Everytime people think of a car wash, they tend to think of it as an exterior-conveyor wash. These are the washes that put cars on a motorized track and drag them through a tunnel where they are rinsed, soaped up, washed, rinsed again and possibly waxed. The cars then emerge clean (and perhaps even relatively dry) at the other end. But this is only one type of car wash.

Other types of washes include:

• Full-service: This is basically a combination of the exterior conveyor with an inside cleaning (also known as detailing) added in.
• In-bay automatic (also called a rollover): This type of car wash is an automatic wash consisting of a machine that literally “rolls over” a stationary car parked in a washing bay.
• Self-service: Most self-service car washes are coin-operated brush-and-hose combinations that the driver uses to dispense soap, wash the car and rinse it off.

Aside from stereotyping car wash operation, there are also a few common misconceptions most people have about what a typical car wash business involves. Because of these misconceptions, entrepreneurs who wanted to go into car wash business or trying to invest in one are often times disappointed when what they had in mind was not the one that actually transpired.

To correct the wrong impression about the operation of a car wash business, here are some of the common myths:

Myth #1: This Business Is A Cash Cow

Sure, if you drive by your local car wash on a sunny Saturday morning, you’ll see cars waiting in line for a wash. But drive by that same car wash on a rainy Thursday afternoon, and you’ll be lucky if you see one or two cars waiting. You might even see that the shop is closed for the day. Variables such as the time of the week as well as the weather affect how profitable car wash businesses can be on any given day, or for any given week, month or season. Sometimes, people are content to let their cars stay dirty for "one more day." Or, if the season is particularly wet, snowy or some other factor that would make people reluctant to pay good money for a car that’s likely to be filthy again in a few days, months can pass where business is down—sometimes severely so.

Myth #2: This Is A Hands-Off Business

As an outsider, all you see are cars being dragged along a conveyor as a bunch of gizmos and do-dads spray, buff, rinse, wax and even dry them. You might not ever see a human being doing any work at all (though even most automatic conveyor washes do employ at least a few workers to complete the drying process by hand). In truth though, this is not a business that you can put on autopilot. For one thing, those gizmos and do-dads can and will break down. And, depending on the type of equipment you buy, they might break down much more than you think.

Cars emerge from those washing tunnels not clean enough to satisfy some customers or with a scratch that you didn't cause but that the customer blames you for anyway. Employees sometimes will not treat customers the way they should be treated, especially if you haven't trained them well.

Shipments of supplies will be late, and someone (usually you) will have to be there to deal with it. After all, it's pretty much impossible to wash a car with no soap. The bottom line is that you'll be spending a lot of time at your car wash—at least until you learn the business well enough to be able to hire a professional manager who can take over when you’re not there.

Myth #3: You Won't Have Employees To Worry About

This might actually be true for certain types of car washes (most likely self-service and, to a lesser extent, in-bay automatic washes), but for a full-service or exterior-conveyor wash, you're going to have to hire employees and inherit the headaches and responsibilities that go along with them. In fact, aside from the initial investment in equipment and commercial space, employees will probably be one of the biggest costs you incur while running your business.

Myth #4: You're In Total Control

Well, you are your own boss, that's for sure. But until someone figures out how to control factors like the weather, you're still going to have to answer to a higher authority. No matter how much time you put into your business, there are still going to be things that go wrong—things you just can’t control.

Even if you're a mechanical whiz, some of your equipment is going to break down. And if it happens at a peak washing time, like that glorious sunny Saturday morning we keep talking about, you're going to watch a lot of potential profit go down the drain.

You will have to suffer through days or maybe even weeks at a time (depending on where your business is located) when the weather is so bad that the furthest thing on anyone's mind is getting a car wash. And unfortunately, the bank won’t care about the lousy weather when your loan payment comes due.

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One of the foremost ranches here in the Philippines is trying to offer a business opportunity for those who have idle and stagnant lands lying around and they are not sure how to deal with it.

Given the current market conditions, the King Ranch sees the potential of the Brahman enterprise in the country and takes interest in providing possible opportunities for others. In this regard, the King Ranch has prepared three (3) investment packages for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), retirees and aspiring cattle raisers who have invested in vacant lots in their provinces.

King Ranch would like to urge owners of these vacant lots to use their areas as a cattle farm that provides steady income, popularize the Brahmans and to further improve the overall cattle industry in the country.

The different packages are budget-friendly and light on the pockets for anybody who wants to live partly as local cowboys in their own wild west. The following packages may be easily and conveniently paid in two years, and only requires 25 percent down payment:

• Package A costs PhP 280,000 (DP PhP 70,000) (PhP 8,750/month), which includes one male and three females;
• Package B costs PhP 420,000 (DP PhP 105,000) (PhP 13,125/month) which includes one male and five females;
• Package C costs, PhP 770,000 (DP PhP 192,500) (PhP 24,062.50/month) that includes one male and ten females.

The King Ranch lies in the heart of Rosario, Batangas. It is a 24-hectare farm that is well-known for its breeding of American Brahman (bos primigenius indicus). In the 24-hectare farm, there are about 250 Brahmans that are contained in an animal pen allotment space of 500-square meters and are free to roam around a five-hectare grazing area. Their daily food supplements are harvested in the area to ensure the quality of crops. They have five (5) 1/2 hectares of space allotted for a corn plantation. They also have a nine-hectare forage plantation.

The King Ranch takes pride in being one of a few cattle breeders in the country. The owner King Carlos highly encourages more long-time breeders in the country since they are able to produce a bigger herd resulting in bigger gains, in contrast with the majority of the cattle farms in the Philippines that breed cattle to be immediately fattened and then slaughtered.

Along with the investment package, the King Ranch will provide the basic information (i.e., supplier of vaccines, medicines, and equipments) as well as free training/consultation that the investor needs. King Farm assures that the investors will be well-equipped in starting and, in the long-run, handling the enterprise.

The investors will be given the choice of what initials to be branded on their chosen cattle. The brand will serve as cattle identification for the investors’ reference. The management will take care of the animals until they are two years old. These include feeding, maintenance, medication, and vaccines. After two years, feed charges will apply for every succeeding day when the investor intends to prolong the stay of their stock in the farms’ premises.

Based on the farm’s experience, the King Farm has computed as annual return on investment (ROI) of 71 percent if confined and up to 79 percent if grazing.

At the beginning of the payment term, the investor has the opportunity for profit, unlike other investments that only earn profit after full-payment or after several years.

There are many income-generating opportunities in the enterprise which include stud services where the investor may earn at least PhP 800 – PhP 1,000 per successful stud. Depending on location, stud service of at least four times a week, will give a profit of at least PhP 4,000 a week or PhP 16,000 a month.

The investor may also opt to sell a male calf (eight months old) for PhP 35,000, while keeping the female calf to use as a breeder for a future larger herd. The heifer, or the female Brahman, may mate with a sire as early as 18 months, and should give birth to one calf per year given the natural circumstances provided with good nutrition and proper animal handling. Brahmans are known to be good mothers as they offer an abundance of milk, resulting in healthier and heavier calves.

The advantage of the Brahman is that they are not susceptible or prone to fatal diseases. In seven years of farm experience, the King Ranch has never recorded a full-grown or mature cattle that died of a disease since Brahman cattle are known for their strong immune system.

The Brahman also has the advantage of size and weight as compared to the native/upgraded breed. The weight of the native breed ranges from 300 to 350 kilos, while the Brahman may reach up to 750 kilos to 850 kilos. With this advantage, the old-aged cattle may be sold for slaughter at almost double than what you get from the native/upgraded breed. It has defeated the native brand, not only in quality, but also in quantity.

The best part is that Brahmans are low in maintenance requirement. Like the native breed, Brahmans only need forage (i.e., grass, hay) and protein source that will depend on the resource availability in the area. Ideally, the Brahman food requirements will cost around PhP 15 to PhP 20 (per head, per day) in a confined system, while only PhP 5 is needed (per head, per day) in the grazing system. As for space requirements, confined system only requires five square meters per head, while the grazing system requires one hectare of improved pasture for every three heads.

In terms of life expectancy, Brahman cattle may reach up to the age of 15 years, which is a relatively higher life span than other breeds. Furthermore Brahman heifers remain capable of producing offspring even after a decade and this is a big benefit for the breeder.

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This post brought to you by Contest Factory. All opinions are 100% mine.

Despite the hardships and challenges that we faced this year, this blog still wants to extend a festive holidays greetings to all bloggers and web surfers by inviting everyone to check out the 'Pimp My Cube Contest' by Contest Factory.

The objective of the contest is to look for the worst, most pathetic and messy cubicle or office out there. Its negative energy could have been brought about by having bad furniture, old technology, messy set-up, unorganized surroundings, among others.

Contest organizers want those who are interested to join to just upload a video showing their cube/office/workspace while they explain the details about why it is horrible and why it is so important that Contest Factory come in and 'Pimp' their cube.

Once the video is entered, contestants will have to invite their friends, family and coworkers to vote for your video. It's important that many people view the video and post their reaction because this will entitle the contestant entry points.

The grand prize is not something to be ignored. After Contest Factor selected the winning video based on various criteria including for the most votes, best (really worst) video and most compelling story, they will be giving out approximately US$ 1,200 to the winner.

The prize includes an oportunity to get the office/workspace/cube upgraded with the one of three prize packages:

• New high end computer system
• New Desk, Chair and Decorations
• New Entertainment Package with high end stereo, espresso machine etc.

What are you waiting for? Visit the 'Pimp My Cube Contest' site now register and upload those amazing videos to enter in the contest. Once your entry is approved, call out and encourage your friends and family to vote for your video to enhance your chances of winning.

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Blogging serves many purpose. For some, it was an opportunity to vent out what they feel through writing and sharing their thoughts. Others only wanted to lighten the mood using their sense of humour, while many blog to earn money. For me, it was a combination of my thoughts and feelings, promote healing in whatever form and whenever there is a need for one and at the same time try to earn what I can using honest means.

Whatever the reason or reasons are, bloggers try to mentally prepare beforehand what they will encounter in the process of writing. However, nothing could have prepared me for something as grim as what happened in Iligan City and Cagayan de Oro City on the night of 16 December and the early morning hours of 17 December.

Tropical storm "Sendong" (international name Washi), now known as 2011’s deadliest storm, struck Northern Mindanao and killed more than 900 people and a couple of hundred more missing. The smell of death is all over the place that the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said they have lost count of the number of people who have gone missing following the flashfloods spawned by the storm.

Blogging was supposed to help bloggers deal with emotional challenges that come up while working through whatever life brings, but how can you do that when you know that there are people who are in a worse situation than you who may not be able to live long to find out what living is really all about.

Blogging was supposed to provide bloggers with an opportunity to record and keep track of how they feel. However, what you feel cannot be easily put into words as your mind keeps on rewinding the images of dead children drenched in flood water lying in the once paved streets while those that survived stared back blankly probably waiting for hope to take them away from death’s embrace.

Blogging was supposed to encourage bloggers tο process their emotions аnd thουghtѕ as they write аbουt their experiences. The problem is that those emotions fly faster than floodwaters when uncoordinated efforts opened the floodgates of frustrations and utter helplessness. Bloggers can do more than just narrating what happened to the world, but they can only do so much.

Blogging οftеn involves reviewing a situation аnd discussing possible options. Whatever the blog is all аbουt, you can take a closer look at what is happening on the ground than you normally would and see the problem clearly developing in front of your eyes. However, it seems that those who hold the power of the purse takes too long to respond and have not mobilize the public to counter the problem in Iligan City and Cagayan de Oro City head on. It is there in front of us, so why wait?

Lеt us all face it: the more a blogger blogs, the better they become as a writer. Writing a blog саn hеlр уου reconnect. If a blogger looks fοr аn audience, nеw internet friends, οr јυѕt thе possibility οf getting feedback about their own articles, blogging саn provide all these healing elements. But why is it that the more you write about the victims of the flashfloods and what they are going through right now, the more you feel that you are 'free-floating' or unattached to anyone and anything?

Blogging frees bloggers. Being honest and telling truth about how you feel is always a liberating experience. Throughout life, many of us have learned or were taught to keep our emotions under wraps. With blogging, many of those feelings are out there somewhere. But how did these things help the surviving families of those who died on 16-17 December 2011? Did it touch their lives?

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The bleak economic climate and the demands of the coming Holiday season mean that charities are struggling as never before to raise funds and meet the demand for their services. However, for the victims of tropical storm 'Washi' also known locally as 'Sendong', every centavo raised and sent to Southern Mindanao will go far in helping change their lives. All generous support (i.e. donation, volunteers, prayers) is even more pressing now.

On the early morning of 17 December 2011, the typhoon unleashed mammoth floods across vast areas that left 440 people dead and nearly 200 missing. Cagayan de Oro city reported 215 dead, and nearby Iligan city lost 144 residents. Iligan mayor Lawrence Cruz described rampaging floodwaters from swollen rivers that swamped up to a quarter of the land area of the city of 100,000.

Among those that needs critical and immediate care at this time are the children. Aid worker Crislyn Felisilda informed the media that there is a need to care of the children who had became separated from their families or lost their parents. "Many children are looking for their loved ones... (and children were) crying and staring into space."

A photo by Cherryl Vergeire for AFP above shows two women hold their children killed during the passage of tropical storm at a village in Iligan City.

Rosal Agacac, a 40-year-old mother, was begging authorities to help find her two children after their shanty was swept to the sea. "Please President Noynoy, help me," she cried, holding a candle at a spot where their house stood before the floods, referring to President Benigno Aquino.

Everyone are encouraged not to wait for the situation to get worse. Based on previous flood in the Philippines, the suffering is just beginning. Diseases could soon set in if not enough effort is made to secure potable water and healthy food.

It is time to give the victims a a renewed hope in humanity this Christmas.

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This post brought to you by Parker Pens. All opinions are 100% mine.

Christmas time is very near now and while you’re trying to scramble for the most appropriate gifts to give to your love ones, you may want to consider giving out Parker pens. Why? Because if you want to express your appreciation for the blessings that were given to you this year, there's nothing better to show it than by giving a quality pen created without compromise.

Through the years, Parker pens were designed to capture the style of the times, using the finest materials available and the blend of established and ultra-modern techniques. Hence, every model you see through represents the commitment to style while pushing the boundary of art a little further each year.

Years of innovation and extensive research has led to several technical breakthrough such as the Parker 5^th Technology, which was exclusively infused to the Parker Ingenuity collection. Combined with consumer’s taste and preference, all 6 kinds of 5^th Technology pens were further imbued with unparalleled elegance to make it possible to combine the current writing modes – the beauty of a fountain pen, the smooth writing experience of a rollerball and the ease of a ball point.

The Parker Ingenuity Collection is the ultimate accessory for people who go their own way to achieve what they were set to do, but it sleek style. The design blends well for business meetings and high-performance presentation during these times when company executives always demand instant results. Where output is everything and quality is key, the Parker Ingenuity Collection provides the modern pen for modern life.

To find out more about this new engineering marvel at your finger tips, check out Parker's social networking page at Parker on Facebook. Parker has also started to give away prizes such as pens exclusively designed to perform that are valued up to US$ 200.00. Just stay tune and look out for further updates on 2 upcoming Parker Pen Twitter parties to find out how to join. If these are not enough to make you get you own new generation pens the redefines writing, then post your suggestion below in our comments page.

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Jonald's Home and Office Furnishings Enterprises started its business by producing made-to-order sala sets, dining sets, and other furnishings. It was through Pagayaya 1999, a Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-organized regional trade fair, that the company was able to widen its business options.

Taking note of the business opportunities that the trade fair brought, the company subsequently joined the NTF 2000 and two other DTI-organized trade fairs. It also ventured into the international market through the Fiera Del Levanle, an international trade fair in Italy in September 2001.

Doors to opportunities continued to open and the company's participation in trade fairs enabled it to appreciate the bigger market opportunities outside the province. Armed with DTI's assistance in product development, skills enhancement and network linkages with government agencies, the company knew that it had the potential to address the market's needs.

The company's trade fair exposures both in the local and international markets have contributed to the growth of the business. From an asset size of PhP 2 million (US$ 36,000) in 2002, the firm has grown into a PhP 5 million (US$ 91,000) enterprise four years years later. Sales have doubled from PhP 2.2 million (US$ 40,000) in 2002 to PhP 4.5 million (US$ 82,000) in 2006. It plans to join other international trade fairs, particularly in Canada and Italy, to promote not only its products but the region's as well.

The company has also committed itself to taking the lead in the establishment of a Provincial Trade House in Manila to promote Isabela's indigenous products, thus providing better access to export traders and foreign buyers.

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Many cassava farmers in the Philippines seem to be complaining about the low demand and price of their products, which is one of the reasons why many believed there is a declining stock of food and cash crops in the country. These farmers are also of the opinion that there are not enough buyers for cassava tubers, even if they produce the crop in large quantity.

However, unknown to these farmers, San Miguel Foods, Inc. (SMFI) FEEDS Agribusiness Development and Operations Group is developing a sustainable sourcing program of its agri-based raw materials requirements which for now calls for the mobilization of at least one (1) million hectares of farm lands in the Philippines.

SMC is showing its commitment to help develop the countryside by providing livelihood opportunities in rural communities with the introduction of alternative crops and the improvement of farm technologies and income. They are interested in developing partnerships for the domestic production of cassava, sorghum, sweet potato and other crops for our feed mill facilities nationwide.

For their flagship cassava program, SMFI Agribusiness provides:

• Guaranteed market with a marketing agreement according to mutually agreed product quality, volume and delivery schedule;


• Guaranteed floor price;


• Start-up technical assistance in production, post-harvest and logistic operations.

SMFI Agribusiness is looking for assemblers/consolidators with the following characteristics:

• Persons who are already into or willing to go into large-scale cassava production;


• Can provide technical and financial assistance to their farmer proponents;


• Has post-harvest facility and preferably with access to logistics services;


• Can consolidate volumes from farmers and ensure delivery to SMFI.

An assembler can be an individual entrepreneur, a corporation or farmers’ cooperative that has the capacity to consolidate at least 20 hectares for cassava production.

Guidelines for SMFI Cassava Contract Growing

Preliminary Requirements

• Letter of Intent to join the program;


• Photocopy of Certificate of Ownership/Lease of Authority from DAR/DENR or other concerned government agencies (TCT/CLOA/CFSA/Lease Agreement) ;


• Photocopy of Certificate of Security and Exchange Commission Registration/CDA or DTI Registration/Board Resolution (authority to negotiate) for corporations and cooperatives;


• Property vicinity map;


• Suitability of site (subject to inspection by an SMC representative)
  
  
  • Topography;
  
  
  • Soil Classification;
  
  
  • Farm to Market road accessibility;
  
  
  • Effective arable area

Requirements per Contract

• Memorandum of Agreement (MOA)
  
  
  • Effective arable area of at least 20 hectares;
  
  
  • Area Development Plan for three (3) years

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There are a couple if unique things that travellers will definitely notice first when they visit the Philippines. While traveling from the airport to the hotel, foreigners will take note of the myriad of colourful Jeepneys, smoke-belching tricycles and fully-stocked sari-sari stores.

Among the three, sari-sari stores are the most attractive venue because it is a place where people can meet and discuss the latest local news. Youths also use the place to hang out, while children look at it as a convenient source of sodas and snacks.

In essence, sari-sari stores are an existing infrastructure in every locality that are run by nanays or mothers that only needs to be networked and given a slight makeover to deliver goods in a more efficient manner and at cheaper price points to the bottom of the pyramid (BoP) or poor communities. With almost 700,000 stores in the country, sari-sari stores make up 30-40 percent of the total retail sales.

Because of their location and importance to everyday Filipino lives, sari-sari stores are considered as the primary strategic point of intervention for the Hapinoy Store Program.

In 2007, MicroVentures Incorporated launched the Hapinoy with microfinance borrowers in mind. Upon realizing that 15 to 20 percent of microfinance borrowers use the capital to put up stores or expand their inventory, Hapinoy first focused on aggregating all these sari-sari store owners for bulk product discounts.

Today, Hapinoy Sari-Sari Store Program has evolved into a full-service micro entrepreneur enhancement program: a network of micro, small, medium and large enterprises where Hapinoy Community Stores and sari-sari stores serve as the hubs for goods and services that are coursed through the program and offered to its Base of the Pyramid target.

The Hapinoy Store Program starts with the infusion of capital (through the resources of the microfinance institution program partner) to and conversion of an existing sari-sari store in a specific town to a Lead Store or in Hapinoy terms, a Community Store. The Community Store is set-up to be able to service 100 to 120 smaller stores on average. The Community Store in addition becomes the point of entry of the primary benefits of the program:

Cheaper access to goods. The Hapinoy Store Program is able to maximize lower acquisition costs since it operates as an aggregate account in terms of supply.

Training. The training program aims to cover both personal growth and business training.

Support. The program's field operations team - called the Store Doctors - help diagnose and customize each store's Path to Prosperity.

Hapinoy is now incorporating the following into the Store Program:

The Kahanapbuhay Program: Filipino for livelihood, the Kahanapbuhay Program will focus on helping local micro producers brand and package their goods and sell them through the network of Hapinoy Community Stores.

The Hapinoy Plus Model: Value added goods such as generic medicines and services such as HapiPrints, a photo printing service based in Hapinoy Community Stores will be added to the regular operations of the Store. These new value added goods and services aim to increase traffic to and the profit margin of the Community Stores.

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Are you an Abraham Lincoln, a Napoleon Bonaparte, a Cleopatra or a Jose Rizal to your employees? These are some of the questions that you will find when you click the widely advertise online program of Globe Business entitled, "Globe Business Leader Quiz". This is an online test to help entrepreneurs identify what kind of leader they are — and give suggestions on how to harness their unique qualities to run their business even better.

By just logging on to http://business.globe.com.ph/leader and answering the seven-item quiz, business owners could identify their leadership style.

The online test will try to find out if the respondent is authoritarian, intolerant of incompetence, an intimidating or inspirational leader.

"There are no right or wrong answers to Globe Business Leader Quiz. The results merely show what particular qualities a business leader has. There are, of course, pros and cons to these qualities when running a business," said Manny Aligada, head of corporate and SME segments of Globe Business.

"The quiz results then suggest how the business leader should tone down certain qualities and nurture others in order to maximize his leadership abilities. Best of all, it's a fun and entertaining way to learn," he said.

Aligada added that Globe Business offers a range of customized products and services that may be mixed and matched to suit a specific leadership style.

"Globe Business products and services are flexible and comprehensive enough to allow customization — they may be tailored to be the right fit not only to the needs, requirements and budget of a particular business, but also to fit the preferred leadership style of the entrepreneur," he said.

"For example, an entrepreneur who functions best when mobile and conducting business away from the office might feel cranky when boxed inside office premises. He or she may best benefit from running the office through a mobile phone, online video conferencing, chat or e-mail," he said.

Before the respondents can get a clear shot at the results of the quiz, an entertaining video is shown to illustrate in a fun way the various types of leaders and how Globe Business can work for them.

Globe Business offers services that are designed to help large enterprises and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) operate more efficiently so business owners would have time to pursue their other passions in life.

Globe Business solutions help simplify business operations, manage communication costs, and serve clients efficiently. If entrepreneurs are able to run their business smoothly, then they would enjoy more things in life and be the leader they have always wanted to be.

The online quiz also features business solutions that Globe Business offers. Business Plus allows entrepreneurs save up to 50 percent on texts and 30 percent on calls. Companies can also control their communication expenditure with AutoloadMAX Corporate Edition, which helps manage employees’ prepaid cellphone accounts.

Sending e-mails and performing daily Internet requirements could be fuss-free as well with Globe Business’ reliable DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) Internet.

The Globe Business Leader Quiz also gives respondents the chance to win BlackBerry Bold 9900 or a prepaid phone kit. All they have to do is register and follow the promo mechanics.

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