Management Approaches of Student Entrepreneur of Sagada National High School in This New

Normal

CHAPTER Ⅰ

INTRODUCTION

Background of the study

Age is nothing but a number when it comes to business and that is proven by student

entrepreneurs. A student entrepreneur is a student who undertakes the risk of starting a new

business venture bearing the most of the risk and enjoying most of the rewards (Adam Hayes,

2021). Being a student is already a challenge but being a student entrepreneur is more

challenging most especially during this pandemic. With the sudden change brought by this new

normal, coping strategies and management approaches needed also to change to adapt in the

current situation that we are in. Management is the act or skill of controlling and making

decisions about a business, department, sports team, etc.

A study conducted in the year 2015 revealed that about 14% of the total student

population in the U.S. was into running a business of their own (Erick Clifford, 2021). Future

Founders: Understanding the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs, has revealed that 51% of British

young people aged 14-25 have thought about starting (or have already started) a business. A

further third (35%) are open to the idea and just 15% rule it out altogether. In the Philippines,

around 45 percent of those engaged in early stage entrepreneurship belong to the group of 18-34

years old, with high school graduates dominating the start-up phase (Reyes, 2015). Malolos

(2017) states that not all successful entrepreneurs have entrepreneurship or business degrees.

Oftentimes, these individuals have inherent entrepreneurial skills which they hone overtime to
propel their business to success. Factors such as leadership skills, creativity and problem-solving

skills contribute effectively to a students’ entrepreneurial capabilities (Ramos, 2014).

Entrepreneurship directly leads to more business, more job opportunities and better

quality of life. Starting and running a business can be a real option for young people, offering an

alternative means of achieving both financial and personal independence. There are 24 million

youth in the Philippines today and counting. Of these 24 million, 39% or 9.36M are part of the

labor force while 40% or 9.6M are living below the poverty line. Encouraging young people to

consider business ownership as a viable option is becoming increasingly important given the

current trend towards globalization. Supporting youth entrepreneurship can benefit both the

Filipino Youth and the economy.

Filipinos have a high regard on entrepreneurship, with 85 percent expressing interest to

make entrepreneur as a good career choice (GEM,2013). The report also said strong media

exposure has contributed to the popularity of successful entrepreneurs, which has served as

examples to the people. However, the Philippines has been severely affected by the corona virus

disease (Covid-19) crisis causing an economic breakdown. Entrepreneurs are one of those who

are highly affected and still recovering through this pandemic. Entrepreneurs have to create new

business strategies and ideas in accordance with the health protocols in order to operate their

business. Student entrepreneurs go also through the same damage and problems.

One of the most common excuses among the youth is that they are not old enough to start

their own business. It is never too early or late to become successful in your life. You can begin

the journey to becoming an achiever at any age. Their management skills with regards to time,

money, as well as other resources should be given utmost consideration to achieve their

objectives successfully. At a time when the usage of internet and social media is at its peak, it is
probably the best of times to be an entrepreneur as it is easier to reach out to the world. People

are coming up with all sorts of ideas into the market, and we never know what idea might go on

to become a trend. It seems everyone has a business idea.

Sagada Mountain Province, the fifth-class municipality in the Cordillera region and is

well-known as a tourist destination now is also affected by this spreading virus. Businesses in

town needed to close down because of the rising covid positives and tourists are not allowed to

enter the premises. We decided to conduct this study in Sagada National High School

specifically on senior high school students and are entrepreneurs at the same time. As students

ourselves, we know how stressful it is to manage academics alone. Hence, this reality of student

life has made us question how these particular student entrepreneurs balance their business and

personal lives.

The importance of this study is to develop an innovative and entrepreneurial culture in a

crucial part of the Philippines developed state future. This study seeks to serve as a concrete

example that teachers of business-related subjects can use for a more effective portrayal of

lectures and lessons within the course. This study can also be a bridge between student

entrepreneurs and their teachers which can result to a deeper understanding of one another. This

research may encourage schools to be more aware of existing student entrepreneurs, thus, they

can choose to provide sufficient support like creating a more student entrepreneur-friendly

environment and holding different events that can be used as a stepping stone for students to sell

their products. Furthermore, this study can also deepen the administration of a certain school to

broaden their knowledge on the demands of the business world to young entrepreneurs. It can

lead to the possibility of universities, colleges and even high schools to offer more entrepreneur-

related subjects to courses that do not specialize on business.

 This study’s purpose is to investigate the practices that student entrepreneurs from

Sagada National High School do to control and coordinate their resources productively before

and during Covid-19 pandemic. In line with this, we would also like to investigate the various

aspects that student entrepreneurs consider to effectively manage their business and other

activities. Through qualitative inquiry, we will gather all the necessary information, particularly

on the student entrepreneurs’ time management, resource management, and customer

management, as well as the difficulties they face and how they overcome such challenges.This

study aims to prove that even in a local community there are those students who can come up

with business ideas and apply them in their lives even when facing crisis or pandemic. That even

in a small community, multiple young entrepreneurs can grow and take over.