8 QUESTIONS WITH A STARPRENEUR: on being beautiful inside and out

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Dra. Hortaleza, award-winning Pinay.
She is one of Go Negosyo's 2011 Starpreneurs.

“Anyone can be an entrepreneur but what will make you stand out is your ability to share your values to the people you work with. When your organization believes in one common goal, you can never go wrong. Being recognized as a Starpreneur is an inspiration for HBC to create more exciting products and consistently offer a beautiful shopping experience to its customers. We are proud to say that HBC’s success has always been driven by its vision of giving everyone the right to be beautiful," Dra. Rosalinda "San san" Ang-Hortaleza, HBC Chairman and CEO said.

What are Starpreneurs? Well, they are women who have an outstanding positive mindset enterprising mindsets, combined with passion and innvative skills. Amazing right? Let's interview Dra. "San san" Hortaleza! To know more about HBC, kindly visit their website through this link.

8 QUESTIONS WITH A STARPRENEUR

1. What inspired you to start a business on beauty in the Philippines?
It was my husband and I who started HBC, Inc. Our inspiration came from seeing the need to create affordable personal care products for the common Filipino – the mass market. When we were just starting our business, the Filipino’s mentality of patronizing imported products was prevalent. We’d like to make a change and reach out to those who also wanted to look and feel beautiful but do not have the means to afford these high end products. This feeling of “wanting to make a change” gave birth to HBC’s vision of giving everyone the right to be beautiful. Everyone deserves quality beauty, but when you get it from HBC, it does not need to be expensive.
 
2. How do you think HBC products affect your customers/How do you want your products to affect your customers?

Our customers love us for our products, that most of the time they would personally recommend HBC brands to their friends and even tag them along when they visit our stores. These loyal customers advertise our products for free. The experience is very fulfilling especially that Filipinos can proudly say that “maganda rin pala ang local beauty products.” This is something that you can’t buy these days. We wanted to be a part of every Filipino’s life. It’s like having at least 1 HBC product inside the homes of our “kababayans” and being proud to share their finds to others who have not yet discovered the beauty and happiness that they could get from shopping at HBC.

3. HBC has hundreds of branches nationwide which makes it all the more accessible. However, it is very great to note that HBC has branches abroad as well. What about HBC do you think allows it to thrive internationally?

What makes HBC stand out is its in-house brands, which we call Beauty Exclusive products. These brands can’t be seen anywhere else but only inside HBC stores. Another factor is how the products are packaged in such a way that they could be displayed side by side with imported counterparts. The international market is also looking for quality yet affordable products and HBC has answered all these. 

4. What are your best-selling products/lines?

Have you heard of our Hortaleza, M.D. Total Solution Perfecting Cream? This product has it all, from making your skin soft and smooth to lessening wrinkle lines and even stretch marks. When HBC was conceptualizing the Perfecting Cream, we were in doubt if the mass market will respond positively once we offer it in our store shelves. This is because the product is priced relatively higher than the usual but we took the risk as we realized that Filipinos, even the mass market will save up for a brand which they believe will work for them. And we didn’t fail. The moment Hortaleza, MD Perfecting Cream hit the shelves, it was selling like pancakes, that we need to re-order in a short span of time to meet our customers’ demands.

5. When it comes to skincare, what HBC products fit Filipina skin perfectly?

HBC products are formulated especially to suit the Filipina’s unique skincare needs that’s why Hortaleza, M.D. came up with 4 systems namely: Illuminous Plus (for lightening) --WIN THIS! READ DETAILS BELOW!, Dermatox (for anti-aging), Acnesol (for pimple control) and Puressence (for sensitive skin). The solution to common skincare concerns of Filipinas are all in Hortaleza, M.D.

6. A lot of my readers would appreciate tips on skin care from a professional. The Summer season usually tolls heavily on the body, face and even hair. What simple solutions can we find at HBC that can resolve summer-heat resulted damAges such us sun burn, dry/brittle hair and uneven skin tone?

HBC has a lot of products to help you go through the summer season with ease. If you plan to go on a swim with family or friends, make sure that you put on a sunblock at least 15-30 minutes before swimming. We have Hortaleza, M.D. waterproof sunblock lotions with SPFs 30&45 to shield your skin from harmful UV rays. The Hortaleza, M.D. sunblocks come in crème or spray form, which gives you more options.

Maintaining summer hair on the other hand, will now be easier as HBC has hair serums under Hortaleza Professional Luminux. This product not only gives protection but also locks in moisture for shiny hair. If you worry about dry hair brought about by sun exposure, HBC has hair treatment crèmes such as Hair Spa and Hot Oil to make sure that your crowning glory is always feeling soft and smooth to the touch. These treatment crèmes are also being sold in sachets so more Filipinos can afford to be beautiful without spending too much. We would also recommend using hair conditioners when rinsing after a swim to make sure that your hair won’t loose its moisture.

7. I heard that HBC is geared towards environmental campaigns, why is HBC moving towards an eco-friendly direction?
More than a business, HBC promotes an advocacy of beauty, and this includes caring for the environment as well. To make a stand on environmental awareness, we have launched programs like reducing the use of plastic bags in our stores every Tuesday and Thursday. Soon, we will be offering reusable bags to educate our customers that a beautiful person cultivates a beautiful planet. With efforts such as this, we can make a change not only in the lives of our customers but also in the community hosting an HBC store. We would like Filipinos to remember HBC not only as a company that sells beauty but a company that takes care of the environment for future generations to come.

8. This season, we're geared towards drawing inspiration especially from achievers. What advise can you give starters, so they too can achieve and make their dreams come true? 

Anyone can be successful, but success cannot be achieved overnight. If you have a dream, do everything you can to reach it. Don’t be afraid to fail because failure will make you a better person. When you are successful, take time to look back to those who have helped you be where you are now. When all else fails, keep your faith in God because he knows the desires of your heart. When you fall, stand. Don’t stand down, stand up. Don’t stand by, stand and deliver. Don’t stand still, stand tall. If you believe that you can do something, then you can. If you feel in your heart that you will succeed, then you will.  --Ms.LovingSunshine has her own green-giveaway. Share your eco-pledges now. Visit this link to know more.

Read below to know how you can win your very own Illuminous skincare line. :)

WIN THIS BY posting a photo of your favorite book or movie; or a link to your favorite song on my FB wall here; tag @HBC fan page and win! Winner will be chosen via Random.org. :) Contest will run until April 30.

Don't forget to link HBC fan page (you'd be directed to my HBC entry, pls like it!)their ongoing contest... a chance to win a Boracay date! with Mr. Piolo Pascual! :D Stellar! HBC dream date contest will run until April 30, so please do join now!

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