Imagine a World without Filipinos

You may have probably read this article somewhere in the internet sites, blogs or email but this one is worth a 2nd reading to inspire us and to be proud of whatever work that we have abroad, so long as it is decent and legal. Enjoy reading.

Muhammad Al-Maghrabi became handicapped and shut down his flower and gifts shop business in Jeddah after his Filipino workers insisted on leaving and returning home. He says: “When they left, I felt as if I had lost my arms. I was so sad that I lost my appetite.”

OFW Benefits: Order Negosyo

The Philippine International Trading Corporation (PITC), under the office of the President, invites all interested individuals especially overseas Filipino workers in search of viable business and investment opportunities in the Philippines through the Order Negosyo or Franchising Program.

The program assists in processing documents needed to establish a new business. It has a list of reputable and seasoned franchise companies with proven track records and financial institutions offering financial assistance in starting a new venture.

List of Franchisors

Among the participating franchisors in Order Regalo are:

- Bench
- Business Box
- Candy Corner
- Facialhaus
- Goto King
- Heltgard Hygiene Systems, Inc.
- Kameraworld
- Metropole Laundry & Dry Cleaners, Inc.
- Miggy's Super Tacos, Inc.
- Mister Donut
- Mr. Quickie
- Nacho King
- Potato Corner
- Toby's

FAQs About Order Negosyo

Why Order Negosyo?

Order Negosyo helps you put up and manage a business by:

- Offering a range of pre-selected business packages available in the Philippines. Order Negosyo provides the needed information, saving you the trouble of going through each franchisor at the initial stages of your research.
- Matching you with the franchise business that meets your interest and financial resources.
- Helping identify financing packages that can be tapped to augment your financial resources.
- Providing documentation assistance.

What businesses are available under Order Negosyo?

Order Negosyo offers franchises covering both food and non-food lines.

Why franchising?

Franchising is a method of doing business where the buyer (the franchisee) runs a business by using the system and trademark of the seller (the franchisor).
Among the benefits in franchising are:

- First, it minimizes the risk of business failure because through the years of running the business, the franchisor has ironed out potential problem areas.
- According to the Philippine Franchise Association, "a franchised business is three times more likely to succeed as compared to one put up from square one".
- Second, you save on the cost of advertising because not only do you have a well-known and recognized trademark, you also pool advertising resources with other franchisees.
- Third, the franchisor provides the franchisee and staff with detailed training and help. If you were an independent operator, where would you and your staff train?

Who may avail of franchising opportunities under Order Negosyo?

- Any interested individual. This means either you or any of your family member/s, or any group of individuals who may pool resources together;
- A Filipino based or working abroad who wants to put up and operate his own business here in the Philippines. Also included are those who are planning to return to the Philippines.
- Interested parties must possess the following qualities:

1. Committed and hardworking
2. With positive outlook in life
3. Willing to be trained in the disciplines of the franchise business systems
4. With financial resources to put up a business

Can I qualify even if I have no experience or background in business?

A business experience and/or background is an advantage. However, interested parties with no experience in business need not worry since franchisors will provide training programs.

One of the benefits of franchising is the transfer of information and technology necessary to successfully operate the business.

The rest of the personnel such as supervisors and staff will also be trained. The length of training will depend on the type of the franchise business.

Can I apply even while I am still abroad?

Yes! You can start your own business here in the Philippines while still abroad. You may appoint a representative from among your family member/s to apply and operate your business. Of course, they will be subject to the franchisor's evaluation process.

How much investment is needed?

Your investment will depend on the nature of the franchise business you choose. Order Negosyo has carefully selected the franchise package it offers. Your investment could range from as low as PHP 200,000 to as high PHP 4 million.

Other factors that affect your investment size are:

- Size/area of establishment
- Location
- Equipment
- Outlet type
- Stock inventory
- Office / space rental
- Insurance
- Permits & licenses
- Other working/operating expenses

In general, your franchise investment includes:

- Franchise fee
- Marketing study
- Store design
- Layout assistance
- Training programs
- Leasehold improvements (outlet construction)
- Equipment
- Signage
- Pre-opening marketing expense, and pre-opening supplies

Do I pay more if I course my inquiry through Order Negosyo?

No, the amount you pay is exactly the same as when you deal directly with the franchisors. In fact, fees are paid directly to the franchisors. With Order Negosyo, you receive the assistance and services with no extra or additional costs.

How much can I expect to earn?

Your income from your outlet/business will depend on a number of factors such as: location, market condition and type of supervision you will your shop, advertising and marketing.

Depending on the franchise business you choose, your recovery period can be anywhere from six (6) to thirty-six (36) months.

What is the ideal location?

The location depends on the franchise business you choose but in general, the following are the locations which are most preferred.

In a mall:

- near cinemas
- near food courts
- near main entrances
- near entrances of main parking lots

Outside the mall:

- near churches
- near public markets
- near pedicab, tricycle or jeepney stops
- near schools
- near municipal halls
- within commercial areas
- near a loading and unloading area for public transport
- where there is heavy pedestrian traffic
- near entrance of populated residential community

These indications do not automatically mean a good site. The franchisor with its vast experience in site selection, shall assess the feasibility of your prospective site. This comes along with an objective and accurate report on the sales potential of the site.

There are instances when you already have a site in mind. Such location will still have to pass through the franchisor's evaluation and approval.

If you have no specific location in mind, some have a list of pre-approved spaces that are to be franchised.

How soon can I start operating?

Again, this varies form one franchisor to another and will depend on how fast you can submit the documentary requirements.

Once the franchisor has approved your application and you have complied with the other requirements such as personnel training, site construction and equipment installation, then you can immediately start.

How do I start?

Choose a business package that interests you. Submit a Letter of Intent (LOI). For more inquiries, e-mail PITC at pitcoro@info.com.ph

Source: http://www.business.gov.ph/SME_Agenda_SMEofws.php

Taiwanese Co-Worker Idolized Filipinos

Wondering how our neighboring countries think about us Filipinos and our country? This is a conversation of a Filipina and her co-worker, a Taiwanese man in his 40's giving his view about our country many years ago and his question on why Philippines is moving backwards in terms of economic growth. Please read below.

I just had a long interesting chat that I feel like sharing with everyone. Kinda shocked and astonished by it.

Air Damper of a Filipino Engineer

This is a story of a Filipino Engineer in Nigeria who showed his skills and leadership in solving a 6-year old smoke problem of a plant's incinerator. Please read a story from a person named butz from http://mabuhaycity.com filipino forum.

Really I feel excited when I read this accomplishment the pinoys had been making. And as for me I had my own real story to tell. I work before in Saudi for 7 years and transfered to Qatar and then Egypt. Resently I was sent to Nigeria last June 9, 2008. The company where I work (8 years) is a service company for oil drillings (base in UK).

My First $100 Earnings Online

1 year ago, I was so amazed everytime I hear people find their passive income online. And so I started to do my research on how it is being done.

I found out that most of them got the income from adsense thru blogging. Adsense is a service provided by Google wherein google ads will be displayed on your website or blog and you earn everytime a visitor clicks on any of the ads. This is a pay-per-click scheme or popularly known as PPC in the online advertisers and marketers.

This may somewhat intimidate someone who is not into techy stuffs but the reality is not. You don't really need to have your own website (well, better if you do) to get this done. You can start by signing up to blogging services like blogger.com, which is owned by Google or wordpress.com. If you will sign up then you will be given a personal page or blog wherein you can then fill with content of your choice, known as niche and then sign up for google adsense and place the ads all throughout your blog. You don't even need to write an article as there are already a lot of articles all over the internet that you can legally publish as long as the original author and sometimes their URL will not be removed.

Blogger.com for itself provides a very user-friendly interface from choosing the layout even to guiding you on placing the adsense.

This is so advantageous to us OFWs who loves to write on a particular topic of interest and publish it to our blogs for the reason that we have all the time that we need after working hours.

After work when I find myself at home nothing to do, I spent my time on reading blogs of interest and finding articles related to my niche and publish them.

Well, what particular blog that I've earned my first $100? You can check out http://self-publishing-guide.blogspot.com/. And see the snapshot above on the passive income that I've accumulated so far in Adsense. The contents of this blog almost all came from various free article sites. I just grabbed and published them but leaving the original sources of the articles to make it legal. So if you have the time and a personal computer, create a blog and monetized it by adding Adsense, after all even OFWs needs all possible income inorder to send money back home.

-karim

Five Thousand - Peso OEC

This is a story of my friend and co-worker on his way back here in Singapore.

At 18:00, he's already at the MCIAA airport in Mactan Cebu lining up for an available immigration officer. He's flying back after a 2-week vacation in Cebu. When the lady immigration officer asked him for an OEC (Overseas Employment Certificate), he said that he wasn't able to secure one and he told her that he just paid the travel tax. But the lady officer instructed him to go to her supervisor without telling why.

A Usual OFW Story

When i was in my high school days or even in my college years, I never imagined myself to work outside the country. I grew up living a simple life, my father is a mechanic of our own-managed small shop, and my mother is plain housewife. All I wanted was to be like my father and so I planned to get a Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering.

That was 12 years ago. Now, I'm not managing my own auto repair shop, I did not pursue the course that I wanted to back then and ended up finishing BS Computer Engineering, and most of all I am presently working away from home and my country.

In short, all my plans a decade ago turned 180 degrees to what situation I am now into. I am now working in one of the electronic giant companies here in Singapore.

Why did I decide to work abroad? I will try my best tell you.

When I graduated in College in 2001, I was so eager to work immediately to earn my first salary and to help my family. I landed working in a data processing company in Cebu. But the pay is way too low so I decided to transfer to another company as a contractor for 2 years. Then I was given a slot on the same company as a permanent staff and worked for another 4 years.

For a total of more than 6 years of working, I will tell you the figures of my savings. NOTHING, yes you got it right, I didn't have any savings at all and even in debt to some of the financial institutions.

I worked like a horse to support my family and my ordinary lifestyle but I saved nothing, how much more to some of you who are living in spendings more than mine. Over the years, my patriotism to apply my skills on my own country slowly faded, and a new dream to work abroad started to come out.

That's why I'm here, one of the million filipinos working abroad, who tried to find a decent living for my family back home.