High-Speed Manila Public Buses Driven by Zombies????

If you think the Post Title is about a Sci-Fi story, think again. I can assure you it IS VERY REAL and HAPPENING EVERY DAY AS YOU TRAVEL ALONG MANILA's City Streets.



(I took the pic while seated behind the bus driver. The bus had to brake hard to avoid hitting the New Model Toyota Rav4 along EDSA opposite SM Annex Mall in Quezon City, north of Manila.)

There was this one time at about 11pm on my way home and we passengers all noticed that the bus was weaving left and right ever so slowly on the Expressway and we noticed that the driver's head has jerking up and down as the driver was fighting from falling asleep at the wheel.

Every day, I take a 2-hour ride from my home to my Lotto outlet north of Manila. Today, I took the same bus I always take and I was able to chat-up the conductor (the guy who issues the bus ticket) and I found out the following:

1. They make 3 round-trips a day (i.e. Laguna (a province south of Manila) to north of Manila and back)

2. Each round-trip takes about 6 to 8 hours depending on traffic or a total working hours on the road of about 22hours each day

3. On average, THE DRIVER AND CONDUCTOR SLEEP ONLY 1 TO 2 HOURS A DAY!!!!!

The driver and conductor need to do 3 or 4 trips to meet their QUOTA or risk losing their incentive allowance which is part of their daily pay. And that is the reason why drivers have to drive so fast to chase passengers and beat other buses doing the same thing.

It is so strange that everybody is concerned about the mechanical condition of the buses but nothing is said about the health conditions of the people driving the buses.

So, next time you see a bus speeding down your lane, do not attempt to maintain your right-of-way----- JUST GET OUT OF THE WAY AS THE HALF-DAZED DRIVER IS RUNNING AT BREAK-NECK SPEED TO MEET HIS QUOTA! ! !

Delight your Customers by Surprising Them!

When you run a Lotto outlet like I do, I need a steady supply of coins ((loose change) as customers have the habit of paying with Big Bills (P500, P1000) for a P10 bet! As a result, I have to visit banks in the mall sometimes 4 times a day changing coins.

There was this day last week when I approached my favorite teller and unfortunately she said apologetically they too were out of coins. All the tellers know how important the coins are for me, With that, I went back to my Lotto outlet.

It was past 7:30pm when I noticed my favorite teller approach my Lotto outlet and handed over to my Lotto supervisor a bag of coins. She then smiled at me and left to take her ride.

Apparently she must have used her own money to change them into coins before leaving the bank and dropped-off the coins at my Lotto outlet. I WAS SO PLEASANTLY SURPRISED.

By the way, the bank is the BANCO DE ORO, the best bank in the Philippines!

Would your bank teller go the extra mile and do that for you?

Talking to My Lotto Customers is THE BEST TRANQUILIZER!

Better than Valium, Retrovil and other tranquilizers and cheaper still !!!

My Operator always tells her supervisor that I talk too much with my customers!!!

You see, my lotto outlet has two Lotto Flex terminals (You get only 1 Lotto terminal as a new Lotto Agent but if your sales reach a certain level, they may issue you another) manned by my operator and her supervisor every day. That's when my operator's worries start-- I am the substitute operator. Hehehehe



(when I see long lines at my lotto, I feel GREAT!)

I LOVE TO TALK AND TALK AND TALK and since my Lotto customers come from all walks of life, I am assured of a topic of all colors: politics, logistics, my customer's betting history, love life and even personal problems. And sometimes, I forget that I am on the Lotto terminal and my operator would shout "Kuya (brother), THE LINE IS ALREADY LONG!!!!!!).

I feel so relaxed talking to them.

Reasons Why My Lotto Customers Play the PCSO Lotto Scratch It cards

Due to extensive Market Research conducted at my Lotto Outlet (i.e I chatted-up My Lotto Customers because I love talking to them), the reasons for playing the Lotto Scratch It Cards are:

1. I want to know if I won anything RIGHT NOW (unlike the Lotto wherein I have to wait for the Evening TV News for the Lotto draw results)

2. I can't stop scratching the Lotto cards.

3. Am waiting for my wife to finish doing the grocery.

4. Am killing time before I line-up to do my collections.

5. My wife and I scratch the cards just before going to bed (This is true!! I have 2 regular customers, a young couple, who told me this and they just bought P1,500 (US$30) worth of Lotto cards from me yesterday morning)

6. The All-time Hit Reason, Scratching the Lotto cards is MY EXERCISE (My regular customer, a middle-aged lady, told me this).

Scavenging at Lotto Outlet

We need to have HEART in running a business. Let me explain:

There is these two guys, an old man and a not-so-old man, that used to bother me whenever I see them approach my Lotto outlet. You see, they would rummage my trash cans to retrieve lotto tickets and lotto scratch it cards discarded by my lotto customers. If that were not enough, they sometimes bother my lotto customers still scratching the cards for their scratched cards and this at times irritates my customers.

The reason for scavenging is in the hope of finding lotto tickets and scratch cards that were thrown away as non-winning but in fact won consolation prizes. At times, these two would get P100 for their effort. They would buy their own lotto ticket (P10/20) and encash the balance.

My first reaction was to stop them from bothering my customers. In fact I did get a tiff with one of them as he wanted me to encash a ticket that he scavenged from a rival lotto outlet and I refused.

In the end, I took stock of the situation and said:

1. They are just trying to make a Living;

2. While it is true that they encash it from me, they at times buy a lotto ticket too. That makes them a customers, isn't it?

How Do Your Customers Remember You?

Do your customers ever remember you at all?

Do they care to remember you at all other than when they need something or you are delayed in your delivery or your product does not work?

Let me tell you a short short story about my Lotto customers:


Last year, a group of holduppers with high-powered guns and grenades attempted to rob the Bank Of The Philippine Islands armored van that just made a pick-up at the mall where my Lotto Outlet was located in.

During the exchange of gunfire with the security guards, one of the holduppers lobbed an RPG (rocker-propelled grenade) at the doors of the armored van. The blast and smoke plus the ratatatat of M16s added to the pandemonium. People were rushing out of the mall.

At this point, the mall management decided to LOCKDOWN the whole mall (close all entrances) as the police believed the holduppers were still hiding inside. My crew got trapped inside as they decided first to shutdown the Lotto terminals and secure the day's sales proceeds.

I was on the way to my Lotto outlet and got a call from my sister saying that there is a shootgout in the mall where my Lotto is situated. After several unsuccessful tries, I managed to reach my supervisor on her cellphone and she was in fear and crying as gunfire and explosions were happening around them.

When finally I reach the mall, I could go as far as the entrance as the mall was still on LOCKDOWN. The touching is that I started receiving numerous text SMS messages from my Lotto customers inquiring how are my two girls (crew): are they safe? where are they? Were they able to get out? As I was among the growing crowd milling outside the mall along with the Press and Police, about 2 or 3 Lotto customers accosted me to ask if my Lotto crew was safe and again, if they made it out.

It was really so touching as I used to think my Lotto customers would only be concerned with betting. With their real concerns, I knew right them me, my crew and my beloved Lotto customers were FAMILY!!!!!!

Why Don't We Remember People while They are Still Alive

This morning, I visited my 1974 La Salle Greenhills High School classmate Raymund Ordonez (or Jojo to most of us) during his wake at the St. Jerome Church at the Alabang Town Center, Muntinlupa (south of Manila). It is a strange feeling because St Jerome is the same Church where I had my only child Stephanie baptized. One is at the End of Life. And another is at the Start of Life.

While at the wake, mounted were two pictures of Jojo and they seemed to be exactly how I remembered him 30 plus years ago. Jojo was tall and huge and I cannot help say that I felt intimidated by his presence but at the same time he had that wonderfully huge smile across his face.

I told his widowed wife that I wished I had met Jojo again when he was alive. It was while reading our HS Yahoo Group mails that I learned that Jojo worked at Mapfre, an International Non-Life Insurance Company, and wherein the freight forwarding company I once worked with had a lot of dealings. Mapfre insured our cargo of high-value Globe Telecom Prepaid cards and I had frequent dealings with them because we were always getting hijacked (robbed) of the cargo. Who would think that Jojo and I could have met during those times and who knows, could have done business with a fellow-classmate??


It is only when it is too late that we realize WE COULD HAVE. . . .

I told Jojo he is now on a different journey and while he is there, he will be looking after us. . . Am sure of that.

Should We Avoid High-Rent Commercial Spaces?

I read in the Papers of an Interview with the young owner of one of the largest Supermarket chains in the Philippines and the topic was of the ever-spiraling costs of commercial spaces in the country.

The interviewee is probably the third generation of family owners of the prestigious supermarket and department store chains and he had this to say:

1. Between choosing a Low-traffic, Low-rent space versus a High-Traffic High-rent space, he would always go for the High traffic, High-rent space;

2. In the Low-traffic, Low-rent space, the market is not there and is difficult to create traffic from almost nothing. In such a scenario, it is already a lost;

3. At least in the High-traffic, High-rent space, the market is there and you have equal chance of making it or not.

I would have to agree with him because:

a. Demand may be so strong as to more than cover the fixed amount of rent

b. You could try to be more efficient and bring down other operating expenses

c. The Location may be so strategic that the small business owner may even grab market share from his competitors in the area due to

--- Convenience (shorter walking distance for the customer)

--- Comfort (you have air-conditioning; others do not)

--- Security (If most of your customers are office workers who
can only shop after dark; your Location may have a BIG EDGE
because it is well-lighted, many passers-by & with mall
guards visibly patrolling your area)


THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A GOOD LOCATION WITH A CHEAP RENT.

Should We Avoid High-Rent Commercial Spaces?

I read in the Papers of an Interview with the young owner of one of the largest Supermarket chains in the Philippines and the topic was of the ever-spiraling costs of commercial spaces in the country.

The interviewee is probably the third generation of family owners of the prestigious supermarket and department store chains and he had this to say:

1. Between choosing a Low-traffic, Low-rent space versus a High-Traffic High-rent space, he would always go for the High traffic, High-rent space;

2. In the Low-traffic, Low-rent space, the market is not there and is difficult to create traffic from almost nothing. In such a scenario, it is already a lost;

3. At least in the High-traffic, High-rent space, the market is there and you have equal chance of making it or not.

I would have to agree with him because:

a. Demand may be so strong as to more than cover the fixed amount of rent

b. You could try to be more efficient and bring down other operating expenses

c. The Location may be so strategic that the small business owner may even grab market share from his competitors in the area due to

--- Convenience (shorter walking distance for the customer)

--- Comfort (you have air-conditioning; others do not)

--- Security (If most of your customers are office workers who
can only shop after dark; your Location may have a BIG EDGE
because it is well-lighted, many passers-by & with mall
guards visibly patrolling your area)


THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A GOOD LOCATION WITH A CHEAP RENT.

Selling Pork BBQ with a Social Conscience

Years ago when I used to room over at my sister's apartment (flat) in San Juan, a small town in Central Metro Manila, I remembered a story told to me about a policeman who had a small business selling Pork Barbecue-On-A-Stick but with a twist of Social Entrepreneurship.

During his beat (patrol) along N. Domingo St. in San Juan town, he noticed the number of small boys (maybe ages 10 to 15years old) just loitering in the streets as probably their parents did not have the funds to put them to school or just did not care what happens to them.

Rather than accost them for vagrancy, he got them together to help him distribute his Pork BBQ to motorists and the numerous jeepney drivers plying the route:

1. He assigned each boy to man a certain street.

2. Every early morning, he would give each boy a certain number of Pork BBQ sticks to offer to drivers and passers-by.

3. Every afternoon after his duty, he would pass by to collect the day's sale less the commission for the boys.

4. Because he was a policeman in their locale and he knew where the boys probably lived, the boys did not fool him.

5. This way he is able to augment his income in an honest way while giving employment to these boys.

Siomai (Chinese Dimsum) Saleable Here, but Not There

Siomai (Steamed Chinese Dimsum made of Pork) is one of the bestselling franchise businesses in Manila. It is usually paired with Gulaman Juice (Filipino drink made of Caramellized Sugar and Gelatin). Its popularity is because for a total of P35 (US$0.70), you get 4pcs of Siomai (P25 or US$0.50) and Gulaman Juice (US$0.20), you get a meal that could last maybe a while till you can eat a regular meal at home.

The Siomai business tends to work with branded names Siomai House ( US$5,000 franchise fee), Master Siomai or HenLin (the former and longest running name). The meal attracts a lot of Office workers and salespersons as it fits their minimum salary wage level.

In the mall where I operate, there is an own-brand siomai that is doing very well selling up to P25,000/day (US$500) on a rent of P30,000/month (US$600) and food cost of maybe 25%. The thing is they tried duplicating the business in other places (the airport, across a school) but from what I have heard, they have not been that successful.

Maybe you readers could offer up some reason by clicking the Comment button below the Post Title.

Learn How to Set-up and Operate a Lotto Outlet for only P2,000

I am offering to share my experience and knowledge in setting-up and operating a PCSO Lotto Outlet for only P2,000 per participant.

During the consultation, we will follow an Outline of precisely selected Topics that will be act as guide in your decision to enter the Lotto business and will include Site Selection, Actual Application for a Lotto Outlet, What should you do when your Lotto Application is denied, Actual Operation, Internal Control and much much more.




I promise you there will be no hype but an honest sharing of my actual experiences and you will be given ample time to ask questions in all phases of running a Lotto outlet. LOOK AT OUR LOTTO TALK AS AN ACTUAL ROAD TEST IN RUNNING A LOTTO OUTLET EVEN BEFORE YOU SPEND A SINGLE CENTAVO!

Text "LOTTO SETUP" at 0922-8831225 to know some of the ISSUES THAT YOU SHOULD BE AWARE OF if you intend to venture into the Lotto business.

Is There a Business That We Filipinos Can Start for P500 ($10)?

I have read stories of small business entrepreneurs who have started businesses with just P500 (or US$10) and managed to grow to BIG BUSINESSES. I wish I knew how because, like most budding entrepreneurs, I am short of funds but need money to survive.

I am posting this in the hope that somebody will see it and be willing to share his/her experience in starting a micro business.

It's our Independence Day But Do We Care?

I remembered when I was a kid (as in 7 or 8 years old way back when), June 12 was always a special day. Quezon Boulevard, a main artery in the capital, would be lined with big and small flags, almost all cars would have the Philippine flag mounted on their roofs, houses and stores would flag-draped and there was a general festive mood.


People would trek to the Luneta Park in central Manila to watch the military parade (the tanks and cannons were running then) and the various floats.


In the mall where my Lotto outlet is located, the day starts with the playing of the National Anthem and guess what? Except for a handful of people standing at attention, nobody seems to care as they still go on with what they are doing (walking, cleaning, browsing, chatting and doing anything) without any concern for the National Anthem.

In a Final Test, how many Filipinos can sing the National Anthem in its entirety?

Veteran IT Head Wants Lotto for his Retirement

Yesterday, I had a client for my "HOW TO SET-UP AND MANAGE A LOTTO OUTLET" seminar (a 2-hour One-on-One for only P2,000 per head).

1. He heads the IT Department of one of the largest Business Conglomerate in the country that is into varied industries.

2. My client is looking at opportunities for entrepreneurship which could be complementary to his profession and Lotto interested him
because of its simplicity and probably, it is also IT-based.

3. During the seminar, he made known of an offer from a Lotto agent west of Manila to sell his existing outlet for the sum of P1,000,000 (or US$21,505.00). Rent is only P7,000 (or US$150) and it is in a busy section of Manila ( or so he thought). The reason given by Lotto Agent for selling is he is going abroad. I advised him not to buy because:

a. There are only 2 reasons why a Lotto agent will sell his Lotto
Outlet:
a.1 It is losing money

a.2 It has problems (in debt, owes money to the
PCSO, (the govt Lotto franchisor) or is in a
crime-ridden area

b. Sales is not as high as the reported P20,000/day sale (My
client did in fact verify from the residents around the
Lotto outlet area that sales is poor.

c. The area where the Lotto is located is bordered by several
big malls that have already Lotto outlets inside (which are
are more convenient for bettors to go to)

d. Lastly, if he paid P1,000,000 for his Lotto outlet, it will take
him about more than 4years to get his money back.!!!! I told
him for that money, he could put-up several roadside outlets
already.

4. More Last, when you buy an existing Lotto outlet, BE
WARNED AS THE CONTRACT OF AGENCY IS BETWEEN PCSO
AND THE LOTTO AGENT. YOU , AS THE NEW BUYER, IS NOT
PART OF THAT CONTRACT AND HENCE, HAVE NO RIGHT TO
OPERATE THAT OUTLET WITHOUT THE EXPRESS CONSENT
OF PCSO. YOU MIGHT LOST YOUR SHIRT!!!!

The seminar was followed with a tour of my existing outlet. In parting, my client found the seminar WELL WORTH THE MONEY SPENT. He is now seriously considering putting up a lotto outlet but
in a location that I have RECOMMENDED.


A PARTING SHOT-- WHY IS IT PEOPLE WHO WANT TO GET RID OF SOMETHING ALWAYS SAY I AM SELLING BECAUSE I AM GOING ABROAD????

When Is It Worth the Risk?

We offend ponder this question when faced with a BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY that may never come again, to wit:

1. Should we risk till it hurts? Or, pass on the chance for the Kill?

2. When we take a chance, is that the same as gambling and thus, we must be prepared to lose without regrets?

3. At what point do we stop? Do we touch the kids' savings?

4. Should we borrow from the loan shark or the relative who charges usurious interests (there are!)?

5. There is no such thing as s SURE THING and therefore, there will always be a risk.

6. If you do not risk till it hurts, will you ever improve your situation?


This is a blog post of QUESTIONS. Let me know what you think.

Database of Livelihood Training Grads

One of the problems of small business owners is finding the right people. The budding entrepreneur does not have the budget to maintain its own Human Resources Department nor hire the services of an Online Job Search (upwards of P10,000/search) nor an Executive Search Service.

Why not set-up a Database that groups all Livelihood Training Grads into a Central Repository with the following features:

1. If private-run, grads can have their curiculum vitae listed for a minimal fee

2. The Listing will contain aside from Basic data of the grad, details about his new skill learned, any apprenticeship attended and other talents that may have commercial value.

3. This Listing can then be sold on a membership basis to companies and to small business enterprises at a very minimal fee.

4. The point is to connect the grad with the job at a cost of search that is affordable to the small business entrepreneur.

Sulit Ad Rocks

When the men behind Sulit claim they are optimized, I believe them!

Yesterday at about 7:30pm thereabouts, I posted an ad for a 2007 Chrysler 300C Black and the sale of a Warehouse in Manila. I got a text message at 8:40pm that same day inquiring about the car. This morning, I got an email asking about the address and pictures of the warehouse.



IT DID NOT COST ME A THING TO ADVERTISE THRU SULIT. Consider this, fellow small business entrepreneurs.

For samples of my Sulit ads, click on http://sulit.com.ph/richardjosephsiy

Livelihood Training Grads with No Where To Go

A couple of weeks back I was talking with one of the senior Kagawad (Town Council Elder) of the Barangay (Town) where my Lotto outlet is located.

I told him that as part of the social projects of the local government, it seems so many livelihood projects are being offered churning out so many graduates and yet I do not seem to know of a program to hire these grads or make them small business entrepreneurs.

I would not be surprised if a number of these grads with newly-acquired skills end up as cleaners and menial workers rather than future small business owners.

Would it not be possible for the Government to come up with a Small Business Company with the following features:

1. Employees will only come from the graduates of Govt-run Livelihood programs (Hence, students will be guaranteed work after studies)

2. Funding will be provided by the government but after the initial funding, the Small Business Company must prove its viability

3. Since government is not good in managing enterprise, the Small Business Company will be ran by a Management Team from the private sector

4. Employees will be entitled to Dividends after serving tenure. Dividends will be based on salary-scale and number of shares offered to the employee.

5. To ensure viability, products to be produced must be products that the Government needs and will be covered by a Long-term Supply Contract that includes market-rate pricing

6. The government will save as you cut-off the middlemen.

7. Grads will have a Programmed Career Path i.e. front-line (foremen), Middle (supervisor, junior manager) and Top will be open to them. The rationale is to prepare them to be Entrepreneurs operating their own small businesses.

8. Employees will be encouraged to invest in a Stock Purchase Plan wherein they can purchase shares at par value that is affordable. (THE RATIONALE IS THAT IF THE EMPLOYEE HAS NO FINANCIAL STAKE IN THE SMALL BUSINESS, HE HAS NO INCENTIVE TO CARE FOR THE SUCCESS OF THE SMALL BUSINESS)

EARN EXTRA MONEY NOW! No. 002

B. FOR SALE

1. 2007 Chrysler 300C Sedan Black 7,000km only. Impressive to
look at. Imposing to Drive.

2. Fishmeal for Poultry growers and Piggery Owners. Minimum Order
One truckload. High-Quality. In short supply.

3. For Film Lovers, CAnon EOS 300 with 298-85mm Lens, Original
Canon Strap and Steel Protective Grill. P3,888 nego.

4. Warehouse 1,000sqm Floor Area, Standard Ceiling Height,
Flood-Free, Not affected By Ondoy, Can handle space and
weight of 40-footer Container van Drive-thru.

EARN EXTRA MONEY NOW! NO. 001

A. LOOKING FOR

1. High-Quality Print Shop to print Logo and Text both-sides
on 1,000pcs T-Shirt with Collar and Front Pocket.

2. Supplier for 1,000pcs T-Shirt with Collar and Front Pocket (Polo)

3. Studio or 1-BR Condo near Technopark, Santa Rosa, Laguna

4. Supplier for 3 units Vespa Compressor 2hp 120-liter Tank
capacity with Auto-shut switch and Pressure gauge

5. White Standard Uniform and shoes for Nurse and Doctor

6. Doctor's medical bag

7. Supplier of 1,000pcs Olympic-brand Hand Towel with Logo and
Text print on one side

8. 2,000sqm Warehouse Flood-free Standard 8-meter height and
can accommodate 40-footer container van truck-mounted
Location: Davao and Cagayan de Oro

Call me at pldt 514=2905 or text me 0922-8831225

The Power of Online Free Ads

Here is a Marketing Technique a small business entrepreneur should not do without.

I have been posting FREE ADS on the Internet and I noticed the following advantages:

1. WIDE AND IMMEDIATE REACH.
(Ad that I posted in the afternoon would generate a lead by the next
morning especially if the title of the ad is in High-Demand)

2. IT'S FREE.
(How much lower marketing cost do you want?)

3. DOES NOT GET STALE.
(Sometimes the item I posted is sold already but I was not able to
delete the ad yet and YET, a lead would call and this is my
chance to sell him another item)

4. UPSIZE IT.
( A copy from the fastfood chain. When the item I am selling is
not exactly what the Lead/caller needs, I take the opportunity to
sell him a higher value item)

More on Business Networking 101

Today, while writing on my blog in a coffeeshop in a mall north of Manila, my friend, a fish meal distributor, gave me two business opportunities:

1. Find a buyer for his 1,000sqm warehouse in Malabon and I earn a percentage of the proceeds of the sale

2. Offer his fish meal to poultry growers and piggery owners and earn on the markup which is usually certain pesos per kilo. This could be significant since a truckload is about 20,000 kilos and a guarantee of repeat orders. ((Pigs and chickens do eat a lot.)

By Helping My Friend, I am Helping Myself

When we help people, two people feel good: the person to whom help is given and me ( that's us). I do not look at it as a debt that has to be repaid. If I am able to share what I have, it is enough that I helped them with a way to earn.

And when I talk about help, I do not mean a dole-out. I am not blessed with tons of money and in fact, I too have my share of fund shortages from time-to-time just like a number of us.

When I mean I help, I help the person to earn on his/her own-- it may be a selling opportunity or a small business to start. I am a believer of the saying " Give a man fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish, you feed him for a lifetime"".

Yesterday I sat down with a dear friend who I believe needs all the help the world can give just for her to make ends meet and not lose her mind in the process. I offered her options to be my agent or dealer by splitting commissions as I know she is in no position to contribute financially.

The silver lining (Blessing) in what I just did is that I might be more successful in my business as she has a wide network of prospects that are now untapped and the saying that One Plus One Equals Three is definite as on my own, I may not be able to do it without a treasure of prospects.

Internet Cafe Owner wants to Set-up a Lotto Outlet

Last Wednesday, June 2, 2010, I met with the owner of an Internet Cafe in Marikina, which is a few kilometers east of Manila. She is the sole breadwinner of her family and relies on the income from the Internet cafe for financial support.

Unfortunately, income from the Internet Cafe has been steadily decreasing due to stiff competition and price undercutting amongst them Computer rates have dropped more than 20% from P20/hr to P15/hr. She forced herself to learn a little about computer hardware maintenance so she can save the salary of having a full-time technician.

She saw my ad about offering a "How to Set-up a Lotto Outlet" seminar for only P2,000.00. We met at Mister Donut in a mall in Quezon City and during those 2 hours, she grilled me about my Lotto operation and after that, she came away knowing the following:
1. Management (What type of Entrepreneur is suited for this small
business)
2. Site Selection (Points to know if choosing the right rite; Not all
lotto outlets are earning)
3. PCSO Application Process
4. Total Investment Outlay
5. What to do when Your Application gets denied
6. What to Expect in your Lotto Operation
7. How to choose your Lotto Operator

(Picture of Lotto Outlet with customers playing Lotto and Scratch It Cards)

8. Internal Controls and Fraud Prevention (You Need This)
9. Marketing of your Lotto Outlet and what are the latest develop-
ment in the Lotto Industry that can affect Your Lotto)

For those interested in availing of the "How to Set-up a Lotto Outlet"
seminar for only P2,000.00/person, please contact me at PLDT
514-2905 or text me your name at 0922-8831225.

The Cheap Value People place on their Own Lives

This is a scene along EDSA, the busiest main thoroughfare in Manila. The particular spot where this picture was taken shows a car racing down a Flyover which is just a few meters away from where the two bright guys stood--waiting to cross.

The sign used to say "BAWAL TUMAWID. NAKAKAMATAY" (eng- Do Not Cross. It causes Death) but according to the guard of a bank on that corner, the sign was changed to "BAWAL TUMAWID. MAY NAMATAY NA DITO" (eng - Do not Cross. Somebody Already Died Here) after a woman was killed a few days before the picture was taken having been hit by a motorcycle coming down from the Flyover. The woman's body was thrown about and tumbled several spins along the highway.

Was the sign effective? See the picture below-

Is it WORTH Keeping Customers Loyal to Me?

This seems to have an obvious answer but IS IT?


1. We have read that it costs more to get new customers than to keep your existing clients.

2. I remember an article by Ned Roberto, a noted marketing guru, about the subject and the impression I got is that it does not matter.

3. For a needed product or one with strong demand, customer loyalty does not matter. The customer will still buy because he needs it. And for many customers, there is no other choice.

In the case of my lotto, am not sure about that statement. One reason why I got new customers despite there being 5 other lotto outlets within spitting distance (if you can call 50 meters a good spit distance) from mine is that the customers found the Lotto Operator of the others as being "MASUNGIT" (in english, haughty and rude)

4. Have we really figured out how much it costs to give GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE???

Here's an example: In the mall where I am in, MetroBank says BDO has high labor costs because MetroBank has only about 8 pax versus the 18 that BDO has but truth be told, service at BDO is highly efficient despite the huge volume of customers.

BDO is the only bank I know in the Phils that aside from the regular tellers up front, all New Accounts and other non-teller clerks are deputized (given cash fund) as TELLERS whenever long lines are apparent. Likewise, I also see Branch Manager Madonna (where I bank) doing Teller work when still more teller are needed!!!!!!

Try that at other banks wherein lines overwhelm the tellers and yet there are dozens of other clerks just sitting/chatting in their itty-bitty cubicles oblivious of the long lines and the sour faces of customers. (These banks' lines are similar to the game SNAKE on your cellphone, right? ) And to add tons of salt to the wound while all of this is happening daily, the other bank's manager sits like Cleopatra pretending not to know about any problem among her subjects (that's us. the customers).

5. Does it pay to be CUSTOMER-CENTRIC???

Again I have to cite the BDO at my mall. When Bank Manager Madonna noticed that lines were becoming a daily occurrence because they had to service many customers from other BDO branches to the detriment of her own BDO depositors, she decided to create an EXCLUSIVE LANE JUST FOR DEPOSITORS OF HER OWN BRANCH.

I typically visit her Branch 4 times a day to deposit, withdraw and get coins and its heaven sent what Madonna did. Whereas before the EXCLUSIVE CUSTOMER LANE. waiting in line took 30mins or more, now its more like 3 minutes.

Is it worth it for Madonna's Branch bottomline? Figure this, Metrobank has been Number 1 for ages and now, they are in Second. Guess who's Numero Uno-----BDO.

p.s. Another cliche--Who remembers who came in Second?

6. Because being GOOD to your customer is highly subjective, is there a tool by which a small business entrepreneur may use to measure its worth in pesos and cents??

7. Lastly, GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE should not mean raising prices because that is the biggest DISSERVICE TO YOUR CUSTOMER.

Help the small business owner by sharing what you think.

Please lend me your thoughts on this. I may be wrong.

Get Caught on Monday. Shoplift Again on Thursday.

Where is the Justice????

To many a small business entrepreneur working on very limited budget and ever slimmer margins, Shoplifting and Passers of Counterfeit money bills are a daily threat. Read the following notes and IF YOU SEE ANYTHING FAMILIAR, YOU ARE ALREADY LOSING YOUR SHIRT, to wit:

1. One Small business owner of a Grocery told me his Security personnel would catch a shoplifter red-handed bringing out the goods and rather than be repentant, would even challenge Security to bring him to the police station as he will be out on bail immediately. Sure enough, HE WAS CAUGHT AGAIN IN THE SAME STORE AFTER 3 DAYS!!!!

2. Habitual shoplifters do not shoplift at random (i.e. go for the high-value goods). Items that they steal are items that already have been ordered by buyers of stolen goods. IN A SENSE, THESE SHOPLIFTERS ARE SHOPPING!!!!!!

3. Shoplifters "go to a school of SHOPLIFTNG". There, they practice how to carry 2 2kg of Nestle Powdered Milk in between their legs (under their skirt) and still walk normally.

4. Shoplifters would come in wearing a pair of denims but leave the store in a skirt.

5. Shoplifters are very much aware of the Law (without being lawyers) i.e. if no charges are filed by the small business owner, the police has to let them go in a few hours (otherwise, Illegal detention charges can be filed against the police).

6. In the event charges are filed, their handler would immediately post the bail, according to exasperated small business owners. (They know this for a fact as borne by the title of this post -- see above title)

7. Whenever a new grocery opens, all shoplifters would swarm into the store to
a. Test the Security Defenses
b. Being store opening day, Store and Security Personnel will be
overwhelmed by the number of customers and kibitzers.
c. Priority is "Pleasing the Customer". The small business owner
does not want a SCENE AS WHEN 5 BURLY GUARDS ARE
TRYING TO MANHANDLE A KICKING AND SCREAMING FEMALE
SHOPLIFTER, isn't it?
d. A new store will use new, young and probably inexperienced
guards. (Cheap Labor)

8. Most often, shoplifters would enter in a Gang moving in different directions to throw-off uniformed and plainclothes Security. LOOK AT IT AS A NUMBERS GAME.......The poor small business owner can only hire a few guards (3 or 4) watching 3 entrances and only 1 or 2 guard on roving duty versus 6 suspected shoplifters amongst hundreds of in and out legitimate shoppers. Its a NUMBERS GAME AS WELL AS A SHELL GAME. Pretty smart huh?

9. CCTV cameras are of the cheap kind (i.e. lacks high-tech Face Recognition Programming, low-resolution, no adjustment for changing light conditions and images/footages are not interfaced with software that will sound the appropriate alarms/SMS messaging). And to top it all, monitoring of the many CCTV units are left with a poor, lowly and very much bored clerk or staffer. Modern CCTV monitoring is computerized to recognize repeat shoplifters i.e. image of every caught shoplifter is stored in a database and the instant a shoplifter enters the CCTV scan range, the computer searches the database and any match will sound the alarm (without any human intervention 24/7). Price? P3,000 for cheap camera and upwards of P300,000/unit for the face recognition etc version. AND OUR FRIENDLY SHOPLIFTER KNOWS WHICH MODEL THE POOR SMALL BUSINESS OWNER WILL BUY.

IN THE END, THE SMALL BUSINESS OWNER WEIGHS HOW MUCH VALUE IS SECURITY TO HIS BUSINESS. A typical small business grocer is working on a 3 - 5% margin. A lost of a can of expensive milk can only be recovered after maybe selling 100s of the same product.