Slater Young | Contributed Photo
Cebuano actor-entrepreneur and new father Slater Young is among those adjusting to the new normal in more ways than one as he and wife Kryz Uy – Young welcomed their son, Scott Knoa in June.
He said life as a new dad in the time of a pandemic has changed him, making him more appreciative of the people around him and grateful for having a healthy family. He also shared that he misses hanging out with friends but has found a new hobby in taking care of his son.
“A sense of purpose [moves me], a sense of family. Karon it’s about family,” Slater said in the two-webisode special of Lalamove aired on CDN Digital called “Crossing Borders with Lalamove”
Surviving the pandemic as a businessman
As founder and CEO of Liteblock, and co-owner of the Yi Fang Taiwan Fruit Tea branch in Cebu, Slater’s main priority as an entrepreneur in these times is to keep his businesses afloat in order to retain employees and keep them compensated.
“Ang among goals for the foreseeable future is to make sure that everyone has a job, everyone gets fed, is healthy, ug naa’y mauli sa ila pamilya. It’s all about survival,” he shared. “Everybody sacrifices a bit so that nobody has to sacrifice a lot.”
He said it has been a challenge running businesses at this time and they have had to make adjustments for sustainability like operating with a skeleton workforce and working around movement restrictions and border controls.
By using same-day, door to door, and on-demand delivery platform Lalamove, Slater has found a reliable partner in day-to-day business operations despite working remotely. With a fleet of 2,000 motorcycles, 600 MPVs, 200 vans and 200 light trucks, Lalamove delivers various items in all shapes and sizes from parcels and documents to large furniture and appliances.
Slater uses the delivery service to send important documents such as checks and payrolls across borders, and deliver bulk orders from their milk tea business to customers. He also uses Lalamove for personal transactions such as groceries, food deliveries, and large home appliances.
“Sayon gyud kaayo [using Lalamove], not only is it cheaper, trusted na sad siya nga brand so sayon ra kaayo for us to use it and the convenience factor of just using an app–sakto ang location, sakto ang tanan,” he said.
Forging partnerships for quality services
When asked for tips on how to gain a competitive edge in business, Slater mentioned the importance of creating good products and providing a seamless experience to clients through partnerships.
It’s very easy for entrepreneurs to start a business with the advent of new technologies such as apps and social media but the challenge lies in making the experience smooth and hassle-free for customers so they will keep supporting the business.
“It is very important for us to use a service like Lalamove so that we don’t have to invest a lot as entrepreneurs, gamit gyud kaayo nato when it comes to moving forward, especially when you’re just starting,” he said.”Logistics Is a difficult part in managing a business especially at this time, but working with partners such as Lalamove has made it a lot easier and convenient to deliver possibilities and build success in business.” .
Lalamove was established in Hong Kong in December 2013. Today, it operates in 21 cities across Asia and Latin America, including Cebu and Manila in the Philippines. It provides different vehicle options that fit according to the needs of the customer, easy customer transactions, allows flexible schedules, and multiple bookings to help businesses of all sizes grow their reach. For more information, visit www.lalamove.com and like @LalamovePH on Facebook.