Novuhair head bags Agora Award

President and CEO Wins in the Individual Category of the 37^th Agora Awards

Nutramedica, Inc. President and CEO Sheila Mae Velilla bagged the Outstanding Achievement in Entrepreneurship – Medium Scale at the recently concluded 37^th Agora Awards.  Nutramedica is a homegrown 100% wholly-owned Filipino enterprise that manufactures and distributes Novuhair, an acclaimed line of products that addresses hair loss.

Held last October 26 at PICC, CCP Complex, the Agora Awards recognizes individuals and organizations for exceptional marketing skills and strategies.  It is touted to be the premier marketing awards body in the country and sets the high standards of excellence in the industry.

FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS TO BIG WINNER

Moving in an industry dominated by giant multinational pharmaceutical companies, Nutramedica’s tenacious rise from its humble beginnings as a microenterprise is one for the books.  Thanks largely to its creativity and innovation, it has become a major player with a well-established niche in the industry.

Founded in 2004 by Velilla, Nutramedica develops beauty and healthcare products out of natural and mostly indigenous ingredients.  It is one of the pioneers in the commercialization of virgin coconut oil (VCO) and gained wide success with its slogan “healthiest oil on earth,” which led to its acquisition by a big company. 

It continued to create more VCO-based skin care products and hit the jackpot with its latest, and now banner, product – Novuhair, nature’s answer to hair loss.  This breakthrough solution is made of 19 herbal ingredients and comes in topical scalp lotion, herbal shampoo, and herbal conditioner that effectively battles the effects of hair loss and helps enhance and restore one’s crowning glory.

Launched in 2009, Novuhair enjoys tremendous success until today.  It is widely accepted not only here in the Philippines, but also in other countries.  It is set to enter the international market, starting with the United States (US), in December of this year.  Such bold, yet timely, move of the company to export Novuhair to the US and eventually the Middle East also opens the opportunity for proudly-made local products to penetrate the global arena.

Novuhair’s popularity and market leadership may be attributed to the company’s initial market study coupled with the right timing, as well as smart use of resources by coming up with an effective tri-media campaign best described as low-budget yet high-impact marketing.

Leveraging on its organic growth from a microenterprise to medium scale with over 30 employees in a span of 12 years, Nutramedica continues to further develop, market and distribute high-quality goods that could bring honor to the country.

The firm raises the bar in entrepreneurship with its faithful adherence to best business practices, such as provision of high quality products and excellent services, adaptability to market trends, constant innovation, diversification of trade, and giving back to society.

 “Great things in business are never done by one person, they are done by a team of people”, Velilla quotes Steve Jobs when asked what’s her secret to success in this competitive business of beauty and healthcare. 

“We at Nutramedica also adhere to our core values of integrity, trust, fairness, discipline, humility, leadership, teamwork and faith in God.  That’s our winning formula,” Velilla further adds.

Novuhair Topical Scalp Lotion, Shampoo and Conditioner are available in all Mercury Drug Stores and other leading drug stores nationwide. For more information visit www.novuhair.com, like the brand’s official Facebook Page at Novuhair Official, follow it on Twitter at @NovuhairNatural and on Instagram @novuhairofficial. You may also call the Novuhair hotlines at 4136570 and 09228830575 and order online at Lazada and regaloservice.com.

The Real Score about Working from Home

Working from home is very common nowadays. With an opportunity to earn a decent pay without living the comforts of your home, it is indeed a very attractive option. 

As a virtual assistant since 2014, I am very happy and content with my career decision. Saying goodbye to the corporate world has like the best thing since it provided me more time to pursue my personal goals and passion. Working from home meant that I do not have to worry about travel time to and from the office. In return, it has allowed me to have time to blog as well as put up several online shops. 

I must admit that starting out was a bit of a challenge since I really do not know where to begin looking or even how to land my first client. Though there were a lot of online communities or Facebook groups about working from home, it is very unfortunate that there are scammers all around. Sadly, you can even read reports about "networking" disguised as an online job that gave out disappointment to hopeful individuals. 

No offense to those in the networking business, it is a real business model but there is no need to offer it as something else so that people would attend or show up during presentations. 

So, if you are wondering what is working-from-home all about? Let me share some learnings and realizations based on my personal experience. 

1. You do not need to pay to start working. 

Yes, working from home should NOT entail registration fees. I have never paid anything to my clients for them to give me a job. Every job seeker wants a job to get paid and not the other way around. 

If they insist that they are legitimate but requires payment, please go and find another one. There are thousands of online jobs for you without you paying them. 

2. Stop looking for easy jobs. 

Think of yourself as a professional who is privileged not to report the office but the expectations regarding your quality of work and output is totally the same. If you want to get a decent pay, then make sure your job or responsibilities is worth your pay. 

If you want to succeed in this industry, go beyond data entry jobs. The opportunities are endless. 

3. If it's too good to be true, it's not true. 

Have you ever read a post about getting paid in dollars for simply watching videos or earn $25 to answer one survey? If you come to think of it, who would spend money that big for that? What's in it for the business that can afford to give you the high payout? 

On the other hand, I will tell you that there are survey sites who are legitimate, however, please do not make this as your main source of income. On an average, you can earn Php 250 pesos (in cash or gift certificates) in 2-3 months. If you are interested, you can send me a PM on facebook so I can give you more details. 

4. Working from Home is not for everyone. 

I believe that working from home is not for everyone. Working at home entails a lifestyle change and proper mindset. Successful work at home professionals are self-motivated. It does not have the usual fun office atmosphere. Only a few companies have Christmas parties or get-togethers since workers come from different locations.

However, if you choose this career route, I guarantee that it's life-changing and 100% worth your time. Should you have any questions or concerns, feel free to follow, The Purple Secretary in Facebook for tips and updates.