Social Networking Business: Finding the E-Commerce Niche for the Aspiring Cebu City Entrepreneurs in the Era of the New Normal

Abstract

Social Networking is one of the most active web-based activities that have become so extensive in the Philippines, dedicated and committed to helping startups to make the first steps in business direction. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the current status and underlying motives why the majority of the Cebu City residents transitioned to online business sellers, also to identify the positive and negative influences of E-commerce using the social networking platforms in the new normal. The survey questionnaire was administered to Cebu City online sellers regardless of their type and size of business. Triangulation Mixed Method Design was used to creatively integrate qualitative and quantitative approaches obtained from sampling and in-depth interviews of respondents. The positive influences of E-commerce for the aspiring entrepreneurs were identified: additional income and encouraged productivity while on quarantine, it lessened the anxiety and diverted the negative thoughts brought by the coronavirus pandemic, and increased selling skills. The study discovered that 65.69% of the Cebu City online sellers used and recommended the social media platform, Facebook, as the most effective social networking site for aspiring entrepreneurs to start for business and reach a great number of people from diverse backgrounds easily and quickly.