• What is SOMBA all about?  What are its objectives?
• What are the specific expected outcomes of the program?
• What is the load requirement to be completed?
• When is the first course offering?
• What is the program's basic content (General)?
• What other subjects are credited when taking SOMBA?
• How does SOMBA and JGSOM support its students?
• What should a student prepare prior to enrollment?
• How to get in?
• Who can take SOMBA?
• How can I get more information about SOMBA?
• May I have an idea of what kind of products me and my group can develop?

SOMBA stands for School of  Management, Business Accelerator Program.  It is a program under the John Gokongwei School of Management of the Ateneo de Manila University that:

• provides experiential learning and formal mentoring for business start-ups

• serves as the ultimate  practical venue  and expression of the entrepreneurial spirit

1. Developed their product idea into a tangible, safe, and real product potentially acceptable to the market
2. Developed and secured approval for the product's Launch Business Plan.
3. Established their product and company legally.
4. Implemented their Business Plan
5. Generated the projected revenue and profitability within a specified duration of selling

1. The students will be mentored formally (during class by the SOMBA Faculty) and informally (via free consultation with the SOMBA Director)
2. Space to conduct business will be provided free of rent and electrical charge. Only telephone line rental (about 250 pesos per month) will be charged to the students, and metered usage of the phone per outgoing call.
3. SOMBA will provide all basic electrical, telephone and internet connections, as well as the Fax Machine and Printer. All other equipment are to be provided by the Students themselves.
4. After graduation, the Students have the option to continue to occupy the space for a maximum of 6 months but will be charged rent of about 5,000 pesos (still much lower than outside rental charges)

1. Be ready with at least 2-3 product ideas (any ideas from whatever discipline is welcome for as long as they are unique, innovative or value-adding (if product exists already))
2. Establish your team. About 4 to 6 members are recommended.

Some Helpful Tips

1. The product ideas should be those that each one of you personally like or believe in, to elicit both each individual's and the  team's full commitment
2. The composition of your team members is critical.  Not only should they be people you get along with, but those whom you believe are trustworthy,  and reliable enough to do  the work required and to coordinate with all of you.  They should also be as passionate as you are with your product ideas and plans, willing to give the project the  same energy level as you do.
3. A multi-disciplinary or heterogeneous team would be advantageous , but not required.  Different points of view , approaches,  and core competencies will  benefit a business, especially when each team member is likely to be assigned to  perform either a financial, administrative, operational,  marketing or selling  task
4. Strictly speaking,  only one product-idea will be taken up.  However since certain unforeseen developments prevent an idea from reaching its fruition,  it would be good to have 2 other back-up ideas to cut the time on having to re-think and do preliminary research on the replacement idea.
5. Product ideas are not confined to products.  This  could be anything from food,  to a program, a technology,  a service, an ingredient, a drink, a tool etc.

• Ready-to-Drink Coffee in mineral water bottle
• Insulated  but fashionable Lunch Box
• Freshly canned Sugar Cane Juice
• Ready to Drink Whey Protein for Muscle bulking (weight lifters)
• Broadcast text messaging
• Fish Jerky
• Camote and Soy Chips
• Bottled Mango Slices