The life of National Book Store founder Socorro C. Ramos should serve as an inspiration to the younger generation on how to hurdle the numerous challenges thrown our way. Her success, not just in business but in all aspects of life, stresses the importance of focus, dedication, hard work, education and other important values.

In an interview with BusinessMirror, Ramos, fondly called Nanay Coring, shares her thoughts and experiences on building National Book Store, her family and the important values that made her an entrepreneur and individual par excellence.

What is a typical day for Mrs. Socorro Ramos?

I am up by 7 in the morning. I take fruits and milk for breakfast. My whole morning is almost spent making and receiving calls to and from area managers, branch managers and my department staff. I go to work after lunch. Because I live with my older sister, the cook usually prepares a very lean lunch consisting of vegetables and fish. This is a very dry meal. That is why I enjoy every minute when I am eating outside the house.

My afternoon is mostly spent on meetings with publishers, dealers, customers and branch visits. In the evenings, once in a while, I attend social events like branch openings, book launchings and association meetings. I am not an early sleeper, I get to sleep around 2 am to 3 am so I read two to three newspapers at night and watch late-night TV.

Looking back, did you envision that National Book Store (NBS) would grow this big and become a byword among Filipinos?

No, I did not. My aim then was to earn enough money so I could send my three children to the best school I could afford. Day to day, I thought only of always running the operations efficiently. But I was always keeping my eyes and ears open to new opportunities. In that way the business grew.

But to show you I was not ready for National becoming this big, I must tell you how I reacted to the computerization of the warehouse inventory management. I objected to it vigorously as I did not truly understand the technology. I didn’t trust it and I expected it to fail. I preferred the old-fashioned stock card system. Frankly, my children and grandchildren contributed a lot to the growth of NBS. They were the ones who studied and are all very smart. They forced me to accept computerization and I think now they are right.

Based on your experience, do you agree that the current condition of the country could lead to the development of an individual’s entrepreneurial instinct?

Yes, the situation now is very fluid. There is room for anyone who wants to start a business out of his or her talent, creativity and skills. The market is large enough to test every entrepreneurial instinct.

How do you motivate and inspire your children and grandchildren to become top entrepreneurs?

I did not really talk them into anything, especially not into someday taking over. But they grew up in business, so to speak. For some time, when my children were in grade school, they were so embarrassed to tell their classmates who came to the house that we had no living room. Books were just everywhere—our house became a warehouse. They saw how hard their parents worked and somehow that must have inspired them, motivated them to like the business and be involved and, at the proper time, take over. They had role models in their midst and saw firsthand how entrepreneurs like their parents can be successful.

How significant or important is your motherly touch in running National Book Store?

I cannot really say for sure that National Book Store could have failed if it had a male general manager. I simply ran it the way I would have run my household. Maybe it really has helped that I’m a woman with a motherly touch. I have come across studies which say women executives are more thorough and sensitive. By thorough I mean we also make sure the toilets and the pantry are clean. The studies also say women are more thorough in canvassing markets to make sure they get the best materials at the lowest possible cost. We are more sensitive to other people’s feelings, more open in our communication with employees—no doublespeak.

Employees tend to come to me with their problems and I would help in any way I could, even just lending a van to an employee whose family was going to move to another house. And, of course, there is the popular impression that we are the weaker sex, so men are not put on the offensive or defensive when they deal with us.  Plus we are more charming.

What are the values that you cherish as an entrepreneur?  How do you impart them to your children, grandchildren and the staff?

§          You must know what you really want to do and believe in yourself.

§          You must be dedicated and be a positive thinker to produce favorable results.

§          You must have self-confidence and be self-reliant.

§          You must be a reasonable risk-taker—begin small to minimize losses.

§          You must be industrious and hard-working.

§          You must be creative. Always try to improve work, introduce new and better ways of doing things for the satisfaction of customers.

§          You must be humble and friendly.

§          You must be happy in your work and be service-oriented.

§          You must be innovative. Create new products, new markets and new technology to reduce cost in the midst of lots of competition like TV, computers, etc.

§          You must have integrity so people will trust you and believe you.

§          You must be a decision-maker.

§          You must be prepared to work hard and learn to quickly respond to crises.

§          An entrepreneur organizes, operates and assumes the risks of business ventures.

§          You must have the firm determination to succeed.

§          Most important is your passion for your work.  If you have the love and passion for what you do, hard work is no longer a sacrifice but a joy!

§          Education is important. Study very well the course you are taking so you won’t make a lot of mistakes when you are on your own.

I also impart my motto: Invest in your mind, read more, know more and earn more.

My daily work is each time I attempt to carry out these values. My children have seen firsthand how my husband and I have tried to concretize these values. I work with my staff daily, so they also know what I’m really about.

Your childhood ambition was to become a doctor. But fate seemed to have other plans for you. Do you think that destiny played a big role in making you an entrepreneur?

Yes, maybe destiny, but more of necessity. Oh, they could be one and the same thing, I don’t know. Our poverty just pushed me to be entrepreneurial to be able to survive.

How do you and your family balance the old and new forms of management in running NBS?

We talk always—informally at lunch or dinner. Our family does not talk about anything else but National Book Store. This extends, formally, in board meetings with managers and staff. I and a few staff or managers are maybe of the old school. Having been there when National was just beginning, or in its midlife years, we provide the history and context. My children brought in new ideas and management styles. Now the grandchildren, who mostly are Ivy League-educated, are again infusing the company with more innovative ideas through their third-generation management styles.

Are there plans to put up a Rizal Avenue branch and integrate a “mini museum” that will show the story of National Book Store to guide and inspire the younger generation?

I have not thought of that yet. Maybe in the future.

Does your work also serve as your exercise?

My work is really everything. There is nothing else significantly personal. Our family life also revolves around the business.

Book Keeper

The life of National Book Store founder Socorro C. Ramos should serve as an inspiration to the younger generation on how to hurdle the numerous challenges thrown our way. Her success, not just in business but in all aspects of life, stresses the importance of focus, dedication, hard work, education and other important values.

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