (ideally a separate savings account) that you set aside  in case the unexpected happens, such as a health emergency, a home repair emergency, or a retrenchment at work.

When considering how much of your monthly budget you should set aside for your  emergency fund, you can follow the typical recommendation of stashing away at least 6 months’ worth of living expenses. To do this, you’ll need to set aside 10 percent or more of your gross income each month, and you need to keep saving until you have the amount you need—or more.

If you want to ensure you regularly put money into your emergency fund, you can set up an automatic transfer with your bank or take turns with your spouse putting money into the account every month. If you begin creating an emergency fund now, you can slowly grow it over time, which should give you peace of mind should you encounter any unexpected issues in the future.

Update Your Accounts

Many newlyweds move into new homes after getting married. If you’ll have this kind of arrangement as well, make sure to notify the banks, credit card companies, insurance companies, and investment companies you have accounts with about the change in your address or contact information. You also have to inform these institutions about your change in marital status because the union will have a bearing on your legal entitlements to one another’s financial assets and estates.

When it comes to managing finances, it’s up to you as a  couple to discuss what works best for you. However, if you’re looking for time-tested pieces of advice, make sure to consider the abovementioned tips. These will help you settle in your new life as husband and wife, and they will help you prepare financially for your future. 

Katulad ng ibang negosyo, may mga maaaring gawin upang maging matagumpay ang iyong mga transaksyon sa forex trading. Isang halimbawa nito ay ang paggamit ng kalakalan ng kopya ng forex Pilipinas sa iyong mga trade. Ito ay isang mabisang paraan upang maging matagumpay ang iyong mga trade.

Subalit, katulad din sa ibang negosyo, mayroon ding mga bagay na dapat at hindi dapat gawin sa industriya ng forex trading. Ito ay impormasyon na mahalaga at dapat alamin, lalo para sa isang baguhan pa lamang sa mundo ng forex trading.

Anu-ano nga ba ang mga dapat at hindi dapat gawin pagdating sa forex trading? Ipagpatuloy ang pagbabasa upang malaman ang mga ito.

Mga Dapat Gawin:

Dapat ikaw ay may nakahandang plano para sa iyong mga trade.

Kung ikaw ay isang baguhan pa lamang, ito’y isang napakaimportanteng hakbang upang maging matagumpay ang iyong mga trade. Ikaw ay dapat handa at may malalim na kaalaman at pagkakaintindi sa industriyang ito dahil ito ang mga haligi ng matagumpay na mga transaksyon sa forex trading.

Maglaan ng panahon upang masusing mapag-aralan ang galaw ng industriya.

Bago ka sumabak sa industriya ay nararapat lamang na pag-aralan nang mabuti ang industriya at kung paano gumagalaw ang merkado. Dahil ang masusing pag-aaral ay kinakailangan upang maiwasan ang mga pagkakamaling magdulot ng pagkalugi.

Bukod dito, kung malalim ang iyong pagkakaintindi sa kung paano gumagana ang merkado ng salapi ay maaari kang bumuo ng mas maayos na estratehiya sa forex trading.

Isang paraan upang maging matagumpay ang iyong mga trade ay ang pag-aaral nang mabuti sa mga kasalukuyang pattern ng forex trading market gamit ang mga chart at iba pa. Ito ay makakatulong sa isang baguhang forex trader upang lalong maintindihan kung paano gumagana ang forex trading market.

Isaisip ang ratio ng maaring kitain at mawala.

Ito ay dapat gawin bago magsimula ng panibagong trade at siguraduhin na ginagawa ang trade sa panahong nagpapakita ng malaking paglaki o pagbaba ang merkado. Ito ay para maiwasan ang pagkalugi at mawalan ng puhunan.

Magkaroon ng malalim na kaalaman sa Fibonacci Analysis.

Ito ay isang bagay na maaaring makatulong sa isang trader, lalo na sa isang baguhan, upang malaman ang tamang panahon kung kailan dapat lumabas at pumasok sa isang trade. Ito ay dahil nakakatulong ito sa paghula sa mga maaaring maging galaw ng merkado.

Gamitin lahat ng maaaring gamitin upang lalong maintindihan ang industriya.

Isang bagay na maaaring gawin ng isang baguhan ay gamitin ng lahat ng bagay na mayroon siya upang lalong mapalalim ang kanyang kaalaman at pagkakaintindi sa industriya ng forex trading. Lalo na’t marami nang mga kurso online na maaaring pasukin upang lalong maintindihan ang industriya ng forex trading.

Mga Hindi Dapat Gawin:

Magmadali sa mga transaksyon.

Ang isang trader, lalo kung baguhan pa lamang, ay dapat iwasan ang pagmamadali sa mga trade dahil ito ay maaaring maging dahilan ng kanyang pagkalugi. Ikaw ay dapat magkaroon ng mahabang pasensya upang maiwasan ang mga pagkakamali na dulot ng pagmamadali.

Paggawa ng desisyon dahil sa pagmamadali para lamang kumita.

Ito ay mahalaga lalo kung ikaw ay baguhan na trader. Hindi ka dapat magmadali sa iyong mga desisyon para lamang kumita dahil maaari ito maging sanhi ng iyong pagkalugi kung mali ang iyong desisyon. Kung ikaw ay hindi pa nakasisigurado sa maaaring maging resulta, huwag mo munang itaya ang iyong puhunan.

Pagsagawa ng trade sa mga oras na patay ang merkado.

Kahit ang merkado ng forex trading ay hindi natutulog, mayroon pa ring mga panahon na ito ay hindi kasing aktibo kaya hangga’t maaari ay iwasan ito dahil ito ay maaaring magdulot ng pagkalugi.

Gamitin nang buo ang deposit, lalo sa simula.

Ito ay dahil ang maliit na paggalaw ng merkado ay maaari nang maging sanhi ng pagkawala ng iyong puhunan. Bilang isang baguhan, laging tandaan na sapat na halaga lamang ang gamitin upang maiwasan ang pagkalugi.

Pagiging sakim at emosyonal sa mga trade.

Ito ay isang malaking bagay na hindi dapat gawin sa industriyang ito. Ang forex trading ay isang negosyo at dapat iwasan maging emosyonal at sakim sa mga transaksyon lalo’t hindi ito isang bagay na inirerekomenda.

Ang pagpasok sa isang trade na mukhang hindi matatag.

Upang maiwasan ang pagkalugi sa forex trading ay dapat maging maingat sa bawat trade na iyong pinapasok. Kung hindi maganda ang ipinapakita sa mga chart ay iwasan muna ang pakikipagtransaksyon.

Konklusyon

Ang forex trading ay isang industriya na kinakailangan ng pag-iingat at masusing pag-aaral upang maiwasan ang pagkalugi at pagkawala ng iyong puhunan. Ang pagsasapuso ng mga nasabing impormasyon tungkol sa forex trading ay maaaring maging susi sa iyong tagumpay sa industriyang ito.

If you’re the owner of a micro, small, or medium enterprise (MSME), you may find the prospect of bidding for a government contract quite intimidating. Aside from having concerns about possible strict bidding requirements, you might think that the process entails a lot of stress in submitting paperwork and a lot of back-and-forth between yourself and the government agency involved. At the back of your mind, you might also be thinking about whether your cash flow can handle a project of such scale. Indeed, there are a number of things to worry about when entering a business-to-government (B2G) contract for the first time. But partnering with the Philippine government may be one of the best long-term decisions you could ever make for your business. Plus, securing that B2G partnership may no longer be as difficult, confusing, or risky as you’d originally thought.

Thanks to an online portal called the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS), it’s easier for even smaller businesses to bid for contracts with the government. In the past, procurement and bidding processes tended to be circuitous and unclear—and sometimes even downright anomalous.

Thankfully, this culture of inefficiency and corruption was largely upended by passage of Republic Act No. 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act (GPRA) in 2003. Among the stipulations in the GPRA was the requirement that all government agencies use PhilGEPS for their procurement processes. Over the years, users of PhilGEPS—comprising both the government and the private sector—have seen the difference for themselves. PhilGEPS is proof of how digital technology can make procurement and bidding more efficient, accessible, and transparent.

In this short guide, we’ll provide some information on how you yourself can use PhilGEPS and what advantages you can expect when you use the platform to conduct a B2G contract bidding. This should help you prepare before finally extending an offer to provide your products and services to the Philippine government.

What Will Registering to PhilGEPS entail? 

MSMEs have the option of registering for either a Free Membership or a Platinum Membership on PhilGEPS. For the Free Membership, you will need to submit your Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) as well as your Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) license or your Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) certification. For the Platinum Membership, additional requirements like your Business Permit, an audited financial statement, tax clearance documents, and a membership fee of PHP 5000 are needed. The Platinum Membership will come with a special PhilGEPS certificate that most government procurement contracts require. Though a Platinum Membership entails an additional expense, this type of membership will make it much easier for you to do business with government units, agencies, and offices.

As soon as you make your first bid on PhilGEPS, you should be ready for the possibility that it will be accepted. That, in turn, may require you to have all your resources on hand to fulfill the project. If you don’t have adequate funds to cover the project costs just yet, you may consider getting business financing from First Circle, a private financing firm. A partner like First Circle, which offers accessible credit facilities like invoice financing and purchase order financing—can help you meet your obligations for your first big government contract on PhilGEPS.

The Benefits of Taking on Contracts with PhilGEPS 

There are several key advantages to bidding for contracts on PhilGEPS. Here are four that stand out.

A Learning Opportunity for What Clients in the Philippine Government Need

A first-time user of PhilGEPS will be surprised to see how diverse the opportunities are on the platform. One important feature of the site is its catalogue of available bidding opportunities. These can be for supplying automation equipment, beverages, book publications, government vehicles, and a whole host of other things. The site will list down the exact number of opportunities available per category and which agency, regional office, or local government unit needs it. As a user, you will be able to browse through all these opportunities and explore the ones that are applicable to your business.

A Streamlined Bidding Process

With PhilGEPS, there are few ambiguities as to what each B2G contract will entail. Each opening will list the exact budget of the project, the documents required from each bidder, and the contact details of the government officer in charge. There will be no back-and-forth about basic project details, and there will be transparency in accounting for every peso to be spent on the project. All you need to do is view the opening, submit the documents, wait for the bidding results, and—if everything is in your favor—fulfill the contract.

Gateway to Lucrative Business with the Philippine Government

Government contracts are among the most lucrative contracts a small business owner can secure. Unlike many private businesses, the government has a consistent budget allowance for the services it needs. If the contract pulls through and your partner agency is pleased with your services, you might be able to bid again based on a cross-referral. Taking on additional contracts from other departments, bureaus, and attached offices in the government agency will definitely help you upscale your company’s professional abilities. 

Credibility for Your Brand

By virtue of registering to PhilGEPS, you’ll be showcasing yourself to clients of high value. This communicates your confidence that you can fulfill important projects under strict requirements. Even before they accept your bid, your government clients will have a positive view of your company. And for every completed contract, you’ll gain a standout credential in your company’s portfolio. Thus, registering to PhilGEPS is one of the best ways that you can accumulate credibility and prestige for your company or brand.

Summary

Procurement and bidding are vital processes to the Philippine government since they are essential to the fulfillment of each agency’s regular public duties. Indeed, a B2G contract may be a profitable opportunity for your company; however, it is also a chance for you to work with people who, in turn, work for the betterment of the country.