Business Adventure

I was talking about making a small business venture with my friend a while ago. We were planning on selling t-shirts or any other interesting things through one of the most popular social network sites which is the multiply, of course, or joining into bazaars this Christmas. However, I pointed out to her that it would be quite hard to join in bazaars this upcoming season since we are only 2 months ahead. (I bet that those bazaars are already full.) And since it would require us more than what we have right now, like business registrations and permit, it is probably almost impossible to accomplish all those things before the Christmas season. Well, we can always find another place and opt to sell at school like a freelancer but that would limit out market to students and friends only. Moreover, joining bazaars would give us more exposure and would serve as a preview for us in the world of real business. This would give us the opportunity to push ourselves forward and strive out to compete with others. It's just too bad that we came out of this idea pretty late when we are almost running out of time.

Retire as a Millionaire

Just yesterday before I did anything, I mean totally anything. I read news from the WEB or better known as the internet. The only thing that caught my whole attention was an article which was posted in yahoo. It was entitled "10 ways to retire a millionaire". My first impression on this was that "forcing the person(a millionaire in particular) to retire", but it turned out to be different from what I had expected it to be. Although some of the idea presented we're the common in common sense. But adding all of them together will sum up to a good effect. The article will be represented in blue font.

10 Steps to Retire a Millionaire
by Lisa SmithWednesday, October 22, 2008

Having a million-dollar portfolio is a retirement dream for many people. Making that dream come true requires some serious effort. While success is never a sure thing, the 10 steps outlined below will go a long way toward helping you achieve your objective.

1. Set the Goal
Nobody plans to fail, but plenty of people fail to plan. It's a cliché, but it's true. "Plan" is the leading self-help advice from athletes, business moguls and everyday people who have achieved extraordinary goals.

2. Start Saving
If you don't save, you'll never reach your goal. As obvious as this might seems, far too many people never even start to save. If your employer offers a 401(k) plan, enrolling in the plan is a great way to put your savings on autopilot. Simply sign up for the plan and contributions will be automatically taken out of your paycheck, increasing your savings and decreasing your immediate tax liability.

If your employer offers to match your contributions up to a certain percentage, be sure to contribute enough to get the full match. It's like getting a guaranteed return on your investment. Finding the cash to stash may be a challenge, particularly when you're young, but don't let that stop you from pursuing future riches.

3. Get Aggressive
Studies have shown that the majority of the returns generated by an investment are dictated by the asset-allocation decision. If you are looking to grow your wealth over time, fixed-income investments aren't likely to get the job done, and inflation can take a big chunk out of your savings.

Investing in equities entails more risk, but is also statistically likely to lead to greater returns. For many of us, it's a risk we have to take if want to see our wealth grow. Asset-allocation strategies can help you learn how to make picking the right mix of securities the core of your investing strategy.

4. Prepare for Rainy Days
Part of long-term planning involves accepting the idea that setbacks will occur. If you are not prepared, these setbacks can put a stop to your savings efforts. While you can't avoid all of the bumps in the road, you can prepare in advance to mitigate the damage they can do.

5. Save More
Your income should rise as time passes. You'll get raises, you'll change jobs, and maybe you'll get married and become a two-income family. Every time more cash comes in to your pocket, you should increase the amount that you save. The key to reaching your goal as quickly as possible is to save as much as you can.

6. Watch Your Spending
Vacations, car, kids and all of life's other expenses take a big chunk out of your paycheck. To maximize your savings, you need to minimize your spending. Buying a home you can afford and living a lifestyle that is below your means and not funded by credit cards are all necessities if you want to boost your savings.

7. Monitor Your Portfolio
There's no need to obsess over every movement of the Dow. Instead, check your portfolio once a year. Rebalance your asset allocation to keep on track with your plan.

8. Max Out Your Options
Take advantage of every savings opportunity that comes your way. Make the maximum contribution to tax-deferred savings plans and then open up a taxable account too. Don't let any chance to save get away.

9. Catch-Up Contributions
When you reach age50, you are eligible to increase contributions to tax-deferred savings plans. Take advantage of this opportunity!

10. Have Patience
"Get-rich-quick" schemes are usually just that - schemes. The power of compounding takes time, so invest early, invest often and accept that the road to riches is often long and slow. With that in mind, the sooner you get started, the better your odds of achieving your goals. The Reality Of Retirement

Retirement might seem far away, but it when it arrives nobody ever complains about having too much money. Some people even question whether a million dollars is enough.

That said, with lots of planning and discipline, you can reach your retirement goals and live a comfortable life after work.

Some items presented in the article are based in the western setting like dollars and etc... So to better understand it it would be better if you convert some things to the local setting

Employment

As we all know, global stock markets for the last few months have been collapsing immensely. Investments are falling and stock markets have been declining, losing millions or even billions. Whose fault is this anyway? Now, because of the US Subprime crisis, everyone is affected even us. People fear of a global recession, or worse, seeing the 1930s depression repeating again. Although the Philippine government is conveying the message and assuring Filipinos that we are and will not be affected by the economic crisis, we can never be sure what might happen tomorrow. Plus, it is already really hard to earn money especially these days. Our parents are not the only ones who are supposed to be worrying about things or issues like this. We, too, must be concerned about what's going on. What can the future hold us now? Where will life take us after college? Will we be employed or become one of the successful businessmen and women? Or will we be an additional percentage of the unemployed in the labor force? I certainly would not want to be a part of the minimum wage earners moreover, be a part of the unemployed or even underemployed.

Competition

So Henry Sy is the richest man in the Philippines today according to Forbes. During the 1950's he started selling shoes to passers by. And now after dreadful years of hardwork, he is one, if not the biggest business tycoon in the Philippines. He dominated the mall business through his SM establishments. Well, I suppose that he is one of the luckier businessmen who found success after rags. But why is it that one cannot reach success most especially these days? Competition perhaps is the answer. Our time today has already emerged into something different, something more complicated. People are always looking for something new, something to innovate. If you are not competitive, innovative and creative enough, you wouldn't be a part of this world or this circle. We must be a part of businesses or better yet build businesses that are lucrative. And, in this world, almost everyone dreams of putting up their own business meaning, becoming their own boss. Who wouldn't want to be anyways? Otherwise, if luck doesn't come our way, we would always be under some boss whowould always try to manipulate and dictate how things are supposed to be.

'A Little Bit of Ingenuity"

Last school year, I was able to take my English Research subject which was also known as ENGLRES and its major requirement was obviously to be able to produce a research paper about any topic that we wanted. After weeks of deciding what the topic might be, me and my partner decided on one of the most common but booming businesses whether big or small, it still changed the shape of what its is like to be on top in today’s business world. The title of our paper was “The Impact of the Classification of Hotels and Restaurants on the World of Business and Economics”. I grabbed a part of our paper and let me know what you think about it. It goes like this:


As our world progresses in the new generation, businesses are getting in the scene more and more each day. The rise in need of profit and consumers has increased tremendously. Business associates and entrepreneurs would do whatever they can to take their business to the top whether they need to negotiate, risk or even gamble. Such an alternative for this undertaking is the essence of classifying big businesses as of today primarily in hotels and restaurants. These chains have revolutionized the business industry to greater expectations. This business has exceeded the means of earning, producing, and progressing what we usually call globalization. Therefore, this paper aims to show the proper necessities in classifying hotels in order to let an entrepreneur visualize a high class or a low class hotel. This is to help enrich the knowledge of every business minded individual of what it is to find out in such an ideal development.

Globalization is the acquiring of social institutions amongst countries and nations. Countries start to interact with other countries for trade, friendship and help. It involves international matters, and so it is essential to be good in business.
All kinds of businesses are rising nowadays not only in our country but in the whole world as well. From factories, inns, industries to restaurants, condos, cell phones etc. These businesses have given so much to make our world a better place. But of all these, one business that can not only give you a head start in the “financial” crisis, but also can revolutionize our country into a more realistic and updated lifestyle for every individual is the business of hotels. Hotels in this generation, have been improving ever since the French founded it.
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging that is usually on a short-term basis. Its purpose is to provide people with uttermost comfort and leisure whether you are attending a conference or just looking for peace and relaxation. The only variation of each hotel is how it is being classified. It all depends on the tourists or customers preference. The uniqueness of a hotel really helps in finding the similarity and the difference in each one.
With these thoughts in mind, business enthusiasts all over the world can educate themselves more and enhance their capabilities in the business industry.
Thus in response to this, the researchers would like to determine the right qualities and requirements that constitute in the classification of a hotel and have organized a survey to people in order to monitor, assess and evaluate their knowledge and their understanding of this specific type of business.

“Stairway to the Top”

What does it take for a small enterprise to blossom into a big and booming company? What does it take for a person to be successful in his chosen business? What does it take to be like the tycoons of business here in the Philippines who started from nothing and turned that nothing into something? All it takes for these things to materialize is one person; one person who is on top of everything, a leader and has certain characteristics and skills needed for the business to succeed. For me, even if you are not a rich person or even if you are not a person who studied business for that matter can turn things around if he just has these skills and characteristics: imaginative and a creative mind, leadership, determination, and street smarts. These four qualities, for me, make a good entrepreneur. One, if you have an imaginative and a creative mind, you can come up with brilliant ideas for your business. You will have endless ideas for your company. Leadership. Why the hell do you need leadership to be a good entrepreneur? It’s very necessary that as a businessman, you do know how it is to be a leader it’s because you will handle people when you do business and knowing how it is to lead people will give you an edge in terms of other businessmen. Another important thing is determination. If you have determination, everything that you think of, all the goals that you have set will easily turn into a reality if you are just determined and will never give up. Lastly, I guess that this is one important thing that many people miss out. It’s having the street smarts. Although some people have business degrees, it’s still not enough. One should have these street smarts. These street smarts can help the business when it is on the rocks or facing some problem. During these times, the street smarts you have will play a vital role in finding the solution to the company’s problems. I believe that having these qualities will be able to turn an ordinary person into a successful and an affluent entrepreneur.

“It’s Our Life”

Making money is really a basic skill that a person should have in order for him or her to have a steady life. And one way to make great money is through putting up your own business. Many people have this inkling that they could make some money if they start their own business but there seems to be a struggle right on the onset of deciding to build their own little company. Their big problem seems to be what type of business will they venture in? The main question that people ask themselves at the start is in what business most likely will they produce much greater profit. But for me, the first question they need to ask themselves is not his question. I think they should ask themselves what they want and what are their interests. It is in their likes and interests that the business they want to start will kick off. I believe that if a person ventures into a business deals with their interests, profits and money will follow. I think that what will drive the business into success is the fact that they love what they are doing. For example, if a person loves to take photos, I think that the best business for him is a studio or anything associated with taking pictures. I think that making money will be fun and a lot more stressful if you love your business.

“What Matters Most”

There is one thing we need in order to survive in this fast-paced society of ours. This is the thing that they say makes the world go round. If you think that this thing I’m talking about is the word love, you’re wrong. The society we live in at this very moment thinks that love has been replaced by a more powerful word and that’s the thing called money. Money is the new word in that famous maxim.
Everyday, people go to work to earn money. They work hard and find ways and means for them to be able to support those who are depending on them. But people in today’s society, most of them, think that the money they earn in working is not enough for their daily needs and for the needs of their family as well. That’s the reason why some people just pull out that resignation sheet, sign it, give it to their boss and simply walk away to start a business of their own wherein they are the boss.
The main question we have right now is, for these people who did this move, was it the right decision for them? In this society that we live in right now, is starting a business of your own a guarantee that you will now end your financial slump? Is starting a business the solution to your money woes? Sad isn’t it?

Franchising is the way to go!

I was browsing through the September issue of the Entrepreneur Magazine and it featured articles of business ventures ranging from joining a bazaar, franchising a food cart to owning a store or restaurant. What captured my interest are the advertisements for franchising food carts like the Hong Kong Noodles, Siomai House and the like. Franchising I suppose is easier than building up your own business. Well for one you need enough capital and the experience and thrill of taking risks in putting up your own business. Franchising on the other hand is quite easier since you can start up with smaller capital and the company would be guiding you or even training you for your franchise to sell well or succeed. Although the return would be small compared to having a real store, at least I'm safe and confident that when worse comes to worse, I will only lose upto a certain point. However the only problem is that I do not know where to get enough capital although I think loaning from my parents is the only alternative. And as soon as I have raised enough money, I'll pay them back. When you come to think of it, this experience would teach me how to become responsible and independent as well. This will help me earn my own money and with this I wouldn't be asking for my parents money as much as I am now.

Millions in no time

From time to time new businesses just pop up everywhere, but from all the businesses that came from the past upto today only a chosen few stood up and bagged millions of dollars during their existence.

Today at the dawn of the 21th century a new business stood up from the rest producing more business and jobs locally and internationally. Here you just need a good equipment(computers and servers to be exact), great minds, great designers, and a great story. If you haven't figured it yet I'll tell you, these are cyber games. In our own language these are video games.

This industry can make a single game bag upto a months profit of Las Vegas. Although it takes a very long time to develop a game that can play in par with the big boys of the industry like EA, Blizzard, CCR, and Gravity. Everybody started from scratches you know.

And as for the Philippines case we are near to par with the big boys. We have a great pool of gamers that can test our BETA games or prototypes for improvements and so on. Some two or three years ago the Philippines released a game that was purely pinoy, yep that was "purely pinoy". That game was ANITO. Although it did not catch international attention it was a great game but it was "bitin", "kulang ang story line".

In this business you can get success in an instant, your inital capital can earn you profits for more that a hundred times. The only major cost that falls in this business are the equipment(everything including upgrades), Rights to publish the game, And the space for the office.

So what do you think? Can this be an escape route for the Philippines against national crisis?

Entreprenuers Everywhere

Since I was just an elementary school boy I already saw young entrepreneurs, some are about my age and some older than me. Once in awhile one of my classmates way back in elementary buy and sells food, as I remember same are candies and junk food. Though being a young school boy I was very ignorant on why he was doing that. I spoke to him once and asked him , "Bakit ka nag bebenta?" Well after a few seconds of sudden silence or maybe shock he replied, "Para makaipon ako, para kung may bibilhin ako wala nang hingi hingi." Well that was my experience way way way back I think it was already a decade ago, I think...

Since then I was wondering about things. Then came high school, to our surprise we had an T.H.E. class (then change to T.L.E. then I don't know kung pinalitan pa) our final project was for a group of 5 to earn money and whoever gets the highest amount gets a perfect 100%. After a few weeks of selling our group had already earned from what I remembered 3k or three thousand pesos. Then after the selling period "nagdududa ang teacher namin" on how we earned cash that big. So what we did was we showed our receipts as for the expenses then what things we used (ingredients for food) after that we realize that it was really suspicious how we got a very huge lead, we have three thousand pesos and the next group got five hundred. But in the end I t was all smiles two of us in the group got a thousand each and the rest splitted the rest (hirap kaya magtrabo with labor yun ha). This happens yearly in our high school conducted by high school students.

But lately when I was playing an online game, I realized that even inside a game there are entrepreneurs. Lately aside from farming (online game term for gathering loots) a lot do BUY and SELL to earn more money, techniques that they use are very common from the usual business practice. Buy when the price is low then keep it when somebody needs something supply them (easy diba). From the real world to the virtual world there are entrepreneurs.

The SECRET to the TOP

It was during my third term here at La Salle when a friend sent an e-mail to me. He knew that I would love it and I would learn from it. And by the way he is Jan Adrian Yu. But it turns out it was way way way far from what I expected to be. It was all about the speech made by the world riches man Bill Gates. He pointed out a few points on what he learned to be at the top. And here is the whole e-mail.(The whole e-mail will be high lighted in blue)

This should be posted in all schools and work places

Love him or hate him, he sure hits the nail on the head with this! Bill Gates recently gave a speech at a High School about 11 things they did not and will not learn in school. He talks about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in the real world.

Rule 1: Life is not fair - get used to it!

Rule 2 : The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3 : You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4 : If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

Rule 5 : Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.

Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.

Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

If you agree, pass it on.If you can read this - Thank a teacher!

And there you have it. Well I did learn and reliaze alot from it I hope it will do the same with everyone. And Yeah I passed it on and now I'm sharing it with others.