IN recent years, the Department of Science and Technology (DoST) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) have been promoting startup businesses to encourage young professionals to become entrepreneurs rather than seek employment. In the Philippines, white-collar jobs are preferred over blue-collar jobs primarily due to prestige and stable income flows. Unlike in other countries, there are a lot of jobs that offer higher compensation due to the skills required.

With the advancement in technology, coupled with the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic that has wrought the whole world for over a year now, the opportunities to start new businesses became a fad. DoST, DTI and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority intensified their campaign to alleviate the unabated unemployment brought about by the pandemic. Although not considered a business but a practice of profession, many certified public accountants (CPAs), especially those who are employed in various industries or those who teach in colleges and universities, joined the bandwagon.