Is there something you can work on

over and over again without getting

bored?
Is there something that keeps you
awake at night because you haven't
finished it yet?
Is there something you have built and
want to continue to improve upon?
Is there something you enjoy so much
you want to continue doing it for the
rest of your life?
 Entrepreneurs are risk takers, ready to
dive deep into a future of uncertainty.
 Successful entrepreneurs are willing to
risk their time and money on
unknowns, but they also keep
resources, plans and bandwidth for
dealing with "unknown unknowns" in
reserve.
 , ,
 Entrepreneurs believe in themselves and
are confident and dedicated to their
project. Their intense focus on and faith
in their idea may be misconstrued as
stubbornness, but it is this willingness to
work hard and defy the odds that make
them successful. 
 Successful entrepreneurs welcome all
suggestions for optimization or
customization that may enhance their
offering and satisfy client and market
needs. 
 Entrepreneurs know their product inside
and out. They also know the market. Most
become successful because they
create something that didn't already exist or
they significantly improve an existing
product after experiencing frustration with
the way it worked.  
 Successful entrepreneurs plan for present
and future financial obligations and set
aside an emergency fund. Even after
securing funding or going fully
operational, a successful
businessperson keeps a complete handle
on cashflow, as it is the most important
aspect of any business
 Successful entrepreneurs have
a business plan in place, but remain
capable of dealing with unforeseen
possibilities.
 Successful entrepreneurs reach out to
mentors with more experience and
extensive networks to seek valuable
advice. If they don't have the
necessary technical or marketing skills,
they find someone who does and
delegate these tasks so they can focus
on growing the business.
 Not every attempt will result in success.
The failure rate of entrepreneurial
ventures is very high. Sometimes, the best
solution is to call it quits and try
something new instead of continuing
to dump money into a failing business.
Many famous entrepreneurs weren't
successful the first time around, but they
knew when to cut their losses.
 You may ask yourself, am I an
entrepreneur? The very question may
make you doubt the answer. Even if
you don't have the flair of Steve Jobs, if
you have the courage to ask yourself
intimidating questions—"Can I do
this? Do I want to do this?"—you have
the stuff to be an entrepreneur.
The Successful Entrepreneurs
1
“Work hard, very hard. There is no express elevator
to success – you have to climb the stairs.”
– Nanay Coring
Nanay Coring has always been in the retail
industry. As a young girl, she helped her grandmother
sell fruits at the local market in their home province.
Life was hard and her mother decided to move to
Manila to find better opportunities. She attended a
public school and took on many jobs during summer
vacation – from wrapping bubble gum to sewing
buttons on shirts. After finishing high school, her family
did not have enough money to send her to college.
Socorro “Nanay Coring” Ramos
NATIONAL BOOKSTORE
2
Richie Cuna is the man who wants to be
known as one who "creates business for people"
believes that any business that is founded on
transparency, trust and integrity is bound for success.

What could a person with a stable and well-

paying job be thinking, leaving all that to venture into
the unknown? That was the curious thing about
Richie Cuna. He turned his back on a promising
career as vice president for the Export and Industry
Bank to pursue a highly perishable passion, ice
cream. 
2
Richie Cuna is the man who wants to be
known as one who "creates business for people"
believes that any business that is founded on
transparency, trust and integrity is bound for success.

In 1993, while still working at the bank, Cuna

founded the Milkin Corporation and partnered with
Maynila Ice Cream to start a business focusing on the
concoction that he has loved best since childhood. 

Richie Cuna started his banking career as a clerk in

the Bank of the Philippine Islands.
2
Richie Cuna is the man who wants to be
known as one who "creates business for people"
believes that any business that is founded on
transparency, trust and integrity is bound for success.

As his career steadily progressed he began thinking

of the future. Realizing that even the most promising
of careers only lasts until his retirement, he decided to
start his own business on the side while keeping his
job. 
2
Richie Cuna is the man who wants to be
known as one who "creates business for people"
believes that any business that is founded on
transparency, trust and integrity is bound for success.

For eight years, Richie juggled his time between

running Milkin Corp. and his job at the bank. He
recalls flying overseas to talk with suppliers and
partners and going straight to his office upon arriving
home. It taxed him physically and intellectually so
that in 2003, with his business expanding
tremendously, he left the banking industry. 
 
2
Richie Cuna is the man who wants to be
known as one who "creates business for people"
believes that any business that is founded on
transparency, trust and integrity is bound for success.

To gain better understanding of the business, he

enrolled in several cooking schools and eventually
became a chef.
To help ensure the quality of his product, Cuna
sources 80 percent of its ingredients from Milan and
the United States.
Richie Cuna
FIOR Gelato
3
“Don’t stop innovating. The challenge in this
business is sustainability. A lot of new concepts are
coming out every day. Plato Wraps is not an
overnight concept, but one developed over a long
period of time.”

Kamela comments on how they have

successfully managed Plato Wraps for the past 15
years and still look forward to more years in the
competitive foodservice sector.
 Kamela Seen
PLATOWRAPS
4
“First, make sure that the product you have is
universal. Meaning, anywhere in the country, or in
the world, that product is accepted”.

In 1980, Mr. Eduardo Ngan Tian opened R&W Foods

at Virra Mall, Greenhills in San Juan, Manila selling
snack items like peanuts, ice cream, banana cue,
candies, and gums. In 1986, he found a promising
spot in San Beda College in Mendiola where he could
expand his food business. 
At that time, pizza is outpacing hamburgers in terms
of market demand worldwide. It was to be the first
LOTS’A PIZZA outlet.
4
“First, make sure that the product you have is
universal. Meaning, anywhere in the country, or in
the world, that product is accepted”.
As LOTS’A PIZZA slowly became successful, Mr. Ngan
Tian, then asked his wife Tess to leave her day job and help
out in the business. Mrs. Ngan Tian grabbed the
opportunity and flew to the United States to take up a pizza
technology course at the prestigious American Institute of
Baking in Kansas City. There the unique parbaked crust and
signature sauce of LOTS’A PIZZA was created. To keep
abreast with the latest in pizza, both Ed and Tess regularly
attend the annual PIZZA EXPO in Las Vegas, Nevada and
the National Restaurant Association Convention in Chicago,
Illinois.
Mr. and Mrs. Tian
LOT’S A PIZZA
5
“Anytime is as good a time for business as any
as long as one loves what he is doing.”

Juan learned how to run a business at an early age.

“I grew up in a family where talking about business
over dinner was a common practice. When I was 7 or
8, after my father went overseas on business, he
always brought back souvenirs like toys for me. He
would say to me, ‘Out of these 10, take one for
yourself and sell the rest to your friends.’ In this way,
he taught me how to do business.”
5
“Anytime is as good a time for business as any
as long as one loves what he is doing.”

A Marketing Management graduate of De La Salle

University in Manila, he later finished his master’s
degree in Entrepreneurship at the Asian Institute of
Management in 2005.
5
“Anytime is as good a time for business as any
as long as one loves what he is doing.”

Juan said his journey as a businessman was not easy

and that he faced risks, even failures. But instead of
sulking about missed opportunities, according to
him, he looked at the missteps as part of his trials on
his way to modest success in business. Besides, Juan
said, anytime is as good a time for business as any as
long as one loves what he is doing.
Rommel Juan
BINALOT