Bruno’s Barbers recorded a 9-13% growth month-on-month in transactions nationwide in the last 10 months, signaling the returning and growing demand for personal care services from the country’s leading barbershop chain.

Since January 2019, Bruno’s Barbers has also seen a substantial increase in clients visiting their branches, allowing the company to keep the livelihood of its workforce throughout the pandemic—with about 1,100 barbers and therapists in over 65 barber shops across the country. 

“On average we are experiencing strong growth in transactions per month for all our stores in the country,” said Marco Pascual, President, Bruno’s Barbers. “When the pandemic hit, we made sure to maintain our barbers and therapists so they could continue to serve our customers while also continuing our efforts to keep the livelihood of our people.”

“The strong demand for personal care services provided by barbers and therapists allows our company to not just professionalize the barbershop industry but also give them access to competitive livelihood opportunities to provide better for their families. As the company grows, they also grow with us,” Pascual added.

With loyal customers that span generations and an expanding client base, Bruno’s Barbers continuously provides its partners with livelihood opportunities and various programs and initiatives to support their families.

This comes as the country’s personal services industry has evolved into one of the most dynamic and fast-growing, amid the rise in consumers’ spending on self-care and personal wellness services—making up the majority of business establishments operating in the Philippines and accounting for some with the highest number of workers.

“This holiday season, this trend is likely to continue not just for Bruno’s Barbers but also for our colleagues in the personal care services industry as more Filipinos are expected to go to more social events following the lifting of pandemic restrictions,” Pascual shared.

Currently, Bruno’s Barbers is looking to bring in over 200 barbers and therapists on a rolling basis to be part of its team in its barber shop network nationwide.

With a company culture and positive work environment that continues to support its barbers and therapists, Bruno’s Barbers remains at the forefront of the country’s personal services industry as the first-in-mind when it comes to personal grooming in the Philippines, providing an avenue for grooming professionals to cater to the evolving needs and taste of its diverse clientele.

For those interested to be part of Bruno’s Barbers, find out more information on their Facebook, Indeed, LinkedIn, and website, or get in touch via email at jobs@brunosbarbers.com.

Along the serene shores of Puerto Galera lies a culinary haven that captivates the palates of locals and tourists alike.

A gastronomic paradise, Il Capo Smoke Haus serves patrons with rich flavors of Italian cuisine made with a Pinoy twist, from burgers, pasta, and steaks, to a diverse options of hot and cold drinks.

Currently headed by the matriarch Maria Corazon Abante Dela Peña, or Maya, Il Capo is a family business that was born from the hard work of Maya’s son Keith Limuel who is a cooking enthusiast.

Settling in Italy with his parents who were overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) then, Keith took a culinary course to personally study the traditional cooking techniques of Italy. Later on, he worked as a kitchen manager in a restaurant and with his knowledge about the ins and outs of food service, he went back to the Philippines to set up his own business.

“Nu’ng umuwi s’ya sa Pilipinas, nag-start na s’ya ng paggawa ng smoked bacon para sa mga turista. Maganda naman ang kita kaya pinagawa na namin itong dalawang palapag na building para sa restaurant,” said Maya, proudly narrating their humble beginnings.

[“When he returned to the Philippines, he began making smoked bacon for tourists. The earnings were good, so we had this two-storey building built for the restaurant.”]

The pandemic temporarily stalled the opening of the business but as the tourism sector started to pick up, Keith captivated taste buds, serving meticulously smoked pork, beef, and sausages through the small booth he put up along the bays of Muelle.

“Nakilala s’ya tapos nung nagkakaroon na ng turista, in-open namin ito last year. Tama naman, nung in-open namin ito, lumalago na ‘yung turismo. Timing na timing. Pagkatapos, nag-start na kami – January 8, 2022,” Maya shared.

[“He started getting recognized, and when tourists started coming, we opened it last year. It was just right when we opened it because tourism was starting to come back again. It was perfect timing. Then, we finally opened on January 8, 2022.”]

One thing to be amazed by the restaurant is its walls donned with vintage wine bottles. Along with their cheesy and meaty burgers on the menu, Il Capo offers authentic Italian wines which the family diligently collected while overseas.

And with all its wares on display, the restaurant has now become a place for customers to take aesthetic Instagrammable pics, connect with friends, and share exciting stories over good food.

But to elevate the dining experience of patrons, Maya equipped the resto with robust connectivity through the country’s leading fiber broadband provider Converge ICT Solutions.

“Napakalaki po ng deperensya sa amin ng internet kasi dati, ‘yung data namin mabilis maubos. Kapag sa internet, lahat kami naka-connect at sa sounds, mas maganda at mas tuloy-tuloy ‘yung Youtube,” Maya said. 

[“Our internet makes a significant difference because before, our data would quickly run out. But if it’s the internet, all of us are connected, and in terms of playing sounds, it’s better and more continuous when we listen on Youtube.”]

“Sa posting naman namin, dati, hindi kami makapaglabas ng ads. Parang bali-balita lang. Pero itong nagkaroon kami ng malakas na internet dahil sa Converge, malawak na po ‘yung nararating ng aming advertisement,” she added.

[“As for our posts, we couldn’t put out ads before. But when we got strong internet because of Converge, our advertisement now reaches a wider audience.”]

Converge offers flexiBIZ, an array of business-grade internet solutions designed for small-scale businesses looking for affordable and reliable connectivity to power up their operations. It features fast, secure, and customizable connectivity, catering to the unique requirements of MSMEs.

It comes in two variations with flexiBIZ Daytime providing businesses with speeds twice as fast during peak operations, and flexiBIZ Peak for a fixed maximum speed consistent throughout the day.

Amid the success of the business, Il Capo’s culinary journey is far from over. Bolstered by the positive reception for its offerings and the support of its customers, the restaurant aspires to introduce pizzas to its menu soon, targeting the metro as its next prime location. Currently, Keith manages another restaurant business named Red Tomato with his wife Jade, co-piloting their branches in Roxas, Oriental Mindoro and San Jose, Occidental Mindoro as Maya supervises the operations of Il Capo in Puerto Galera.

The Isabela-based confectionery Mrs. G Cakeshop appears to have already perfected its recipe for a successful enterprise. Delicately gathering top-grade ingredients, the pâtisserie mastered the art of selling treats, satisfying every customer’s random sugar cravings.

“Hello, kaibigan! Welcome sa Mrs. G!” [Hello, friend! Welcome to Mrs. G!]

Those who had already set foot in Mrs. G Cakeshop must already have experienced its brand of welcoming visitors. 

Amid the saturation of the local confectionary industry, Mrs. G prides itself on delivering a unique experience by treating patrons with the same warmth and kindness offered to family and friends. 

“24 hours a day, someone in the company is working their best to deliver a delightful cake experience to our customers,” said Nestor Gaddi, president and CEO of Mrs. G Cakeshop Corporation.

As warm as freshly-baked toast, the business cultivates a culture of friendship, which slowly made its mark among its customers. And soon enough, the business became the leading cake shop in the whole of Region 2, tagged as North Luzon’s new favorite cake shop.

By having its finger in every pie of the operations—from baking its cakes, delivering to stores, and selling them to customers—it can consistently guarantee the quality of its flavorful cakes. 

This is the exact reason why technology has become an important factor in ensuring that all parts of the business are running smoothly. 

Gaddi said they heavily invested in technology, which further enhanced their visibility in managing their day-to-day operations. They integrated their card-based loyalty system into an online application that customers can easily access whenever they would purchase their delightful pastries. 

Consequently, the business’ need for a fast and reliable internet connection was magnified more than ever. 

Thanks to the country’s leading fiber broadband provider, Converge ICT Solutions Inc., Mrs. G is empowered to offer tasty pastries, whether it’s for a casual afternoon snack, or for sharing meaningful celebrations with the whole family. 

Through the fast and reliable internet connection of Converge flexiBIZ, the business is equipped to monitor its cake inventory real-time and make sure that all the orders are fulfilled and delivered on the same day. 

flexiBIZ is an unparalleled and pioneering service of Converge designed specifically for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). It features fast, secure, and customizable connectivity that perfectly aligns with the unique requirements of organizations. It is available in two variations: flexiBIZ Daytime, enabling businesses to double their speeds during daytime operations, and flexiBIZ Peak, which provides a fixed maximum speed plan, delivering reliable, and consistent internet throughout the day.

“I will not hesitate to recommend Converge. Based on our experience, the upload and the download speed of Converge are almost the same. So I would tell SMEs, with Converge, you will get those quality products then you will have a reliable partner, too,” the cake shop head said.

Since the business started in 2017, Mrs. G has opened job opportunities to more than 400 locals and gained more than 100, 000 loyal customers. To date, they have already served two million cakes and counting. 

“Just like they say, success is sweet,” Gaddi noted. 

To know more about the Converge SME plans, visit https://www.convergeict.com/flexibiz/.