Corte Real started out as an idle space until Illac Diaz, a man with great entrepreneurial spirit turned it into the Philippine’s first dormitory for seafarers. From a 20-bed dormitory in Intramuros (Manila), Illac strived to make it 600-bed strong. The first months since its opening in Jun e 2001 were bad but it picked up quickly.
Illac recalls with fondness the very first tenants his dormitory had. “I was sitting inside my room then, planning for the dormitory. I was very worried. I mean, I had more than 600 vacant beds and what would I do with that? It was such a low point for me. Then all of a sudden someone knocked in and asked if he can stay. What is interesting is that his name was Amen. He was my very first tenant. So it was like an answer from the heavens since I was praying hard for my business.”
Illac considers Amen, who stayed for one night, as his angel, a heavenly sign for his business. True enough, after Amen left, more tenants knocked in to his dormitory.
“I knew I had the intentions. Mine was for social development, using industry for a better society. I mean, it’s how you change the lifestyle of your seafarers by using a business model.”
Corte Real strives to change the lifestyle of seafarers, which Diaz describes as one of the abused sectors of our society. Along with keeping his rates affordable for seafarers, he makes it a point that the dormitory will not just be a space to stay but a community as well.
“We offer more than the space. We are not all about business. They pay much more for the services than the space.” Illac contends. Apart from the recreation, the dormitory offers free use of game materials such as chessboards, television, a nearby basketball court and billiards hall; they also hold self-defense lessons for seafarers every Saturday. Add to that the weekly religious activities they hold.
Corte Real also gives assistance to seafarers with legal problems and assist them in finding a job. Just outside the dormitory premises are job listings for seafarer-tenants. They also have 24-hour security, and comprehensive record of their tenants including the manning agency they belong to.
Illac has high regard for the country’s seafarers which probably explains his commitment to elevate their status. “Our seafarers are well-trained, very calculated as regards to their movements. I only encountered a few problems with regards to the seaman, perhaps 1 or 2 among the 3,000 that have been here. They have a high level of accountability to their family and company.”
He also tries to accommodate then in every way he can. The dormitory for instance offers credit facilities and accepts delayed payments for seafarers. Aside from this, a new dormitory will be opened in nearby Ermita where a plan of accepting women seafarers is being considered.
Christine Jacinto thought that her new career as a homemaker would mean losing the opportunity to earn her own money. Attending to the needs of her husband, raising her sons (ages 5 an d3), and doing most of the household chores took most of her time that she never imagined she could start her own business. But entrepreneurial as she is, she found herself earning quite a sum of money right at the comforts of her home, specifically in her kitchen, baking cookies.
Q: What made you venture into this business?
A: Ever since I was in high school, I already love baking and cooking. In fact, I have a degree in Hotel and Management and worked with several restaurants before I got married. But with two kids to raise, I decided to just stay at home. So I was left cooking only for my family.
But on several occasions where friends and relatives would get to sample my baking, they would be impressed and some started to place their orders. In most cases, they would delight themselves with the cakes or cookies that I baked. But back then, it was more of a hobby and I only accommodate orders on selective basis.
Q: When and how did you start?
A: I started three Christmases ago. My youngest son’s birthday falls on November 10 and during his first birthday, we had a children’s party at home where I served several baked goodies for the kids. Surprisingly, many of the parents placed their own orders. I found out later that they intended them as gifts for Christmas.
Q: What were the initial problems that you encountered?
A: Quite a lot! Basically because everything was unexpected, I really did not plan to start a business during that time. First was buying the ingredients and other supplies that I needed. Of course I have to shell out some money for them. Thanks to my husband for providing me with the initial capital. Then there is also the problem with packing the goodies since they were Christmas gifts. There was also the problem of meeting with the schedule. Since I was doing the baking myself, it was really tiring.
And as I found it to be an additional source of income, I also have to employ people to assist me and it was hard to get someone you can trust since I have to make sure of the quality of the products. Plus the fact that this was being done at home, you wouldn’t just allow a stranger to enter your home.
Q: How much was your initial capital and how much working capital do you now maintain?
A: More or less around P15,000 which was used mostly to but the ingredients. But I did make additional purchases later on especially for the packaging. Then I also have to buy additional equipment as the orders started to grow.
Right now, my working capital has reached P50,000. And it actually depends on the orders. During Christmas season, I really get a lot of orders so I have to make a lot of purchases.
The best way to earn in the country second to a high-paying employment is doing a business. Starting a business in the Philippines can be summarized in the following steps.
First of all, starting a business means getting a birth certificate. Then open the Sunday classified ads of any major daily in the country to look for people or companies offering business. Choose one that suits your preference, list several offers, and call them up one by one. Of the offers in the list choose two to three that seem to promise a more preferable deal. Meet with representatives of these offers. Most of these will probably be franchise offers, the trend in the country.
If the business is a franchise, ask for franchise documents that will prove one’s ownership of the franchise. This document will be asked by city hall officials and stall or concession owners one will later meet. Be sure that franchise documents are complete. This is important in starting a business. For particulars on franchise documents, contact the franchise main office. They will likely be listed online. Or try telephone operator service.
If the business is non-franchise, be sure to have all pertinent documents and records of the business one has bought. Among these are Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) documents for solo or single proprieties or a partnership and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) papers for corporations. Then there’s the business permit which is secured from city hall. Last, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) business papers. Be sure to have all these documents transferred to one’s name. Besides these business documents, starting a business also needs one to secure a barangay character and business clearance from the barangay where one plans to put up a business. Birth certificate is needed here.
The best option is to start one’s own business. Starting a business from scratch (not bought from somebody else) requires routine securing of all aforesaid documents. A warning though: without the barangay clearances no documentation will be accomplished at city hall. Days or week may pass before DTI or SEC or business or BIR papers can be released. So while waiting, one can proceed looking for business locations. Location is crucial in starting a business so give it lots of time.
Starting a business in the Philippines need to go through several phases: getting barangay clearances, securing DTI or SEC papers, business permit from city hall, BIR permit, and choosing a business location.
Josephine is a simple homemaker with a husband and children. She once worked for the beauty soap industry and retired to pursue her dream: make and sell her own soap! She enrolled in a soap-making class in Technology and Livelihood Resource Center and in no time, started selling her soaps like hotcakes.
Her core market are her friends, family, and acquaintances. Her pool of customers steadily grew through referrals until customers would just come knocking at her house looking for her popular herbal soaps.
Add to that the fact there are certain companies who buys her soaps with no labels then sell them using their own. “I have customer, I won’t mention the name, but that person is really popular right now because of my papaya soaps. Although she uses her own label. The soaps are being sold in leading supermarkets right now.
Her own label is called Dagta (Extract) Herbal Soap which comes in papaya, tawas-papaya, squalene (which she herself concocted and which provide the same effect as the squalene capsule form), guava (for feminine hygiene), and hair-grower soaps. Ther herbal soaps cost P65 per pack of 5 pieces (P13 each).
Together with her five assistants and her husband, Josephine can make an average of 2,000 herbal soaps everyday.
“I was glad that customers liked my herbal soaps. They said it does well for their skin. It prevents itches and eliminates discoloration and other blemishes on their skin. I could say that my products are pure herbal because I only use pure coconut oil on making them. This is what differentiates my products from the rest of the herbal soaps in the market today.”
At present, Josephine’s soap business is doing well in the market. Her income has helped them a lot especially with her children’s education. She was also able to invest some of her earnings in vehicles and land.
“TLRC helped me a lot. I think the reason why other people weren’t successful in this field was probably because it wasn’t really meant for them. In this business, your product should have the best quality and you should take good care of your customers so that they will patronize your products and hopefully gain more customers in the end.”
Truly, quality is what makes a product lasts. And for Josephine, who’s been making herbal soaps for almost 10 years now, it is no wonder how her small home business stayed this long.
And as long as there are itches, blotches, and other skin problems to deal with, Josephine’s herbal soaps will always be here to save our face.
Sheryl had a promising career in banking but she knew her calling was in the world of businesses. She packed her things one day and decided to help out in the family business which was a hardware store. From there the learned the ropes and later on decided to focus on one product alone: paints. Now that her paint supply business is a money maker, she’s glad to share some insights.
Experience Shared
“The first thing I learned was that having your own business is not an easy task to do. Before I only used to worry about my credit card payments, but now, I have payables reaching up to six digits,” she quips.
As Sheryl further relates, “In this business, it is important to have a good location. Your store must be located in an area where you can cater to both residential owners and commercial establishments. Then, as I pointed out earlier, you have to do some marketing work to be able to have a stable pool of clients all year round.”
She also points out the importance of prudent finance management. “You see, people don’t buy paint everyday. So your money is tied up to your inventory for quite sometime. You will have to find the means to be able to maintain a sound working capital.”
Looking back, Sheryl is proud to have survived the initial year and is looking forward to more years in this business “It is tough at first but it can eventually be a stable source of income in the long run. Just imagine, our family has been in this business for more than two decades already. It only takes a lot of guts to start out and be able to maintain loyal clients.”
Encouraging Small Enterprises
It also helps small entrepreneurs like Sheryl that there is a law like the Baranggay Enterprises). The law is aimed to exempt micro-business enterprises from income tax and the minimum wage law and reduce or exempt the “babes” from local taxes and fees and charges.
To qualify under this scheme, a business enterprise must have no more than P3 million in total assets including loans availed, excluding the value of the land used in the said venture.
The law also calls for the establishment of “special credit windows” to be set up by the Land Bank of the Philippines, Development Bank of the Philippines, the Small Business Guarantee and Finance Corporation and the People’s Credit and Finance Corporation.
Under the bill, the Social Security System and the Government Service Insurance System shall likewise extend additional to its members who wish to establish a small enterprise.
Wouldn’t it be nice to fill your homes with lovely things and decorations of your own making? To just show off to your friends how you’ve bestowed that special personal touch to your abode. I’m sure most of us, creative and non-creative persons, have l aid our hands on those laces and trimmings with the aid of our inflated imaginations to create something useful and magically succeeded. Or maybe not.
But Ms. Julie did just that, and later turned that inclination into good business.
Julie Tolentino started Julie’s Gifts in 1998. What began as a diversion to busy herself with while taking care of her family, led to a very rewarding business venture.
“It was just a hobby, to keep myself busy. Then my friends saw my creations and they liked them. That’s when I started getting orders for wedding giveaways. Later on I started developing other products. That’s when I decided to turn my hobby into business.”
Ms Julie was an architect by profession, but she decided to devote her time to her family the moment she got married. At age 43, she now has three lovely girls ages 16, 11, and 2.
“I took no training whatsoever. As you know, I’m a plain housewife so there are times when I Get bored with my daily routine. Until one day, I got hooked on this TV show Negosyete. Since I have an inclination for the arts, I got interested in making my own creations.”
Her products include giveaways for all occasions—weddings, debuts, special events, office giveaways—gift items, baskets, household accessories and of course, Christmas decors and trimmings.
One of her bestsellers are the Austrian swarovski crystal necklaces and bracelets. “I import the crystals straight from Austria where they are high quality. It’s in Austria where you can really find quality semi-precious stones, unlike the ones in Chekoslovakia and other countries. I get orders for these items from other countries, so you can say this is one item I’m starting to export.
Now one might say there’s really nothing extraordinary with making these items anymore. But Julie’s Gifts prides itself with the uniqueness of its designs and creations.
The main bulk of her products are brought to Traditions, a gift and novelty shop found in Megamall and other SM malls in Metro Manila, originally on consignment basis. Meaning she will be paid based only on the quantity of the items sold. “But they like my products because of their uniqueness and original designs. And since my items are usually bestsellers, I get paid in advance often.
“I also supply some wedding giveaways for Malou Veloso (a premier bridal shop). My other clients include friends, acquaintances, and people who are referred to me. In fact, I was contracted to make the wedding giveaways for Ogie Alcasid and Michelle van Eimeren some years back. I have also been invited to be a resource speaker in several TV shows and for TLRC’s special courses.”
[Tags]Philippines Home Business, Make Money from Home, Philippines, Design, Beauty, Manila[/Tags]
Mr. Romy Iral’s story is something he never gets tired of sharing with anyone. Though afflicted with recurring cataract on his right eye (despite three major eye operations), his sight difficulty has not hindered him to pursue his craft, which has definitely helped him and his family make both ends meet.
An accidental encounter with Mr. Willy Buhay, then the artistic director of Folk Arts Theater (Manila), was what Mang Romy needed to seriously consider venturing into what was then just a simple hobby. Starting out with a meager capital of P5,000 in 1986, he decided to put up a business which created various products using brass as the main material.
As he cheerfully recounts, Mr. Buhay has requested him to create coconut trees and a basket with the use of brass for an exhibit. Little did he know that, with the intricate work he has done, these products have caught the attention of a lot of people. Several orders from various clients followed suit.
He was then commissioned by the owners of Via Mare to produce decorative plates for the restaurant. Not too long after that, Architect Bobby Mañosa tapped his creativity to produce coconut branches as background for a Sto. Niño, which was 16 feet high. And yes, all these were made of brass.
From the coconut trees and baskets, Mr. Iral’s products has expanded to include frames, lamp shades and candle holders. There was even a time when he made fashion accessories for known designers like Inno Sotto and Franie Zamora.
With the expansion, he now maintains a shop in Bulacan, where he employs four workers for the production. Mang Romy himself makes the designs. All his works are made-to-order, although he maintains few samples for viewing of prospective clients.
Venturing into this kind of business is not an easy task for Mang Romy. He confides that it is important that you find a stable supplier of brass, stainless steel and tin for your products. He gets his supply from Sta. Cruz, Manila.
Another important consideration is to keep up-to-date with the designs of the products and the guts to try on new ones. He narrates that his expansion was motivated mainly by his passion to explore more on what can be done with his main material—that is brass.
When asked about the financial considerations, he says that presently his working capital has reached P50,000 to cater for the orders of his 5 regular clients. Deliveries to these clients are made two to three times a week. Loyal customers include stall owners in Greenhills, Makati, and Parañaque.
In terms of returns, he says that the business is definitely profitable. He reveals that mark up on the pricing of his products is usually 50%.
[Tags]Home Business, Makati, Greenhills, Home Business Philippines, Financial, Design[/Tags]
Only in her mid-twenties, Sheryl Eusebio gave up a promising banking career to fulfill a long-time dream—that is to put up her own home business. Looking back, Sheryl prides herself in having followed that dream, notwithstanding the problems and pains that came along the way.
Runs in the Family
It has been Sheryl’s desire to start her own business no matter small. Keeping in mind the adage—know your business—Sheryl decided to put up a paint supply business.
“My parents have been in the hardware store business for around 25 years already. Growing up then, I was somehow exposed to the operations of the business since we children would help our parents especially during summer break. So, I thought it would be helpful for me if I would be helpful for me if I would start on the same business since I have basic knowledge of its operations,” Sheryl narrates.
“But it was not easy. There is always that pressure to make the venture a success, especially if it’s your first. Good thing, though, because my dad was there to guide me along the way,” she continues.
Specialize and Diversity
According to Sheryl, it is easier to focus on a particular type of product rather than cater to a variety of goods. Aside from the financial consideration, it would be different to monitor and handle different products when you are just starting out.
“I decided to start on the paint supply business because it would be easier for me to monitor the store’s operations. At least, I just have paint to think of. Although I do have that goal of expanding into a hardware store and be able to sell various construction materials. In fact, on a selective basis, I already started selling some construction materials aside from paints, mostly to contractors.”
Hands-On All the Time
Another important factor in setting up your own business is the time that you have to put into it. As Sheryl would put it, “When you decide to venture into something, you have to give it your all. That’s the reason why I had to quit my job. You only have yourself to rely on. Even if you have your family or your own staff to assist you, every business decision will be your call and it could be disastrous if you make a wrong move.”
Moreover, her business requires a lot of marketing work. “It would be impractical to rely on walking clients.” Sheryl says. “People do not undertake construction or renovation the whole year round. So if you don’t tie-up with contractors or auto repair shops, it would be difficult to maintain a revolving capital for the whole year. That’s why I have to maintain accounts to be able to be able to keep the business going.
[Tags]Paint, Philippines Home Business, Make Money From Home, Philippines[/Tags]
Philippine business is dominated by stores throughout the country. They are along streets, in communities, in and around malls, and in office and school districts. They’re everywhere. But operating and manning a store business can be boring. Many of the store businesses that give up are not so much because of financial woes but because of boredom. How do we fix boredom in a store business?
Home or out-of-home store businesses often open at 6 or 8 in the morning and finish till 9 or 10 in the evening. Mall store businesses open regularly at 10 or 10:30 in the morning and end at 8 or 9 in the evening. If one’s new in the store business, it is likely that one would personally man the store. It takes lots of secured profits to afford hiring another person to man it. Manning a store business can be very tiring and boring. The first few days of a store business may be exciting. But after a few months, it gets uncomfortable.
To beat the woes of manning a store business it’s important to keep a goal. Make a yearly goal and break it down to monthly, weekly, and daily goals. Keeping a daily goal in mind makes the clock seem to tick faster. Morning till evening manning of a store business would seem too short and one would begin to wish that days were more than 24 hours a day.
To beat the daily goal, daily sales strategies must be in line. One would be too busy trying to hit the sales goal by thinking up sales pitches and techniques, to think of boredom or discomfort in manning the store business. Then keep the place tidy and smart. Check the shelves for instance, and make sure they’re filled up and items are well arranged. Vacant spaces on shelves make for a lousy store business image. Engrossment in this makes the clock tick even faster, as it were.
Befriend customers. Don’t kill time in a store business by reading comics or watching a portable TV set. This is the best way to discourage customers. Furthermore, showing oneself openly as a welcoming and available store business proprietor not only boosts sales but lets one enjoy the business as well.
Store businesses can be more lucrative if one gets to enjoy it more. By simply learning to like customers and serving them, a store business can thrive and remain.
Entrepreneurial seafarers can take their first shot at business and all they need to get going is of course the capital. They can start with a capital of as little as P2,000.
Easily, the hottest and trendiest option for many entrepreneurs is franchising. It is one venture that offers you some small success even before you start. What’s good with franchising is that you’re linking up with established names such as Jollibee, Goto King, Foto Me, 3M Pizza, Shell, Caltex, and many others. Other than the financial resources, an interested franchisee only needs to present a letter of intent detailing his initial business plan. This is because companies understandably screen their prospective franchisees to ensure that the business’ image is not tarnished.
So rather than spend your hard-earned money in shopping or placing them in banks which could only earn a measly two percent interest annually, why not pick from among the following business undertakings you can possibly venture into:
? Gas Station – Investing in a gasoline station business would require a capital of from P3 to P5 million. That is if you apply as dealer of the Big 3 oil companies: Shell, Caltex, or Petron. New oil players such as Total and Flying V offer lower packages, while others can make you a gas station owner for less than P200,000. Of course, the location must be considered to realize profits early.
? Fastfood Chain – You don’t need to despair if you can’t afford the franchising cost of Jollibee, McDonald’s, Max’s, or Goldilocks which cost at least P10 million. A relatively smaller capital can give you a franchise of a smaller, but nonetheless, recognized fastfood chain. Why not try 3M Pizza, Goto King, Mister Donut, Potato Corner, Lapid’s Chicharon and Todits? A Potato Corner franchise costs from P200,000 to P300,000. Sure you can also get a food franchise for P100,000 but these are the less popular ones. Pooling your resources, however, can still bring your dreams of becoming an owner of a big-ticket fastfood franchise.
? Laundry Shop – Today’s fast-paced and highly urbanized lifestyle led to the instant success of laundry shops. The old reliable neighborhood lavandera can still do your laundry, but the trend nowadays is the laundry shop. A Lavandera Ko franchise would not cost at least P800,000, including self-serve washing machines, dryer, and chemicals. For around P500,000, you may consider opening your own laundry shop. Laundry machine suppliers offer friendly financing terms. Go check out the telephone directory.
? Water Station – Some 20 years ago, a group of students in a masters business class proposed a plan to undertake the possibility of a bottled water industry as part of their thesis. Their professor, however, thinking that such idea was too far out did not approve it. The rest, as everyone knows, is history. With pollution all around us, tap water nowadays is no longer considered safe and is largely used only for washing and bathing. To be a water station owner carrying known brands such as Agua Vida, you have to shell out from P25,000 to P500,000. You can check daily newspaper advertisements for details.