dentists covered by medicard
◦MEDICard QC
Address: 937 G/F MESU Realty Trading Corp., EDSA, Quezon City
Contact Number: (02) 920-8457, 920-5164, 775-4629
Fax No: (02) 920-8457
Clinic Schedule: M-F 7am-7pm, Sat 7am-5pm
◦MEDICard Makati
Address: 2129 G/F King’s Court II Bldg.,
Don Chino Roces Ave., Makati City
Contact Number: (02) 811-2411 / 811-0390
Fax Number: (02) 811-2007
Clinic Schedule: M-F 7am-6pm, Sat 7am-3pm
The Medical City
Trunkline: 635-6789 loc 3008 and 3009
Gound Floor, Medical Arts Tower
Coordinator: Ivy Rosal
Makati Medical Center
Direct Line: 893-7740
Trunkline: 815-9911 local 2373
Room 373, New Wing
Clinic Supervisor: Cecile Galvez
Monday, 13 May 2013
Sunday, 12 May 2013
Ideas & Opportunities
It used to be people went outside the home to earn money or apply for jobs. However, with the rough economic times in the last two years dealing major setbacks to major employing companies and even bigger corporations, more and more people are now going back to their homes, not to remain unemployed, but to become employers themselves by creating their own business.
Who can blame them? Maintaining a home-based business requires a smaller start-up cost as compared to thousands to millions of pesos needed for purchasing new equipment and creating your own space.
Rather than pay thousands of pesos for a few square meters, there’s virtually no need to pay monthly rent because your home is your office. [Read about a successful business that started at home here]
There’s also no need to shell out a small fortune to hire regular employees, you control your workload and your time, and the best part, you are your own boss. It isn’t surprising to find that for those who have made the leap from employee to employer, they began the transformation at home.
Many started their businesses as a part-time job, and eventually made it their fulltime career, finding more than just financial fulfillment in a small capital and home-based business. And for the lucky few, the business that literally started in their own backyard became the beginning of a bigger, and more ambitious mainstream brand. And with the Internet becoming an accessible and free platform for start-up entrepreneurs to begin their business ventures, it’s only a matter of time before another small capital and home-based business makes it out into the big league. And to think it all began at home.
Set Up a Home –Based Business in Six Steps
Just because you have the luxury of having your business in your home doesn’t mean you can treat your business like your home. It’s still, after all, a business. Learn the right way to set-up your own home-based business. [Read about Mama Lou's home-made cookies here]
STEP 1: Make it Official
Registering your home-based business gives you and your company credibility and shows your customers or clients that despite being home-based, you still mean serious
business. It’s easier that you think.
Action 1: The Department of Trade and Industry has made registering your business name easier with its Business Name Registration System (BNRS). Log on to www.bnrs.dti.gov.ph and check if the business name you have in mind is already taken. To save time, have at least three possible names for back up. [See five rules for a home-based business here]
Page 2: Permits
Action 2: Create an account by filling in your full name and e-mail address. The BNRS will send your password to your email, and using the password, log in to your free account.
Action 3: Once you’re logged in, go to the Online Services tab and click on the Request for a New Application. After reading and understanding the Terms and Conditions, click the button indicating your agreement to the terms, and proceed to filling up the online application form.
Action 4: Once complete, submit the online application form and to receive an e-mail notifying you of the approval of your application. If approved, you’ll receive a transaction Reference Number Acknowledgement Form (TRNAF), which you will need to print, sign, and later submit to the DTI Office together with the following: [Learn how to run your home-based business like a pro here]
• A printed copy of the e-mail notification from the DTI approving your Web application for a new business name;
• An original and photocopy of proof of citizenship (passport, voters ID, birth certificate);
• Two passport-size ID pictures; and
• A processing fee of P165.00, plus P15 for documentary stamps.
Action 5: The DTI will reserve your proposed business name for three days only. Within that time, you can visit the DTI Office to pay the processing fee and submit the required documents. Upon DTI’s notification, you can then go back to receive your business name document.
The steps above apply only if you are a single proprietorship. If you plan to register as a partnership or a corporation, you will need to go to the Securities and Exchange Commission (www.sec.gov.ph).
STEP 2: Get Permitted
Before you can operate, it’s also important to secure permits from your local government, which is the city where your home-office will be located.
Action 1: Obtain a barangay clearance. [See list of hot home-based business ideas here]
Where: Barangay Hall
What you need to bring: Registration certificate from the DTI or SEC
Fee: P1,500
Action 2: Obtain a mayor’s permit (also known as a business permit).
Where: Municipal or city hall in the place where you will set up your business
What you need to bring: Barangay clearance; Registration certificate from the DTI or SEC; Location sketch of your place of business; Community Tax Certificate
Action 3: Obtain a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN).
Where: Bureau of Internal Revenue [Read more about other home-based entrepreneurs here]
What you need to bring: Accomplished BIR forms 1901 or 1903; Location sketch of your place of business; A copy of your mayor’s permit or municipal license; Registration certificate from the DTI or SEC
Fee: P500 plus 1 percent of subscribed capital for the documentary stamp
Page 3: Social Security
Action 4: Obtain special permits.
Depending on the nature of your home-based business, you may also need to obtain special permits. If your home-based business, for example, will be dealing with food, chemicals, of any health-related product or service, a permit from the Department of Health–Bureau of Food and Drugs would be needed. For a full list, visit the Philippine Business Registry website (www.business.gov.ph).
Step 3: Get Social Security for Your Workers
All businesses are required to register their employees for Social Security protection.
Where: Social Security System (www.sss.gov.ph) [Read about two successful furniture businesses that started at home here]
What you need to bring: Accomplished SSS Form R-1 for employer registration; Accomplished SSS Form R-1A, which lists the names of your employees; Articles of Partnership or Incorporation for partnerships or corporations
Step 4: Know The Numbers
The key to making a home-based business work is organization. This not only goes for the physical set-up of your office space, but even with you business’ finances. Having a good accounting system helps with not only gauging your profit, but also separating your personal and professional finances.
Tip 1: Your accounting system must give you control over transactions. In particular, the system must help you prevent unauthorized payments or theft from cash collections. [See four reminders to be an effective one-man company here]
Tip 2: Your accounting system must be compatible with your business operations and organizational structure. What’s the use of acquiring expensive accounting software when you can only use 20 percent of its functions?
Tip 3: You accounting system must be flexible enough to allow you to upgrade it without doing a complete overhaul. Your business may expand in a few years’ time with new products and services. Your current system should be able to adapt to possible changes in the business.
Tip 4: Always do a cost-benefit analysis when designing an accounting system. Do the benefits of buying an off-the-shelf computerized system outweigh the cost? Are you better off simplifying your accounting with a manual system rather than investing in software packages given your current business setup? Will an investment for accounting software pay for itself in the long run? [See five ways to survive the startup phase here}
Page 4: Time and marketing
Step 5: Keep Time
Despite being a home-based business, it’s important to keep regular office hours to create the atmosphere of professionalism and efficiency within the company. Make it immediately known to your customers and clients that you will only entertain them during that certain period.
Not only does this make your business seem professional, but it also prevents your work-life from interfering with your home-life, creating a boundary between the two. This way, instances like taking calls during weekends or meeting with clients during holidays can be avoided.
Step 6: Make Yourself Known
Aside from traditional forms of marketing such as leaflets, flyers, tarpaulins, and print ads, home-based businesses have found a new home in cyberspace. [See two startup principles for aspiring entrepreneurs here]
The Internet has proved to be the best, and not to mention cheapest, marketing tool. Its reach is global, and its cost is virtually free. Social networking sites like Facebook and Multiply have become a thriving marketing platform for start-up entrepreneurs. Or if you have the finances, you can purchase your own domain name, and hire a small Web development company to help create your own personal website.
Still, for many successful home-based businesses, experience has proven that the best marketing tool is word of mouth. And you can only ensure this if you treat your customers well and maintain a high standard for your product or service.
Useful Contact Information:
Social Security System
SSS Building East Avenue,
Diliman, Quezon City
(02) 920-6401; (02) 920-6446
www.sss.gov.ph
Department of Trade and Industry
385 Industry and Investments Bldg.,
Sen. Gil Puyat Ave., Makati City 1200
(02) 751-3330; (02) 751-5096
www.dti.gov.ph
DTI Business Name Registration System
www.bnrs.dti.gov.ph
Philippine Business Registry
(02) 729-8681
pbr-pmu@dti.gov.ph
www.business.gov.ph
Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission
SEC Building, EDSA, Greenhills,
Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila
(02) 584-0923; (02) 584-5293
www.sec.gov.ph
Related Articles:
Startup tips from successful entrepreneurs
The path from startup to going big time
Transform your great biz idea into reality
STEP 1: Make it Official
Registering your home-based business gives you and your company credibility and shows your customers or clients that despite being home-based, you still mean serious
business. It’s easier that you think.
Action 1: The Department of Trade and Industry has made registering your business name easier with its Business Name Registration System (BNRS). Log on to www.bnrs.dti.gov.ph and check if the business name you have in mind is already taken. To save time, have at least three possible names for back up. [See five rules for a home-based business here]
Page 2: Permits
Action 2: Create an account by filling in your full name and e-mail address. The BNRS will send your password to your email, and using the password, log in to your free account.
Action 3: Once you’re logged in, go to the Online Services tab and click on the Request for a New Application. After reading and understanding the Terms and Conditions, click the button indicating your agreement to the terms, and proceed to filling up the online application form.
Action 4: Once complete, submit the online application form and to receive an e-mail notifying you of the approval of your application. If approved, you’ll receive a transaction Reference Number Acknowledgement Form (TRNAF), which you will need to print, sign, and later submit to the DTI Office together with the following: [Learn how to run your home-based business like a pro here]
• A printed copy of the e-mail notification from the DTI approving your Web application for a new business name;
• An original and photocopy of proof of citizenship (passport, voters ID, birth certificate);
• Two passport-size ID pictures; and
• A processing fee of P165.00, plus P15 for documentary stamps.
Action 5: The DTI will reserve your proposed business name for three days only. Within that time, you can visit the DTI Office to pay the processing fee and submit the required documents. Upon DTI’s notification, you can then go back to receive your business name document.
The steps above apply only if you are a single proprietorship. If you plan to register as a partnership or a corporation, you will need to go to the Securities and Exchange Commission (www.sec.gov.ph).
STEP 2: Get Permitted
Before you can operate, it’s also important to secure permits from your local government, which is the city where your home-office will be located.
Action 1: Obtain a barangay clearance. [See list of hot home-based business ideas here]
Where: Barangay Hall
What you need to bring: Registration certificate from the DTI or SEC
Fee: P1,500
Action 2: Obtain a mayor’s permit (also known as a business permit).
Where: Municipal or city hall in the place where you will set up your business
What you need to bring: Barangay clearance; Registration certificate from the DTI or SEC; Location sketch of your place of business; Community Tax Certificate
Action 3: Obtain a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN).
Where: Bureau of Internal Revenue [Read more about other home-based entrepreneurs here]
What you need to bring: Accomplished BIR forms 1901 or 1903; Location sketch of your place of business; A copy of your mayor’s permit or municipal license; Registration certificate from the DTI or SEC
Fee: P500 plus 1 percent of subscribed capital for the documentary stamp
Page 3: Social Security
Action 4: Obtain special permits.
Depending on the nature of your home-based business, you may also need to obtain special permits. If your home-based business, for example, will be dealing with food, chemicals, of any health-related product or service, a permit from the Department of Health–Bureau of Food and Drugs would be needed. For a full list, visit the Philippine Business Registry website (www.business.gov.ph).
Step 3: Get Social Security for Your Workers
All businesses are required to register their employees for Social Security protection.
Where: Social Security System (www.sss.gov.ph) [Read about two successful furniture businesses that started at home here]
What you need to bring: Accomplished SSS Form R-1 for employer registration; Accomplished SSS Form R-1A, which lists the names of your employees; Articles of Partnership or Incorporation for partnerships or corporations
Step 4: Know The Numbers
The key to making a home-based business work is organization. This not only goes for the physical set-up of your office space, but even with you business’ finances. Having a good accounting system helps with not only gauging your profit, but also separating your personal and professional finances.
Tip 1: Your accounting system must give you control over transactions. In particular, the system must help you prevent unauthorized payments or theft from cash collections. [See four reminders to be an effective one-man company here]
Tip 2: Your accounting system must be compatible with your business operations and organizational structure. What’s the use of acquiring expensive accounting software when you can only use 20 percent of its functions?
Tip 3: You accounting system must be flexible enough to allow you to upgrade it without doing a complete overhaul. Your business may expand in a few years’ time with new products and services. Your current system should be able to adapt to possible changes in the business.
Tip 4: Always do a cost-benefit analysis when designing an accounting system. Do the benefits of buying an off-the-shelf computerized system outweigh the cost? Are you better off simplifying your accounting with a manual system rather than investing in software packages given your current business setup? Will an investment for accounting software pay for itself in the long run? [See five ways to survive the startup phase here}
Page 4: Time and marketing
Step 5: Keep Time
Despite being a home-based business, it’s important to keep regular office hours to create the atmosphere of professionalism and efficiency within the company. Make it immediately known to your customers and clients that you will only entertain them during that certain period.
Not only does this make your business seem professional, but it also prevents your work-life from interfering with your home-life, creating a boundary between the two. This way, instances like taking calls during weekends or meeting with clients during holidays can be avoided.
Step 6: Make Yourself Known
Aside from traditional forms of marketing such as leaflets, flyers, tarpaulins, and print ads, home-based businesses have found a new home in cyberspace. [See two startup principles for aspiring entrepreneurs here]
The Internet has proved to be the best, and not to mention cheapest, marketing tool. Its reach is global, and its cost is virtually free. Social networking sites like Facebook and Multiply have become a thriving marketing platform for start-up entrepreneurs. Or if you have the finances, you can purchase your own domain name, and hire a small Web development company to help create your own personal website.
Still, for many successful home-based businesses, experience has proven that the best marketing tool is word of mouth. And you can only ensure this if you treat your customers well and maintain a high standard for your product or service.
Useful Contact Information:
Social Security System
SSS Building East Avenue,
Diliman, Quezon City
(02) 920-6401; (02) 920-6446
www.sss.gov.ph
Department of Trade and Industry
385 Industry and Investments Bldg.,
Sen. Gil Puyat Ave., Makati City 1200
(02) 751-3330; (02) 751-5096
www.dti.gov.ph
DTI Business Name Registration System
www.bnrs.dti.gov.ph
Philippine Business Registry
(02) 729-8681
pbr-pmu@dti.gov.ph
www.business.gov.ph
Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission
SEC Building, EDSA, Greenhills,
Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila
(02) 584-0923; (02) 584-5293
www.sec.gov.ph
Related Articles:
Startup tips from successful entrepreneurs
The path from startup to going big time
Transform your great biz idea into reality
Home-based web biz, anyone?
Home-based Internet businesses have been growing in the Philippines because of the easy access and convenience they provide to part-time entrepreneurs. Among these entrepreneurs is Joel Christopher Remandaban of the Internet marketing company masterlistbuilder.com, who believes that the Philippines is in a great position to become a global Internet services hub.
“The Philippines is blessed to have such an educated population base, and this is our advantage over other countries,” he says. “The Web is a great equalizer because it allows you to serve people on the other side of the world while you are sitting in the comfort of your own home. And as knowledge workers become more in demand, we in the Philippines will reap the benefits.”
He says that people need not worry about the global economic crunch because it is also a good opportunity to cash in on the business opportunities offered by the Web.
“Right now, people all over the world are looking for value,” he explains. “So, the race is going to be in reaching the most people at the least amount of time, in presenting a unique product proposition, and in making the sale. There’s no limit to the amount of money you can make on the Web; it’s like creating money out of thin air.”
Remandaban started his online marketing services firm in 1999 in the basement of his home in San Antonio, Texas. It remains a home-based business today although it has grown into a million-dollar enterprise serving clients the world over.
“I get up in the morning and, still in my pajamas and T-shirt, go to work on my computer,” he says. “This lifestyle really suits me because I control my time and manage my teams from home. I believe that others can do this, too, as long as they are dedicated to their craft and keep on persevering.”
To measure the country’s interest in Web-based content, one needs only to look at the popularity of the major Internet social networking sites. Indeed, social networking providers like Friendster and Multiply even use the Philippines as a test-bed for their new service offerings.
Remandaban says the popularity of social networking is a boon to people who want to earn extra money off the Web. Selling merchandise, opening a blog, doing freelance work, and direct selling are just some of the moneymaking ventures one can get into on the Internet.
He explains: “There are many revenue streams on the Internet that are open even to amateur Web entrepreneurs. I started my business in 2000 with no knowledge about the Internet, and until now, I still struggle with some of the Web features available to me. So, if someone like me who is a non-‘geek’ can do it, so can anybody.”
One other example of a home-based enterprise on the Web is that of 28-year-old May Salvador, a single mother of one. She runs a virtual shop on the social networking site Multiply.com and the retail site Auction.ph. She says her income had been significant enough for her to be able to quit her job and just focus on selling merchandise online.
“I sell native fare like bags, delicacies, and accessories,” she says. “At the start, it was just a way to supplement my income from my day job. As time went by, however, more and more orders came, so I had no choice but to make it a full-time occupation. But since I work right in my own home, I have more time to take care of my child and have more time to spend with him,” she says.
Remandaban says that Web-based businesses can basically run themselves—meaning they continue to make money even while the entrepreneur is asleep or working in a regular job.
“Automation and systemizing the online business is a great way of making it generate a steady revenue stream,” he says. “As soon as you discover your niche, you can basically program the business to run itself. At the end of the month, you’ll be surprised how much you’ve made even if you spend barely an hour or two on the Web each day.”
Be a pro blogger
Abe Olandres is a 30-something techie who earns six figures a month without holding a day job. Instead of trolling in an office cubicle all day, he spends his working hours in chic cafés drinking latte and typing on his trusty laptop computer. Olandres is a professional blogger, a new breed of Web-based entrepreneur who writes about his personal experiences and reviews gadgets for a living.
Olandres is hardly alone in this new growth market. A huge number of local bloggers—blog is an abbreviation of “Web log”—are steadily revolutionizing the way people interact all over the world. Indeed, Olandres’ Yugatech.com blog has morphed from an online diary to a top resource portal for local techies—a sort of news service where reviews of the latest gadgets to hit the local market are posted, critiqued, and discussed.
“I started blogging in 2000 with a personal journal,” he recalls. “Back then, I wasn’t making any money from it. It was just a way for me to share my expertise with other people. But in 2004, I shifted to blogging about technology exclusively, and that’s when the advertisers came calling.”
According to Olandres, bloggers typically have a number of revenue streams: sponsored content or posts that take up a particular product or company, paid subscriptions to the blog, or paid advertisements. Yugatech has taken the paid advertisement route, wherein companies pay it a certain fee either for a specific period of time, the number of ad clicks, or the number of “impressions” or times the ad was displayed on the site.
He explains that for a blog to succeed and make money, it must have a specific target and fill a particular need for Web surfers. In his case, he has chosen to focus on gadget reviews, eschewing the personality-driven nature of most other blogs. His site gets at least 300,000 pageviews a month, with 500 to 1,000 unique or new page-views per day. He pays a dedicated server of a foreign Web services firm to host his site. (For startups in the blog business, he suggests getting hosting services that cost less than P1,000 a month.) “Some blogs are general blogs that talk about the daily lives of their authors,” he says. “However, I find that unless you are already famous before you start blogging, there’s only a very small chance that you can attract user traffic to visit and read your posts. In my case, I decided to focus on technology because it’s my area of expertise, having worked for the IT industry for almost a decade.”
Another successful blogger, Anton Diaz, says that people who want to earn big from doing Web entries should concentrate on brand-building above all else. He explains: “A blog is such a personal device, and to succeed you need to put your personal stamp on it. This is one of the reasons why a blog takes anywhere from six months to one year to start earning. You first have to build an image, look, and feel for your site.”
Diaz, who runs www.ourawesomeplanet.com, a travel and cuisine site, says most startup blogs falter because they tend to cast wide blankets when they should instead stick to a specific genre or niche.
“With so many blogs out there now, you must really stick to what you know the most,” he says. “Audiences have become smarter over the years, and they will call you about mistakes you make in your posts.”
For people who think that blogging can be nothing more than a sideline, consider the ad income a successful blog can possibly rake in: Google’s AdSense, an online advertising service, pay anywhere from 1 US cent to $2 per ad click, while 1,000 impressions or views can make P200 for the blogger daily, not to mention income from sponsored ads and content that can make several hundreds of dollars to as much as a five-figure income monthly.
Says Olandres: “There are many revenue streams for pro-bloggers, but the majority comes from advertisements. Some bloggers even get offered to write content for foreign websites, which can also be lucrative.” On the other hand, Diaz says that running a pro-blogging site is like running any regular business, which needs overhead costs and a lot of hard work and patience.
He explains: “I quit my corporate job when my blog started making good money. It’s a lifestyle choice more than anything because with blogging, you can become your own boss. It does have its ups and downs, but as more and more people log on to the Internet, the potential for a good blog site becomes limitless.”
ABE OLANDRES
E-mail: abeolandres@gmail.com
Website: www.yugatech.com
ANTON DIAZ
E-mails: antondiaz@gmail.com; anton@diaz.ph
Website: www.ourawesomeplanet.com
Tips on blogging for a living
From Anton Diaz
www.ourawesomeplanet.com
Create a blog site. “Basic blog sites are available on the Internet like Blogger.com, Livejournal, and Wordpress.com. You can pay as low as $10 a year for a domain if you want your own site, and there are also hosting plans for less than $10 a month.”
Make your content unique. “Although it’s easy to copy from other websites, viewers can spot similarities and call you on it. Also, having unique content and a unique style sets you apart from other blogs.”
Be consistent. “You must maintain the quality of your work, because if you slack off, people will notice. Also, be very patient and cool when dealing with posters on your blog; some of them have very strong opinions on subjects you discuss, so staying calm and professional goes a long way.”
From Abe Olandres
www.yugatech.com
The blog must have a theme. “It must be specific, so if you’re into cars, it should be mostly about cars. Avoid unfocused stories because viewers can recognize venting and rambling and can get easily turned off.”
Seek and stick to your niche. “There are many blogs out there, so coming up with specific content should be your focus. You must have a niche, an area of expertise to fill.”
Patience is key. “Blogs can take months, even years, before they start making money because you have to establish your name first. It’s only then that advertisers would start noticing you. So, to stay competitive, you have to be patient and keep on coming up with great content.”
“The Philippines is blessed to have such an educated population base, and this is our advantage over other countries,” he says. “The Web is a great equalizer because it allows you to serve people on the other side of the world while you are sitting in the comfort of your own home. And as knowledge workers become more in demand, we in the Philippines will reap the benefits.”
He says that people need not worry about the global economic crunch because it is also a good opportunity to cash in on the business opportunities offered by the Web.
“Right now, people all over the world are looking for value,” he explains. “So, the race is going to be in reaching the most people at the least amount of time, in presenting a unique product proposition, and in making the sale. There’s no limit to the amount of money you can make on the Web; it’s like creating money out of thin air.”
Remandaban started his online marketing services firm in 1999 in the basement of his home in San Antonio, Texas. It remains a home-based business today although it has grown into a million-dollar enterprise serving clients the world over.
“I get up in the morning and, still in my pajamas and T-shirt, go to work on my computer,” he says. “This lifestyle really suits me because I control my time and manage my teams from home. I believe that others can do this, too, as long as they are dedicated to their craft and keep on persevering.”
To measure the country’s interest in Web-based content, one needs only to look at the popularity of the major Internet social networking sites. Indeed, social networking providers like Friendster and Multiply even use the Philippines as a test-bed for their new service offerings.
Remandaban says the popularity of social networking is a boon to people who want to earn extra money off the Web. Selling merchandise, opening a blog, doing freelance work, and direct selling are just some of the moneymaking ventures one can get into on the Internet.
He explains: “There are many revenue streams on the Internet that are open even to amateur Web entrepreneurs. I started my business in 2000 with no knowledge about the Internet, and until now, I still struggle with some of the Web features available to me. So, if someone like me who is a non-‘geek’ can do it, so can anybody.”
One other example of a home-based enterprise on the Web is that of 28-year-old May Salvador, a single mother of one. She runs a virtual shop on the social networking site Multiply.com and the retail site Auction.ph. She says her income had been significant enough for her to be able to quit her job and just focus on selling merchandise online.
“I sell native fare like bags, delicacies, and accessories,” she says. “At the start, it was just a way to supplement my income from my day job. As time went by, however, more and more orders came, so I had no choice but to make it a full-time occupation. But since I work right in my own home, I have more time to take care of my child and have more time to spend with him,” she says.
Remandaban says that Web-based businesses can basically run themselves—meaning they continue to make money even while the entrepreneur is asleep or working in a regular job.
“Automation and systemizing the online business is a great way of making it generate a steady revenue stream,” he says. “As soon as you discover your niche, you can basically program the business to run itself. At the end of the month, you’ll be surprised how much you’ve made even if you spend barely an hour or two on the Web each day.”
Be a pro blogger
Abe Olandres is a 30-something techie who earns six figures a month without holding a day job. Instead of trolling in an office cubicle all day, he spends his working hours in chic cafés drinking latte and typing on his trusty laptop computer. Olandres is a professional blogger, a new breed of Web-based entrepreneur who writes about his personal experiences and reviews gadgets for a living.
Olandres is hardly alone in this new growth market. A huge number of local bloggers—blog is an abbreviation of “Web log”—are steadily revolutionizing the way people interact all over the world. Indeed, Olandres’ Yugatech.com blog has morphed from an online diary to a top resource portal for local techies—a sort of news service where reviews of the latest gadgets to hit the local market are posted, critiqued, and discussed.
“I started blogging in 2000 with a personal journal,” he recalls. “Back then, I wasn’t making any money from it. It was just a way for me to share my expertise with other people. But in 2004, I shifted to blogging about technology exclusively, and that’s when the advertisers came calling.”
According to Olandres, bloggers typically have a number of revenue streams: sponsored content or posts that take up a particular product or company, paid subscriptions to the blog, or paid advertisements. Yugatech has taken the paid advertisement route, wherein companies pay it a certain fee either for a specific period of time, the number of ad clicks, or the number of “impressions” or times the ad was displayed on the site.
He explains that for a blog to succeed and make money, it must have a specific target and fill a particular need for Web surfers. In his case, he has chosen to focus on gadget reviews, eschewing the personality-driven nature of most other blogs. His site gets at least 300,000 pageviews a month, with 500 to 1,000 unique or new page-views per day. He pays a dedicated server of a foreign Web services firm to host his site. (For startups in the blog business, he suggests getting hosting services that cost less than P1,000 a month.) “Some blogs are general blogs that talk about the daily lives of their authors,” he says. “However, I find that unless you are already famous before you start blogging, there’s only a very small chance that you can attract user traffic to visit and read your posts. In my case, I decided to focus on technology because it’s my area of expertise, having worked for the IT industry for almost a decade.”
Another successful blogger, Anton Diaz, says that people who want to earn big from doing Web entries should concentrate on brand-building above all else. He explains: “A blog is such a personal device, and to succeed you need to put your personal stamp on it. This is one of the reasons why a blog takes anywhere from six months to one year to start earning. You first have to build an image, look, and feel for your site.”
Diaz, who runs www.ourawesomeplanet.com, a travel and cuisine site, says most startup blogs falter because they tend to cast wide blankets when they should instead stick to a specific genre or niche.
“With so many blogs out there now, you must really stick to what you know the most,” he says. “Audiences have become smarter over the years, and they will call you about mistakes you make in your posts.”
For people who think that blogging can be nothing more than a sideline, consider the ad income a successful blog can possibly rake in: Google’s AdSense, an online advertising service, pay anywhere from 1 US cent to $2 per ad click, while 1,000 impressions or views can make P200 for the blogger daily, not to mention income from sponsored ads and content that can make several hundreds of dollars to as much as a five-figure income monthly.
Says Olandres: “There are many revenue streams for pro-bloggers, but the majority comes from advertisements. Some bloggers even get offered to write content for foreign websites, which can also be lucrative.” On the other hand, Diaz says that running a pro-blogging site is like running any regular business, which needs overhead costs and a lot of hard work and patience.
He explains: “I quit my corporate job when my blog started making good money. It’s a lifestyle choice more than anything because with blogging, you can become your own boss. It does have its ups and downs, but as more and more people log on to the Internet, the potential for a good blog site becomes limitless.”
ABE OLANDRES
E-mail: abeolandres@gmail.com
Website: www.yugatech.com
ANTON DIAZ
E-mails: antondiaz@gmail.com; anton@diaz.ph
Website: www.ourawesomeplanet.com
Tips on blogging for a living
From Anton Diaz
www.ourawesomeplanet.com
Create a blog site. “Basic blog sites are available on the Internet like Blogger.com, Livejournal, and Wordpress.com. You can pay as low as $10 a year for a domain if you want your own site, and there are also hosting plans for less than $10 a month.”
Make your content unique. “Although it’s easy to copy from other websites, viewers can spot similarities and call you on it. Also, having unique content and a unique style sets you apart from other blogs.”
Be consistent. “You must maintain the quality of your work, because if you slack off, people will notice. Also, be very patient and cool when dealing with posters on your blog; some of them have very strong opinions on subjects you discuss, so staying calm and professional goes a long way.”
From Abe Olandres
www.yugatech.com
The blog must have a theme. “It must be specific, so if you’re into cars, it should be mostly about cars. Avoid unfocused stories because viewers can recognize venting and rambling and can get easily turned off.”
Seek and stick to your niche. “There are many blogs out there, so coming up with specific content should be your focus. You must have a niche, an area of expertise to fill.”
Patience is key. “Blogs can take months, even years, before they start making money because you have to establish your name first. It’s only then that advertisers would start noticing you. So, to stay competitive, you have to be patient and keep on coming up with great content.”
Part 3 of hot home-based business ideas
INDIGO MANILA BABY PRODUCTS
By Dulce Castillo-Morales. Photos by Walter Villa
Bosom buddies Monica Eleazar and Denise Gonzales conceived their business in 2007 when each was heavy with her first child. Both wanting to be full-time mothers, they had earlier decided to leave their respective corporate jobs.
"We talked and realized that we didn't want to work for somebody else forever," Eleazar recalls. "We didn't like the idea of having only two months of maternity leave and of leaving our babies with complete strangers. So we figured that we should start doing something that we love to do. We decided to start a small business with a few products."
Pooling P100,000 each in initial capital, the two best friends since college put up Indigo Baby in October of 2007 to make specialty products for babies and mothers. They made as pilot products 300 pieces of nappy clutches, 100 pieces of reversible nursing bibs, and 400 pieces of all-natural bed-and-bath products.
Gonzales says that they initially wanted to launch their business during a bazaar at the Rockwell Mall in Makati City that year, but something developed while they were waiting for the bazaar's scheduled opening. "We posted photos of our products online at Multiply.com and we received a lot of feedback and orders," she recalls.
As it turned out, the bulk of their sales were to come from online transactions. Indeed, their online business was so brisk that in less than a year, the partners had already recovered their initial capital.
"On a good day, we would make P5,000 to P8,000," Gonzales says. "The lowest we have gotten so far is about P1,000. And there's still a lot of potential because we haven't really done PR yet; it's been all through word of mouth."
Although they have kept Indigo Baby home-based, Eleazar and Gonzales have since taken their online business to a higher level. Officially pursuing Indigo Baby as a dotcom business, they launched an international website for it last year, Indigobabyshop.com. This enabled them to serve the needs of international clients who also wanted to buy and resell their products.
Indigobabyshop.com now has wholesale buyers in Singapore and Malaysia, so the partners recently put up P250,000 in additional capital to meet the growing demand. They now also have a full-time staff to help them in soliciting and in shipping orders, and each has also hired a yaya (nanny) for her baby, who is now a toddler. "Unlike when they were still babies when we could just carry them around, they run around a lot this time. So although we remain hands-on mothers, we need extra pairs of hands to care for them," explains Eleazar.
Despite its brisk online sales, Indigo Baby has since been also participating in several bazaars held in Metro Manila. The partners say that setting up booths or stalls in bazaars gives then the opportunity to have face-to-face interaction with their customers and to talk to them about the various Indigo Baby products.
Gonzales says that Indigo Baby products sell well because they have been tried, tested, and used by their very own babies, Santi and Benny, who both turned two years old last October when Indigo Baby celebrated its second anniversary. For instance, Gonzales says, they have included such essential oils as lavender and chamomile in their product offerings because Eleazar's son used to suffer from colic, and Eleazar had found lavender and chamomile to be effective homeopathic remedies.
"Since we are both mothers, we know what we need for our kids," Gonzales explains. "For instance, dengue is rampant, and because we are afraid that our babies might contract dengue, we came up with our own baby massage products."
Indeed, Indigo Baby now has diversified into a considerable range of baby-care products as well as a growing number of mother-care products, to which the partners will soon be adding a "Yummy Mommy" line consisting of facial care and hair care products.
And this is not all. Eleazar and Gonzales, joined this time by another college friend of theirs, Jeri Carillo, recently further diversified by putting up a wedding events company, Manila Wedding Bees (www.manilaweddingbees.multiply.com) .
DS PINOY MORINGA PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS
By Jesse Edep. Photos by Jun Pinzon
Two young women, former public relations executive Joy Ann Dimabuyu, 27, and former marketing and events officer Desiree Segovia, 30, have teamed up to come up with natural health and beauty products using a unique organic ingredient: the oil from the malunggay or horseradishh tree, Morina oleifera.
In August last year, their company, DS Pinoy Moringa Enterprises, launched its wide line of malunggay-based products: body butter, body lotion, salt scrub, foot soak, hair wax, bath soap, hygienic wash, and massage oil. Malunggay oil, also known as ben oil, has been found to be highly suitable for high-end health and beauty products because of its softening and soothing properties and antioxidant content, particularly alpha-tocopherol or Vitamin E.
"Our products were sold out within two hours after we did a test market at Mara's Organic Market in Legaspi Village in Makati," says Segovia, who handles marketing and promotions for the products.
Dimabuyu, who is in charge of operations, says that because their products have always sold very well since their launching, they were able to recover their startup capital of P2,500 immediately.
Greatly encouraged by the favorable market reception, the partners have since decided to make their malunggay-based products their main business. Previously, they had ventured into making flip-flops, designing handmade accessories, and selling religious merchandise in Bulacan.
Dimabuyu says that at present, she and Segovia are both making their malunggay-based products on a home-based basis. They source the raw materials primarily from malunggay farmers in Dumaguete City and in the provinces of Batangas and Camarines Norte. When orders get big and the local supply falls short, however, they import malunggay oil from India, its biggest producer.
The partners give credit to Edilee Omoyon of All Organics, a seller and distributor of organic bath and body products, for teaching them how to make soaps and shampoos. This led them to put up their first partnership venture, the DS Pinoy Organics and Herbal Store. DS Pinoy Moringa was an offshoot of that partnership.
DS Pinoy Moringa now has a regular outlet at the AANI Herbal Garden and Livelihood Center at the Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City, which is open daily, and another at Mara's Organic Market in Legaspi Village in Makati City, which is open only on Sundays. The products are now also carried by Back to the Garden, their outlet in Mandaue City.
Dimabuyu says that they have pending orders for their malunggay-based health and beauty products from the Department of Agriculture for its export showroom, and from the EchoStore at Serendra Piazza in the Fort Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City.
To promote their products, the partners have been joining trade fairs and bazaars. They are currently looking for a steady source of funding so they can meet the orders for their products from both their local outlets and their distributors in the United Arab Emirates and the United States.
They expect that within three years, with government strongly promoting the cultivation of malunggay and its health benefits, Filipinos will embrace and value a "culture of wellness" through a more widespread use of malunggay-based products.
"The good thing about our products is that the main ingredient, malunggay oil, is tried and tested," Segovia says. "So, once people become more aware of the need for proper health and natural wellness, we expect that acceptance of our all-natural products would become much easier."
JEVZAM'S ENTERPRISES TEACHING MATERIALS
By Maan D'Asis Pamaran. Photos by Walter Villa
"A lot of people ask my parents if they are teachers," says Evelyn Zamora with a grin. This is because the family business, Jevzam's Enterprises, produces colorful charts that are used by schoolteachers as instructional aids.
Her father, Jose M. Zamora, is actually an air-conditioning and refrigerator technician by trade who had spent 10 years in Saudi Arabia as a contract worker. Her mother Virginia is a dressmaking and tailoring school graduate; unable to finish first year in high school, she used to work in a garments factory before she married Jose.
Jose recalls how they got into the chart business: "I came back home to the Philippines when my visa expired in 1990. Our first business when I returned to the country was making rags. My wife knew how to sew and I told my family that we needed some sort of business from where we can get our daily expenses. But my wife gave up on making the rags because it was dusty work, what with all those fibers flying around the house!"
It was at this time that a neighbor of the Zamoras gave them the idea of making charts as a source of income. "That neighbor of ours was in the business of making instructional materials on manila paper," Jose says. One day, she asked us if we could make charts out of plastic material. She gave us a sample that she had bought from a street vendor in Blumentritt [in Manila]. I looked at the chart and I knew at once that we could replicate it. The machine we had for sewing rags was tough enough to sew through the material. We then bought five colors of the material from Divisoria and made our first batch of the charts. We showed them to teachers in nearby schools and the charts got sold out right away.?"
That was five years ago. Since then, the Zamora family has been producing various charts under the Charts Unlimited label, adding more chart designs over the years for their growing clientele. They also started distributing their products through several outlets of the Pandayan Bookstore, which has its main store in Valenzuela City.
Evelyn recalls how the family's chart business progressed: "Before every school opening, my parents would get so busy making charts. When things tapered off in the months after that, they would put up a small barbecue stand and cook and sell barbecue instead. Then, at the approach of the 'ber' months, they would start making charts again."
But because the products were so sturdily made, it took such a long time for the customers of the Zamoras to reorder charts from them. The family therefore decided to expand the markets for their charts from Valenzuela to more cities and schools.
"Now we go as far as Manila and Marikina to sell our wares," says Jose. We have added more designs to our lineup, too, and we have done away with the ordinary rectangular charts that can be bought just anywhere. Instead, we are now focusing on innovative and colorful designs that are more attractive to children, such as our apple chart, school bus chart, tree chart, sunflower chart, and pencil chart. We also make items for specific school lessons like the days of the week, place value, and fractions. They are now among our bestsellers. One other bestseller of ours is the 'Show Me' chart, which schoolchildren use to learn how to spell out words."
Jose says that no job is too big or too small for them to make, and that many of their chart patterns actually are suggested or requested by the teachers themselves. "Our biggest project so far was a cake chart," he says. "I had to really use my imagination to make it. It turned out that it was actually an organizational chart for the school that ordered it."
The business is still home-based, and Evelyn says she is mostly happy with the way things are. "Expenses are kept at a minimum, because I don't have to pay for rent. I am also able to supervise our employees better, because I have less time constraints. Our family also has more opportunities to bond."
But she cites some challenges, too: "Since we don't have commercial space for display, we really have to reach out to our clients by visiting, calling, or e-mailing them. Some people don't take us seriously when they find out we work from a home office."
From their initial capital of P5,000 five years ago, Jevzam's Enterprises now has acquired four sewing machines to keep up with the growth of its production requirements. It also recently bought a computer, and is now looking into establishing dealership agreements for its expanding product lines.
LOOKING FORWARD
The Zamoras are expecting much bigger volumes of orders in the months ahead now that Evelyn and an uncle Ric are handling the marketing for the family's chart business. To reach a wider market, she has also created an e-mail account and a Multiply account for the company.
they are now in talks with a bookseller in Brunei to sell their charts there. They are working on a deal with a major bookstore for distribution of their charts in its outlets.
CONTACT DETAILS:
Indigo Baby
Showroom: Gallery Medusa
120 Capt. Manzano St. corner N. Domingo St., Brgy. Pedro Cruz, San Juan
Telephone: (02) 725-9285
E-mail: indigo.manila@gmail.com
Website: www.indigomanila.multiply.com
DS Pinoy Moringa Enterprises
Mobile: (0905) 342-2256; (0918) 800-1728
Website: www.dspinoymoringa.multiply.com
Jevzam's Enterprises
3214 Gen. T. De Leon St, Teacher's Village
Karuhatan, Valenzuela City
Telephone: (02) 444-0719
Mobile: (0919) 375-0222
E-mail: chartsunlimited@yahoo.com.ph
Website: http://chartsunlimited.multiply.com
By Dulce Castillo-Morales. Photos by Walter Villa
Bosom buddies Monica Eleazar and Denise Gonzales conceived their business in 2007 when each was heavy with her first child. Both wanting to be full-time mothers, they had earlier decided to leave their respective corporate jobs.
"We talked and realized that we didn't want to work for somebody else forever," Eleazar recalls. "We didn't like the idea of having only two months of maternity leave and of leaving our babies with complete strangers. So we figured that we should start doing something that we love to do. We decided to start a small business with a few products."
Pooling P100,000 each in initial capital, the two best friends since college put up Indigo Baby in October of 2007 to make specialty products for babies and mothers. They made as pilot products 300 pieces of nappy clutches, 100 pieces of reversible nursing bibs, and 400 pieces of all-natural bed-and-bath products.
Gonzales says that they initially wanted to launch their business during a bazaar at the Rockwell Mall in Makati City that year, but something developed while they were waiting for the bazaar's scheduled opening. "We posted photos of our products online at Multiply.com and we received a lot of feedback and orders," she recalls.
As it turned out, the bulk of their sales were to come from online transactions. Indeed, their online business was so brisk that in less than a year, the partners had already recovered their initial capital.
"On a good day, we would make P5,000 to P8,000," Gonzales says. "The lowest we have gotten so far is about P1,000. And there's still a lot of potential because we haven't really done PR yet; it's been all through word of mouth."
Although they have kept Indigo Baby home-based, Eleazar and Gonzales have since taken their online business to a higher level. Officially pursuing Indigo Baby as a dotcom business, they launched an international website for it last year, Indigobabyshop.com. This enabled them to serve the needs of international clients who also wanted to buy and resell their products.
Indigobabyshop.com now has wholesale buyers in Singapore and Malaysia, so the partners recently put up P250,000 in additional capital to meet the growing demand. They now also have a full-time staff to help them in soliciting and in shipping orders, and each has also hired a yaya (nanny) for her baby, who is now a toddler. "Unlike when they were still babies when we could just carry them around, they run around a lot this time. So although we remain hands-on mothers, we need extra pairs of hands to care for them," explains Eleazar.
Despite its brisk online sales, Indigo Baby has since been also participating in several bazaars held in Metro Manila. The partners say that setting up booths or stalls in bazaars gives then the opportunity to have face-to-face interaction with their customers and to talk to them about the various Indigo Baby products.
Gonzales says that Indigo Baby products sell well because they have been tried, tested, and used by their very own babies, Santi and Benny, who both turned two years old last October when Indigo Baby celebrated its second anniversary. For instance, Gonzales says, they have included such essential oils as lavender and chamomile in their product offerings because Eleazar's son used to suffer from colic, and Eleazar had found lavender and chamomile to be effective homeopathic remedies.
"Since we are both mothers, we know what we need for our kids," Gonzales explains. "For instance, dengue is rampant, and because we are afraid that our babies might contract dengue, we came up with our own baby massage products."
Indeed, Indigo Baby now has diversified into a considerable range of baby-care products as well as a growing number of mother-care products, to which the partners will soon be adding a "Yummy Mommy" line consisting of facial care and hair care products.
And this is not all. Eleazar and Gonzales, joined this time by another college friend of theirs, Jeri Carillo, recently further diversified by putting up a wedding events company, Manila Wedding Bees (www.manilaweddingbees.multiply.com) .
DS PINOY MORINGA PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS
By Jesse Edep. Photos by Jun Pinzon
Two young women, former public relations executive Joy Ann Dimabuyu, 27, and former marketing and events officer Desiree Segovia, 30, have teamed up to come up with natural health and beauty products using a unique organic ingredient: the oil from the malunggay or horseradishh tree, Morina oleifera.
In August last year, their company, DS Pinoy Moringa Enterprises, launched its wide line of malunggay-based products: body butter, body lotion, salt scrub, foot soak, hair wax, bath soap, hygienic wash, and massage oil. Malunggay oil, also known as ben oil, has been found to be highly suitable for high-end health and beauty products because of its softening and soothing properties and antioxidant content, particularly alpha-tocopherol or Vitamin E.
"Our products were sold out within two hours after we did a test market at Mara's Organic Market in Legaspi Village in Makati," says Segovia, who handles marketing and promotions for the products.
Dimabuyu, who is in charge of operations, says that because their products have always sold very well since their launching, they were able to recover their startup capital of P2,500 immediately.
Greatly encouraged by the favorable market reception, the partners have since decided to make their malunggay-based products their main business. Previously, they had ventured into making flip-flops, designing handmade accessories, and selling religious merchandise in Bulacan.
Dimabuyu says that at present, she and Segovia are both making their malunggay-based products on a home-based basis. They source the raw materials primarily from malunggay farmers in Dumaguete City and in the provinces of Batangas and Camarines Norte. When orders get big and the local supply falls short, however, they import malunggay oil from India, its biggest producer.
The partners give credit to Edilee Omoyon of All Organics, a seller and distributor of organic bath and body products, for teaching them how to make soaps and shampoos. This led them to put up their first partnership venture, the DS Pinoy Organics and Herbal Store. DS Pinoy Moringa was an offshoot of that partnership.
DS Pinoy Moringa now has a regular outlet at the AANI Herbal Garden and Livelihood Center at the Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City, which is open daily, and another at Mara's Organic Market in Legaspi Village in Makati City, which is open only on Sundays. The products are now also carried by Back to the Garden, their outlet in Mandaue City.
Dimabuyu says that they have pending orders for their malunggay-based health and beauty products from the Department of Agriculture for its export showroom, and from the EchoStore at Serendra Piazza in the Fort Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City.
To promote their products, the partners have been joining trade fairs and bazaars. They are currently looking for a steady source of funding so they can meet the orders for their products from both their local outlets and their distributors in the United Arab Emirates and the United States.
They expect that within three years, with government strongly promoting the cultivation of malunggay and its health benefits, Filipinos will embrace and value a "culture of wellness" through a more widespread use of malunggay-based products.
"The good thing about our products is that the main ingredient, malunggay oil, is tried and tested," Segovia says. "So, once people become more aware of the need for proper health and natural wellness, we expect that acceptance of our all-natural products would become much easier."
JEVZAM'S ENTERPRISES TEACHING MATERIALS
By Maan D'Asis Pamaran. Photos by Walter Villa
"A lot of people ask my parents if they are teachers," says Evelyn Zamora with a grin. This is because the family business, Jevzam's Enterprises, produces colorful charts that are used by schoolteachers as instructional aids.
Her father, Jose M. Zamora, is actually an air-conditioning and refrigerator technician by trade who had spent 10 years in Saudi Arabia as a contract worker. Her mother Virginia is a dressmaking and tailoring school graduate; unable to finish first year in high school, she used to work in a garments factory before she married Jose.
Jose recalls how they got into the chart business: "I came back home to the Philippines when my visa expired in 1990. Our first business when I returned to the country was making rags. My wife knew how to sew and I told my family that we needed some sort of business from where we can get our daily expenses. But my wife gave up on making the rags because it was dusty work, what with all those fibers flying around the house!"
It was at this time that a neighbor of the Zamoras gave them the idea of making charts as a source of income. "That neighbor of ours was in the business of making instructional materials on manila paper," Jose says. One day, she asked us if we could make charts out of plastic material. She gave us a sample that she had bought from a street vendor in Blumentritt [in Manila]. I looked at the chart and I knew at once that we could replicate it. The machine we had for sewing rags was tough enough to sew through the material. We then bought five colors of the material from Divisoria and made our first batch of the charts. We showed them to teachers in nearby schools and the charts got sold out right away.?"
That was five years ago. Since then, the Zamora family has been producing various charts under the Charts Unlimited label, adding more chart designs over the years for their growing clientele. They also started distributing their products through several outlets of the Pandayan Bookstore, which has its main store in Valenzuela City.
Evelyn recalls how the family's chart business progressed: "Before every school opening, my parents would get so busy making charts. When things tapered off in the months after that, they would put up a small barbecue stand and cook and sell barbecue instead. Then, at the approach of the 'ber' months, they would start making charts again."
But because the products were so sturdily made, it took such a long time for the customers of the Zamoras to reorder charts from them. The family therefore decided to expand the markets for their charts from Valenzuela to more cities and schools.
"Now we go as far as Manila and Marikina to sell our wares," says Jose. We have added more designs to our lineup, too, and we have done away with the ordinary rectangular charts that can be bought just anywhere. Instead, we are now focusing on innovative and colorful designs that are more attractive to children, such as our apple chart, school bus chart, tree chart, sunflower chart, and pencil chart. We also make items for specific school lessons like the days of the week, place value, and fractions. They are now among our bestsellers. One other bestseller of ours is the 'Show Me' chart, which schoolchildren use to learn how to spell out words."
Jose says that no job is too big or too small for them to make, and that many of their chart patterns actually are suggested or requested by the teachers themselves. "Our biggest project so far was a cake chart," he says. "I had to really use my imagination to make it. It turned out that it was actually an organizational chart for the school that ordered it."
The business is still home-based, and Evelyn says she is mostly happy with the way things are. "Expenses are kept at a minimum, because I don't have to pay for rent. I am also able to supervise our employees better, because I have less time constraints. Our family also has more opportunities to bond."
But she cites some challenges, too: "Since we don't have commercial space for display, we really have to reach out to our clients by visiting, calling, or e-mailing them. Some people don't take us seriously when they find out we work from a home office."
From their initial capital of P5,000 five years ago, Jevzam's Enterprises now has acquired four sewing machines to keep up with the growth of its production requirements. It also recently bought a computer, and is now looking into establishing dealership agreements for its expanding product lines.
LOOKING FORWARD
The Zamoras are expecting much bigger volumes of orders in the months ahead now that Evelyn and an uncle Ric are handling the marketing for the family's chart business. To reach a wider market, she has also created an e-mail account and a Multiply account for the company.
they are now in talks with a bookseller in Brunei to sell their charts there. They are working on a deal with a major bookstore for distribution of their charts in its outlets.
CONTACT DETAILS:
Indigo Baby
Showroom: Gallery Medusa
120 Capt. Manzano St. corner N. Domingo St., Brgy. Pedro Cruz, San Juan
Telephone: (02) 725-9285
E-mail: indigo.manila@gmail.com
Website: www.indigomanila.multiply.com
DS Pinoy Moringa Enterprises
Mobile: (0905) 342-2256; (0918) 800-1728
Website: www.dspinoymoringa.multiply.com
Jevzam's Enterprises
3214 Gen. T. De Leon St, Teacher's Village
Karuhatan, Valenzuela City
Telephone: (02) 444-0719
Mobile: (0919) 375-0222
E-mail: chartsunlimited@yahoo.com.ph
Website: http://chartsunlimited.multiply.com
Hot home-based business ideas
The tough economic times may be dealing hard blows on big business, but they are giving an auspicious start to many home-based businesses in the country.
The reasons are obvious. Doing business while staying at home requires much smaller startup costs; you don't have to pay a small fortune for a fancy office and the staffing and utilities to maintain it. And, of course, family members and others living in the household can be expected to help or pitch in for you anytime and on short notice--often without need to pay them hefty overtime or holiday compensation.
No wonder then that many startup entrepreneurs are finding home-based businesses a great way to supplement their income from their day jobs, and that not a few career-shifters are finding both psychic and financial fulfillment from running home-based enterprises.
Even more gratifying, a great many home-based businesses become the seed bed or takeoff point for bigger, more ambitious mainstream businesses, some of which blossom into multimillion-peso ventures even if they continue to be run at home.
Entrepreneur has put together the inspiring and highly instructive stories of 12 successful home-based businesses--ventures that are as diverse as their owners and their interests.
CORNERSTONE CERAMICS
By Roderick Abad Photos by Jun Pinzon
In April 1996, husband-and-wife EJ and Eva Espiritu left the United States and came back to the Philippines, hoping to find work here as a ceramic engineer and marketing professional, respectively. Little did they know, however, that they would just end up adding to the country's increasing unemployment rate--what with the 1997 Asian financial crisis hitting economies in the region, including the Philippines, really hard.
"We realized we didn't have that much money to support ourselves in the long run, so we immediately took the business opportunity offered to us by a friend of my husband," recalls Eva. "It was to do subcontracting work for an exporter selling house ware and decor to Europe and elsewhere overseas. That was how we got started on a home-based pottery business--purely out of necessity."
In August of 1996, after the exporter lent them P125,000 in initial capital, the Espiritu couple started their small-scale enterprise in a rented house in Bacoor, Cavite. Calling it Cornerstone Ceramics, they registered it as a sole proprietorship. Then they bought a kiln and other baking equipment, contracted 12 workers, and made their garage double up as a makeshift production area for the ceramic components and earthenware needed by the exporter.
The production demand almost doubled in less than a year, so the Espiritus transferred their operations to a bigger place in Imus, Cavite, which became both their home-office and factory. But the growth of their ceramics business was short-lived. By 1998, due to the Asian economic crisis, orders started to decrease precipitously until the exporter couldn't place any more orders by 2000.
"That convinced us that we might die a silent death unless we did something," Eva recalls. "So we decided to develop our own product line and look for new buyers. Stoneware, which is a high-end form of ceramics, was then relatively unknown in the Philippines and wasn't available commercially yet. We saw its strong market potential so we decided to go into it."
EJ AND EVA ESPIRITU: They had intended to teach pottery-making simply as a source of supplemental income, but to their surprise, their workshops had been drawing a huge participation.
Putting his technical know-how in pottery to good use, EJ started developing his own clay-and-glaze formulation. For her part, Eva used the marketing skills she had learned from her US studies, creating a website for their company, www.cornerstonepotteryfarm.com, and making advertising collaterals. Closely working together, they eventually came up with a sizeable line of mugs, teacups, tea sets, chimes, dining ware--even oil burners for aromatherapy and bathroom amenities.
These products, although priced quite expensively between P35 to P12,000 depending on size, nevertheless received an enthusiastic reception when they were launched in March 2000 during the National Trade Fair at SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City.
Since then, Cornerstone Ceramics has become a regular at trade fairs and bazaars, generating more customers and making trade deals with leading Metro Manila department stores and other retailers.
The business continued to pick up briskly. By 2002, in fact, the Espiritus were able to settle the balance of the loan extended to them by their former exporter.
Three years later, to further expand the business, they acquired a 5,000 sq m property in Silang, Cavite. They added two more LPG-operated ovens to their existing kiln, then further improved the quality of their stoneware by using more matured clays imported by their supplier from Thailand, Vietnam, and China.
The Silang site has since become the couple's residence, pottery shop, and workshop area--the "Mud Pit," they call it--aside from being their stoneware factory. In February of 2008, the couple also put up a cafe in their Silang compound primarily to serve healthful snacks to their customers.
By 2003, most of the couple's contemporaries in the stoneware business had begun to experience sales declines. Bucking the trend, however, the ever innovative Espiritus gambled by introducing what they called the "service side" of their business--the "Mud Pie Party," a pottery-making workshop for hobbyists and for serious learners. The two-hour workshops are conducted by the couple by appointment in the Mud Pit, their 10-seater workshop area next to the factory. The fee is P550 per participant, and P850 inclusive of lunch.
The Espiritus had intended to teach pottery-making simply as a source of supplemental income, but to their surprise, their workshops have been drawing much more participation than they expected. They have therefore decided to run the workshops offsite, offering them today at P750 per head for a group of at least 10 people.
LOOKING FORWARD
Cornerstone Ceramics considers itself a "thriving, surviving" small-scale home-based enterprise that caters to the B, upper B and A markets. Its stoneware products continue to enjoy a good following from both repeat and new customers. On the average, the business is able to produce and sell P200,000 worth of stoneware in two weeks--just enough, EJ and Eva Espiritu say, "for us to continue to operate, save, meet our personal expenses, and do tithing.:
Eva says of their business prospects: "We're just hoping that this year and in the years after that, our cafe in the Silang compound will do well, and that we can hire more people to work in the factory. Also, I look forward to seeing more clients coming to attend our ceramic-making workshops."
PUNCHDRUNK PANDA LAPTOP SLEEVES
By Jan Vincent Ong. Photos by Jervy Santiago
Jennifer Horn and Nathania Gail Go have known each other since grade school. They went on to the same high school and became best friends as badminton partners. In college, Horn took up psychology at De La Salle Taft and Go studied management at Ateneo de Manila University, but they still kept in touch.
After their graduation in May 2006, they decided to pursue a sideline business together. Go says they did this so that as partners, they could mutually judge each other's work and improve on each other's ideas. They initially wanted to put up a T-shirt business, but they still didn't have the graphic design skills to do it. They therefore opted to go into the bag business instead, availing of the services of a friend who could produce the bags for them.
Seeing that the price of the typical laptop bag started at P1,000, they saw a business opportunity in specializing in laptop sleeves. They felt that by designing funky patterns for their sleeves, they could dramatically improve the bland designs of laptop bags. They were sure that there would be a substantial market for their laptop sleeves because what were locally available then were only for Apple laptops.
They thought that the name of their product should be "cutesy enough" to draw both guys and girls, so they branded it Punchdrunk Panda. They then invested P100,000 to produce laptop bags in 14 different designs and launched their business online on Multiply in July 2007.
Horn says they chose Multiply because they saw its potential based on the presence of local online stores in the website. Another reason was that at the time, Go had just started as an intern in the advertising agency Leo Burnett and could not possible engage in a full-time business on her own. In any case, the partners found it easier to manage their bag business through simply checking e-mail orders after work.
But their first months in the business were characterized by trial and error. For one, they realized that they had ordered too many designs for their initial run, and that their product delivery system was just not good enough. They used to ask customers to meet them in either the La Salle or Ateneo campus to accept delivery of their bags, until they discovered that using LBC or Air 21 for the purpose was cheaper and more efficient. As they did the business, they also gradually discovered their respective strengths--Horn was better at talking to customers and Go worked better dealing with suppliers.
Horn says that keeping customers happy was their goal, so they actively sough customer comments by running a feedback form in the Punchdrunk Panda website. From the feedback they got, for instance, they were able to fine-tune the sizes of their laptop bags as well as make their order system more efficient. They have since made arrangements to accept payments for their products through GCash, Western Union, and BPI.
The partners consider Punchdrunk Panda as an online brand, but to reach new customers, they now also usually frequent bazaars such as the "Global Pinoy Bazaar" by Yabang Pinoy.
Horn, who now works as a copywriter with the advertising agency J. Romero & Associates, says that she and Go find their sideline business fulfilling because it allows them to use their creativity on their own. In her case, she says, it gives her a stronger sense of accomplishment to work with a friend on something that's truly theirs.
Currently, the partners are set on building the Punchdrunk Panda brand to become the next Hello Kitty in terms of market positioning. They are now developing new sleeves with a white background where the customers can customize their own designs. They are also looking into making dolls and cellular phone charms featuring their Punchdrunk Panda mascot, and issuing gift cheques and freebies such as gift sacks to help build a bigger base of loyal Punchdrunk Panda fans.
The reasons are obvious. Doing business while staying at home requires much smaller startup costs; you don't have to pay a small fortune for a fancy office and the staffing and utilities to maintain it. And, of course, family members and others living in the household can be expected to help or pitch in for you anytime and on short notice--often without need to pay them hefty overtime or holiday compensation.
No wonder then that many startup entrepreneurs are finding home-based businesses a great way to supplement their income from their day jobs, and that not a few career-shifters are finding both psychic and financial fulfillment from running home-based enterprises.
Even more gratifying, a great many home-based businesses become the seed bed or takeoff point for bigger, more ambitious mainstream businesses, some of which blossom into multimillion-peso ventures even if they continue to be run at home.
Entrepreneur has put together the inspiring and highly instructive stories of 12 successful home-based businesses--ventures that are as diverse as their owners and their interests.
CORNERSTONE CERAMICS
By Roderick Abad Photos by Jun Pinzon
In April 1996, husband-and-wife EJ and Eva Espiritu left the United States and came back to the Philippines, hoping to find work here as a ceramic engineer and marketing professional, respectively. Little did they know, however, that they would just end up adding to the country's increasing unemployment rate--what with the 1997 Asian financial crisis hitting economies in the region, including the Philippines, really hard.
"We realized we didn't have that much money to support ourselves in the long run, so we immediately took the business opportunity offered to us by a friend of my husband," recalls Eva. "It was to do subcontracting work for an exporter selling house ware and decor to Europe and elsewhere overseas. That was how we got started on a home-based pottery business--purely out of necessity."
In August of 1996, after the exporter lent them P125,000 in initial capital, the Espiritu couple started their small-scale enterprise in a rented house in Bacoor, Cavite. Calling it Cornerstone Ceramics, they registered it as a sole proprietorship. Then they bought a kiln and other baking equipment, contracted 12 workers, and made their garage double up as a makeshift production area for the ceramic components and earthenware needed by the exporter.
The production demand almost doubled in less than a year, so the Espiritus transferred their operations to a bigger place in Imus, Cavite, which became both their home-office and factory. But the growth of their ceramics business was short-lived. By 1998, due to the Asian economic crisis, orders started to decrease precipitously until the exporter couldn't place any more orders by 2000.
"That convinced us that we might die a silent death unless we did something," Eva recalls. "So we decided to develop our own product line and look for new buyers. Stoneware, which is a high-end form of ceramics, was then relatively unknown in the Philippines and wasn't available commercially yet. We saw its strong market potential so we decided to go into it."
EJ AND EVA ESPIRITU: They had intended to teach pottery-making simply as a source of supplemental income, but to their surprise, their workshops had been drawing a huge participation.
Putting his technical know-how in pottery to good use, EJ started developing his own clay-and-glaze formulation. For her part, Eva used the marketing skills she had learned from her US studies, creating a website for their company, www.cornerstonepotteryfarm.com, and making advertising collaterals. Closely working together, they eventually came up with a sizeable line of mugs, teacups, tea sets, chimes, dining ware--even oil burners for aromatherapy and bathroom amenities.
These products, although priced quite expensively between P35 to P12,000 depending on size, nevertheless received an enthusiastic reception when they were launched in March 2000 during the National Trade Fair at SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City.
Since then, Cornerstone Ceramics has become a regular at trade fairs and bazaars, generating more customers and making trade deals with leading Metro Manila department stores and other retailers.
The business continued to pick up briskly. By 2002, in fact, the Espiritus were able to settle the balance of the loan extended to them by their former exporter.
Three years later, to further expand the business, they acquired a 5,000 sq m property in Silang, Cavite. They added two more LPG-operated ovens to their existing kiln, then further improved the quality of their stoneware by using more matured clays imported by their supplier from Thailand, Vietnam, and China.
The Silang site has since become the couple's residence, pottery shop, and workshop area--the "Mud Pit," they call it--aside from being their stoneware factory. In February of 2008, the couple also put up a cafe in their Silang compound primarily to serve healthful snacks to their customers.
By 2003, most of the couple's contemporaries in the stoneware business had begun to experience sales declines. Bucking the trend, however, the ever innovative Espiritus gambled by introducing what they called the "service side" of their business--the "Mud Pie Party," a pottery-making workshop for hobbyists and for serious learners. The two-hour workshops are conducted by the couple by appointment in the Mud Pit, their 10-seater workshop area next to the factory. The fee is P550 per participant, and P850 inclusive of lunch.
The Espiritus had intended to teach pottery-making simply as a source of supplemental income, but to their surprise, their workshops have been drawing much more participation than they expected. They have therefore decided to run the workshops offsite, offering them today at P750 per head for a group of at least 10 people.
LOOKING FORWARD
Cornerstone Ceramics considers itself a "thriving, surviving" small-scale home-based enterprise that caters to the B, upper B and A markets. Its stoneware products continue to enjoy a good following from both repeat and new customers. On the average, the business is able to produce and sell P200,000 worth of stoneware in two weeks--just enough, EJ and Eva Espiritu say, "for us to continue to operate, save, meet our personal expenses, and do tithing.:
Eva says of their business prospects: "We're just hoping that this year and in the years after that, our cafe in the Silang compound will do well, and that we can hire more people to work in the factory. Also, I look forward to seeing more clients coming to attend our ceramic-making workshops."
PUNCHDRUNK PANDA LAPTOP SLEEVES
By Jan Vincent Ong. Photos by Jervy Santiago
Jennifer Horn and Nathania Gail Go have known each other since grade school. They went on to the same high school and became best friends as badminton partners. In college, Horn took up psychology at De La Salle Taft and Go studied management at Ateneo de Manila University, but they still kept in touch.
After their graduation in May 2006, they decided to pursue a sideline business together. Go says they did this so that as partners, they could mutually judge each other's work and improve on each other's ideas. They initially wanted to put up a T-shirt business, but they still didn't have the graphic design skills to do it. They therefore opted to go into the bag business instead, availing of the services of a friend who could produce the bags for them.
Seeing that the price of the typical laptop bag started at P1,000, they saw a business opportunity in specializing in laptop sleeves. They felt that by designing funky patterns for their sleeves, they could dramatically improve the bland designs of laptop bags. They were sure that there would be a substantial market for their laptop sleeves because what were locally available then were only for Apple laptops.
They thought that the name of their product should be "cutesy enough" to draw both guys and girls, so they branded it Punchdrunk Panda. They then invested P100,000 to produce laptop bags in 14 different designs and launched their business online on Multiply in July 2007.
Horn says they chose Multiply because they saw its potential based on the presence of local online stores in the website. Another reason was that at the time, Go had just started as an intern in the advertising agency Leo Burnett and could not possible engage in a full-time business on her own. In any case, the partners found it easier to manage their bag business through simply checking e-mail orders after work.
But their first months in the business were characterized by trial and error. For one, they realized that they had ordered too many designs for their initial run, and that their product delivery system was just not good enough. They used to ask customers to meet them in either the La Salle or Ateneo campus to accept delivery of their bags, until they discovered that using LBC or Air 21 for the purpose was cheaper and more efficient. As they did the business, they also gradually discovered their respective strengths--Horn was better at talking to customers and Go worked better dealing with suppliers.
Horn says that keeping customers happy was their goal, so they actively sough customer comments by running a feedback form in the Punchdrunk Panda website. From the feedback they got, for instance, they were able to fine-tune the sizes of their laptop bags as well as make their order system more efficient. They have since made arrangements to accept payments for their products through GCash, Western Union, and BPI.
The partners consider Punchdrunk Panda as an online brand, but to reach new customers, they now also usually frequent bazaars such as the "Global Pinoy Bazaar" by Yabang Pinoy.
Horn, who now works as a copywriter with the advertising agency J. Romero & Associates, says that she and Go find their sideline business fulfilling because it allows them to use their creativity on their own. In her case, she says, it gives her a stronger sense of accomplishment to work with a friend on something that's truly theirs.
Currently, the partners are set on building the Punchdrunk Panda brand to become the next Hello Kitty in terms of market positioning. They are now developing new sleeves with a white background where the customers can customize their own designs. They are also looking into making dolls and cellular phone charms featuring their Punchdrunk Panda mascot, and issuing gift cheques and freebies such as gift sacks to help build a bigger base of loyal Punchdrunk Panda fans.
Instant office
It's good to have one's own business, but putting up an office for it is not that easy. There just are too many things to do and too much expense required to get things off the ground.
For the start-up entrepreneur, however, there's now a very convenient and cost-efficient way to have an office in no time at all: the CEO SUITE solution. CEO SUITE, which started operations in the Philippines only in the middle of this year, offers ready-to-occupy office space for start-up businesses or just an office address for those that are simply testing the waters for a prospective venture.
The company provides two types of services: an instant office for chief executives on the go and for mobile entrepreneurs, and a virtual office with a specific a business address and dedicated phone numbers for clients who don't find a need to put up an office of their own.
Either way, CEO SUITE's instant office services can spare businessmen all the hassles of looking for an office, designing and furnishing it with all the necessary equipment and furniture, and hiring a full-time staff to take in calls and messages.
CEO SUITE started ten years ago in Jakarta, catering to different businesses in different industries. Its founder and president, Mee Kim, is a highly experienced manager who was educated in Seoul, New York, and Sydney. She has worked in many of Asia's leading urban cities as well as in the United States and Australia.
While in Sydney, Mee Kim had worked full time as manager of Servcorp Australia, which runs a business similar to that of CEO SUITE. In that capacity, she played a key role in the opening of Servcorp's new centers in Bangkok, Japan, and Jakarta.
In Jakarta, she met the man she would later marry, Joseph Siswanto. With his support and with her seven years of experience with Servcorp, she decided to go on her own and established CEO SUITE in 1997. With an initial investment of between US$1.5 to $2 million, she opened her first CEO SUITE center at the Jakarta Stock Exchange Building that same year. The center consisted of small offices with areas of between 20 sq m to 70 sq m, each furnished with the necessary corporate amenities.
She did not have an easy time at the start. This was primarily because during her very first few months in the business, the Asian financial crisis hit Jakarta very badly. As a result, the occupancy rate of the center was so low it could not even cover its day-to-day operational costs.
Two years later, in 1999, Mee Kim opened a second CEO SUITE center in Jakarta, followed in 2001 by a third center in Kuala Lumpur. In 2002, Mee Kim opened a fourth center in Singapore, followed in 2004 by a fifth center in Shanghai.
The rates of CEO SUITE start at US$50 a month for clients that only need an office address. For those who need a dedicated phone number or an assistant, the rates range from US$60 to US$200 a month. The rates for a physical office space range from US$550 to US$4,000 depending on the size of the office and the services required.
Ems Llanes, country director of CEO SUITE for Manila, says the company decided to enter the Philippine market in June this year because of the fast-growing market for office space in the country.
"The office space market in the Philippines has been experiencing a boom because of the continuing growth of the country's call center industry and business process outsourcing industry,” she explains. “There are now very few available office spaces left in the Philippines, so it is one of the countries that office space investors would have in mind for expanding their business.”
This shortage of office space has jacked up the cost of office space in Manila, a problem that CEO SUITE now addresses with its instant office services.
Precisely what kind of services does CEO SUITE offer?
Llanes says CEO SUITE can make its instant offices immediately available for the client's use for an hour, a half day, or a day or on a weekly or monthly basis. For entrepreneurs who are just starting a business, CEO SUITE provides services that can link them with the appropriate contacts for business registration and other start-up needs.
She says that CEO SUITE has a ready list of contacts with the Department of Trade and Industry and the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company can thus help clients that engage its services in going through the step-by-step process of business registration.
CEO SUITE can thereafter make the necessary follow-up calls for the processing of the client's business applications. “We help speed up the process and provide representation for our clients,” Llanes says.
She says that for start-up businesses, CEO SUITE has a package that can go as low as P2,000 monthly for clients needing mainly a business address. Its P5,000 monthly package, on the other hand, provides a business address as well as a telephone answering service and other basic office amenities.
For its virtual office offering, CEO SUITE provides a client company a respectable business address, a dedicated phone line, and a skeletal office staff to take in calls and messages for the client. The virtual office service costs around P2,000 per month, depending on the duration of the service.
For its serviced office offering, on the other hand, the client will be provided with the following additional amenities: a pantry area and a Private Automatic Branch Exchange or office PABX. "We can transfer a client's calls anywhere and we will also provide for the client world-class board room facilities,” Llanes says.
The rates for the serviced office are similar to the rates of five-star hotels, ranging anywhere from P12,000 to P40,000 per month.
CONTACT DETAILS:
EMS LLANES
CEO SUITE
37th Floor, LKG Tower
6801 Ayala Avenue
Makati City
Telephone: (02) 859-2888
Fax: (02) 859-2882
For the start-up entrepreneur, however, there's now a very convenient and cost-efficient way to have an office in no time at all: the CEO SUITE solution. CEO SUITE, which started operations in the Philippines only in the middle of this year, offers ready-to-occupy office space for start-up businesses or just an office address for those that are simply testing the waters for a prospective venture.
The company provides two types of services: an instant office for chief executives on the go and for mobile entrepreneurs, and a virtual office with a specific a business address and dedicated phone numbers for clients who don't find a need to put up an office of their own.
Either way, CEO SUITE's instant office services can spare businessmen all the hassles of looking for an office, designing and furnishing it with all the necessary equipment and furniture, and hiring a full-time staff to take in calls and messages.
CEO SUITE started ten years ago in Jakarta, catering to different businesses in different industries. Its founder and president, Mee Kim, is a highly experienced manager who was educated in Seoul, New York, and Sydney. She has worked in many of Asia's leading urban cities as well as in the United States and Australia.
While in Sydney, Mee Kim had worked full time as manager of Servcorp Australia, which runs a business similar to that of CEO SUITE. In that capacity, she played a key role in the opening of Servcorp's new centers in Bangkok, Japan, and Jakarta.
In Jakarta, she met the man she would later marry, Joseph Siswanto. With his support and with her seven years of experience with Servcorp, she decided to go on her own and established CEO SUITE in 1997. With an initial investment of between US$1.5 to $2 million, she opened her first CEO SUITE center at the Jakarta Stock Exchange Building that same year. The center consisted of small offices with areas of between 20 sq m to 70 sq m, each furnished with the necessary corporate amenities.
She did not have an easy time at the start. This was primarily because during her very first few months in the business, the Asian financial crisis hit Jakarta very badly. As a result, the occupancy rate of the center was so low it could not even cover its day-to-day operational costs.
Two years later, in 1999, Mee Kim opened a second CEO SUITE center in Jakarta, followed in 2001 by a third center in Kuala Lumpur. In 2002, Mee Kim opened a fourth center in Singapore, followed in 2004 by a fifth center in Shanghai.
The rates of CEO SUITE start at US$50 a month for clients that only need an office address. For those who need a dedicated phone number or an assistant, the rates range from US$60 to US$200 a month. The rates for a physical office space range from US$550 to US$4,000 depending on the size of the office and the services required.
Ems Llanes, country director of CEO SUITE for Manila, says the company decided to enter the Philippine market in June this year because of the fast-growing market for office space in the country.
"The office space market in the Philippines has been experiencing a boom because of the continuing growth of the country's call center industry and business process outsourcing industry,” she explains. “There are now very few available office spaces left in the Philippines, so it is one of the countries that office space investors would have in mind for expanding their business.”
This shortage of office space has jacked up the cost of office space in Manila, a problem that CEO SUITE now addresses with its instant office services.
Precisely what kind of services does CEO SUITE offer?
Llanes says CEO SUITE can make its instant offices immediately available for the client's use for an hour, a half day, or a day or on a weekly or monthly basis. For entrepreneurs who are just starting a business, CEO SUITE provides services that can link them with the appropriate contacts for business registration and other start-up needs.
She says that CEO SUITE has a ready list of contacts with the Department of Trade and Industry and the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company can thus help clients that engage its services in going through the step-by-step process of business registration.
CEO SUITE can thereafter make the necessary follow-up calls for the processing of the client's business applications. “We help speed up the process and provide representation for our clients,” Llanes says.
She says that for start-up businesses, CEO SUITE has a package that can go as low as P2,000 monthly for clients needing mainly a business address. Its P5,000 monthly package, on the other hand, provides a business address as well as a telephone answering service and other basic office amenities.
For its virtual office offering, CEO SUITE provides a client company a respectable business address, a dedicated phone line, and a skeletal office staff to take in calls and messages for the client. The virtual office service costs around P2,000 per month, depending on the duration of the service.
For its serviced office offering, on the other hand, the client will be provided with the following additional amenities: a pantry area and a Private Automatic Branch Exchange or office PABX. "We can transfer a client's calls anywhere and we will also provide for the client world-class board room facilities,” Llanes says.
The rates for the serviced office are similar to the rates of five-star hotels, ranging anywhere from P12,000 to P40,000 per month.
CONTACT DETAILS:
EMS LLANES
CEO SUITE
37th Floor, LKG Tower
6801 Ayala Avenue
Makati City
Telephone: (02) 859-2888
Fax: (02) 859-2882
Make Money from Home
This June, Entrepreneur Philippines Magazine features home-based businesses that worked.
[See things to consider when running a home-based business here]
These business ideas included web development, event coordination, baby accessories, online dessert store, laundry shop and shoe retail.
[Read six hot business ideas now here]
Husband and wife team Mark and Gail Villanueva of Sheero Media, a home-based Web development company, candidly shared their experiences as entrepreneurs working in their home/office. They related an incident when their office dogs (two shih tzus) started barking when a client called.
[Read how to ride the tech boom here]
Meanwhile, interior designers Bie Magalong and Cookie Bombais of Scintilla Events, a home-based event coordinating company, said they started their business because friends and families were already asking them both to coordinate.
These and more home-based businesses are featured in the June 2010 edition.
As a bonus, it also gave six steps to set up a business at home.
Besides making money from home, Entrepreneur Philippines also takes you to Baguio City, the Summer Capital of the Philippines, and the thriving business in this city of more than 300,000 population.
[See Baguio City as one of the bargain places to source your raw materials from here]
The City of Pines' unique vibe has nurtured several businesses that capitalized on the fact that Baguio is a major tourist draw. The cool climate, the interesting mix of urban and laidback lifestyles made Baguio a location for "hot businesses" and let enterprising Pinoys set up shop.
Also, find out 10 easy on the pocket business concepts as well as smart business ideas.
[Read 10 surefire business concepts to learn in 2010 here]
These stories, tips and more are inside the pages of the June issue. Grab a copy now from your favorite newsstands and bookstores.
[See things to consider when running a home-based business here]
These business ideas included web development, event coordination, baby accessories, online dessert store, laundry shop and shoe retail.
[Read six hot business ideas now here]
Husband and wife team Mark and Gail Villanueva of Sheero Media, a home-based Web development company, candidly shared their experiences as entrepreneurs working in their home/office. They related an incident when their office dogs (two shih tzus) started barking when a client called.
[Read how to ride the tech boom here]
Meanwhile, interior designers Bie Magalong and Cookie Bombais of Scintilla Events, a home-based event coordinating company, said they started their business because friends and families were already asking them both to coordinate.
These and more home-based businesses are featured in the June 2010 edition.
As a bonus, it also gave six steps to set up a business at home.
Besides making money from home, Entrepreneur Philippines also takes you to Baguio City, the Summer Capital of the Philippines, and the thriving business in this city of more than 300,000 population.
[See Baguio City as one of the bargain places to source your raw materials from here]
The City of Pines' unique vibe has nurtured several businesses that capitalized on the fact that Baguio is a major tourist draw. The cool climate, the interesting mix of urban and laidback lifestyles made Baguio a location for "hot businesses" and let enterprising Pinoys set up shop.
Also, find out 10 easy on the pocket business concepts as well as smart business ideas.
[Read 10 surefire business concepts to learn in 2010 here]
These stories, tips and more are inside the pages of the June issue. Grab a copy now from your favorite newsstands and bookstores.
Going freelance
Every once in a while, you come across people who owe their allegiance to no single employer and observe no strict office hours. They work at their own pace and don’t get regular compensation. Yet they flourish, operating outside the safety nets granted to career professionals. These individuals are known as freelancers, and you can be one, too, if you have the discipline and the drive to navigate this way of life.
Understand the industry
“Freelancer” is derived from “free-lance,” a term coined by Scottish novelist Sir Walter Scott to describe a mercenary warrior. They swore their lances or weapons to no single lord, and as such, they could serve whomever they wished. Most businesses use the more formal term “independent contractors” when identifying freelancers in legal paperwork.
Freelancing means you’ll be taking on several jobs. Maybe not all at once, and very likely not according to regular office hours, but you’ll need to invest a sizable amount of time and energy in a variety of tasks. Depending on the scope of your expertise and self-management abilities, you’ll probably work on projects that have similar or different requirements.
Since you work on a per-project basis, you should expect to go through a lot of beginnings and endings. Freelancing isn’t the kind of thing you do if you want a quiet, regular pace. The only thing predictable and constant about it is the amount of juggling you’ll have to do all the time.
Decide on your field
As with any profession, you can’t work unless you actually decide on what it is you want to do. If you are a regular employee, it usually means your job description is relatively static and determined by your employer. If you’re a freelancer, your job description relies entirely on what you want to do, and how you go about it.
Freelancing usually falls into two broad categories: creative development and direct service. The former is where writers, artists, designers and musicians belong, while the latter includes lawyers, plumbers, planners and other procedural professions. People who provide direct service can be further divided into white-collar and blue-collar freelancers. Taken all together, there’s as much potential variety in freelancing as there is in the rest of the business landscape
Understand the industry
“Freelancer” is derived from “free-lance,” a term coined by Scottish novelist Sir Walter Scott to describe a mercenary warrior. They swore their lances or weapons to no single lord, and as such, they could serve whomever they wished. Most businesses use the more formal term “independent contractors” when identifying freelancers in legal paperwork.
Freelancing means you’ll be taking on several jobs. Maybe not all at once, and very likely not according to regular office hours, but you’ll need to invest a sizable amount of time and energy in a variety of tasks. Depending on the scope of your expertise and self-management abilities, you’ll probably work on projects that have similar or different requirements.
Since you work on a per-project basis, you should expect to go through a lot of beginnings and endings. Freelancing isn’t the kind of thing you do if you want a quiet, regular pace. The only thing predictable and constant about it is the amount of juggling you’ll have to do all the time.
Decide on your field
As with any profession, you can’t work unless you actually decide on what it is you want to do. If you are a regular employee, it usually means your job description is relatively static and determined by your employer. If you’re a freelancer, your job description relies entirely on what you want to do, and how you go about it.
Freelancing usually falls into two broad categories: creative development and direct service. The former is where writers, artists, designers and musicians belong, while the latter includes lawyers, plumbers, planners and other procedural professions. People who provide direct service can be further divided into white-collar and blue-collar freelancers. Taken all together, there’s as much potential variety in freelancing as there is in the rest of the business landscape
Starting a farm in your own backyard
Can’t put up your own farm yet? You can have a ‘micro-farm’ experience and contribute to greening the earth by starting your own herb garden in your patch of the concrete jungle.
Laurel Bangaoet, who started Tomay Farms in Benguet in December 2004 after her retirement, now has an extensive collection of culinary and medicinal herbs—many of them from all over the world.
“It started as a challenge for me, that if my friends could grow herbs in their backyards, I could too.” She is now working on a book on plants and herbs.
Bangaoet enumerates the following factors one should consider before starting your herb garden:
1. Objective. Why do you want to start one? What herbs will you be using often? You don’t need a working knowledge of all herbs before you start. Experience and experimentation will help a lot. Bangaoet says she initially “could not recognize which was which, I could not recognize one from the other.”
2. Space. Do you have a verandah or just a windowsill to work with? You should know how many herbs you need and intend to use, so you can distribute these in the available space. Can you grow your chosen herbs just in pots or do you need to plant them in the ground?
3. Plants. What herbs do you want to grow? Will you use them just for the kitchen? Is it cheaper to grow it or buy it? Different herbs “like” different locations—shady, full sun, or partial sun. Take this into consideration.
To care for your herbs, Bangaoet says you need to be mindful of three things:
Watering. Seedlings should always be moist, but when they are grown, it depends on the kind of herb, whether it should be watered often or not.
Fertilizing. Use natural, organic fertilizers for these herbs that you will be feeding your family later on. Bangaoet uses vermicast or vermicompost for hers. She cautions, however, against using too much fertilizer.
Pruning. If you use your herbs often, then you effectively are pruning them regularly. Remove dead leaves and flowers. Be mindful of each herb’s “life span.” Most are annual, but some are perennial.
A good selection of herbs, Bangaoet says, would consist of basil, chives, dill, fennel, oregano, rosemary, tarragon, thyme, and mint. These herbs, except for mint, need full sun. Mint must be grown in partial shade.
Laurel Bangaoet, who started Tomay Farms in Benguet in December 2004 after her retirement, now has an extensive collection of culinary and medicinal herbs—many of them from all over the world.
“It started as a challenge for me, that if my friends could grow herbs in their backyards, I could too.” She is now working on a book on plants and herbs.
Bangaoet enumerates the following factors one should consider before starting your herb garden:
1. Objective. Why do you want to start one? What herbs will you be using often? You don’t need a working knowledge of all herbs before you start. Experience and experimentation will help a lot. Bangaoet says she initially “could not recognize which was which, I could not recognize one from the other.”
2. Space. Do you have a verandah or just a windowsill to work with? You should know how many herbs you need and intend to use, so you can distribute these in the available space. Can you grow your chosen herbs just in pots or do you need to plant them in the ground?
3. Plants. What herbs do you want to grow? Will you use them just for the kitchen? Is it cheaper to grow it or buy it? Different herbs “like” different locations—shady, full sun, or partial sun. Take this into consideration.
To care for your herbs, Bangaoet says you need to be mindful of three things:
Watering. Seedlings should always be moist, but when they are grown, it depends on the kind of herb, whether it should be watered often or not.
Fertilizing. Use natural, organic fertilizers for these herbs that you will be feeding your family later on. Bangaoet uses vermicast or vermicompost for hers. She cautions, however, against using too much fertilizer.
Pruning. If you use your herbs often, then you effectively are pruning them regularly. Remove dead leaves and flowers. Be mindful of each herb’s “life span.” Most are annual, but some are perennial.
A good selection of herbs, Bangaoet says, would consist of basil, chives, dill, fennel, oregano, rosemary, tarragon, thyme, and mint. These herbs, except for mint, need full sun. Mint must be grown in partial shade.
Ideas & Opportunities
Starting a business can be pretty daunting for a lot of people, especially when the topic is already about getting the capital to fund it. Risking a few hundred thousand or a million pesos is no joke, after all.
Whether as a sideline or a home-based business, Entrepreneur.com.ph listed down 10 ideas that can start your entrepreneurial career without spending a lot.
1. Desktop publishing
Not everyone can make a decent flyer or brochure armed only with desktop publishing software and templates readily available from store shelves. So if you have the required talent, skill and creativity—and a high-quality printer—you can make brochures and other marketing collaterals for individual or corporate clients.
2. Virtual assistant
Virtual assistants provide administrative and business support to businesses that do not need in-house employees for tasks like taking and returning telephone calls, sifting through e-mail, and other administrative tasks related to customer service. This is basically a remote receptionist service customized according to the client’s needs.
3. Internet research
This consists of doing Internet research for corporations, law firms and other companies. This is not simply googling—the Internet researcher must have library research skills and be knowledgeable about how to access databases and other information sources on the Web.
4. Tutoring
This is great for work-at-home moms and college students who need to earn money on the side. Potential clients are foreigners who want to hone their command of the English language, and grade school and even high school students who need help with their schoolwork.
5. Arts & Crafts
Create your own unique product lines and sell them online. Aside from creativity and the skill for crafts, the online craft maker and seller must possess sales and e-commerce savvy.
6. Making gift baskets
Aside from selling goods online, how about packaging them in attractive gift baskets? Organizations are always looking for corporate giveaways, so it is important to put the word out there about your business.
7. Image consultant
If you have a strong sense of style and possess knowledge of personalities and communication, try image consulting as a home-based business. The image consultant must sincerely want to help others achieve their goals through a positive self-image.
8. Party planner
Dreaming of becoming an event planner? You can start small by being a children’s party planner. The primary requirement for this job is love for children and planning. Develop themes for party favors, décor, costumes and menu, in order to offer varied choices to your potential clients.
9. Herb farming
With more people turning to organic food, small-time herb farming may just be your ticket to breaking into the food market. Start with growing herbs—basil, oregano, tarragon and others—at home. Herbs can be grown all year round, in sunny rooms or greenhouses. There is a healthy demand both for fresh and dried herbs.
10. Stock photography business
Who says only big agencies can undertake this business? If you can take decent photos, are Internet savvy and have a modicum of marketing skills, this business has great potential returns for you. Many media companies are looking for affordable and unique stock photos that they can use for their publications.
The tale of 2 home-based entrepreneurs
Home-based Internet businesses have been growing in the Philippines because of the easy access and convenience they provide to part-time entrepreneurs.
Among these entrepreneurs is Joel Christopher Remandaban of the Internet marketing company masterlistbuilder.com, who believes that the Philippines is in a great position to become a global Internet services hub.
“The Philippines is blessed to have such an educated population base, and this is our advantage over other countries,” he says. “The Web is a great equalizer because it allows you to serve people on the other side of the world while you are sitting in the comfort of your own home. And as knowledge workers become more in demand, we in the Philippines will reap the benefits.”
He says that people need not worry about the global economic crunch because it is also a good opportunity to cash in on the business opportunities offered by the Web.
“Right now, people all over the world are looking for value,” he explains. “So, the race is going to be in reaching the most people at the least amount of time, in presenting a unique product proposition, and in making the sale. There’s no limit to the amount of money you can make on the Web; it’s like creating money out of thin air.”
Remandaban started his online marketing services firm in 1999 in the basement of his home in San Antonio, Texas. It remains a home-based business today although it has grown into a million-dollar enterprise serving clients the world over.
“I get up in the morning and, still in my pajamas and T-shirt, go to work on my computer,” he says. “This lifestyle really suits me because I control my time and manage my teams from home. I believe that others can do this, too, as long as they are dedicated to their craft and keep on persevering.”
To measure the country’s interest in Web-based content, one needs only to look at the popularity of the major Internet social networking sites. Indeed, social networking providers like Friendster and Multiply even use the Philippines as a test bed for their new service offerings.
Remandaban says the popularity of social networking is a boon to people who want to earn extra money off the Web. Selling merchandise, opening a blog, doing freelance work, and direct selling are just some of the moneymaking ventures one can get into on the Internet.
He explains: “There are many revenue streams on the Internet that are open even to amateur Web entrepreneurs. I started my business in 2000 with no knowledge about the Internet, and until now, I still struggle with some of the Web features available to me. So, if someone like me who is a non-‘geek’ can do it, so can anybody.”
One other example of a home-based enterprise on the Web is that of May Salvador, a single mother of one. She runs a virtual shop on the social networking site Multiply.com and the retail site Auction.ph. She says her income had been significant enough for her to be able to quit her job and just focus on selling merchandise online.
“I sell native fare like bags, delicacies, and accessories,” she says. “At the start, it was just a way to supplement my income from my day job. As time went by, however, more and more orders came, so I had no choice but to make it a full-time occupation. But since I work right in my own home, I have more time to take care of my child and have more time to spend with him,” she says.
Remandaban says that Web-based businesses can basically run themselves—meaning they continue to make money even while the entrepreneur is asleep or working in a regular job.
“Automation and systemizing the online business is a great way of making it generate a steady revenue stream,” he says. “As soon as you discover your niche, you can basically program the business to run itself. At the end of the month, you’ll be surprised how much you’ve made even if you spend barely an hour or two on the Web each day.”
Among these entrepreneurs is Joel Christopher Remandaban of the Internet marketing company masterlistbuilder.com, who believes that the Philippines is in a great position to become a global Internet services hub.
“The Philippines is blessed to have such an educated population base, and this is our advantage over other countries,” he says. “The Web is a great equalizer because it allows you to serve people on the other side of the world while you are sitting in the comfort of your own home. And as knowledge workers become more in demand, we in the Philippines will reap the benefits.”
He says that people need not worry about the global economic crunch because it is also a good opportunity to cash in on the business opportunities offered by the Web.
“Right now, people all over the world are looking for value,” he explains. “So, the race is going to be in reaching the most people at the least amount of time, in presenting a unique product proposition, and in making the sale. There’s no limit to the amount of money you can make on the Web; it’s like creating money out of thin air.”
Remandaban started his online marketing services firm in 1999 in the basement of his home in San Antonio, Texas. It remains a home-based business today although it has grown into a million-dollar enterprise serving clients the world over.
“I get up in the morning and, still in my pajamas and T-shirt, go to work on my computer,” he says. “This lifestyle really suits me because I control my time and manage my teams from home. I believe that others can do this, too, as long as they are dedicated to their craft and keep on persevering.”
To measure the country’s interest in Web-based content, one needs only to look at the popularity of the major Internet social networking sites. Indeed, social networking providers like Friendster and Multiply even use the Philippines as a test bed for their new service offerings.
Remandaban says the popularity of social networking is a boon to people who want to earn extra money off the Web. Selling merchandise, opening a blog, doing freelance work, and direct selling are just some of the moneymaking ventures one can get into on the Internet.
He explains: “There are many revenue streams on the Internet that are open even to amateur Web entrepreneurs. I started my business in 2000 with no knowledge about the Internet, and until now, I still struggle with some of the Web features available to me. So, if someone like me who is a non-‘geek’ can do it, so can anybody.”
One other example of a home-based enterprise on the Web is that of May Salvador, a single mother of one. She runs a virtual shop on the social networking site Multiply.com and the retail site Auction.ph. She says her income had been significant enough for her to be able to quit her job and just focus on selling merchandise online.
“I sell native fare like bags, delicacies, and accessories,” she says. “At the start, it was just a way to supplement my income from my day job. As time went by, however, more and more orders came, so I had no choice but to make it a full-time occupation. But since I work right in my own home, I have more time to take care of my child and have more time to spend with him,” she says.
Remandaban says that Web-based businesses can basically run themselves—meaning they continue to make money even while the entrepreneur is asleep or working in a regular job.
“Automation and systemizing the online business is a great way of making it generate a steady revenue stream,” he says. “As soon as you discover your niche, you can basically program the business to run itself. At the end of the month, you’ll be surprised how much you’ve made even if you spend barely an hour or two on the Web each day.”
5 money-making ideas using a printer
When you bought a desktop computer there was a printer included in the package, but aside from the one or two pages that you print once in a while, your printer is just there, sitting idly and gathering dust.
Why haven't you used it as a tool for business? It can be a money-making opportunity that you can start in the comfort of your own home or as a profitable sideline business. While your printing business may start small - with a personal laserjet or inkjet printer - its potential to grow into a flourishing business is possible.
The printing business can vary from printing a document or two to printing customized products, to even the large scale billboard printing.
Click on the gallery below to see the latest printers from technology giant, Hewlett-Packard, and what business you can start with them.
Ideas & Opportunities
5 money-making ideas using a printer
Sep 21, 2011
When you bought a desktop computer there was a printer included in the package, but aside from the one or two pages that you print once in a while, your printer is just there, sitting idly and gathering dust.
Why haven't you used it as a tool for business? It can be a money-making opportunity that you can start in the comfort of your own home or as a profitable sideline business. While your printing business may start small - with a personal laserjet or inkjet printer - its potential to grow into a flourishing business is possible.
The printing business can vary from printing a document or two to printing customized products, to even the large scale billboard printing.
Click on the gallery below to see the latest printers from technology giant, Hewlett-Packard, and what business you can start with them.
For orders and inquiries, call (02) 867.3557.
1
1 / 5Printer for internet cafes and business centers
People value convenience so there will always be a demand for printing services in internet cafes and business centers.
The HP Deskjet Ink Advantage K110a offers users with outstanding print quality that’s ideal for everyday printing needs.
A compact and easy-to-use device, this device lets users print, scan and copy in one sleek device. It features print resolutions of up to 4800 x 1200 dpi for clearer documents and images.
Copy center
Do you live near schools and offices? Then opening a small copy center where you can offer services for bulk copying and printing is a good idea.
The HP Officejet Advantage 4500 All-in-One is an affordable flatbed all-in-one printer also features up to 28 pages per minute (ppm) for black documents and 22 ppm for color prints for quick print results, and lets users enjoy fast fax speeds of 3 seconds per page with up to 33.6kbps connection
Party and events invitation maker
Birthdays, parties and other events will always need invitations and posters that are professionally made.
The HP LaserJet M1536dnf Multifunction Printer is a useful alternative to meet an array of business needs and budget requirements with its print, scan, copy and fax capabilities. Equipped with HP ePrint technology, users can email print jobs for convenient printing anywhere business takes them. It also offers two-sided printing with a 35-page automatic document feeder for 50 percent less paper consumption.
Outdoor signage
Have a knack for text and design? Then you can cater to local businesses looking for affordable signage options for advertising.
HP Designjet L25500 produces outdoor signage with durability comparable to eco-solvent inks. Achieve high-quality results—that meet clients’ branding requirements—for all your indoor signage applications, from exhibition graphics to interior decorations.
Personalized giveaways
People love giving and receiving personalized gifts for various occasions. Stand out from the crowd this holiday season by offering unique and customized gifts for giveaways.
HP SCITEX LX800 is a great printer for customized POP displays, light boxes, soft signage, customized wall paper and other interior decorations, and vehicle wraps.
Why haven't you used it as a tool for business? It can be a money-making opportunity that you can start in the comfort of your own home or as a profitable sideline business. While your printing business may start small - with a personal laserjet or inkjet printer - its potential to grow into a flourishing business is possible.
The printing business can vary from printing a document or two to printing customized products, to even the large scale billboard printing.
Click on the gallery below to see the latest printers from technology giant, Hewlett-Packard, and what business you can start with them.
Ideas & Opportunities
5 money-making ideas using a printer
Sep 21, 2011
When you bought a desktop computer there was a printer included in the package, but aside from the one or two pages that you print once in a while, your printer is just there, sitting idly and gathering dust.
Why haven't you used it as a tool for business? It can be a money-making opportunity that you can start in the comfort of your own home or as a profitable sideline business. While your printing business may start small - with a personal laserjet or inkjet printer - its potential to grow into a flourishing business is possible.
The printing business can vary from printing a document or two to printing customized products, to even the large scale billboard printing.
Click on the gallery below to see the latest printers from technology giant, Hewlett-Packard, and what business you can start with them.
For orders and inquiries, call (02) 867.3557.
1
1 / 5Printer for internet cafes and business centers
People value convenience so there will always be a demand for printing services in internet cafes and business centers.
The HP Deskjet Ink Advantage K110a offers users with outstanding print quality that’s ideal for everyday printing needs.
A compact and easy-to-use device, this device lets users print, scan and copy in one sleek device. It features print resolutions of up to 4800 x 1200 dpi for clearer documents and images.
Copy center
Do you live near schools and offices? Then opening a small copy center where you can offer services for bulk copying and printing is a good idea.
The HP Officejet Advantage 4500 All-in-One is an affordable flatbed all-in-one printer also features up to 28 pages per minute (ppm) for black documents and 22 ppm for color prints for quick print results, and lets users enjoy fast fax speeds of 3 seconds per page with up to 33.6kbps connection
Party and events invitation maker
Birthdays, parties and other events will always need invitations and posters that are professionally made.
The HP LaserJet M1536dnf Multifunction Printer is a useful alternative to meet an array of business needs and budget requirements with its print, scan, copy and fax capabilities. Equipped with HP ePrint technology, users can email print jobs for convenient printing anywhere business takes them. It also offers two-sided printing with a 35-page automatic document feeder for 50 percent less paper consumption.
Outdoor signage
Have a knack for text and design? Then you can cater to local businesses looking for affordable signage options for advertising.
HP Designjet L25500 produces outdoor signage with durability comparable to eco-solvent inks. Achieve high-quality results—that meet clients’ branding requirements—for all your indoor signage applications, from exhibition graphics to interior decorations.
Personalized giveaways
People love giving and receiving personalized gifts for various occasions. Stand out from the crowd this holiday season by offering unique and customized gifts for giveaways.
HP SCITEX LX800 is a great printer for customized POP displays, light boxes, soft signage, customized wall paper and other interior decorations, and vehicle wraps.
Learn how to make money from home with Entrepreneur Philippines' June 2011 issue
In starting a business, the most difficult part of the task is actually taking the first step--and that is what the June 2011 issue of Entrepreneur Philippines aims to address.
The June issue gives a step-by-step guide for aspiring entrepreneurs on how they can start becoming their own boss even from the comfort of their own home. Entrepreneur Philippines will guide you through the tedious process of getting permits, converting a portion of a house into a business space, managing time between taking care of the house and being an entrepreneur. After all, working at home does not mean there will be no more distinction between working and living.
To further entice you into starting your own business, the June 2011 issue of Entrepreneur Philippines has over 40 business ideas and more than 20 franchise opportunities that you can choose from.
In June, Entrepreneur Philippines also takes you to closer to entrepreneurs from Cebu City, a prime business center in the Visayas. Learn from and be inspired by the men and women behind the likes of the Abaca Botique Resort, Laguna Café, and Suarez Brothers’ Metal Arts Inc.
Here's one more thing you can look forward to when you grab our June 2011 issue: 10 tips in boosting your online presence. So, what are you waiting for? Grab the latest issue of Entrepreneur Philippines at your favorite bookstores and newsstands.
Here's a sneak peek at this month's cover. Check out the stories we have prepared for you!
The June issue gives a step-by-step guide for aspiring entrepreneurs on how they can start becoming their own boss even from the comfort of their own home. Entrepreneur Philippines will guide you through the tedious process of getting permits, converting a portion of a house into a business space, managing time between taking care of the house and being an entrepreneur. After all, working at home does not mean there will be no more distinction between working and living.
To further entice you into starting your own business, the June 2011 issue of Entrepreneur Philippines has over 40 business ideas and more than 20 franchise opportunities that you can choose from.
In June, Entrepreneur Philippines also takes you to closer to entrepreneurs from Cebu City, a prime business center in the Visayas. Learn from and be inspired by the men and women behind the likes of the Abaca Botique Resort, Laguna Café, and Suarez Brothers’ Metal Arts Inc.
Here's one more thing you can look forward to when you grab our June 2011 issue: 10 tips in boosting your online presence. So, what are you waiting for? Grab the latest issue of Entrepreneur Philippines at your favorite bookstores and newsstands.
Here's a sneak peek at this month's cover. Check out the stories we have prepared for you!
10 tips in creating an efficient home office
Managing your business from home is an exciting prospect. But it can be pretty challenging due to the number of distractions at home.
Household chores, the bed, and the lack of a corporate vibe can contribute to a less than desirable output with a home office.
Here are 10 tips for creating an efficient home office on a budget from Entrepreneur US.
1. Be creative with your space. Renovating an entire room can be costly. Instead of completely converting the space, consider using a screen to set off one corner for work. Otherwise, set up shop in an isolated, sparsely used spot, such as an attic or basement.
2. Don’t run to big, chain office stores for supplies. Consider cheaper options like SM and Divisoria for basic items such as papers, pens, filing cabinets, and bulletin boards.
3. Go green. Look into smaller computers, electrical outlets, and phone chargers that save energy. Don’t forget to turn off lights and unplug chargers when you are not using them, and recycle paper. You will help the environment while cutting costs.
4. Use what you already have. Look around your house for much-needed office items. Desks and lamps can often be found in attics or spare rooms while smaller items, such as staplers and notebooks, may be buried in closets from school days past.
5. Hit the bazaars and flea markets. If you don’t already have furniture, visit flea markets and thrift shops to purchase items. Many antique pieces are affordable and can add a sophisticated feel to your home office.
6. Decorate the office yourself. The advantage of working at home is having the freedom to make your space your own. Be creative; hang pictures of family and friends, frame inspiring quotes, or hang your kids’ artwork.
7. Avoid landlines. Having a landline in addition to your cell phone can be costly and unnecessary. Use a cell phone for all correspondence. Instead of having a fax machine, buy a printer that has scanning capabilities.
8. Barter or trade with neighbors. Find items you need by posting ads on Multiply or putting up bulletins in community organizations. If you don’t have extra items to trade, consider offering your professional services.
9. Shop the sales. Take your time setting up your office; you don’t need every item at once. Make a wish list of everything you need, prioritize the items, and only buy them when they are on sale.
10. Make yourself a D.I.Y. expert. Instead of hiring painters, electricians, and furniture assemblers, do everything yourself. It will be a fun way to learn new skills, and you will save a lot on these otherwise costly services.
Household chores, the bed, and the lack of a corporate vibe can contribute to a less than desirable output with a home office.
Here are 10 tips for creating an efficient home office on a budget from Entrepreneur US.
1. Be creative with your space. Renovating an entire room can be costly. Instead of completely converting the space, consider using a screen to set off one corner for work. Otherwise, set up shop in an isolated, sparsely used spot, such as an attic or basement.
2. Don’t run to big, chain office stores for supplies. Consider cheaper options like SM and Divisoria for basic items such as papers, pens, filing cabinets, and bulletin boards.
3. Go green. Look into smaller computers, electrical outlets, and phone chargers that save energy. Don’t forget to turn off lights and unplug chargers when you are not using them, and recycle paper. You will help the environment while cutting costs.
4. Use what you already have. Look around your house for much-needed office items. Desks and lamps can often be found in attics or spare rooms while smaller items, such as staplers and notebooks, may be buried in closets from school days past.
5. Hit the bazaars and flea markets. If you don’t already have furniture, visit flea markets and thrift shops to purchase items. Many antique pieces are affordable and can add a sophisticated feel to your home office.
6. Decorate the office yourself. The advantage of working at home is having the freedom to make your space your own. Be creative; hang pictures of family and friends, frame inspiring quotes, or hang your kids’ artwork.
7. Avoid landlines. Having a landline in addition to your cell phone can be costly and unnecessary. Use a cell phone for all correspondence. Instead of having a fax machine, buy a printer that has scanning capabilities.
8. Barter or trade with neighbors. Find items you need by posting ads on Multiply or putting up bulletins in community organizations. If you don’t have extra items to trade, consider offering your professional services.
9. Shop the sales. Take your time setting up your office; you don’t need every item at once. Make a wish list of everything you need, prioritize the items, and only buy them when they are on sale.
10. Make yourself a D.I.Y. expert. Instead of hiring painters, electricians, and furniture assemblers, do everything yourself. It will be a fun way to learn new skills, and you will save a lot on these otherwise costly services.
5 features to look for in a router for a home-based business
Starting a business is not only difficult but also expensive. Thus a number of Filipinos have opted to start their entrepreneurial journey by having home-based businesses, which are mostly online.
Social networking sites like Facebook and Multiply have become the new marketplace for the home-based Pinoy entrepreneur. In an environment where the selling and marketing of goods are done over the internet, a reliable internet connection is needed.
During a road show here in Manila, Cisco’s director for Asia sales Boon Ping Tang said routers have long ceased to be just gadgets that connect your laptops and desktops to the internet. “The day is getting more and more interconnected each day through the internet, thus the need for better and more efficient internet connection,” said Tang during the launch of the new E4200 router.
But unlike in the past, the router has ceased to be merely the bridge for sharing internet connection. It has become a gadget that allows for a more efficient and faster internet connection.
Entrepreneur.com.ph asked Tang to cite five features an effective router should possess to make a significant contribution in the success of a Filipino entrepreneur who has an online business.
1. Performance
Aside from merely connecting to the internet, the router must be able to connect effectively. Look for a router that runs on simultaneous dual-band (2.4 and 5.0 GHz) with four multiple ports. Like Cisco's E4200, it should have a maximum performance of 300Mbps. “With this, we make sure that your internet connection is as stable as possible,” said Tang.
2. Guest-access capability
“When you have guests or clients who actually visit your place for the transaction, you can give them internet access easily with the router as it provides a guest access capability,” said Tang.
3. Design
While other routers are screaming ‘geek,’ the Cisco E4200 has a matte steel finish with a sleek design that gives the gadget a professional feel. “It does not have the obtrusive antennas other routers have,” said Tang.
4. USB port feature
“If you have to share one file to your colleagues, you can simply plug in the USB or hard drive into the router and people connected to it can actually access the file. It’s easy and time efficient,” said Tang.
5. Home-entertainment ready
“Doing presentations is part of business. With the new router, you can immediately do product demonstrations by plugging the router into the television set,” said Tang.
Social networking sites like Facebook and Multiply have become the new marketplace for the home-based Pinoy entrepreneur. In an environment where the selling and marketing of goods are done over the internet, a reliable internet connection is needed.
During a road show here in Manila, Cisco’s director for Asia sales Boon Ping Tang said routers have long ceased to be just gadgets that connect your laptops and desktops to the internet. “The day is getting more and more interconnected each day through the internet, thus the need for better and more efficient internet connection,” said Tang during the launch of the new E4200 router.
But unlike in the past, the router has ceased to be merely the bridge for sharing internet connection. It has become a gadget that allows for a more efficient and faster internet connection.
Entrepreneur.com.ph asked Tang to cite five features an effective router should possess to make a significant contribution in the success of a Filipino entrepreneur who has an online business.
1. Performance
Aside from merely connecting to the internet, the router must be able to connect effectively. Look for a router that runs on simultaneous dual-band (2.4 and 5.0 GHz) with four multiple ports. Like Cisco's E4200, it should have a maximum performance of 300Mbps. “With this, we make sure that your internet connection is as stable as possible,” said Tang.
2. Guest-access capability
“When you have guests or clients who actually visit your place for the transaction, you can give them internet access easily with the router as it provides a guest access capability,” said Tang.
3. Design
While other routers are screaming ‘geek,’ the Cisco E4200 has a matte steel finish with a sleek design that gives the gadget a professional feel. “It does not have the obtrusive antennas other routers have,” said Tang.
4. USB port feature
“If you have to share one file to your colleagues, you can simply plug in the USB or hard drive into the router and people connected to it can actually access the file. It’s easy and time efficient,” said Tang.
5. Home-entertainment ready
“Doing presentations is part of business. With the new router, you can immediately do product demonstrations by plugging the router into the television set,” said Tang.
Intuitiv Solutions finds good biz at home
As home -based businesses go, Sheero Media, a Web development company managed by husband and wife team Mark and Gail Villanueva, is as home-based as it can get.
“We have office dogs,” says Gail, referring to their two shih tzus staying in their office, which is a portion of Gail’s parent’s house in Cainta, Rizal.
“There was a time,” Mark recalls, “when a client called and they (the dogs) started barking, which is one of the reasons why we always make it a point to mention to our clients that we’re home-based. We never pretend otherwise.” [Learn how to manage a sideline business here]
Why should they when being a home-based business has made them the successful Web design company that they are now?
It was in college in the early 2000s when Mark, an Interdisciplinary Studies student, and Gail, a Communications Technology Management student, both from the Ateneo de Manila University, began freelancing as Web developers.
Together, they created websites and did graphic design. “We did mostly outsourced work for other website companies outside the country,” says Gail.
After graduating in 2003, they started Sheero Media together with three other people, still accepting outsourced work from bigger and more established design companies. [See 10 business budget ideas here]
Together, Mark and Gail made up the core team, “then depending on the project, let’s say it calls for a copywriter or a photographer, we would outsource it to our artist-friends,” says Mark, who acts as Sheero’s project manager.
According to Mark, “At the beginning, Sheero Media was just a part-time thing since it wasn’t that demanding yet.” During the day, Mark worked in a BPO (business process outsourcing) company in Quezon City while Gail was working on design projects full-time. “Still, business was really slow as we were project-based,” she says.
Mark also said there were times when they’d have two to three projects a month, “and then for three straight months, we’d have nothing.”
“We have office dogs,” says Gail, referring to their two shih tzus staying in their office, which is a portion of Gail’s parent’s house in Cainta, Rizal.
“There was a time,” Mark recalls, “when a client called and they (the dogs) started barking, which is one of the reasons why we always make it a point to mention to our clients that we’re home-based. We never pretend otherwise.” [Learn how to manage a sideline business here]
Why should they when being a home-based business has made them the successful Web design company that they are now?
It was in college in the early 2000s when Mark, an Interdisciplinary Studies student, and Gail, a Communications Technology Management student, both from the Ateneo de Manila University, began freelancing as Web developers.
Together, they created websites and did graphic design. “We did mostly outsourced work for other website companies outside the country,” says Gail.
After graduating in 2003, they started Sheero Media together with three other people, still accepting outsourced work from bigger and more established design companies. [See 10 business budget ideas here]
Together, Mark and Gail made up the core team, “then depending on the project, let’s say it calls for a copywriter or a photographer, we would outsource it to our artist-friends,” says Mark, who acts as Sheero’s project manager.
According to Mark, “At the beginning, Sheero Media was just a part-time thing since it wasn’t that demanding yet.” During the day, Mark worked in a BPO (business process outsourcing) company in Quezon City while Gail was working on design projects full-time. “Still, business was really slow as we were project-based,” she says.
Mark also said there were times when they’d have two to three projects a month, “and then for three straight months, we’d have nothing.”
5 rules for a home-based business
One surefire way for first-timers to save on overhead expenses is to set up shop at their house. It may sound like a simple solution, but many challenges also come with the creature comforts of home, such as a tendency to slack off, the problem of privacy, and not being taken too seriously by people in the industry.
There are rules, however, on how to make this type of arrangement work for you.
1. Make your office space look like an office
Christopher and Darlene Pacheco of GMR InternetAdvancement made sure that their office contains no distraction such as TV.
GMR InternetAdvancement is engaged in outsourcing projects for social media advertising, Web 2.0, and business blogs for U.S. clients. Darlene says: “The office is also soundproof, with a glass sliding door, so even if the kids make noise, the employees are not bothered from their work, and vice versa. We also put in another entrance to the house that goes straight to the office, so the employees do not have to pass through our living rooms.” She adds that the office is strictly a no-play zone for the kids.
2. Set boundaries for your employees
“There may be a tendency for them to slack off, because of the homey environment. But we tell them even during their interview that we expect them to work in a professional manner. We also weed out right away applicants who seem to have attitude problems, because they will really have a hard time remaining focused with this type of work environment,” Darlene explains.
3. Keep your books in order
To help you keep track of where every cent goes, Chef PJ Aquino of Arla’s Restaurant says: “Have a good accounting system and a reliable bookkeeper to keep every peso that comes in and goes out in check. It is still a challenge for our business to implement this 100 percent, but I think this is where most entrepreneurs fall short. This way you can really gauge if you are making money, breaking even or just enjoying your hobby.”
Arla’s Restaurant is run by Chefs Jeff and PJ Aquino from a compound right across their house.
There are rules, however, on how to make this type of arrangement work for you.
1. Make your office space look like an office
Christopher and Darlene Pacheco of GMR InternetAdvancement made sure that their office contains no distraction such as TV.
GMR InternetAdvancement is engaged in outsourcing projects for social media advertising, Web 2.0, and business blogs for U.S. clients. Darlene says: “The office is also soundproof, with a glass sliding door, so even if the kids make noise, the employees are not bothered from their work, and vice versa. We also put in another entrance to the house that goes straight to the office, so the employees do not have to pass through our living rooms.” She adds that the office is strictly a no-play zone for the kids.
2. Set boundaries for your employees
“There may be a tendency for them to slack off, because of the homey environment. But we tell them even during their interview that we expect them to work in a professional manner. We also weed out right away applicants who seem to have attitude problems, because they will really have a hard time remaining focused with this type of work environment,” Darlene explains.
3. Keep your books in order
To help you keep track of where every cent goes, Chef PJ Aquino of Arla’s Restaurant says: “Have a good accounting system and a reliable bookkeeper to keep every peso that comes in and goes out in check. It is still a challenge for our business to implement this 100 percent, but I think this is where most entrepreneurs fall short. This way you can really gauge if you are making money, breaking even or just enjoying your hobby.”
Arla’s Restaurant is run by Chefs Jeff and PJ Aquino from a compound right across their house.
7 most common challenges of Pinoy biz
“Wala talaga kaming capital,” says Jowee Alviar, referring to his joint venture with fellow UST graduate Mon Punzalan upon graduating from college in 1997.
The two Fine Arts majors had one thing on their mind: to build their own design studio. Gathering their own equipment in an unused room in Alviar’s house, the two set themselves to work.
“After graduation,” says Punzalan, “we became goal-oriented and began to list down the things we wanted to happen.” Thirteen years later, the two have managed to become a formidable team in the country’s design—and lately—fashion scene.
For some, Alviar and Punzalan’s name may be unfamiliar, but for many, their brand is universal—or-local—depending on how you look at it. They’re the team behind Team Manila, a design studio, T-shirt designer and retailer.
Like Alviar and Punzalan, finding the right idea, conceptualizing and creating your product or service, getting funds to finance your business venture, and letting customers know that you exist are just a few of the challenges every new business owner encounters.
However, once you’ve settled into the shoes of being an entrepreneur, you’ll soon find out that the process doesn’t end there. The challenge for an established business is not to merely sustain itself, get back the money you invested, or not go bankrupt. The challenge is to grow.
Entrepreneur shows you how four homegrown business in four different industries—the retail sector; food and beverage; health, beauty, and wellness sector; and service—rose to the challenge of growing their brand, and in consequence, their assets. Because in every business, the only way to go is up.
1. Lack of Experience
“We started in a small room in Jowee’s house in Parañaque,” says Punzalan. Now that’s homegrown, literally. And for Alviar, his business partner and fellow creative director, the decision to create their own design and graphic studio was natural. “We knew what we wanted to happen and the things we wanted to do.”
In 1999, Alviar went to the United States to pursue a Master’s degree in graphic design, while Punzalan worked as a creative director for a local ad agency. The two sought to hone their skills in design.
In July of 2001, Alviar returned to Philippines and they finally launched what was to become Team Manila in his home.
The two Fine Arts majors had one thing on their mind: to build their own design studio. Gathering their own equipment in an unused room in Alviar’s house, the two set themselves to work.
“After graduation,” says Punzalan, “we became goal-oriented and began to list down the things we wanted to happen.” Thirteen years later, the two have managed to become a formidable team in the country’s design—and lately—fashion scene.
For some, Alviar and Punzalan’s name may be unfamiliar, but for many, their brand is universal—or-local—depending on how you look at it. They’re the team behind Team Manila, a design studio, T-shirt designer and retailer.
Like Alviar and Punzalan, finding the right idea, conceptualizing and creating your product or service, getting funds to finance your business venture, and letting customers know that you exist are just a few of the challenges every new business owner encounters.
However, once you’ve settled into the shoes of being an entrepreneur, you’ll soon find out that the process doesn’t end there. The challenge for an established business is not to merely sustain itself, get back the money you invested, or not go bankrupt. The challenge is to grow.
Entrepreneur shows you how four homegrown business in four different industries—the retail sector; food and beverage; health, beauty, and wellness sector; and service—rose to the challenge of growing their brand, and in consequence, their assets. Because in every business, the only way to go is up.
1. Lack of Experience
“We started in a small room in Jowee’s house in Parañaque,” says Punzalan. Now that’s homegrown, literally. And for Alviar, his business partner and fellow creative director, the decision to create their own design and graphic studio was natural. “We knew what we wanted to happen and the things we wanted to do.”
In 1999, Alviar went to the United States to pursue a Master’s degree in graphic design, while Punzalan worked as a creative director for a local ad agency. The two sought to hone their skills in design.
In July of 2001, Alviar returned to Philippines and they finally launched what was to become Team Manila in his home.
Home-based or lease a commercial space?
Q: My husband and I are thinking of putting up a small business . We already have something in mind and the plan is slowly starting to shape up. To save on start-up costs and monthly overhead, we initially thought about setting the business up in our own home. However, we are now having serious misgivings about this. Our house is in a very private residential area . We fear that the location might not be best in terms of attracting customers. On the other hand, if we lease commercial space, it might eat away our start-up capital. Please help.
A: Due to the economic slump , more and more entrepreneurs are considering small-scale businesses run from home. It is not a bad idea, although there are a number of things to consider before you jump into it.
What you have in mind is a microbusinesses, also sometimes called a mom-and-pop business. This simply means it is a business operated by a single family which typically has no employees other than the owners themselves. Its biggest advantages are obvious: no lease and no salaries to pay. A less obvious but still desirable advantage is there is less paperwork to do before you can start operations.
Now we come to the undesirables. There is just one big disadvantage as you say, and it is lack of visibility. With careful planning and a lot of creativity, it is something you can easily overcome.
A: Due to the economic slump , more and more entrepreneurs are considering small-scale businesses run from home. It is not a bad idea, although there are a number of things to consider before you jump into it.
What you have in mind is a microbusinesses, also sometimes called a mom-and-pop business. This simply means it is a business operated by a single family which typically has no employees other than the owners themselves. Its biggest advantages are obvious: no lease and no salaries to pay. A less obvious but still desirable advantage is there is less paperwork to do before you can start operations.
Now we come to the undesirables. There is just one big disadvantage as you say, and it is lack of visibility. With careful planning and a lot of creativity, it is something you can easily overcome.
4 productivity techniques you should try
There are days when we effortlessly breeze through our ever-changing to-do lists. And then there are days when we feel disoriented, stressed out, burdened, demotivated, and stuck in a rut. For those unproductive days, most think they have no choice but to plod on, keep moving and go through their workload, but this strategy often leads to subpar results — and sometimes, even more discouragement, which certainly won't do anyone any good.
Much has been said about productivity, the various tools and techniques that can be used by people across industries to accomplish tasks, and the changes in mindset and habits that must be implemented. This article delves into the last two topics: productivity techniques and — to a certain extent — the necessary mindset and habit changes. The main thing to remember is that not all productivity techniques deliver results for everyone; what works for many may not work for some. Probably the best advice anyone can give you is to test all the productivity techniques you come across, see if it works for you, and keep experimenting until you find your own system. In the meantime, we have four productivity techniques that you should take a shot at.
Getting Things Done (GTD)
It's quite easy to feel overwhelmed when gearing up to tackle a major project or assignment. As a whole, it all seems impossible to accomplish. But these sentiments can be countered if you look at that project or assignment as composed of small tasks that can be crossed off the list if tackled one by one. This is the logic behind the technique created by 66-year-old American consultant David Allen, aptly named “Getting Things Done” or GTD.
Allen calls GTD a “work-life management system”, and this system espouses the following:
-Writing down each task so that they would be easier to remember and ease your stress level
-Tackling each task according to importance and organizing them into groups
-Frequently reviewing the tasks you've accomplished; a weekly review should be done
-Using the insights you've acquired from the weekly reviews to properly group future tasks, set each task's priority level, and determine the necessary actions for upcoming situations.
Allen's system has acquired many followers, inspired a number of task/productivity apps for mobile platforms, and spawned a bestselling book called Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, published in 2002. The author also has a newsletter, releases podcasts, has several social media accounts promoting GTD, holds seminars for individuals and business leaders, and (with his team) maintains a blog meant to be “the hub of all things GTD”.
The Pomodoro Technique
No, this technique does not involve going to the kitchen and whipping up a classic Italian pasta dish. However, the productivity technique's creator did get his inspiration from a kitchen timer shaped like a tomato, hence the name (pomodoro means tomato in Italian).
A lot of things can happen in 25 minutes. For Francesco Cirillo, doing things in 25-minute time blocks is the ticket to productivity. The Pomodoro Technique operates on the idea that a person works better by doing things with a set time limit and taking frequent breaks. Here's how it works. First, look at your to-do list (containing tasks that are organized according to the effort required) and choose the task you want to accomplish. Next, set your kitchen timer to ring in 25 minutes (if you don't have a kitchen timer, you can use any gadget that has an alarm function, say, a smartphone or TV — but using the old-school kitchen timer and a to-do list written in paper is encouraged), and do that specific task within the designated time. Once the timer rings, cross out that task on your list if you've accomplished it, and go on a short five-minute break.
Much has been said about productivity, the various tools and techniques that can be used by people across industries to accomplish tasks, and the changes in mindset and habits that must be implemented. This article delves into the last two topics: productivity techniques and — to a certain extent — the necessary mindset and habit changes. The main thing to remember is that not all productivity techniques deliver results for everyone; what works for many may not work for some. Probably the best advice anyone can give you is to test all the productivity techniques you come across, see if it works for you, and keep experimenting until you find your own system. In the meantime, we have four productivity techniques that you should take a shot at.
Getting Things Done (GTD)
It's quite easy to feel overwhelmed when gearing up to tackle a major project or assignment. As a whole, it all seems impossible to accomplish. But these sentiments can be countered if you look at that project or assignment as composed of small tasks that can be crossed off the list if tackled one by one. This is the logic behind the technique created by 66-year-old American consultant David Allen, aptly named “Getting Things Done” or GTD.
Allen calls GTD a “work-life management system”, and this system espouses the following:
-Writing down each task so that they would be easier to remember and ease your stress level
-Tackling each task according to importance and organizing them into groups
-Frequently reviewing the tasks you've accomplished; a weekly review should be done
-Using the insights you've acquired from the weekly reviews to properly group future tasks, set each task's priority level, and determine the necessary actions for upcoming situations.
Allen's system has acquired many followers, inspired a number of task/productivity apps for mobile platforms, and spawned a bestselling book called Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, published in 2002. The author also has a newsletter, releases podcasts, has several social media accounts promoting GTD, holds seminars for individuals and business leaders, and (with his team) maintains a blog meant to be “the hub of all things GTD”.
The Pomodoro Technique
No, this technique does not involve going to the kitchen and whipping up a classic Italian pasta dish. However, the productivity technique's creator did get his inspiration from a kitchen timer shaped like a tomato, hence the name (pomodoro means tomato in Italian).
A lot of things can happen in 25 minutes. For Francesco Cirillo, doing things in 25-minute time blocks is the ticket to productivity. The Pomodoro Technique operates on the idea that a person works better by doing things with a set time limit and taking frequent breaks. Here's how it works. First, look at your to-do list (containing tasks that are organized according to the effort required) and choose the task you want to accomplish. Next, set your kitchen timer to ring in 25 minutes (if you don't have a kitchen timer, you can use any gadget that has an alarm function, say, a smartphone or TV — but using the old-school kitchen timer and a to-do list written in paper is encouraged), and do that specific task within the designated time. Once the timer rings, cross out that task on your list if you've accomplished it, and go on a short five-minute break.
Teaching online
For around two decades now, the large number of non-English speaking foreigners visiting the Philippine shores has prompted new job opportunities for the local residents. This “mass exodus,” especially of Koreans, saw the sudden rise of the need for English language teachers, or specifically English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers. English schools cropped up, some run by locals, and some by Koreans themselves.
This upped the Pinoys’ profile in the world as skilled speakers and teachers of English, making even those overseas want to enroll in English courses taught by Filipinos, this time in an online setting. The good news is, you don’t have to be part of a corporation to try your hand out in online teaching, as long as you are qualified, and you have a reliable internet connection.
Housewife and teacher
April Atienza, mom to kids aged 11, 5, and 2, teaches English to Korean students five days out of seven. Her clockwork precision with her schedule enables her to spend time with her family, as well as teach.
At 4:30am, she wakes up her eldest daughter to get ready for school. By 5:00am, she sits down, goes online and teaches her first five students of the day. Afterwards she spends an hour prepping her 5-year-old daughter for school. The better part of the day is allotted to house chores, until it’s time to teach again, seven students this time. Come 8:00 to 10:30pm, she teaches her last five students for the day.
Health reasons prompted Atienza to try teaching online . “I used to teach Koreans at an English academy then held several online teaching jobs and editing IELTS part-time until I had to stop,” she explains.
One day while browsing online, she encountered an old student of hers, a Korean English teacher, who suggested that Atienza try her hand at teaching online. “That’s how it started. Since 2007, she’s referring students to me, and I also get students through referrals from my past students.”
Atienza started with six students which eventually grew to 20. “[It is] very difficult for a mother of three...but I have to keep going because (considering our) country’s (economy), if only one parent is working, the income is not enough (for the family’s needs). Now I have 17 students,” she says. Atienza charges P2,200 per head for 20- minute classes, P2,800 for 25-minute classes, and P3,300 for a half-hour class. This brings her an approximate of P40,000 a month in extra income for their household.
This upped the Pinoys’ profile in the world as skilled speakers and teachers of English, making even those overseas want to enroll in English courses taught by Filipinos, this time in an online setting. The good news is, you don’t have to be part of a corporation to try your hand out in online teaching, as long as you are qualified, and you have a reliable internet connection.
Housewife and teacher
April Atienza, mom to kids aged 11, 5, and 2, teaches English to Korean students five days out of seven. Her clockwork precision with her schedule enables her to spend time with her family, as well as teach.
At 4:30am, she wakes up her eldest daughter to get ready for school. By 5:00am, she sits down, goes online and teaches her first five students of the day. Afterwards she spends an hour prepping her 5-year-old daughter for school. The better part of the day is allotted to house chores, until it’s time to teach again, seven students this time. Come 8:00 to 10:30pm, she teaches her last five students for the day.
Health reasons prompted Atienza to try teaching online . “I used to teach Koreans at an English academy then held several online teaching jobs and editing IELTS part-time until I had to stop,” she explains.
One day while browsing online, she encountered an old student of hers, a Korean English teacher, who suggested that Atienza try her hand at teaching online. “That’s how it started. Since 2007, she’s referring students to me, and I also get students through referrals from my past students.”
Atienza started with six students which eventually grew to 20. “[It is] very difficult for a mother of three...but I have to keep going because (considering our) country’s (economy), if only one parent is working, the income is not enough (for the family’s needs). Now I have 17 students,” she says. Atienza charges P2,200 per head for 20- minute classes, P2,800 for 25-minute classes, and P3,300 for a half-hour class. This brings her an approximate of P40,000 a month in extra income for their household.
Make and sell your own app
The list of tools and resources that entrepreneurs must use for promotion and sales seems to grow bigger each year. Having a company website isn't enough anymore — those who want to capitalize on today's trends need to use RSS feeds; social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and even Tumblr; opt-in mailing lists and SMS notifications; daily deal sites; and online advertising to snag more customers. (Click here and here to know more about using Facebook for your business, and here to know more about e-mail marketing.) While these tools are sufficient for most SMEs, there are others that want something to help them reach more audiences, as well as give them more control over design and functionality.
The next step for these businesses? Custom mobile apps. More and more consumers are upgrading to smartphones and (with free Wi-Fi and either prepaid or postpaid data plans) accessing mobile-friendly sites and downloading apps of all kinds. Sure, your target market can get updates on you and your business through SMS, mobile e-mail and their chosen social media apps, but you can simplify things further by giving them a custom app!
Creating your own app will widen your customer base and help with name recall and service value. Some of the most notable Filipino-made mobile apps are the MMDA's Metro Manila Traffic Navigator (iOS version by Giro AppSolutions; Android version developed by the UP ITTC); Codeflux's KKB; Smart Communications' SmartNet; ClickTheCity's Lifestyle App; and Enjoy Philippines for iOS, Android and BlackBerry.
The prevailing opinion is that those who want a mobile app of their own need to be proficient in programming and interface design, or hire an individual or firm that has this proficiency. These may have been true back then, but not anymore! We found five online services that give entrepreneurs and businesses with limited funding and/or lack of technical coding a helping hand. To make comparisons easier, we've trimmed the information down to bullet points.
After making it, now what?
So your custom mobile app's gone through the planning, design, building and testing stages, and may have undergone several revisions before getting high grades. The next step is to make it available for purchase and download. If you have your own website, you can create a new page or section that consumers can go to for downloads. However, you also need to make your new app available on official app stores, depending on your chosen mobile platform. Some of the services listed above could help you out with app submission, but you'll still need to know and abide by each app store's rules. To read the rest of the article, click page 2 below.
The next step for these businesses? Custom mobile apps. More and more consumers are upgrading to smartphones and (with free Wi-Fi and either prepaid or postpaid data plans) accessing mobile-friendly sites and downloading apps of all kinds. Sure, your target market can get updates on you and your business through SMS, mobile e-mail and their chosen social media apps, but you can simplify things further by giving them a custom app!
Creating your own app will widen your customer base and help with name recall and service value. Some of the most notable Filipino-made mobile apps are the MMDA's Metro Manila Traffic Navigator (iOS version by Giro AppSolutions; Android version developed by the UP ITTC); Codeflux's KKB; Smart Communications' SmartNet; ClickTheCity's Lifestyle App; and Enjoy Philippines for iOS, Android and BlackBerry.
The prevailing opinion is that those who want a mobile app of their own need to be proficient in programming and interface design, or hire an individual or firm that has this proficiency. These may have been true back then, but not anymore! We found five online services that give entrepreneurs and businesses with limited funding and/or lack of technical coding a helping hand. To make comparisons easier, we've trimmed the information down to bullet points.
After making it, now what?
So your custom mobile app's gone through the planning, design, building and testing stages, and may have undergone several revisions before getting high grades. The next step is to make it available for purchase and download. If you have your own website, you can create a new page or section that consumers can go to for downloads. However, you also need to make your new app available on official app stores, depending on your chosen mobile platform. Some of the services listed above could help you out with app submission, but you'll still need to know and abide by each app store's rules. To read the rest of the article, click page 2 below.
5 ways to get attention for your home-based business
When faced with the daunting task of marketing, home-based and freelance businesses are at a disadvantage—from a financial standpoint. And when regular means just won’t cut it, it’s time to try other methods. Make your product or service known the non-traditional way.
To get your products noticed by your target market without having to cost you an arm and a leg, consider niche- marketing activities. They will allow you to advertise to the right people at the same time maximize your limited budget.
Your Existing Network
Rica Dalmacion, owner of Art & Soul Novelties, a stationery and novelty crafts business, used to work in the marketing department in one of the big corporations in the Philippines. Her professional experience allowed her to establish a network of contacts involved in marketing. This makes it easy for her to set meetings to present her products.
Aside from talking to the marketing team, talk to people involved in procurement and merchandising or promotions. While your existing contacts may not guarantee that you’ll get the deal, they can help you reach the person in-charge.
The Art of The Cold Call
Cold-calling involves touching base with prospective clients by making unexpected calls to people in the company you are trying to target.
“Research who makes the decisions in the company,” says Dalmacion, who does a lot of cold-calling, making calls one after another to big corporations such as bookstores and has been quite successful. “Ask whoever takes your call to direct you to the right people,” she says.
Not all calls will be successful but persistence will get you places. The volume of calls you make or e-mails you farm out will determine your success. “When you send out a hundred letters and you get a callback from five or 10 interested clients, that’s a lot,” say Dalmacion.
To get your products noticed by your target market without having to cost you an arm and a leg, consider niche- marketing activities. They will allow you to advertise to the right people at the same time maximize your limited budget.
Your Existing Network
Rica Dalmacion, owner of Art & Soul Novelties, a stationery and novelty crafts business, used to work in the marketing department in one of the big corporations in the Philippines. Her professional experience allowed her to establish a network of contacts involved in marketing. This makes it easy for her to set meetings to present her products.
Aside from talking to the marketing team, talk to people involved in procurement and merchandising or promotions. While your existing contacts may not guarantee that you’ll get the deal, they can help you reach the person in-charge.
The Art of The Cold Call
Cold-calling involves touching base with prospective clients by making unexpected calls to people in the company you are trying to target.
“Research who makes the decisions in the company,” says Dalmacion, who does a lot of cold-calling, making calls one after another to big corporations such as bookstores and has been quite successful. “Ask whoever takes your call to direct you to the right people,” she says.
Not all calls will be successful but persistence will get you places. The volume of calls you make or e-mails you farm out will determine your success. “When you send out a hundred letters and you get a callback from five or 10 interested clients, that’s a lot,” say Dalmacion.
Setting shop at home and going freelance
Just a few decades ago working from home meant you were either a housewife or a telemarketer. But now, more and more people are realizing the benefits of setting up shop at home and going freelance. Free from bosses, strict work hours, and rent, going home never sounded so good. Let us count the ways.
Home-based businesses generally have a low start-up cost. The expenses resulting from going into a business and setting up an office could run up to huge sums. When you’re home-based, you use all the utilities that are present in your home: Internet access, telephone, and even the services of your helpers or family members to help you out in managing the business. That’s as far as operations is concerned
Another advantage is that you don’t have to leave your home. If you’re a mother with a home-based business, you can bring your kids to school then operate your business without leaving the comforts of your own home. There are a lot of these entrepreneurs. Another group of people are those who operate Internet sites. There’s no point in going to an office especially if you’re just running your own website. You can just work at home.
For the disadvantages, there are actually a lot of distractions: the day-to-day activities of the house, television sets, you get a lot of phone calls, and since you’re not working at home, you’re not in a hurry to get up in the morning, which, depending on how you look at it, can also be an advantage. And there’s the rule of not bringing your work at home, or not talking about business at home, here you have no choice because everything is all under one roof.
For freelancers, there’s no boss. You’re not tied up to any type of contract, and there are a variety of jobs that you can choose to do. When you’re freelancing, you are your own boss. You can plan very well the load of your schedule based on the work that you might have. But on the other hand, everything is highly dependent on you. Being freelance, once you’re not available or don’t have a project, there’s no income that comes in. In freelancing there’s no long-term commitment to anything, but the business is entirely dependent on you.
Home-based businesses generally have a low start-up cost. The expenses resulting from going into a business and setting up an office could run up to huge sums. When you’re home-based, you use all the utilities that are present in your home: Internet access, telephone, and even the services of your helpers or family members to help you out in managing the business. That’s as far as operations is concerned
Another advantage is that you don’t have to leave your home. If you’re a mother with a home-based business, you can bring your kids to school then operate your business without leaving the comforts of your own home. There are a lot of these entrepreneurs. Another group of people are those who operate Internet sites. There’s no point in going to an office especially if you’re just running your own website. You can just work at home.
For the disadvantages, there are actually a lot of distractions: the day-to-day activities of the house, television sets, you get a lot of phone calls, and since you’re not working at home, you’re not in a hurry to get up in the morning, which, depending on how you look at it, can also be an advantage. And there’s the rule of not bringing your work at home, or not talking about business at home, here you have no choice because everything is all under one roof.
For freelancers, there’s no boss. You’re not tied up to any type of contract, and there are a variety of jobs that you can choose to do. When you’re freelancing, you are your own boss. You can plan very well the load of your schedule based on the work that you might have. But on the other hand, everything is highly dependent on you. Being freelance, once you’re not available or don’t have a project, there’s no income that comes in. In freelancing there’s no long-term commitment to anything, but the business is entirely dependent on you.
How to survive and thrive as a freelancer
Every once in a while, you come across people who owe their allegiance to no single employer and observe no strict office hours. They work at their own pace and don’t get regular compensation. Yet they flourish, operating outside the safety nets granted to career professionals. These individuals are known as freelancers, and you can be one, too, if you have the discipline and the drive to navigate this way of life. See our list of steps to take before you take the freelance route here.
Once you’ve chosen to focus on the field you want to work in and built a decent portfolio, the next step to succeeding as a freelancer is to get yourself in the market.
Below are tips on how to maximize your chance at success:
Ideas & Opportunities
How to survive and thrive as a freelancer
By Dante Gagelonia
Jan 20, 2012
Every once in a while, you come across people who owe their allegiance to no single employer and observe no strict office hours. They work at their own pace and don’t get regular compensation. Yet they flourish, operating outside the safety nets granted to career professionals. These individuals are known as freelancers, and you can be one, too, if you have the discipline and the drive to navigate this way of life. See our list of steps to take before you take the freelance route here.
Once you’ve chosen to focus on the field you want to work in and built a decent portfolio, the next step to succeeding as a freelancer is to get yourself in the market.
Below are tips on how to maximize your chance at success:
1
1 / 10Compete and adopt
Freelancing is a business, and all businesses have competition. Unless you have a visionary approach that gives you monopoly of a given field, you will have rivals offering the same services that you do. This is especially true in high-demand fields, such as in the creative industries and visual arts. Competition is tough, but it can also work to your advantage.
Take note of what other freelancers in your field are doing, and try to learn from them. Barring outright plagiarism or similar thefts of intellectual property, you can develop an edge over your peers if you can tailor your services (plus your portfolio) in ways that make you more attractive to potential clients. If you’re an interior designer, and you see that a competitor’s presentation involves photos, why not raise your standards and use 3-D mock-ups? Use competition to elevate your game, and keep abreast of industry developments. Borrow from each other’s best practices, but never let yourself get left in the dust.
Define your workspace
Most freelancers don’t have a physical office, but you will still need to define the parameters of your workspace. It should be uniquely yours—it reflects the way your mind works, and offers a glimpse of your work process. Many use their homes because of practicality and comfort, while some prefer to keep their home and work areas separate to avoid distractions. Going to malls, libraries and other places conducive to work can help, too.
“My home office is in our lanai, with the birdfeeder outside the glass windows serving as my focal point when I’m deep in thought,” explains Ruby Bayan-Llamas, a freelance writer, editor and craftswoman. “I work at hours I choose, in tees and shorts, and I have 24/7 access to all my comfort foods, the bed, and all the amenities of home. I love the home office scenario because I have the freedom to do anything I want without fear of a boss looking over my shoulder or a co-worker stealing my stapler.”
If your work requires significant manual labor, such as for production design, you may need to build a workshop and a storage area to hold your supplies. If you’re a freelance video producer, you need editing bays and powerful computers, which you can’t readily maintain in a mall coffee shop or the park. Whatever your needs are, you’ll have to adjust and plan your workspace to accommodate them.
Once you’ve chosen to focus on the field you want to work in and built a decent portfolio, the next step to succeeding as a freelancer is to get yourself in the market.
Below are tips on how to maximize your chance at success:
Ideas & Opportunities
How to survive and thrive as a freelancer
By Dante Gagelonia
Jan 20, 2012
Every once in a while, you come across people who owe their allegiance to no single employer and observe no strict office hours. They work at their own pace and don’t get regular compensation. Yet they flourish, operating outside the safety nets granted to career professionals. These individuals are known as freelancers, and you can be one, too, if you have the discipline and the drive to navigate this way of life. See our list of steps to take before you take the freelance route here.
Once you’ve chosen to focus on the field you want to work in and built a decent portfolio, the next step to succeeding as a freelancer is to get yourself in the market.
Below are tips on how to maximize your chance at success:
1
1 / 10Compete and adopt
Freelancing is a business, and all businesses have competition. Unless you have a visionary approach that gives you monopoly of a given field, you will have rivals offering the same services that you do. This is especially true in high-demand fields, such as in the creative industries and visual arts. Competition is tough, but it can also work to your advantage.
Take note of what other freelancers in your field are doing, and try to learn from them. Barring outright plagiarism or similar thefts of intellectual property, you can develop an edge over your peers if you can tailor your services (plus your portfolio) in ways that make you more attractive to potential clients. If you’re an interior designer, and you see that a competitor’s presentation involves photos, why not raise your standards and use 3-D mock-ups? Use competition to elevate your game, and keep abreast of industry developments. Borrow from each other’s best practices, but never let yourself get left in the dust.
Define your workspace
Most freelancers don’t have a physical office, but you will still need to define the parameters of your workspace. It should be uniquely yours—it reflects the way your mind works, and offers a glimpse of your work process. Many use their homes because of practicality and comfort, while some prefer to keep their home and work areas separate to avoid distractions. Going to malls, libraries and other places conducive to work can help, too.
“My home office is in our lanai, with the birdfeeder outside the glass windows serving as my focal point when I’m deep in thought,” explains Ruby Bayan-Llamas, a freelance writer, editor and craftswoman. “I work at hours I choose, in tees and shorts, and I have 24/7 access to all my comfort foods, the bed, and all the amenities of home. I love the home office scenario because I have the freedom to do anything I want without fear of a boss looking over my shoulder or a co-worker stealing my stapler.”
If your work requires significant manual labor, such as for production design, you may need to build a workshop and a storage area to hold your supplies. If you’re a freelance video producer, you need editing bays and powerful computers, which you can’t readily maintain in a mall coffee shop or the park. Whatever your needs are, you’ll have to adjust and plan your workspace to accommodate them.
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