Symph Asks: Haier Cebu

We sat down with one of our clients, Peterson Yap, Haier's e-commerce partner in the Philippines for Cebu, to hear how R2D2 (yes, R2D2 of Star Wars!) inspired him to build a business and take it online.

Can you tell us a brief history of your business?

It all started when an old business associate of mine who used to work for a major car manufacturer sent a message asking about electric vehicles. She then revealed that after she had resigned from her previous job, Haier sought out her services.

She showed me pictures of her trip to Japan on which there were pictures of the R2D2 ref. As a Star Wars fan, I was intrigued.

At that time, I didn't know much about Haier. I, then, inquired about getting a Haier dealership for Cebu, not knowing that other appliance companies carry that brand. After much talk, I was invited by their current president, Mr. Nobuhito Hayashi, for an informal meeting.

That's when he proposed becoming Haier Philippines e-commerce partner. The thought of having an e-commerce business was intriguing but also a bit concerning. I can't really describe it but it's similar to Star Trek's "To explore new worlds, new life and new civilizations" for me.

Haier Philippines E-commerce Platform

Was it hard to decide to invest in building your e-commerce site?

Yes, it was challenging. At that time, I thought that website development was not considered a major investment. Talking to friends and associates, I heard there were a lot of freelancers that can do it for a very minimal fee. Fortunately, I was able to consult a cousin regarding this and he convinced me that:

I should invest in a more trustworthy web developer rather than freelancers. So this was another challenge: finding the right developer.

What went through your mind when the site was about to launch, and when it launched?

I was excited and a little anxious as well. I never had any experience with regards to having a media launch where I will be the "center of attraction". Fortunately, Haier's people were there to support the launch, and I was happy that it went as well as it did. Of course, Symph's presence also had a calming effect on me knowing I have the support that I will need when needed.

How's your website doing right now?

It's not doing as well as I hoped it would but I still believe that the future is in online businesses. So I'm confident it will be better in the near future. I'm excited to try out new tools which I'm looking into right now.

Read more about how we built the Haier Online Platform for Cebu here.