William Tiu Lim built one of the Philippines’ biggest food manufacturing companies by staying focused on a long-term plan. The few times he strayed from it, he said, became some of his biggest business lessons.
Speaking in an interview with content creator and entrepreneur Pinoy How To, the Mega Prime Foods Inc. founder recalled how an attempt to venture into photography failed because it had little connection to the company’s broader strategy.
“Marami rin. Meron kaming project na ginawa. We would like to go into photography. Pero walang connection. Kaya it leads to failure kasi hindi ‘yun ang grand plan,” Tiu Lim said.
The businessman said the experience reinforced his belief that entrepreneurs should resist chasing opportunities that fall outside their long-term vision.
“Business is a long term dedication. You cannot be short-sighted kaya when we really want to go, projections sa malayo. Para at least ‘yung short term goal, medyo mas madali. Pero kung sabihin na wala kang long term at ‘yung short term ka, you cannot see the whole picture. Kaya magiging problema. Always go through with passion at focus,” he said.
He pointed to Mega Prime Foods’ own growth as an example, saying the company expanded in deliberate stages—from fishing to canning, then sales and marketing, before building a nationwide distribution network.
“So kami nasa fishing. Fishing, ano ba susunod sa fishing? Kailangan merong canning. Ano ‘yung canning? Kailangan may sales, marketing. Anong susunod niyan? Kailangan may distribution. ‘Pag may distribution, ano ma meron? Tuloy-tuloy. Meron kayo product, pasok, pasok, pasok. May distribution na. So that’s a long term plan wherein you are distributing at Luzon hanggang Mindanao,” he said.
Tiu Lim said the photography venture stemmed from a hobby he picked up in 1971 but acknowledged that personal interests do not always translate into successful businesses. “Kasama na ‘yon sa una, eh. Hilig ko, ‘yun e,” he said. “Pero hindi mabuhay sa photographer kasi iba ang nasa business, iba ang hobby.”
For aspiring entrepreneurs, his advice remained straightforward: stay focused.
“Kaya that’s why sinasabi ko focus. ‘Pag pumasok ka, focus. Kasi kung pa-iba-iba, mahirapan ka pa kasi,” he said.
Even after decades in business, Tiu Lim retained his sense of humor, ending the conversation with a tongue-in-cheek remark about entrepreneurship. “Worst mistake is going into business,” he joked.
