Dear Sir/Madam:

Greetings from JMJ Auction Services!
 
In line with our marketing thrust, we would like to invite your company  to join our line of business affiliates.
 
We are a fast rising professional Auction House supported by eighteen years of rock solid experience in surplus management.  We sell assets through competitive bidding.
 
Our unparalleled customer service, immense product assortments and professional public selling is backed up by a competent management and team of professionals in the auction industry.
 
We are now collaborating with international suppliers to strengthen our foundation.  Sterna Japan, Daito Corporation of Japan, Bony International of Taiwan and China, Reworx Australia and Asia Asset Recovery of Singapore form the team of JMJ suppliers.  We also carry known brands such as Telefunken, Audiosonic, Homedics, Safety 1st, Target, Mother’s Choice, Bratz, Ryobi Powertools, Lumina, Homemaker and other local brands.
 
As we fulfill our aim to penetrate the Philippine industry with our expansion nationwide, we intend to carry your products as one of our premium lots. We accept any of the following conditions:
 
Out-modeled stocks
Aging or slow moving stocks
Damaged or slightly defective stocks
Cancelled PO's.

 
We will directly be responsible for marketing and selling your products thru live auction done at our auction Houses in Plaridel Bulacan and Valenzuela.
 
Sales will be remitted after ten (10) banking days from the date of the auction less fourteen percent (14%) as our professional Auction Fee.
 
If interested, please give me a call at 09272160000 to discuss this further or I will be available for a meeting at your convenience to personally present the concept.

Thank you and we hope to merit a favorable reply. 

Best regards,
 
Boyet Foja
09272160000

1. Julia Vargas Resto Bar for Sale: 81.7 sqm located on the 2nd floor. Seating capacity is 50. Please contact Erwyn at 09272209601.

2. Papemelrotti is looking for a Kraft paper bag supplier and a sewer who can make purses and bags. Look at their website for their contact information.

3. Have a vacant lot here in Metro Manila? Consider a joint venture for townhouse development. Contact 358-1099 / 0905-3014283 / 0922-2353165 FERDI JERK FERNANDEZ.

Please note that these are just business opportunities that I have come across from the web and from my personal contacts. You have to do due diligence before entering into any business deal. Thank you and good luck!

 For all of you who are in the IT / BPO business, please see below for a possible business opportunity: 

Looking forward for a business/services tie-up

We are planning to have a kind of Business tie-up with team or company located in Philippines. It would be mutually services based tie-up including web development, SEO/SMM, Data entry services, IT consultancy services etc. For our company profile or more details, kindly email us at 
offshoreconsultant@innovativeinfosolutions.com

For all of those who are in the health manufacturing business, please see below for possible business opportunity:

I am going to run a business for health products and alternative therapies and searching for manufacturers and companies in the philippines that deals with such products -- A.Hadi (search for him via linked in).

That's it for now :) For all of you who are not busy this coming Nov. 24, there will be a philvencap meeting where you can meet other entrepreneurs and form new business contacts. It's from 7 am to 9 am at the Asian Institute of Management. Let me know if you want to join so we can text your names for the guest list. Thanks

Estelle

*opinions and thoughts here are just my own guys lol. This is just me thinking out loud :) Please feel free to share your thoughts and own experiences!

When my partner and I started our business, we were worried about not having enough clients. As a first time entrepreneur, you think that would be your biggest concern--what if it the business is not sustainable? What if the client pool dries up? How will we be financially stable?

Thankfully, after a month of trial and error, our training business became stable and profitable. I was earning more than I was as a high school teacher, and I had a lot more free time, too. We were both thrilled and happy.

As time went on though, opportunities started coming. We were offered to partner up with a South Korean company to conduct english camps here in Manila. Then, we had requests to conduct market research for an overseas company. The most recent was an offer to handle two major events for a client. We jumped at every opportunity--thinking it's better to give it a try than to let an opportunity pass. An opportunity that may never come again.

However, jumping at every opportunity also has an inherent cost. It takes away time, effort and focus on what you want your business to be about. This is what my employer once called "all action, but no movement." Yes we are busy, we have clients, but which direction are we heading towards? Short-term, it keeps our company afloat and busy. Long-term, what will it do to our brand? How has it derailed us from our future plans for our company? 

Personally, this is a lesson learned. I have realized after taking on these projects what I want our company to be about. I want us to focus on training and adult education. I want to stay true to my roots as a former teacher. I want to continually learn and grow with the products and seminars that our company is offering. That is where we as a company find fulfillment. Thankfully, my business partner feels the same way. 

In the future, should we encounter opportunities that are not part of our current focus, I would rather refer them to another company rather than take it as an internal project. It is less stress and good karma on our part, and it allows us also to just do what we do best and that is training. We do have long term plans for our company, and to get tempted by short-term projects unrelated to our core business would delay us from achieving those plans, or may even derail us completely. 

How about you? Have you ever struggled with taking on a client/project that is very far from your company's core business? Did it work out for you? 

4 tips when negotiating with banks

http://www.foreclosurephilippines.com/2011/08/4-tips-when-negotiating-with-banks.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ForeclosedRealEstate+%28Foreclosure+Philippines%29&utm_content=Yahoo%21+Mail

This is a guest post by Ronald Cagape of Living Cashflow 101.

Negotiating with banks for their foreclosed assets can be scary and intimidating when you haven’t done it.

We always have this image in our mind that bankers are snobbish people who look at you from head to toe and make a quick evaluation if you have money or not. That image may have been true in the past but competition has driven banks to become better at customer service and thus be nicer to prospective customers.

Since you are a prospective buyer of real estate, they will also be nicer to you.

Here are some tips when negotiating with banks especially if you feel that you have zero negotiating skills.

1. Start with the smaller banks. It can really be intimidating to negotiate with the big banks like Metrobank or BDO but the smaller ones are manageable. Usually, you will talk with account officers first. You don’t need to make an offer right away. Establish rapport first with the officer. Get to know their inventory and their processes.
2. Learn how to write an offer. An offer is not just a document where you put your price and terms. Make a cover letter for the offer that explains the rationale for your price. When webought from a bank, we wrote in our cover letter that the property needed massive repairsand the location was not desirable because of squatters in the area. That set them up for the low-ball offer that we were about to give. When you make the offer, it should be something that they will refuse. That’s right, they are supposed to reject your first offer. If they accept it right away, then your offer was too high.
3. If you don’t want to negotiate in person because you are too afraid then use a fax machine. Fax your offer then follow-up on the phone. Let your offer do the talking. Make sure to appear though when the bank accepts your offer.
4. Make a lot of offers. When they reject your first offer, ask for a counter-offer. If they move in price then you know that they are willing to negotiate. If not, fax the offer next month or 3 months from now if the property is still for sale.

Negotiating with banks need not be a terrifying experience. Get over the fear and start faxing your offers.

Photo credits: LuMaxArt

About The Author: Ronald Cagape is a real estate broker and investor. He teaches investing through the Cashflow 101 Game.

 I'm a big fan of online window-shopping, and one of my favorite sites is sulit.com.ph.

Spotted on sulit are the following interesting business ideas:

1. PARTY INFLATABLES FOR KIDS - Remember the big inflatable castles you used to jump in when you were younger? Well, you can own one for only P60,000. Assuming you get a good space in a mall, and charge each kid P50 / P100 for unlimited jumping time--you can easily recover your capital in less than 6 months. I am seriously considering buying one just to test it out, lol. See http://www.sulit.com.ph/index.php/view+classifieds/id/3581397/INFLATABLES+FOR+BUSINESS+-+FOR+SALE%21++MADE-TO-ORDER+BNEW%21?referralKeywords=business+for+sale for more info. 

2. JAPAN SURPLUS BUSINESS - All goods that you can see on this link are for sale at P65,000. For the entire lot. I see a lot of goods here that can be sold for a good amount. Several dining cabinets that can be sold for P5,000 to P6,000. Some office cabinets that can be sold for P1,500 to P3,000 depending on whether or not they are cleaned. Even some golf clubs for God knows what price. However, there's also a lot of junk that will go along with it. See http://www.sulit.com.ph/index.php/view+classifieds/id/3923996/Japan+Surplus+Business+for+sale+various+items+all+in+take+all++65K?referralKeywords=business+for+sale for more info. 

Right now, I'm still on my hunt for the 3rd good business idea. I once saw a carinderia selling rights for only P40,000. Would've posted it here but I think someone bought it already. It's no longer listed.

How about you? What have been your latest sulit / online business bargain finds lately? :)

The 3 dangerous money attitudes

I have read a lot of business books in the past, but very few have the impact of REWORK. No less than Seth Godin, one of the most influential writers in the world, is quoted as saying: "Ignore this book at your own peril." After reading the book, I now understand why.

REWORK challenges conventional wisdom about doing business, and is written specifically for "start-up" entrepreneurs. I could relate to every single word. 

Some of my favorite insights from the book:

1. FAILURE IS NOT A RIGHT OF PASSAGE. - So often, I hear that failing is to be expected when starting a business. Some are even proud of their failures, and believe that each failure brings them much closer to success. "Fail early and fail often" is a motto I often hear from those who have been in the trenches, so to speak.

Jason and David advise you against listening to that often-heard advice about failing. In their own words: "If other people can't market their product, it has nothing to do with you. If other people can't build a team, it has nothing to do with you. If other people can't price their services properly, it has nothing to do with you." Other people's failures need not be yours. You don't need to repeat the same mistakes they did. Failure is not a right of passage. You do not have to fail to succeed.

If anything, Jason and David urge you to learn from your successes. Find out what made you succeed, and repeat it. Build on it. Learning from your successes help your chances of succeeding again. Learning from your mistakes teaches you nothing. And I quote, "What do you really learn from mistakes? You might learn what NOT to do again, but how valuable is that? You still don't know what you should do next. ... Success gives you real ammunition. When something succeeds, you know what worked--and you can do it again. And the next time, you'll probably do it even better."

2.START A BUSINESS, NOT A START-UP - Despite being founders of a tech company (Jason and David founded 37signals, the creators of basecamp, campfire and ruby on rails), Jason and David show disdain for the term "start up" company. I find this ironic, since it is exactly companies like 37signals (small, online-based, unconventionally run) that usually embody the term "start-up".

This paragraph explains why they'd rather be called a business than a start-up: "The startup is a magical place. It's a place where expenses are someone else's problem. It's a place where that pesky thing called revenue is never an issue. It's a place where you can spend other people's money until you figure out a way to make your own. It's a place where the laws of business physics don't apply."  

We are all enthralled by the growth of some companies like Facebook and Google, companies that have built themselves on the concept of "FREE" (yet another book that I want to write a review for!) but have made billions of money in the process. Movies like Social Network romanticize the start-up company, showing Mark Zuckerberg and his tribe renting a house with a pool despite not turning in a dime. While it is possible--it is dangerously unlikely. The chances of running out of funds before you can even make a profit are high. That's why Jason and David espouse this philosophy: "Act like an actual business and you'll have a much better shot at succeeding."

3. DON'T OUTSPEND, OUT-TEACH. - Jason and David ask what differentiates Mario Batali and Bobby Flay from the numerous great chefs out there in the market. Do they cook better food? Do they have more experience than the rest? The answer is no. Not necessarily. But they gained fans and rose in popularity when they shared what they knew through cook books and cooking shows.

Jason and David feels it is the same for any business. Share your knowledge, and you build a loyal audience. A loyal audience of would-be customers. A loyal audience who would happily spread the word about your company. Nothing beats the publicity it will generate.

There are many other lessons I would love to share from Jason and David's book REWORK, but then I might be guilty of plagiarism. Lol. So if I were you, I'd troop on over to the nearest book store and grab a copy. The insights in this book are worth far more in potential revenue if you REWORK the way you do your business. :-)

------------------------------

How about you guys? What recent business books have you read? :) Write a review, too! That way we all get to learn. :)

REWORK is available at Fully Booked for P899. :)

 Last Sunday, I accompanied my mom to the 10th Franchise Fair of AFFI (Association of Filipino Franchisers) at the World Trade Center. The place was jampacked with people, and brimming with new business concepts and ideas! Some of the memorable ones include:

1. BPI GLOBE BANKO - Bpi and Globe teamed up and are now offering mobile and unconventional banking services. Based on the explanation of the person in their booth, they want to tie up with businesses in high foot-traffic areas. There will be no cash-out for these businesses based on my understanding, they will just need to provide the area. BPI Globe Banko, upon site approval, will "decorate" or set-up the "bank" for you. Your customers can then open an actual account with BPI using your store / area! They can withdraw, check their balance from your store--and you will get a percentage of transactions. Currently it is in their soft-launch stage. They will be advertising BPI GLOBE BANKO heavily starting September (or at least that's what I was told). This is certainly something to look out for! I have asked them to set up an appointment with me so that I can learn more about it--will update you once I have more info!

2. AUTO-LOAD MACHINE - Think of it as a vendo-machine for load. It carries all load types: sun, smart, globe, red, globe tattoo, etc--and it's coin-operated, so you don't need a person to man the machine! It even comes with an anti-theft alarm. Get this, it costs only P30,000 as an initial investment. P20,000 is for the rental of the unit for 2.5 years, P10,000 is for your initial load inventory. Once the unit is running out of load, their customer service department will call you and inform you that you need to load up again. You will earn 7% of sales from the machine. 

While I haven't done the math yet-- (7% x P10,000 = ??? and therefore ROI = ???) I still think it's a pretty darn cool concept, much like the ATM (Automatic Tubig Machine) which is just so quirky, you buy water even if you aren't thirsty. 

3. SIOMAI FACTORY - This was my mom's favorite, and she might even invest in her own kiosk. For only P15,000, you can get a kiosk, a siomai steamer and a cabinet for the siopao. Initial inventory not included, but with siomai selling at P2.00 a piece for wholesale orders, and siopao selling for only P10 (for the franchise owner, not for the customers. Retail price for 4 pieces of siomai is P20.00. So technically your mark-up will be 50%, assuming you spent P8 for 4 pcs of siomai and 2 pesos for the toothpick and paperplate)-- initial inventory investments should be light on the wallet. We tasted the product too and the verdict: it's good! 

These were just some of the concepts / ideas that stood out at the Franchise Fair. How about you guys? Any new business products / ideas caught your attention lately? :)