Tuesday, January 30, 2007

More seminars this February

Here's another agency, the Philippine Trade Training Center (PTTC), which conducts not only livelihood seminars but also others on equally interesting topics. It will be conducting the seminars listed below during the month of February. Those interested may call the corresponding contact persons at telephone nos. 632-8319988, 632-8341344 local 49 to 318, or email them at tbmd@pttc.gov.ph. You may also download the registration form here.
  • Expanding Business Through Export (Basics of Exporting), February 6 to 9, 2007, P3,000.00
  • How to Start a Business,. February 6, 2007, P75.00
  • Energize your Franchise Organization, February 8 to 9, 2007, P4,500.00
  • Effective Selling Skills February 9, 2007, P1,750.00
  • Effective Leadership Skills, February 12, 2007, P1,750.00
  • Corporate Culture: Filipino Values in the Workplace, February 13, 2007, P75.00
  • Import Procedures and Documentation, February 15 to 17, 2007 P2,500.00
  • Basic MS Excel, February 15, 2007, P500.00
  • ISO 9000: Quality Management System, February 16, 2007, P1,750.00
  • Japanese Business Language Introductory Course, February 17 to March 31, 2007, P2,500.00.

Monday, January 29, 2007

Livelihood seminars this February

One of the government institutions regularly providing trainings and seminars on livelihood opportunities is the Technology and Livelihood Resource Center (TLRC). It was established in 1977 and has developed hundreds of livelihood courses since then. According to their website, these courses have been attended by as many as 11,000 already. This February, the Center will be conducting the following courses/seminars:

  • Jewelry Appraisal and Pawnshop Operation, February 3-4, 8-4:30
  • Commercial Breadmaking and Bakery Management, 3-6, 8-4:30
  • Silkscreen Printing, February 5-8, 8-4:30
  • Sorbetes, February 7-8, 8-4:30
  • Basic Meat Processing, February 10-11, 8-4:30
  • Fresh Flower Arrangement and Flower Shop Operation and Management, February 10-12, 8-4:30 (with field trip)
  • Accupressure Therapy (Scientific Body Massage), February 12-13, 8-4:30
  • Event Planning, Marketing and Management, February 13-14, 8-4:30
  • Goat and Sheep Raising, February 14-15, 8-4:30 (with field trip)
  • Flavored and Fortified Juice, February 15, 8-4:30
  • Meat Shop Management and Meat Cutting, February 15-16, 8-4:30
  • Operating a Laundry Shop Business (Small-Scale), February 17-18, 8-4:30
  • Swine Production, February 17-20, 8-4:30
  • Hair and Skin Products, February 19-20, 8-4:30
  • Setting up a Travel Agency, February 20, 8-4:30
  • Basic Meat Processing, February 26-27, 8-4:30
  • Hair Trimming, Perming, Dyeing and Make-up Techniques, February 26-27, 8-4:30
  • How to Make Fashion Accessories, February 28-March 1, 8-4:30
  • Catering Business Operation, February 28-March 1, 8-4:30

My personal favorite is the one on setting up a travel agency, due mainly to the fact that it is the only one priced at P1,300+. All the other courses cost around 2 to 4 thousand pesos for each participant. Not-so-cheap for a government employee like me.

The seminars will be conducted at the TLRC Building, 103 J. Abad Santos cor. Lopes Jaena Streets, Little Baguio, San Juan, Metro Manila. For inquiries, you may call 727-6205 local 208 or 209, or 0928-5022684.

Saturday, January 27, 2007

Doing business with your cellphone

A few years ago, I attended a forum on intellectual property and, on my way home, I hitched a ride with someone who was a self-professed inventor. Apparently, he was a member of one of those associations of Filipino inventors.

While driving, he told me of a technology he developed which would allow people to store value in their cellphones using SMS. He said he was trying to sell the technology to the telcos, apparently referring to Smart and Globe. When the concept of load wallet came along, may be months, or a year or so later, I truly wondered whether it was now the man’s technology.

Of course, the original concept of load wallet is telco-based and required a special SIM card or something. If you get that special SIM from dealers, you can store value or load which you may resell. As a result, we started seeing all those sari-sari stores displaying tarpaulin banners of Smart e-Load, Globe Autoload, Talk-and-Text, TM, Sun, etc.

Then, maybe two years ago, I passed by a shop at Star Mall and saw a banner inviting people to sell load of all the networks using just one SIM card. I was totally unconvinced especially that the area is the haven of those networking companies who are quick to promise you millions. How in the world can you do that, I thought.

But that was then. Lately, in my continuing search for other sources of income, I learned about these companies which enable you to sell load of all networks using your own SIM card. You can even sell PINS of prepaid cards not only of telephone networks, both mobile and landline, but also of Internet service providers (ISPs), game networks, etc. They can even sell flowers, and insurance, using text.

What I like about this business, is that there is not much “pr” required. You can get your load by depositing money in the company’s bank account, or their G-Cash or Smart Money accounts, and informing them that you have done so. After verification, they will load the amount to your account and you can then sell that load as cellphone load, Internet dial-up access, game time, flowers, or insurance. Using text, of course, with around 6 to 10 percent profit.

I particularly like the feature of one or two of these companies which allow you to just buy a prepaid card from somewhere which you can load to your cellphone using text and sell as load of whatever network you want. Come to think about it, that’s a prepaid card with load you can use for all the networks, discounted at that.

Of course, these companies differ in certain areas. Some are simply load providers, while others are into multi-level marketing. Meaning networking. Others rely on their bank accounts, while others use Smart Money and G-Cash. There are some with a lot of products available while others only have a limited number. Some have good support, others don’t.

If you want to get into this type of business, you can just visit the companies' websites and learn more. See http://www.loadxtreme.com.ph/, http://www.load.com.ph/, http://www.loadcentral.com.ph/, or www.e-negosyo.ph. You may also email me and I would be glad to tell you more.

Friday, January 26, 2007

Negosyo defined

"Sa kasaysayan, ang negosyo o kalakal ay tumutukoy sa mga gawain o interes. Sa pinahabang kahulugan (simula noong ika-18 siglo), naging kasingkahulugan ng salitang ito ang pagkakaroon ng pansariling pangasiwaang komersyal. Sa mas pangkalahatang kahulugan, ito ang pagkadugtong-dugtong ng mga gawaing komersyal."

This is how the term "negosyo" is defined at http://tl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negosyo. The way I understand it, the term used to mean "trade" or "craft". But, in the 18th century, it started to mean a personal commercial undertaking or business. This is how Filipinos use the term today. It is something that we constantly hope we'd be able to do and do successfully. I am no exception.

Sunday, January 21, 2007

Cravings of a person like me

I've been thinking about what to write here on this blog. For starters, I want this to be focused. I plan to just write on say 5 or 6 main topics, things that I too am genuinely interested with. For now, these would be (1) trainings and seminars, (2) entrepreneurial skills (negosyo to the common pinoy), (3) computer and internet tips, (4) distance learning, (5) survival and travel guides, and (6) some entertainment like plays and movies showing around.

Saturday, January 20, 2007

New undertaking

Today, I start a new endeavor. I do this with a very clear goal in mind, something that I would rather keep to myself for now. Everything else is just implementation.