STRAIGHT FROM THE BIG CITY

Information sources for those in business
IKE 'KA IKING' SENERES

Starting with this issue, I am going to feature all kinds of businesses for sale, as a service to those who are looking for business or investment opportunities. I am also going to feature all kinds of business resources and information sources, for the same purpose of helping business opportunity seekers. In this regard we are going to be neutral, meaning that we are going to feature resources or information regardless of where these are coming from, as long as these are factual.
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Globe Telecom’s “Masigasig” magazine, although still very new, is proving to be a very good resource for business information hunters. It is very well produced, but I suspect that its production is outsourced to the Entrepreneur Magazine, which is not a bad idea really, because this other magazine is well established and has a gold mine of resources.
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Due to the demand created by the popularity of the “Integrated Farming System” (IFS), I am now accepting submissions and applications for farmlands and farm lot developments. Hopefully with this compilation, I will be able to help those who are looking for lands to buy or lease. In demand are lots with a good supply of water or have access to waterways, due to the importance of water in IFS for growing fish.
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Good news for owners of fishponds that used to grow prawns. Engineer Walther Alvarez reports that he has already perfected the method for solving the virus problem that has caused the failure of prawn farms especially in the Visayas area. The other good news is that this time around, fish and prawn farmers need not buy their aqua feeds, because IFS now teaches them to make their own feeds.
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In what appears to be a mixture of good news and bad news, there appears to be a growing demand for farm hands in Australia. This is good in the sense that it creates more overseas jobs for our overseas Filipino workers, but this is bad news if we think in terms of the exodus that could happen in our farm communities. Still, our best move is to train more farm workers, in anticipation also for the big demand that will be created locally by IFS.
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One thing good about the Australian demand is that the OFW contracts are good only for six months, and what this means is that our OFWs who will return right away could even bring back new farming methods with them that they could use back here. Add to that the possibility that some of them could earn enough in a few months to be able to invest in their own farms here.
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The list of businesses for sale is going to be good for local buyers and investors, but in a special way it may be uniquely good for the OFWs who are returning to the country now or later. When my brother Roy (Amba) mentioned IFS in his weekly newspaper column, he was swamped by inquiries from OFWs who responded in his call for assistance in their re-entry. For good reasons, the list of businesses for sale will also include a list of farm lands and farm lots for sale.
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On the practical side, the list should also include other business options such as the rights to commercial spaces, and the rights to existing businesses such as bakeries, barber shops and retail stores for instance. From our experience we have seen that OFWs tend to settle for too common businesses such as jeeps and tricycles, due to the lack of information about other options.
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Engineer Alvarez also reports that he has already perfected a formula for a dog food product that already contains “Atovi”, the wonder feed supplement that has been working so well for other farm animals such as pigs, chickens, quail and cattle. For the convenience of IFS practitioners, Alvarez has made “Atovi” available at our office in Makati City. Those who are interested in distributing the dog food could already contact me.
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As a service to small scale franchisors, I would be willing to include their franchises in my list, especially if they have small packages that are very affordable among small franchise investors. First to respond to this call is my brother Roy who will soon franchise his own invention, a “Pizza Machine” that incorporates a conveyor in a small built-in oven. Roy says that he is going to make the franchise affordable to small businessmen, more so the OFWs who are looking for a re-entry business.
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Join SamaKabuhayan, a member of the Inter-Charity Network. We assist people in looking for jobs, starting a small business, in financing and in marketing. Email ike@kaiking.net or text us at 09196466323.Unit 324, Guadalupe Commercial Complex, Guadalupe Nuevo, EDSA, Makati.