Canadian coming Philippines wanting ideas for investing

Including SIRV.

The best way to have a small business here is to buy a large one. You need rocks in your head if you wish to invest here.

Another lamb to the slaughter

I recommend taking your successful business skills - that you honed from, where ever you are coming from and transport that talent to the Philippines...Don't have any???? How do you expect to suddenly start. in a country where a whole family (kids, grand parents, cousins)   will all work 7/24 for just enough to feed themselves....

You don't expect someone to hand you a successful business idea, to compete against them....do you??? 

I spent 35 years as a commercial banker all over Canada and New York City and, have looked at peoples 5 year plans, planned  location and  analysis of competition, experience marketing, budget forecast targeting future and  worse case scenario expenses, and still watched 9 out of 10 lose everything... I warned them and then take as security (everything they own) warn them that they will be homeless when I come knocking, but they insist and sign away that house or retirement savings they spent 30 years paying off....

If you DO NOT have an edge above your competition in whatever product or service you dream of providing---- how the heck do you think you can even compete??? HOW...because you see such poverty around you -that it must be because they don't have $20 thousand to finance their dream?? Think about it.. What type of business doesn't the Philippines have, that is just waiting for your money???? The most likely one is the desperate new friends and relatives whom want your money to try a hair brained idea.. Because. Hell its not their money. Who cares

I brought over my sister in law as a nanny 6 years ago...she took a huge amount of her savings and bought a cleaning  "franchise" ...that was not a franchise in any sense of any insanity...she signed a 50 page agreement that she did not understand,  that gave them the right to bill her for whatever the hell they decided...her and her husband worked like dogs for 7 months and made nothing ... .as the fees took away everything... Her excuse in tears trying to explain why the hell did she not at least look at it, WAS........it was a franchise...a franchise and did not think a franchise could be wrong????

Months later my wife announces that she and this sister were going to buy a car, in Manila. for another sister - whom was going to make a fortune with the new car service Ubber, the only problem they did not think of...is ... Duhh...she doesn't even have a drivers licence, probably could never drive in that insane traffic, does not know the huge metropolis streets, nor neighborhoods  , has no idea of directions other than up and down (just like my wife) and no one sat down to do a financial plan of expenses, deferred and constant upkeep - what about the guaranteed accident(S) she is going to have and a fortune we would have to further invest fixing the damn car ---over and over and over until we have no more money and the car just disappears..  How the hell would she compete with guys whom have been fighting the traffic and competition for 25 years and make barely enough to raise their families??????

Every Filipino that has no money - thinks all you have to do is go into business and you are rich... Ask

I told her - have your sister get her drivers  licence. Drive taxi or bus around Manila 7 days a week, 18 hour days like every one else does in that business - for 6 months....only 6 months - then we will talk...

Another stupid balloon burst right in front of my eyes...I told her, if she ever did something like that behind my back, I will leave her instantly...

If you have a sliver of a chance to make -a barely substance living in business in the Philippines you would have to be smart enough to come up with and research the obvious business plans success or not - by yourself .."your idea" because of -----you know----all that experience you have learned -the hard way in your previous successful businesses...

My brother. Also a retired banker and successful business man, had spent years - I mean years in the Philippines before he sold out and retired.  His wife had every relative and friend over 20 years beg for loans to start a business...raising pigs, buying a bike, opening bakeries, fish pods...hell you name it....My brother insisted on them signing over chunks of their families farms and homes as security....None were successful enough to pay back the loans...He ended up in 20 years- with about 18 acres of lots- in a perfect circle around the only spring feed lake just outside the families barangay in Tarlac. He warned them..


If you don't have the experience -nor a fantastic -well researched idea---- just run down the street, pick someone,  anyonr, give them all your money and ask them to be your partner.....just learn how to say "partner" in Tagalog first

Sorry this may seem like I am being mean, but after a lifetime of giving people this same advice.. I hope you just read this a couple times before proceeding. Unless of course $20,000 dollars is a joke to you, play money   and you just want to have fun... Then go ahead

Well said, but you cant give advice to people that don't want to know. The fools that think you can make money here in business are living in an alternate universe.

About 25 years ago I was introduced to very "deep" Business SWOT Analysis tool for my graduate studies.  Although it was an update from the original GE Model, it has remained part of my technique for any important evaluations I need.  The SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) the small business owner or investor needs to evaluate appears to be a missed course in business education here in the PI.  This is exactly the point GDT makes……

One could ask why are the expats not demanding such tools??  Sadly, most expats are not aware either.  However, most expats are not in the habit of gifting large amounts of savings without getting that "feeling" to slow the roll, as they tend to proceed with more caution.  I feel there are opportunities lurking in internet based or related e-commerce but that is where the expats need to have some IT background and keep nearly 100% control of their business as a concept managed and controlled via a virtual office within their home country.  A family member is pressuring to be hired?  No problem, let their resume be joined with other qualified persons cleared for virtual office support as independent contractors to an internationally based IT entity. 

In my opinion, this tool needs to be understood and applied globally by the borrowers from a micro-business loan to WB loans offered to failing countries.

Possibly the best tool to use is the "read between the lines" formula. In other words, don't take anything at face value.

The emotional forward contract exchange rate can be very damaging if not monitored carefully.

Finally, try to remember and identify fairy stories.....

You are right that there maybe some internet opportunities left, but every IT professional, programmer, employee of present successful  internet company/startups are already actively searching for those new ideas.... and using their skills and talent trying ....There are very few product opportunities that are not already owned by the few survivors of the original internet boom and bust... If you own the registered domain for - let's say " shoes.com and .net "- you might get a few search hits and if your prices and products are damn good, you have a chance of a small business......coming up with domain name that is available - say, "newshoes.com and net "(taken) is not going to work unless you have 10's of millions for advertising in the hope of drawing a few people to your site.......as the big companies will show up first -when anyone searches for new shoes, buy new shoes, etc. etc..... Hell , Amazon was one of of the few internet companies which survived the initial crash, but lost hundreds of millions each year for over 10 years -until finally making a profit. You can not even come close to competing with their prices or service or return policies - so I -  for one,  would never trust an unknown (scam) site with my money and credit card information.

Huge opportunities in robotics, programmers, computer engineers....Lidar (laser scanning-3D modeling) used in the new autonomous cars and trucks and robots in factories, stores/offices that will very soon replace all employees, all  taxi ,truck, bus drivers in the world. GONE

AI (artificial intelligence) and robotics is already being used to replace factory workers at Foxcon, making more and more of your computers and IPhones etc.....Call center personnel, damn. Even radiologists reading xrays and MRIs...   .they are successfully testing Artificial intelligent machines which are doing those jobs----- 1000 times better and faster and more accurately than the world best Radiologists tested....

Lets also  use a Doctor as another example,     Artificial intelligence  can ask all the questions needed, upload your temperature, blood pressure,  glucose reading from your smart watch and  not only reference millions of similar answers and tests,  but cross reference the outcomes from a database of millions of past records- that are current  as of today.  The doctor, he can remember a couple of hundred similar cases from 10 years ago, (outdated) that he has no clue what happened..  Even the best radiologist can look at an image, stare at it, think really hard for awhile but  , has to move on as he has  too many to read today...and he makes huge mistakes in these analysis and that Xray is forgotten... He, unlike A i , will never know that 6 months later-  when that person's symptoms get worse and  they have another test, but  now the missed diagnosis of early breast cancer--- results in the patient dying . 

The leading cause of death in hospitals is mistakes in prescriptions, made by people...the same people that make mistakes  that are responsible for 98% of traffic accidents...  In 15 years, only millionaires will be able to afford car insurance to drive their classic old sports cars....you know ---the ones with steering wheels and gas and break petals. Your grand children will not believe that people used to be allowed to kill and cripple millions of other people - by -
gasp-----     driving...

Fast food companies have self serve kiosks and computer assisted kitchens making your burger and French fries....NOW...being tested and ready to replace the workers - whom in first world countries are getting raises in their salaries to $15 hour because of city and state -governments mandating increases in minimum wage legislation....making it cheaper, now,  to just replace these people with robotic systems -that never get sick nor demand and get larger and larger wages...and demand bathroom breaks and waste time with talking. (Chika Chika)

Hell, Artificial intelligence -can go over your symptom's , ask the right questions, review millions of current diagnoses and outcomes, prescribe the medication or lab test needed .....and out smart even the most up to date doctors just coming out of med school.. .your doctor can not possibly keep up to date with new treatments, drugs, lab tests nor medical discoveries - its impossible, but artificial intelligent machines -out smart them by such a margin of error (NOW, TODAY) that your doctor will be replaced in 5-10 years at the most... You will start with a very small number of doctors quickly checking a computers prescriptions and a glance at tests ordered and a review of minor surgical diagnoses , but once proven to be massively less likely to error -than these over worked and outdated doctors.....that profession will become another dead end..  What about the less skilled workers....????????  Gone, gone, gone

The self check out machines at your super market is ready to be replaced by self check out lanes and the things like the Panasonic robotic checkout being tested in Osaka...the system scans and bags groceries to replace the outdated people that get sick, steal, make mistakes and need bath room breaks..  Amazon and many, many other companies are in a panic - testing new systems to use the security labels already on items to enable shoppers to fill their cart, walk slowly thru a scanning hall as all the items are totalled in seconds, uses your credit or debit card for payment..  as you walk past one of the few employees in the whole store... That being a security guard .. whom glances at a screen to see whether your payment was processed or not..

Estimates of this new coming  Industrial revolution... are at least 60% of present jobs today - will be eliminated in the next 10 -15 years...

I help my son together we take the free programing courses on line... Yes, computer geek I am is no match to him...

Microsoft. Google. Facebook, Apple have bought out many of these schools and teaching programs in order to offer them free on line..  They are preaching and warning people to help them train the next generation- for all the jobs  that are now and will be required - The present shortfall in security IT professionals alone  is causing a nightmare of hacking of stores, banks, government and systems world wide.... commonly.... because of poorly trained. overworked, IT security professionals... Whom forgot to update their systems or how to best protect all this data. Companies have for years scooped up the hackers that get caught and hiring them for huge starting salaries.. Many are teenaged, still hanging out in their mothers basement, pulling in over 100,000 dollars testing software for their new part-time employers.. All the big companies pay rewards for telling them about any holes they discover in their software or systems... They are constantly making it bigger and bigger so it is not to little to make these good (whitehats) decide to sell  it to bad hackers (black hats) whom use it for illegal profits.

  The staff that will be needed to keep these new robotic machines--- programs and security systems running and technologists to repair the scanners, laser eyes and computer hardware and communication, in the cars and trucks zipping down your street and highways, the machines replacing your doctor, your restaurant , grocery stores, transportation, information and service desks for all your products and services (banking etc.). All these factories, offices and jobs that will be almost people free... IS HUGE for anyone whom wants even the crumbs from this massive industry.

Licenses, passports, government forms, documents will all be done on line or walk up to a vending machine, upload all required documents, stand on the yellow line behind you and smile for the picture required. Please wave your phone or ID bracelet across payment scanner....Thank you.....Next please..   

Think...what couldn't be replaced by faster, cheaper machines???? You may have no idea, but there are the best companies and people working hard, right now for a slice of this future..

The growth market for all these new jobs that will soon be needing people and companies to provide these skills to maintain, upgrade and repair all these robotic machines , computers, is unbelievably HUGE... insane...Mind boggling

Heck, about 6 years  ago - if you had any mechanical skills or even an interest in mechanics - there was lots of companies, here in Vancouver that were begging to hire you and  would pay you and the schooling -- while you learned  how to fix escalators....Thereby were escalators at sky trains and stores, government offices that remained out of service for days ----because of a severe shortage of technicians....

Find your niche in any of these fields now- and be ready to repair, check programming, security and engineering and you will ride the next wave of wealth and success.. Build even a very small company of talent and you will be overwhelmed by the work load coming your way.....OR be screwed and left behind - This is going to be way -way -way worse than the last industrial revolution that happened with the invention of the steam engine...

Governments and experts are discussing how they will deal with the upcoming social problems... They are toying with the ideas of minimum living wages for the overwhelming numbers of unemployable masses...by maybe taxing robots for jobs they do, and other ideas to at least minimally taking care if this unbelievable mass of almost UNemployable people....

Google, Apple, Microsoft, Ford, VW, BMW,  all of them are racing to just be included in the software or mechanical systems in the new self driving cars and transportation systems... If you aren't testing self driving cars now (or  robots) . these  huge corporations will be left behind and may become obsolete...

Get your kids, young adult children into learning programing., IT, robotics, systems and repair- engineering schooling NOW -as even having basic skills may save them from the massive problems coming up..

There you go---- this is the business plan you were looking for.... Too late for you to learn..  Take  your money and pay for the training and schooling -for a chosen few very bright and talented teenagers/ young adults (check at the schools) and use it as seed money -  making them  your new and upcoming partners in a business that will make you all -----wealthy in the coming revolution...

Me--- retired , but I am pushing and helping all my Filipino nephews to  listen and learn, and as I told the ones here in Canada (that I helped their parents to get here..) ......get off your f*$king  ass, start these free coding and computer programs NOW, I will pay for any required schooling ----OR.....just move back to the slums.. where you came from (NOW)  and hope like crazy that someone in your family survives this revolution...( your parents jobs will be gone)..and will be unable to send you money and Balikbayan boxes for the rest of your life.... And I tell you right now.....I won't even email you a Xmas Ecard.... because I warned the shit out of you and your parents ---to no avail..

If you are thinking nannies and caregivers are safe.....think again....60-70% of the people whom hire them today, will also be unemployed and won't need them anymore....

My business consulting fees - (now that I am retired,) just happens to be the same amount the original poster said he had , $20,000.00 ...what luck.

Please click *HERE* to make payment and thank me.......

Wow, just checked the news...Amazon just bought Whole Foods for 13.7 billion ...smaller news - they have an application that blocks you from comparing prices....while in their stores.......

Shop on line for everything, including your groceries, delivered in under an hours, coming to you soon . 

Text message received.....you are almost out of milk and buns...click *here* to reorder

Changes coming fast

Absolutely true...

i am running a very successful advertising agency in the Philippines for over 2yrs and i decided to stop outsourcing my printing services and do it my self by adding a new department in my company for printing press.
now, it is very known that printing press equipment are relatively expensive especially if we look at the latest technology that deliver the best quality in a minimum time.
also it is very common that the value of the printing press equipment does not depreciate fast and it maintain less than 25% value reduction in 10yrs frame time which is very good as assets to the company.
my request here is this, i am looking for an investor or partner foreigner or filipino that willing to invest in my company . i guarantee a very fast ROI and a reasonable share in my company depending on the total amount of capital contribution. for more details pls contact me.

GDT ~ Excellent thought provoking answer ~ The check is in the mail 😎

In my opinion, the best suggestions in this Forum is written by GDT (above).   The post deserves a re-read.
And 'Bicol' .... As I understand,  you are running a very successful Advertising Agency?  Therefore, your job is to put businesses in touch with the maximum number of customers for the least cost using many different types of media.  This is a good business which very few  people can run successfully, so why invest in a printing press?  Is the print media business on an upswing?  I do not think so!   And you are promising a fast return on investment as well ?  Mmmmm
Maybe obtain outside quotes for your print needs, keep your business model simple, and save many future headaches .....

I meant to say the GDT post above which begins with
"I recommend taking your successful business skills........"

Hi Phil,
I'm thinking of something similar as yourself.
In case you come across anyone in the Philippines with strong business planning analytic skills please let me know their contact details. I need some local research on values, costs etc. for a business opportunity there.
Thanks.
Kind regards,
Andrew

Forget a business in Philippines until you have been here for a few years, if you follow the laws you will be spending a lot, and taxed, after you have been here a few years and go under the radar you can make some money, but the dangers are real, if you step in on another's business it could cost you your life, murder here is as cheap as the cost of living

Okieboy has this correct !

Leave your money at home.  Keep it invested in what you are comfortable with.   Simply transfer the returns on your investment to the Philippines and  use as you wish ....

Why do all these people think you can invest in a third world country where corruption is everywhere invest in a first world country

much cheaper to maintain office and labor here in the philippines than other countries considering the competency rate of professionals here

I am 66 my GF is 31, I expect her to take it all anyway she only need wait till I die.
We have agreed to build for our future and to make sure she can live and support the kids.
Although I wish I could live forever I cannot so someone should enjoy the fruits of my labor

I am 66 my GF is 31, I expect her to take it all anyway she only need wait till I die.
We have agreed to build for our future and to make sure she can live and support the kids.
Although I wish I could live forever I cannot so someone should enjoy the fruits of my labor

Probably best to build or buy property in your wife's name and rent it out.