Discipline

Business administration

Abstract

Many ABM senior high school students are now venturing into micro businesses, applying classroom lessons such as merchandising, budgeting, and planning to real-world practice. These ventures give them hands-on experience in building audiences and maintaining customer relationships. Services include food, clothing, and other small-scale offerings, which students find both enjoyable and rewarding. However, challenges such as limited funds, lack of time, and minimal experience often make business management difficult. The struggle to balance schoolwork with entrepreneurial tasks adds further pressure. Despite these obstacles, many students persist because they are motivated to learn, grow, and prepare for future careers. This study emphasizes the importance of examining their experiences and challenges to understand how entrepreneurship shapes their academic and personal development. This study uses a qualitative phenomenological approach to understand the experiences of ABM Grade 12 students managing micro businesses. Three respondents from SMCIQC are interviewed to share their challenges and perspectives. The focus is on how ABM subjects influence their business practices and personal growth. Data are gathered through open-ended and probing questions to capture detailed insights. To ensure credibility, clear participant criteria are set. Overall, the study highlights the intersection of academic learning and real-world entrepreneurship. Results showed that ABM students ran micro businesses for reasons such as personal interest, peer influence, and family involvement. Their ventures ranged from shoe reselling to helping in family-owned shops. ABM subjects such as FABM, Entrepreneurship, and Marketing provided practical lessons they applied in managing finances, marketing, and decision-making. These academic skills strengthened their entrepreneurial abilities and supported their operations. Overall, the findings highlighted how ABM learning connected directly to real-world entrepreneurship. ABM students chose the strand because it supported career goals in accountancy and business. Many already saw themselves as business-minded, making it a natural fit. Curiosity about accountancy subjects also drove them to explore. Some were influenced by the idea that ABM subjects were easier. Beyond academics, they started small businesses for passion and financial independence. Despite challenges, they balanced school with entrepreneurship. They applied marketing and financial lessons to gain real-world experience.

Keywords

abm students, entrepreneurship, micro businesses, building audience, customer relationship