Senior High School Department

RESEARCH PAPER

Surviving the Pandemic: Lived Experiences of Senior High School Online Sellers in a

Philippine University

In partial fulfillment of the requirements in

PRACTICAL RESEARCH 1

Submitted by:

ABM 11-02

Group 2

Flores, Eunice V.

Pamplona, Aiden Gabriel S.

Radoc, Jerica A.

Salazar, Faith Heidi

Submitted to:

Ms. Romalaine D. Del Rosario, LPT

Completion:

October 2020– April 2021

 Senior High School Department
ii

APPROVAL SHEET

This research paper entitled:

Surviving the Pandemic: Lived Experiences of Senior High School Online Sellers in a
Philippine University

Prepared and submitted by:

Flores, E.V., Pamplona A.G.S, Radoc, J.A., Salazar, F.H.

in partial fulfilment of the requirements

in

Practical Research 1: Qualitative

Was APPROVED by the research adviser with a grade of PASSED on APRIL 2020.

___________________________________________
Ms. Romalaine D. Del Rosario, LPT
RESEARCH ADVISER
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iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This scholarly work has been completed successfully with the persevering assistance and

selfless support of several people. With utmost and deepest sincerity, the researcher would

like to convey our appreciation to the following:

Ms. Romalaine Del Rosario, for her expertise, relentless assistance, and support, positively

pushing the researchers to their limit to be able to finish this study;

Ms. Lissandra Barrioga, for her knowledge and ideas, giving bright suggestions and

revisions for the researchers to improve their research proposal;

Ms. Chevie Mae Cabanag, for giving tips and imparting her knowledge while making the

research process;

Ms. Claire Ann Poligrates, for giving some of her time for the researchers to finish their

data collection and finish the interview with the respondents;

To the respondents, for providing and sharing necessary data that is essential in formulating

the research.
 Senior High School Department iv

ABSTRACT

Online Selling has become popular nowadays. With the limited mobility to buy

necessities, the student online sellers decided to put up their own online business. This study

aims to determine the positive and negative experiences of Senior High School online sellers

in a Philippine University. This study shows the different perceptions of student online

sellers while managing their business in the middle of the pandemic. This study could inform

people about the lessons learned by the student online sellers, and this could be an inspiration

for others to open their businesses as well. A phenomenological design was employed, and

the data were gathered using a structured interview that was recorded accordingly. Those

data were analysed through thematic analysis. Six respondents of different strands from the

University of Perpetual Help-Molino revealed that the positive benefits from online selling

include financial support for their family's needs. Furthermore, the researchers imparted that

they resorted to online selling because of extra time and extra resources. Additionally, results

have shown that the online sellers are still willing to continue their online business until the

end of the pandemic because of the knowledge earned because of the online business and the

financial support of the online business to their family.

Keywords: Online selling, Online Sellers, Lived Experiences, Pandemic

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE.........................................................................................................................................i
APPROVAL SHEET............................................................................................................................ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT...................................................................................................................iii
ABSTRACT.........................................................................................................................................iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS......................................................................................................................v
LIST OF FIGURES..............................................................................................................................vi
DISCLAIMER....................................................................................................................................vii
ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS.......................................................................................................viii
CHAPTER 1: THE PROBLEM AND REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND
STUDIES
Background of the Study....................................................................................................................1-2
Research Objectives……………………………………………………………………...……3
Review of Related Literature.............................................................................................................3-7
Theoretical Framework......................................................................................................................7-8
Significance of the Study...................................................................................................................8-9
Scope and Limitation............................................................................................................................9
CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY
Research Site.......................................................................................................................................10
Respondents of the Study....................................................................................................................10
Research Design and Data Collection............................................................................................10-11
Data Analysis......................................................................................................................................11
Research Instrument............................................................................................................................11

CHAPTER 3: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION..........................................................................12-20

CHAPTER 4: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Summary…………………………………………………………………………………………..21
Conclusion.................................................................................................................................... 22-23
Recommendation.................................................................................................................................23
References..................................................................................................................................... 24-26
Appendices.....................................................................................................................................27-28
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LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1.................................................................................................................................................7
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DISCLAIMER

This study is a product of the hard work of the researchers. It has been approved and

accepted by the panel of reviewers. Hence, no part of this paper may be used without proper

citation or approval from the authors.

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ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

While doing the interview, the researchers made sure to send informed consent to

their chosen respondents. The informed consent includes the objectives of the study. It is also

stated in the informed consent that the interview is voluntary, and there will be no

compensation for participating in the interview. The researchers also asked for permission

from the respondents in recording the interview. The researchers also made sure that the

responses gathered in the interview will be completely confidential and will only be used in

the study.
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Senior High School Department

CHAPTER 1

THE PROBLEM AND REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

A. Background of the Study

Before the COVID 19 pandemic, buying, and selling is a thriving business. Business,

as usual, can be seen in various places, and no one ever predicted that a pandemic would

change how people live. The abrupt implementation of ECQ affected the economy, including

large and small businesses. Not only Covid-19 pandemic limited many sellers and buyers to

go to physical stores to buy and sell. Many establishments also closed down businesses

resulting in massive layoffs and an increase in the rate of unemployment. The domino effect

reached many households where family members depend on monthly wages to survive.

Filipino people, who are well-known for being resilient, find ways to make both ends meet

and answer the call of the times to serve customers. With the implemented quarantine

protocols, people were stuck at home and are prohibited to go outside unless for valid

reasons. Because of this, sellers were forced to use social media sites to sell, while buyers use

this platform to purchase their necessities. This situation paved the way for young

entrepreneurs to venture into online selling to help their families meet their basic needs.

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According to Masigan (2020), there are 73 million registered internet users, and 99% of them

are actively engaged in various social media platforms. Although there is already online

selling before the pandemic, Filipinos seem weary to purchase online. The COVID 19

pandemic changed this mindset since there is no other recourse to buy but through online

means. The challenge of mobility also resulted in a 57% increase in online selling by

entrepreneurs. The data lend support to young entrepreneurs to venture into online selling

even at their early age.

With the said scenario, the researchers decided to conduct the study to know the online

selling experiences of young entrepreneurs and how they overcame challenges. Courage,

resilience, passion, and drive are among the characteristics of young entrepreneurs that made

them successful in their online ventures (Amato, 2020). But on the other hand, Looze &

Desai (2020) posited that entrepreneurs who are just starting reported to have challenges on

the funds compared to those who are already in their business before the pandemic.

This study aims to know the positive and negative experiences of young entrepreneurs amid

the pandemic that could inspire other young people to start an online business that may help

their families, and to learn from their challenges and eventually motivate others to follow

their example.

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B. Research Objectives:

1
1. Acknowledge the online seller’s business in terms of products, platforms used, and

reasons in establishing their online business/es.

2. Understand the online sellers’ experiences in managing their online business/es

amidst the pandemic.

3. Recognize the important lessons that the student online sellers have learned in their

experiences.

C. Review of Related Literature:

Introduction

Related articles, works of literature, and studies taken from online journals and books

discuss the themes related to the experiences of young entrepreneurs. The themes discussed

by a variety of authors include; online selling before and after the pandemic, challenges of

new online business, and experiences of young entrepreneurs.

Online Selling before the Pandemic and after the Pandemic

Before the pandemic, online selling is already happening. Although tentative at first,

consumers are becoming confident to buy online and purchase online products. The

consumers are relatively young since they are more adept in using the internet (Lee et al,
4
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2016). In the study of Fadialan et al (2019) consumers are satisfied with online services of

sellers while there is a gap on consumers’ expectations and perceptions of the products.

Online shopping behaviors of the young is more on buying items rather than being the sellers

themselves (Legaspi, 2015).

The COVID 19 pandemic made a drastic change in the world of online selling. In the survey

conducted by Digital 2020 it was revealed that in Philippines, 64% of Filipino internet users

are spending more time on social media, with 23% indicating an increased activity in their

online shopping activity (Kemp, 2020). Further, with the restrictions imposed by the

quarantine period, consumers in the Philippines resorted more to online shopping and

entrepreneurs have embraced the digital phenomenon for online shopping even more (Kemp,

2020).

Challenges of New Online Businesses

According to Beattie (2020), starting a new business may be a huge accomplishment

for many entrepreneurs, but maintaining a starting business is the larger challenge.

Challenges are part in business operations, especially for those who are only starting their

online businesses. In an article by Benjamin (2020), both beginner and experienced

entrepreneurs have to face these challenges, though the nature of these challenges are

extremely different.
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Time management is one of the challenges of young online sellers in their startup businesses

(Scully, 2018). Running a business is always time-consuming (ied.eu, 2019). They said that

this applies even more on young entrepreneurs who are running their online businesses since

they are that very much experienced in managing their businesses and they have to balance

their time in school and in running their business.

Competitors are also a threat to starting online businesses. Competition is one of the

challenges for the survival of startup businesses, and even tougher if you have an online

business startup (creatly.com). According to Post (2019), competition comes in different set

ups for small businesses, especially in an online setting. Online sellers have to keep up with

competitive pricing, products, and services.

Lack of mentorship is another area wherein entrepreneurs experienced difficulty. Having a

great product is not enough. Scully (2018) posited that entrepreneurs also need necessary

guidance, market experience, or knowledge to make their businesses grow. Having someone

you can ask advice or guidance when major decisions have to be made is useful for the

growth of a starting business. 33% of tech firm founders who are mentored by successful

entrepreneurs went on to become top performers (Scully, 2018).

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Experiences of Young Entrepreneurs on Online Selling

This pandemic also challenged the resiliency of Filipinos (Calleja, 2020). Being

resilient in times of typhoons, floods and natural calamity, Filipinos are well-known across

the globe as one nation who can immediately bounce back after a setback (Marquez, 2020).

Online selling during the pandemic is one way of showing how resilient is the Filipino spirit

(rappler.com,

2020). Although there are many articles on online selling, there is a dearth of related studies

on the experiences of young entrepreneurs.

Testimonies and success stories of young entrepreneurs revealed that hard work and family

inspiration are their secrets in making it big in online selling at a young age. Owners of

Sundance, Ala Eh Barako and Bags on Demand are all young entrepreneurs who brave the

negative effects of the COVID 19 pandemic and thrived in the face of adversity (rappler.com,

2020).

Conclusion

The related articles and studies highlighted three themes that are considered important

in online selling. The experiences of young entrepreneurs will shed light on the negative and

positive impact of COVID 19 on the way of life of Filipinos. The challenges in starting a new

online business will somehow give a glimpse of what to do to make the business successful.

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Online business articles before and after the pandemic trace back history of trading and how

the pandemic impacted it. A dearth of related studies on the experiences of young

entrepreneurs motivated the researchers to look deeply into their experiences. The study aims

to explore the topic and give importance to Filipino values and Filipino resiliency.

D. Theoretical Framework of the study:

Figure 1. Seligman’s Resilience Theory focusing on the 3P’s Model

Personalization, pervasiveness, and permanence are three common reactions of

people when faced with adverse situations. Being able to understand one’s reaction to

adversity will lead to a more resilient coping. During the COVID 19 pandemic, most

Filipinos felt the need to blame someone for what happened; that this pandemic would be

very difficult and would affect all aspects of one’s life, and that there is gloominess and

weariness that this pandemic would not end.

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 Senior as
But in the case of young entrepreneurs, the pandemic served High
anSchool Department
opportunity to stay

productive although they may face many challenges along the way. Addressing the negative

reactions that they may have as Filipino families experienced challenging times, they rose

from these challenges and difficulties to sell online and help support the financial needs that

their families may experience.

The study will maximize the theoretical framework to guide the researchers in investigating

the experiences of young entrepreneurs. But since this is a phenomenological study, the

exploration of the experiences will be based on the categories and themes that will come

from the respondents of the study.

Significance of the Study

The findings of this study will contribute to the improvement of online selling

experiences and quality of service. Most importantly, this study could help create a healthy

environment in transacting. Furthermore, this study could be beneficial to the following:

Students. The students will benefit from this study in terms of gaining knowledge and ideas

about being a young entrepreneur in an online environment. This study could answer their

concerns in entering the online business world as a student and motivate them to be online

sellers.
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Teachers. The teachers can use respondents’ experiences High
as an School Department
example for academic

purposes in related subjects such as Applied Economics and Fundamentals of Accountancy,

Business, and Management.

Future Online Sellers. In regard to handling different situations in online selling, this

research would guide future online sellers because they would be able to reflect on the

experiences of respondents that could help them in their decision-making and planning.

Future Researchers. This study will be beneficial for future researchers because it would

give them ideas that could help them improve the mode of transaction, marketing strategy,

and quality service of shopping in an online environment. Furthermore, this research would

give them knowledge about lived experiences of young entrepreneurs in an online

environment that could be of a basis in future research.

E. Scope and Limitation

The researchers have gathered six (6) Senior High School online sellers that are

enrolled in the University of Perpetual Help – Molino S.Y. 2020-2021. The researchers

conducted online interview because of the limited mobility and to ensure health and safety.

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CHAPTER 2
 METHODOLOGY Senior High School Department

Research Site.

The research will be conducted at University of Perpetual help System DALTA

located in Bacoor, Cavite.

Respondents of the Study.

The respondents of this study will be the Senior High School students at the

University of Perpetual Help System DALTA – Molino.

The researchers will use the purposive sampling technique or also known as the “judgement

sampling." According to Crossman (2020), this sampling is a non-probability sample that is

selected based on the characteristics of the population and the objective of the study. In this

study, the subjects are senior high school students who sell products online and must be

enrolled at the University of Perpetual Help DALTA – Molino SY 2020-2021

Research Design and Data Collection.

The researchers will use qualitative research design specifically phenomenological

design. The study will focus on the experiences of Senior High School online sellers. Data

collection
11
 Senior High
will be done by having one-on-one interview with the respondents. School interview
Structured Departmentwill

be used to collect the significant experiences of the participants in the research.

Data Analysis.

The researchers will use Thematic analysis as the method of analyzing the data on

their research (Caufield, 2019). Interview transcripts is usually used to apply this analysis.

The goal of Thematic analysis is to identify the present themes, such as patterns in the data

that are significant, to use these themes to address the research. The themes will then be used

to represent the answers to the research questions.

Research Instrument.

The researchers will make a structured interview which consists of 10 open-ended

questions. The questions will allow the respondents to share their experiences in online

selling.

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 CHAPTER 3 Senior High School Department

RESULTS AND DISCCUSION

This section presents results gathered from the one-on-one interview sessions carried

out to six (6) participants from different strands of the Senior High School in University of

Perpetual Help – Molino. Data from the one-on-one interview went through Thematic

Analysis to produce major and subordinate themes/ Excerpts from the interview presented to

provide comprehensive discussion, guided by the study’s theoretical framework.

1. Acknowledge the Online Seller’s Business in Terms of Products, Platforms Used,

and Reasons in Establishing their Online Business/Es.

1.1 Merchandising products to sell online

There are many ways to sell your products online. It may be through service,

manufacturing, or merchandising. Majority of the student online sellers we have

interviewed responded that they resell their products, which lands them in to

merchandising business. Respondent 2 concluded: “I am reselling clothes

…often use Instagram to sell products”. Similarly, Respondent 5 stated: “We sell

your preloved Clothes, we often use Facebook and Instagram” Lastly like other

13
 Senior
online sellers mentioned, Respondent 1 claimed that: “inHigh
ourSchool Department
business, La leur,

we resell necklaces, using Instagram and Facebook as our online platforms”.

1.2 Started online selling because of extra time

We asked the student online sellers on why did they planned to start their online

business. Many of them admitted that they started their online business because they

had spare time. As Respondent 1 stated: “it all started purely because of boredom

during the pandemic, …started August last year.” Likewise, Respondent 2 stated: “I

had much time to find new things that would satisfy me.” Other sellers on the other

hand stated that they started their online business to earn money in the middle of the

pandemic. Respondent 5 stated that: “…ginusto ko mag-online business para may

source of income ako, ganon…in the middle of pandemic.”

2. Understand the Online Seller’s Experiences in Managing their Online

Business/es Amidst the Pandemic.

2.1 Balancing studying and selling is challenging for student online sellers

Being a student online seller is definitely hard. You need to be wise in balancing your

time in academics and managing your online business. As Respondent 4 said:

14
 Senior
“Siguro medyo mahirap kasi may times na may bibili High School
nga sayo Department
tapos yung pasok mo

simula umaga pa hanggang six o’ clock or 5 pm pa ganun.” Similarly, Respondent 6

admitted that it is really hard specially when there are a lot of works to do while

studying, “Being a student online seller is challenging especially when I have loads

of school works to do…” though it is difficult to balance their time, the student online

sellers still found a way to squeeze in their full schedule, as Respondent 2 said:

“I set dates and time for my academics and online business,” although other online

sellers prioritize their academics over their business. According to Respondent 1: “I

balance my time by firstly prioritizing studies over online business…”

2.2 Online selling provides financial support to the family

There are many positive benefits of being a student online seller. One of the benefits

is you are able to give financial help to your family to lessen the financial burden. As

Respondent 4 said: “Positive syempre, nakatulong yun sa financial problem ganon,

nakakatulong makabili ng mga kung ano-ano pang mga kailangan.” On the other

hand, many people still chose to support other people during the pandemic. As

Respondent 5 stated, many people still chose to buy and spend money to the

businesses of other people to help them with their online business in the middle of

pandemic, “…The positive experiences I've encountered amidst pandemic is even

15
 Senior
though a lot of people are suffering they still support High
our Schoolby
business Department
buying our

preloved clothes.”

2.3 Lack of Knowledge on marketing strategy and business planning

It may be true that there are many positive experiences when you are an online seller.

But there are challenges that you may experience. These online sellers opened their

businesses without enough knowledge in handing the business properly. As

Respondent 1 said: “when you see that there is no assurance that you could continue

the business, and as well as the difficulty in finding customers and promoting in the

different platforms.” Also, finding customers in the middle of the pandemic is really

hard. As respondent 4 said: “Mahirap makahanap talaga ng customer dahil nga

pandemic.” Similarly, the online sellers also experienced to have difficulty in finding

suppliers. As Respondent 2 said: “it was really hard to find legit suppliers.”

2.4 Gain new knowledge and financial support

Even though it is really difficult to be a student online seller in the middle of the

pandemic, there are still some things that push the online sellers to continue with their

business venture. First is, they are able to earn money. As Respondent 3 said:

16
 Senior High
“Siyempre masaya din naman magkaron ng sariling kita, School Department
diba?...” Similarly,

Respondent 4 shared her thoughts regarding this topic. “It motivates me to save to

secure my educational needs.” Likewise, online business gave the online sellers new

knowledge that’s why they continue with their businesses. As Respondent 1 stated:

“… it motivates me because there is no pressure in it and I learn because of it”.

Respondent 2 also supports this claim, “…I develop experiences and skills that I

could use in the later years.”

3. Recognize the Important Lessons that the Student Online Sellers have Learned

in their Experiences

3.1 Online Business sellers learned positive traits and business realities

There are a lot of traits that can be learned in online business. Positive and negative

experiences can help teach online sellers positive traits and business realities. As

Respondent 1 said: “… I have learned to be patient and to always do your best even

though there is no visible outcome.” Similarly, Respondent 2 stated: “…having good

attitude towards your consumers is the most important part, and how you handle

yourself in managing the business.” On the other hand, many of the student online

sellers also learned business realities. As Respondent 6 concluded: “I have learned

that businesses have its highs and lows.” Moreover, Respondent 3 also had
17
 Seniorkapag
realizations in his business, he stated: “Mahirap talaga High School Department
ikaw yung mismong

nagmamanage ng business… Ikaw kasi, ikaw maghahanap, ikaw makikipag-usap,

ikaw bibili, ikaw gagawa, sa akin, so mahirap…”

3.2 Online seller’s advices are to have positive traits and enjoy selling

These student Online sellers learned a lot while managing their online businesses.

They shared their learnings and it is mostly to develop positive traits and enjoying

your business process. As Respondent 3 said: “Kailangan mo lang tapangan yung

loob mo… Kung gusto mo ipagpatuloy yan, why not? Diba? Nasasaiyo yun sa kung

gaano mo kagusto yung business na gagawin mo.” Likewise, Respondent 6 added to

be patient in your business experience. She stated: “Be patient. Everything starts

small before it gets bigger. Every hard work pays off so don’t stop trying.”

Additionally, other online sellers shared their sentiments by giving advices on how to

run your online business. As Respondent 5 stated: “…prepare themselves when it

comes to socializing, focus on their goal to be successful and seek support from their

family and peers.”

4. Understand the Online Seller’s experiences by using the Seligman’s Resilience

Theory

18
 Senior High
4.1 Online sellers were feeling unproductive and lacking School Department
in confidence

Due to personal reasons, the participants were feeling unproductive and lacking in

confidence. As Respondent 1 said: “…I’m doing nothing in our house. It was really

boring so it was a good idea to start a business.” Similarly, Respondent 3 also shared

that there was a lot of spared time and he was not earning. Unproductivity is a state of

being that could cause inability to do something such as learning that may also lead to

lack of confidence. Furthermore, some of the participants were not confident because

of their lack of knowledge in business. As participant 2 said: “…I knew to myself that

I am not smart enough in valuing money and purchasing items.” This statement was

also not far from Respondent 5's response whose lack of confidence is partly caused

by her personality trait: “My situation before having my online business is very hard

because if wanted to have a business but I don't where and how to start because an

introvert person, I am not that good in socializing and how to attract people on our

products.”

4.2 Family and friends became supportive of their online selling

As young entrepreneurs, the participants have the support of their family and friends

concise that they even help by giving advices. As Respondent 1 said: “…family was

really supportive when it comes to our online business. They helped us promote and
19
 Senior
advised us on what we should do to our business. They High
were School
happy andDepartment
proud when

we have decided to put up our online business…” Respondent 2 has the same

testimony: “…they became complacent because at a young age, I was already

learning the cycle of money. They were very supportive they accepted all my

decisions…” For the other participants, the support was not one-sided because of the

financial assistance they grant for their family. As participant 6 said: “This online

business is a big help to my family..." same with Respondent 3 who claimed that his

family are happy because he can contribute on their needs.

4.3 Online sellers are planning to continue expand their businesses

Because of the positive results on their online selling, most of participants want to

expand and improve their businesses. As Respondent 1 said: “…as soon as this

pandemic is over, we are planning to continue it, we are going to continue it, wider

our market by using different platforms,” same with Respondent 2's response: “…I

am planning to widen my range and make my investment larger than usual."

Considering the events that may happen to the business, Respondent 5 will depend on

her/his business' success: “It depends on the situation, if my business is successful

maybe I'll get more products that are attractive to the costumers.” Furthermore, some

of them also want to continue their business to avoid wasting what they have started

and the regret of losing frequent buyers. As Respondent 3 said: “Gusto ko siya
20
icontinue… Feeling ko ipagpapatuloy ko pa rin siya Senior High naman
kasi saying School tong
Department
business,

diba? Sayang naman yung mga clients mo kung ititigil mo na lang basta-basta.”

21
 CHAPTER 4 Senior High School Department

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION, AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Summary

This research aims to know the positive and negative experiences of the student

online sellers in the middle of the pandemic. The researchers also want to know the different

lessons that they have learned while managing their businesses. The researchers have

gathered six respondents for their one-on-one interview by using purposive sampling. The

researchers used thematic analysis to identify and interpret the results from the one-on-one

interview. The theoretical support used in this research is Seligman’s Resilience theory

focusing on the 3P’s model.

Themes from the transcripts show that many of the online sellers are in merchandising

business. Some of the online sellers interviewed responded that they started because they

have extra time while in quarantine. The researchers also found out that many of the online

sellers still continue their businesses because they learn new knowledge from their businesses

and, they are able to help their families financially. The results also showed that many of the

online sellers are planning to expand and continue with their online businesses after the

pandemic.

22
Conclusion Senior High School Department

The results revealed that most online sellers in senior high school sell merchandising

products during the COVID 19 pandemic. They also said that because they had extra time,

the majority of them resorted to online selling. Positive benefits of this activity include

financial support for the needs of the family. The six respondents also revealed that balancing

their time with studying and online selling is the most challenging experience they had.

Personalization on the resilience theory of Seligman was not in effect on the results since

instead of blaming themselves for the difficulty, the respondents chose to be resilient and do

their best to balance their time. Getting credible suppliers and customers became a challenge

because of the lack of knowledge in planning and marketing strategies. The respondents

overcame another aspect of resilience theory on pervasiveness as they answer the needs of

suppliers and customers. Although they have little knowledge of planning and marketing, the

respondents continue with their online selling activities by facing their difficulties and doing

something about it.

The respondents continue with their online selling activities because of the new knowledge

they are gaining and the support it is giving to their families. They view their difficulties as

only temporary and not permanent, and this motivated them to continue. Permanence on the

resilience theory of Seligman often hindered people in continuing with their activities

because of the thought that the hardship is permanent. On the part of the
23
 Senior
respondents, this is not the case. Lessons learned enabled them to High School
develop Department
positive traits and

patience as they plan to expand their business after the COVID 19 pandemic.

Recommendation

The outcome of this study revealed that the challenges faced by online sellers are a

lack of knowledge in business planning and marketing and balancing their time in their

studies and online selling.

The recommendation is that there should be an inclusion of lessons about business planning

and marketing strategies in the curriculum of the senior high school students in all strands

and not only for ABM. The pandemic revealed that having other means to earn an income is

vital for Filipino families. Knowledge of business planning and marketing strategies can help

every family to start their own business.

In terms of balancing their time in studies and online selling, it is recommended that every

family member be diligent in supporting the online business. A rotation schedule in

addressing customers' needs can be done, hence that the senior high school students can still

focus on their studies. It is time for the whole family to work in unity. Thus, every member

can contribute to fulfilling their needs.

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 REFERENCES Senior High School Department

Amato, D. (2 November 2020). Start a business in a pandemic? Young people ask: Why not?

https://discover.rbcroyalbank.com/start-a-business-in-a-pandemic-young-people-ask-why-

not/

Beattie, A. (16 June 2020). 5 Biggest Challenges Facing Your Small Business.

https://www.investopedia.com/articles/pf/12/small-business-challenges.asp

Benjamin, E. (27 April 2020). 14 Most Common Small Business Challenges and Solutions

for New Entrepreneurs. https://www.smallbusinessbonfire.com/14-common-small-business-

challenges-solutions-new-entrepreneurs/

Calleja, J.P. (25 October 2020). The secret to Filipino resilience.

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APPENDICES
Appendix A:
Research Instrument
Objectives
#1: Acknowledge the online
seller’s business in terms of
products, platforms used, and
reasons in establishing their online
business/es.
#2: Understand the online sellers’
experiences in managing their
online business/es amidst the
pandemic.
#3 Recognize the important lessons
that the student online sellers have
learned in their experiences.
Senior High School Department
Interview Questions Interviewer’s Reflective
Comments Notes
1a. What are the products you sell
in your online business?
Probe: What are the different
online platforms you use to sell
your product?
1b. What came into your mind
when you decided to start your
online business?
Probe: when did you start to
establish your online business?
2a. What is it like to be a student
online seller?
Probe: How can you balance your
time in academics and running
your online business?
2b. What are your positive and
negative experiences being an
online seller in the middle of the
pandemic?
2c. What motivates you to
continue your online business
amidst the pandemic?
3a. What are the lessons you have
learned while managing your
online business?
3b. What are the advices you
could give to other people who
are also planning to start their
online business?
28
3P’s in Seligman’s Resilience
theory
Personalization
 1. Senior High School Department
What is your situation
before having your online
business?
Pervasiveness
1. How did this online
business affect other
people around you like
you friends and family?
2. What are their reactions
when you have decided to
put up your online
business?
Permanence
1. What are your other plans
on your business as soon
as this pandemic is over?