Piso and Beyond

There are quite a number of articles out there on how to put up a Sari-sari store, but I haven't found one yet that actually contains practical and applicable know-hows on how to manage the business itself.   I've been a customer, a “taga-bantay” (seller) and now, an owner myself. I've seen our store close, re-open, close and then re-open again, just to see it close again!

Investing in the Philippine Stock Market has become more prevalent nowadays, thanks to those few and exceptional individuals who keep on spreading financial literacy all throughout the country. The stock market is now being actively thrown into discussions of many Filipinos when it comes to managing and growing their own finances.

Most business advise would start from telling you about the location and the amount of capital that you'll need, and they were for good reasons. Starting a softdrinks (and beer) dealership business, of course, is no exemption. But aside from the location and money, you'll also need a ton of patience, hardwork and a lot of network.

Over the years, significant changes have been made on the way we do our retail business. From the traditional store-inside-the-house to the high-end convenience store, it has really been a testament of its huge following here in the Philippines. We humbly became the ambassadors of retail sales or what we locally refer to as tingi.

This was my monumental speech delivered on March 2014 for the graduates of Old San Jose Elementary School, the institution that first held and molded me to be the man I am today.  While I tried my best to find the original s ource and authors of some of the quotable quotes I used, some may have still remained uncredited.

Every time you see your payslip, what's the first thing you check? I guess it would be logical to check your Net Pay first, or your actual “ take home money ” right after all the deductions have been subtracted to your Gross Salary . Does it excite you to check your payslip, knowing that someone you don't know was actually the first to get his shares?

Today, we'll try to answer one of the most common question people ask when it comes to investing:  “ Where can I inbest (invest in the best) my <insert value here> Pesos? ” Have you asked this too? Or did someone ask you this question as well?