Chapter II Part 2
Chapter II Part 2
If you are looking for business opportunities in the Philippines, there are many aspects
that you have to consider. Business opportunities should also be understood opportunities to
provide solutions to consumer’s, provide jobs for the people, and make your life better, not
only financially but also personally.
The Philippines is a country with rich natural and human resources. A tropical country,
the Philippines is the largest producer of coconuts and pineapple. Surrounded by waters, the
Philippine’s has rich marine resources and can also accommodate deep-sea ports. Our country
is also abundant in people’s talent and skills. The Philippines is currently the leader in business
process outsourcing, and its professionals are one of the most trusted in the world.
For starters, while this may sound defensive, there are some business ideas
opportunities, like pawnshop, money remittance, lending company, candle-making, bazaars,
sari-sari stores, water business, office supply business, laundry shops, junkshops, chicken
inasal, barbeque, siomai, binalot food, halo-halo, siopao, hobbies, PC assembly, call centers,
home-based business and other franchising prospects.
Right now, the beauty lies in seeing the community grow, knowing information
technology and how the net ticks, and learning how laws apply or don’t apply, in the on-going
high-tech revolution. We have to start somewhere.
There’s such thing as short-term, medium-term and long-term plan. The short-term
plan is to start with what could easily be done, primarily because this is a hobby, and not work.
Besides, one important business principle is focusing on a niche, then expanding if the
opportunities warrant it.
An entrepreneur doesn’t have to told about business ideas or opportunities.
Entrepreneurs recognize a potential business venture even if the opportunity is not staring
them in the face. Successful entrepreneur sees what is not obvious. This ability sets
entrepreneurs apart from the rest of the pack.
Filipinos can maximize these resources that the country offers to its people – we just need to
be resourceful. Foreigners can also consider investing in the Philippines – the labor cost in the
Philippines is cost efficient compare to other countries.
For Filipinos who want to start a business, they don’t need to start big if they can’t
afford it. They can start a small business and strive to grow it as time passes. There are many
small business opportunities in the Philippines that only require low capital. There is even
With the help of the Internet, providing services and marketing your products are now
more efficient. There are several business opportunities you can found online. You may check
out these “12 online business opportunities int the Philippines.” You can also check out these
“40 Internet business ideas you can start at home.”
Online business may be started small but they have potentials to make it big at the
right time. Remember that some of the biggest Internet companies in the world today were
even started at their founder’s home or garage. Mark Zuckerberg launched Facebook from his
Harvard dormitory room. Google first workspace was set up at Susan Wojcicki’s garage.
Although building a great company like Facebook and Google is a great feat, I believe that
Filipinos have the talent and skills to do the same.
The wealthiest and top business people in the Philippines are in the retail industry
(Henry Sy of SM and Lucio Co of PureGold), port industry (Enrique Razon Jr.), construction
(David Consunji), banking industry (George Ty), fast-food (Tony Tan Caktiong of Jollibee), real-
estate (Andrew Gotianun of Filinvest Land), and diversified industries (Lucio Tan, John
Gokongwei Jr. and Jaime de Ayala).
Those industries are huge, but like any other successful entrepreneurs, some of them
have their own rags-to-riches stories – and Henry Sy, the richest man in the Philippines today,
is one of these examples.
In the near future, expecting young Filipino entrepreneurs who will follow their
footsteps. Also, expect entrepreneurs in the IT industry to become one of the most successful
entrepreneurs in the Philippines, and even made it to the list of Filipino billionaires. But for
now, the old industries are ruling that list.
If you are looking for the right business opportunity for you, you should choose the one
that is according to your expertise, passion, and potential. You can start small and strive to
make it the biggest in the future. You can follow the industries ruled by the billionaires today,
but make sure that you have the qualities to complete and even win the competition. Finally,
you can also try to explore the unexplored market and start a unique business, in which you
can succeed and be the number one.
But how do you find new opportunities to take your startup to new markets and growth levels?
Here are four ways to identify more business opportunities.
When you’re targeting potential customers listen to their needs, wants, challenges and
frustrations with your industry. Have they used similar products and services before? What did
they like and dislike? Why did they come to you? What are their objections to your products
or services?
This will help you to find opportunities to develop more tailored products and services, hone
your target market and identify and overcome common objections.
When you’re talking to your customers listen to what they saying about your industry,
products and services. What are their frequently asked questions? Experiences? Frustrations?
Feedback and complaints?
This valuable customer information will help you identify key business opportunities to expand
and develop your current products and services.
Do a little competitive analysis (don’t let it lead to competitive paralysis though) to see what
other startups are doing, and more importantly, not doing? Where are they falling down?
What are they doing right? What makes customers go to them over you?
Analyzing your competitors will help you identify key business opportunities to expand your
market reach and develop your products and services.
Subscribe to industry publications, join relevant associations, set Google alerts for key industry
terms and news and follow other industry experts on social media.
Absorb yourself in your industry and continually educate yourself on the latest techniques and
trends.
Identification: Read the following statements and write your answer on the space
provided.
– Richard Branson
The Philippines is an archipelago of 7,100- islands and it is located in the southeast Asian
region. It has one of the longest beaches in the world and has various natural wonders and
scenery which is ideal for tourism businesses and real estate investment.
The Philippines is one of the more dynamic markets in the global economy. Its general macro-
economic outlook improved significantly in recent years and the country has made promising
headway towards more sustainable and equitable economic development.
With an estimated population of 92.23 million, the country's natural pool of talents and
culturally adaptable human resources position the country as the most value-for-money
destination for investments in the Asian region. The Philippines place high-value on education
that equipped our labor force with world-renowned technical competency and English
proficiency.
Bright spots in the economy include BPO, tourism, mining, agriculture, bio-fuels and renewable
energy, and infrastructure. The Philippines is endowed with rich and diverse natural resources
that provide seemingly unlimited opportunities.
With national economies and supply chains becoming more and more intertwined, the country
strives to expand and strengthen international investment agreements with capital-exporting
countries to safeguard investors against economic volatilities and hedge against risk.
The government is well aware of the need to focus on total investor-related solutions to
nurture investments. Going from strength to strength, the country's comprehensive strategy
to attract capital inflows integrates secure and predictable economic conditions with business-
friendly policies.
Exemplary Workforce
The Filipino workforce is one of the most compelling advantages the Philippines has over any
other Asian country. With higher education priority, the literacy rate in the country is 94.6%,
which is among the highest. English is taught in all schools, making the Philippines the third
largest English-speaking country in the world. Every year, there are some 350,000 graduates
enriching the professional pool.
First-Class Lifestyle
Discover the best of sun, sea, sand and style in the tropical setting, teeming with the best of
western amenities. The Philippines is second home to expatriates who enjoy the company of
the warmest people in the region, the country's openness to varied cultures and a decidedly
global outlook. Expats enjoy accessible and affordable luxuries such as business centres,
housing, schools, hospitals, shopping malls, hotels and restaurants, beach resorts, and
recreation centres.
Abundant Resources
An archipelago like the Philippines offers diverse natural resources, from land to marine to
mineral resources. It is also the biggest copper producer in Southeast Asia and among the top
ten producers of gold in the world. It is also home to 2,145 fish species, four times more than
those found in the Bahamas. The 7,100 islands boast of beautiful beaches and breathtaking
sceneries that offer soothing leisure and relaxation spots for vacationers and tourists.
It is considered one of the countries that are richly endowed with metallic resources and it has
the potential to be among the top ten largest mining powers in the world. The presence of
major foreign mining companies such as Anglo-American, BHP Billiton, Sumitomo Mining and
Xstrata attests to the attractiveness of mining in the Philippines.
Pharmaceuticals
The Philippine pharmaceutical market was valued at US$2.51 Billion in 2008, and reached
US$3.2 billion in 2013. In terms of the overall market this is comparable to Pakistan and
Thailand, and in terms of per capita, it is similar to China and Iran. The Philippines is
continuously ranked as the 11th most attractive pharmaceutical market in the Asia-Pacific
region, and the third biggest market in ASEAN after Indonesia and Thailand.
Fourteen (14) of the Top 20 pharmaceutical companies in the world have manufacturing
facilities in the Philippines. The share of local manufacturers in the drug market is seen to rise
to 38% and will likely continue to expand through 2010 and beyond. Multinational drug
companies are expected to grow by 4% in 2009.
Ship Building
Shipbuilding is now shifting to Asia and the Philippines, which specialises in production, will
likely exceed market shares of the traditional shipbuilding nations. The Philippines is the fourth
largest shipbuilder, next to Korea, China and Japan. The arrival of foreign shipbuilders in the
Philippines propelled the export growth of Philippine-made ships in the international market.
After being recognized as the fourth largest shipbuilder in the world, shipyards established in
the Philippines are now building more ships of larger tonnage capacities like bulk carriers,
container ships and passenger ferries. The construction of 180,000-DWT commercial ship by
Hanjin Heavy Industries Corporation, a South Korean shipbuilding giant, shows that the
Philippines can really build world-class vessels.
With a good management and skilled human resource matched with capital, technology and
global market opportunities, the industry is moving forward to make the Philippines one of the
largest shipbuilding nation in the world in the next five to ten years.
Finance
The Philippines is the undisputed Offshoring Destination of the Year as recognised by the UK's
National Outsourcing Association for 2007, 2009 and 2010. IT and BPO revenues reached $9.0
billion in 2010 which is equivalent to 8% of the total offshore BPO market, next only to India.
The value proposition is anchored on the ability to provide scale, efficiency and talent while
enabling superior services to the end customer. The Philippines is a world class destination for
Shared Services with banking giants like HSBC Citibank, JPMorgan Chase, Macquarie Bank and
Deutsche Bank as locators.
Animation
With a long-standing history in animation services and a strong cultural affinity with Western
countries, US companies specifically, have long preferred the Philippines as an outsourcing
destination when it comes to animation; in film, television, video games and other
applications. The country is considered to have a first mover advantage in the Asian region.
Filipino animators have worked on popular cartoons and animated films such as: Addams
Family, Captain Planet, Dragon Ball Z, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, The Jetsons, The Mask,
Scooby-Doo, and Tom & Jerry. Entertainment companies such as Hannah-Barbera, Marvel
Comics, Walt Disney, and Warner Brothers has outsourced many projects to Philippine-based
animation companies.
Animation outsourcing also applies to creating graphics for the video game industry, an
industry that was valued at US$ 25.1 billion in 2010. Filipino animators have worked on games
for the following gaming platforms: Nintendo, Sega, Game Boy and Sony Playstation.
Game Development
Filipinos are ideal game developers due to their affinity with the US in terms of education,
media and sports; and with Japan in terms of animation and video entertainment. In 2006, the
Game Developers Association of the Philippines (GDAP) formed to gain better leverage for the
industry.
GDAP was founded by a collaboration of six companies with solid experience in software
development and animation. Most were Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and start-up
companies formed by young and enthusiastic professionals. Today, GDAP counts 13 members
albeit 27 more companies are operating outside the association. Revenue for the sector
reached almost US$5 Million in 2009 or 50% growth year-on-year, with 90% of revenue made
from the foreign games market.
Identification: Read the following statements and write your answer on the space
provided.
Challenging economic times require hard work and patience. Well-planned employee
incentive programs ideally result in stronger teams and harder-working staff. Employees who
feel they are valuable might work significantly harder might be more willing to make sacrifices
by temporarily reducing benefits or even salaries, if needed. Crafting a successful staff
incentive policy requires careful planning, teamwork and strong communication with all
involved.
Incentive policies can be structured, such as a bonus for increased sales, or casual such
as a spontaneous bonus for hard work. Structured programs require clear communication of
both policies and the procedures. Policies describe the details of the program, such as a 10
percent one-time bonus for exceeding production goals over a six-week period of time.
Procedures describe the mechanics of the program. For example, they might detail the types
of sales included, how they will be calculated, the number of eligible employees and the
number of possible winners. Casual incentives, on the other hand, are less formal and may be
given privately to avoid resentment from the other employees. Examples include gift
certificates to favorite restaurants or small cash awards for exemplary performance.
Management Benefits
Strong incentive policies address your business's immediate needs. Focus on creating
a program that targets your current situation with clear, easy to implement procedures. For
example, if your business is experiencing a slowdown, then rewarding a rapid increase in sales
might be challenging. You may not have the budget to hire new employees or buy additional
inventory to meet a sudden increase in demand. An incentive program that rewards both
increased sales and a willingness to temporarily work extra hours to process those sales might
better address your need for growth without requiring a huge investment, than a program
focusing exclusively on volume.
Employee Benefits
Considerations
Avoid bad feelings by clearly communicating your policies. Positive, achievable, short-
term goals are significantly more motivating than long-term, difficult ones, so set the rewards
at a level most likely to be attempted. For example, a little extra effort might easily result in
two extra sales a week. Rewarding a single-week increase with a gift certificate, a second
consecutive week with a larger one and third with a cash bonus over a six-week period is
attainable. Doubling sales for three consecutive weeks is probably not. Make sure that all
eligible employees understand how to win incentives and set up policies that ensure winning
is equally possible. Employees who feel winning is hopeless will not only avoid participating
but are likely to resent those that do participate. In addition, make sure that the prizes
themselves do not cause resentment. A week off might be a wonderful bonus for the winner,
but the employees left to cover the winner's work might resent it.
People are integral to the prosperity of every business, and making them feel
appreciated and valued should be an essential part of every organization’s culture. This is
where incentive programmed come in.
It takes more than just pay, working conditions, appraisals and training programmed to
motivate staff. Recognizing them for their hard work and commitment to the business is a key
to keeping people happy. And, of course, happy employees and a successful workplace culture
mean reduced turnover, boosted morale and loyalty, and improved daily performance!
This short guide will take you through the key steps you'll need to go through to implement a
successful incentive programmed.
1. Define objectives
The first priority is to identify the objectives for your programmed, whether it's
reduced absenteeism, increased productivity, or an improvement in employee engagement
and happiness. It may also help to distinguish your objectives between the benefits to the
business and the benefits to the staff.
You should also consider when the best time is to start your programme– it may be
that the beginning of the financial year would suit the Finance department, but does it suit
your current projects and long-term objectives? There may be some great opportunities for
seasonal programmes that can really engage employees during times of the year where this
can otherwise be a problem - keeping people on task during the festive season, for example.
Finally, as part of your objectives and strategy, you need to decide on your audience. Will the
whole company be incentivized, or would it be more efficient to target selected employees for
a specific measurable task? Both have their benefits - the former allows you to communicate
with and engage the entire organization on the same level, while the latter can be essential
for really targeted efforts to increase performance in certain areas.
4. Keep it personal
One of the first challenges that many companies face when motivating staff is choosing
the most effective incentive mechanism. There’s not much point in choosing one incentive for
the entire workforce, as you’re never going to appeal to everyone. What one person may love,
another may not find motivating or valuable at all.
Differences can be down to demographic (age, gender, etc.), job role, and even just
personal taste - so it's important to make sure there's an element of personalization to ensure
there's something for everyone.
Also, involving staff in the incentive selection process will improve participation and
take-up of your scheme. One idea is to let staff select their own incentives – this can be from
a predetermined list that's tailored to the participants’ interests. Gift cards, e-codes and
IT-20, Philippine Industries & Management
vouchers are often the most popular rewards for incentive and recognition programmed, as
they can provide a great deal of choice and freedom in how and where people use their
reward.
Targets should also be personalized where possible, ideally based on job specifications
and responsibilities. First, allocate individuals with a goal, followed by the whole team - that
way all levels of staff are motivated, and the targets they're aiming for become achievable and
relevant.
Identification: Read the following statements and write your answer on the space
provided.
What are the five steps to a successful incentive programme? Explain each.
Tan Tek Meng et al. (1996), Business Opportunities in the Philippines. Singapore: Nanyang Business
School, Prentice Hall,
Zulueta F. et al. (1999) Management: theories and Practice. Mandaluyong City: Academic Publishing
Corp.,
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