From Near Bankruptcy to Having a Thousand Full-Time Employees: The Success Story of Telework PH with Marge Aviso

Are you a freelancer who plans to scale and start your own company soon?

Do you think you are ready to take the leap, and become the leader of your very own organization?

Majority of freelancers dream of eventually running their own companies where they can use their skills and experience to increase their cash flow. But let’s be honest, many of us – myself included – were/are not really aware of what we might face along the way. That’s where the importance of making crucial decisions and surrounding yourself with the right people who can support you comes into the picture.

Luckily for us, our guest for today’s episode is someone who has seen it all. Join us today as Marge Aviso talks to us about her journey as an employee, a freelancer, and the CEO and co-founder of her own company.

Marge is the CEO and co-founder of Telework PH, an outsourcing company based in Bulacan that specializes in customer service, technical support, and data analytics. She is a Lean Six Sigma green belt, a resource trainer for the Department of Information and Communications Technology, and a registered nurse by profession.

In this episode, Marge recalls her story of being a registered nurse, shifting her career path to BPO, freelancing, and eventually starting her very own BPO company. She shares the challenges that she and her company faced along the way and how, with the support of the right people and the guidance of the Lord, they were able to overcome it all.

“Sometimes, dahil hindi natin nakikita ahead what could happen, we’re so confident that we can get things done. We don’t see the risks right away because of inexperience… So, talking to someone who has experience will give you exposure sa mga possibilities. You really have to weigh the risks and the benefits.” – Marge Aviso

What you’ll learn from this episode:

Get an idea about some of the common struggles and challenges that BPO companies face in their early stages;
Understand the importance of surrounding yourself with people who are better than you when you are in the stage of starting up; and
Be inspired by the success story of Telework PH, a company that almost got bankrupt by the pandemic but now has over 1000 full-time employees

Topics Covered:

04:15 – Marge recalls her childhood days: Her personal and family-related challenges, and the journey from “I don’t want to be an entrepreneur” to becoming the CEO of her own BPO company

13:35 – Not fit to be an employee: Marge’s journey from Nursing to BPO all the way to getting her first clients as a freelancer

20:41 – The Great Leap: Marge shares the entire process that led up to the foundation of her own BPO company, Telework PH

29:28 – Telework PH: The story behind the company name, how they started, and the field they specialize in at the present

35:00 – Leadership issues, near-bankruptcy, legal battles, and the pandemic: the biggest challenges that Telework PH had to overcome – and how they were able to deal with it

46:11 – The rainbow after the storm: Telework PH’s post-crisis story

51:51 – Preparation, asking the right questions, and hiring someone better than you: Marge’s tips for those who are planning to launch their own formal office setup

58:13 – Telework PH is hiring! Connect with them through facebook.com/teleworkphcareers/

Key Takeaways:

“I think every entrepreneur should see their business almost die and then come back to life. It is a completely different, life-changing experience.” – Marge Aviso

“When it comes to managing people, we really have to make decisions… Even if kapamilya mo, if it’s going to hurt the business in the long run, wala dapat family, family.” – Marge Aviso

“When it comes to growth, kailangan talaga na mayroon kang cash runway. Kapag wala, maba-bankrupt ka” – Marge Aviso

Connect with Marge Aviso: