Earning thru Lazada's Affiliate Program

I'm a regular customer of Lazada - I have tried buying small home appliances, office equipment, beauty products and gizmos especially when they are on sale. They have a diverse selection of products and I noticed that more and more known brands have already partnered with them. Shopping is hassle-free and truly effortless, plus they offer convenient payment options and free shipping for most of the items. I usually choose cash on delivery (COD). For items which ship from abroad, COD is not available, so you'd you have to pay via credit card and other available payment options.

Since I have a blog which I plan to revive, I applied for Lazada's Affiliate Program yesterday. Then I received an email confirmation this morning stating that my application has been successful! Yey! I will go through the tutorials and will make an update in a few days :)

How to Start a Glass Recycling Business

Glass never wears out -- it can be recycled over and over again. Most bottles and jars contain at least 25% recycled glass. This article will show you how to start a glass recycling business.

For every business there is always the planning stage. Know the business fully well. Invest in trainings, buy books, and talk to people who know this industry better than you. Know your options and most especially do you have enough funds for this kind of business. If you think that you do then I don’t think that you can not succeed in this kind of business venture. There is a saying that there is money from wastes. This is so true. Empty glass or jars are categorized as trash and recycling glass is one profitable business venture you may to try to invest in. You can start by recycling glass bottles or jars.

Glass bottles are classified as non biodegradable so it will stay in its present condition for millions of years in the landfills. Instead of throwing them where it will just take so much space in our mother earth why not start a business that collects, clean and resell the glass bottles or jars. You can offer the cleansed recycle bottles to those who are making home made jams or you can also search the web for possible customers who are interested in purchasing recycled glass.

You may also consider doing glass aggregates. This is made from recycled glass. You need to invest in machines that produce glass aggregates. There are machines that can fit in to your empty space at home such as your garage or you may also want to invest in a bigger machine but you will enough space for this. Glass aggregates are being used in the making of concrete pavers, terrazzo floorings, tiles for countertops and the likes. This is a lucrative business as this is the latest in the construction industry nowadays. It also used in landscaping, for aquariums and fire pits. Indeed there is a big demand for recycled glass.

You may also want to branch out in making stained glasses out of recycled glass. Stained glass windows look very attractive. There are also several crafts that you can make out of stained glass like picture frames. Materials that you will need in making any crafts out of the recycled glass are glass cutter, emery paper, glass grinder, pliers, and paints. There are several other businesses you can come up with once you are well versed in the glass recycling business. For the meantime focused on just one and try to master it before jumping into another one.

Glass Facts:

• Over a ton of resources is saved for every ton of glass recycled -- 1,330 pounds of sand, 433 pounds of soda ash, 433 pounds of limestone, and 151 pounds of feldspar.
• Producing a ton of glass from 100% raw materials creates 384 pounds of mining waste. Using 50% recycled glass cuts this waste by about 75%.
• Recycling glass reduces air pollution by 14-20% and saves 25-32% more energy than making glass from virgin raw materials.
• Recycling one glass bottle saves enough electricity to light a 100-watt bulb for four hours.
• Glass containers were recycled at a rate of 38% in 1996.

source: http://www.startupbizhub.com; http://www.lehighcounty.org; photo http://www.hardrainproject.com

5 traits of a successful lifestyle-product exporter

Filipino design has received acclaim and accolade all over the world. Each year more local designers and entrepreneurs are looking at the export market. But what does it take for a neophyte in the home and fashion lifestyle export sector to make it big?

Rosvi C. Gaetos, executive director of the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions, shares the secret traits of successful global entrepreneurs.

• Passionate. "Do not lose steam. A lot of new designer entrepreneurs who venture into the export market easily lose hope when they face challenges, a little bump here and they opt to close down. You will only survive if you have the passion to push through for your dreams even when times are rough."

• Creative. "It is a very competitive industry and the competitive edge of Philippine design is the creativity. A lot of successful designers would think out of the box. Creativity plays an important role in the success of the business."

• Innovative. "This industry is all about innovation. Either you innovate or die. You have to have the flexibility to use non traditional materials or non traditional techniques in developing your products."

• Skillful. "Filipino artisanship is recognized worldwide as one of the best. No other country in the Asia-Pacific region can lay claim to that."

• Business-savvy. "At the end of the day, it is still a business that you have to run--do accounting, inventory, and sales. You need to have a business sense in order to succeed. You must know your market and know what it needs or want."
  

source: http://www.entrepreneur.com.ph

How to start a salon business

Almost every mall in Metro Manila is said to have two to eight beauty salons.

According to the 1999 Job Demand Survey of the Levittown Beauty Academy, salon owners receive an average of 174 clients a week. But a chair, a mirror and a pair of scissors are not the only things you’ll need if you want to start a salon business.

Lidwina Morales, owner of Lid Salon in Malate, Manila, invested P500,000 initially on equipment and her parlor’s interior. Janett Pineda, a franchisee of David’s Salon in San Pedro, Laguna, bought the franchise for P2 million and took over the parlor in November 2002.

But you need not spend big bucks right away. Patrick Bishop, author of Money-tree Marketing, says “Don’t overspend. Buy used equipment or rent a space that was a beauty salon previously, but is vacant and includes all the equipment.”

Pick your location well

In a salon business, you must pick your location carefully. One won’t go wrong picking a mall. You'd also want to cater from Class A to C. Spend time looking for a good location and an area that would give you a comfortable size. Consider a place near a restaurant so that it would be convenience for your customers to buy snacks in case they get hungry. It’s also a good idea to pick an area with lots of foot traffic if you think you’ll depend on walk-in clients.

Invest in good equipment

It’s better to buy good used equipment if you can get it. If you prefer new supplies, shops like Hortaleza and Accessories and Beauty Equipment stock everything you are likely to need. It is also important to buy high-quality shampoos and chemicals for nail care, hair treatment and coloring to please your clients. Try to charge reasonable rates, but do not compromise on quality.

Train your staff

Now it’s time to recruit good people for your parlor. Your staff should have the technical expertise especially in hair coloring and styling using international standards as a benchmark. They have to undergo regular training to update them on new products, hairstyles and customer service.

Ricky Reyes Learning Institute offers a three-month cosmetology course that costs P14,900 and includes hair cutting, coloring, perming, styling, make-up, manicure and facial treatment. The Classic School of Cosmetology in Binondo, Manila, offers short courses in hair coloring, blow drying and scalp manipulation, among other things, for P1,500 to P4,000.

Salon franchises take care of personnel training and provide equipment and supplies. They take care of almost everything—even bookkeeping and accounting and the preparation of the payroll. You just wait for your monthly dividend. It’s up to the owner if he wants to visit the parlor once in a while.

It’s important to keep your employees happy to avoid high staff turnover. You may consider giving them salaries apart from commissions. Salon Studio follows a chart system where suppliers reward parlor staff selling their products.

Price your services well

Salon Studio uses celebrities like MTV videodisc jockey Donita Rose and former Binibining Pilipinas-World Daisy Reyes to promote the chain. Reyes Haircutters believes in charging minimal fees for maximum profit. Continuous research is very important to know the latest trends. Think how can you innovate.

According to Les Reyes, founder of the Reyes Haircutters chain of beauty salons, there are a few things you must know about the business before investing in it:

• Naming your salon after yourself may not work in the long run. There are icons in the beauty salon business who have successfully built a business around their names. The downside is when they die or grow old, says Les Reyes.

• Find your niche. Your target market will determine your choice of location, pricing, promotion strategies, and brand image. Reyes Haircutters is very clear about its market positioning—it’s a clean, well-designed salon offering quality services to the masses, and it doesn’t compete directly with Ricky Reyes and David’s.

• Conduct your promotions during lean hours. Few customers usually come in between nine in the morning and two in the afternoon. To boost business during off-peak hours, Reyes Haircutters offers 40-percent discounts to senior citizens and free haircuts to infants.

• Keep a profile of each customer. Les Reyes plans to develop a card that will carry valuable facts on each customer. If a client’s regular hairdresser is absent when she visits the salon, whoever assists her simply swipes her card on the computer to obtain information on her preferred services, likes and dislikes.

• Assign a person to handle inventory control. Assign accountability for releasing parlor supplies to a stock clerk. He alone should have access to your inventory to make it easier to prevent or control pilferage.

• Measure the amount of chemicals needed for each type of service. Know, for example, the number of haircuts and hot oil treatments you can provide using one bottle of shampoo and moisturizer.

• Be a hands-on manager. How much money you make is a function of the amount of time you spend in the salon. You have to be there because it will greatly affect the sales, the energy and the customer service, among others.

source: http://www.entrepreneur.com.ph; photo from http://www.cruisereviews.com

How to make clothing for dogs

Think "fashion designer," but with the pieces about one-third or one-fourth of an adult's size. You will be sketching outfits, matching material, and coming up with seasonal collections for man's best friend!

Materials:

• Fabric, approximately a yard per outfit
  

• Fabric accessories (beads, buttons, fabric paint, Velcro, etc.)

• Measuring tape

• Patterns

• Sewing supplies (fabric glue, paper, pencil, needle, etc.)

*All available in fabric stores as well as in Divisoria

Procedure:

Step 1. Sketch your desired pattern. You can find ideas on the Internet—check out http://sewing.circleofcrafters.com, http://www.make-and-build-dogstuff. com—and just tweak them into your own!

Step 2. Prepare your fabric. Just be sure the material is comfortable for the dog, durable, and washable. To save money, you can also use old clothes you have around to the house. Shop around for desired accessories and details you want to add to the outfit.

Step 3. Using a measuring tape, get measurements around the neck, across the chest (from inner front left leg to inner front right leg), leg, and inseam measurements. The pattern you selected will determine any other measurements you might need.

Step 4. For an easy shirt pattern, fold a piece of fabric in half, lengthwise, and lay it on the table. Measure the dog from across the shoulders, and measure half of that number onto the top edge of the fabric and draw a line. Be sure it curves, as this part of the shirt will go around the neck.

Step 5. Measure from the side neck area to the top front leg area and draw the measurement onto the fabric.

Step 6. Measure from the nape to the mid-back area, adding a couple of inches for hemming, and draw this measurement down the fold part of the fabric.

Step 7. Measure around the dog’s waist, and draw half of that measurement onto the fabric.

Step 8. Then, measure from the midback area to just under the front leg and draw this measurement onto the fabric.

Step 9. Finally, measure around the top portion of the dog’s front leg.

Step 10. Cut the shirt pieces, and sew the garment together—attach the front and back shoulder area, hem the neckline, sew the opposite shoulder pieces together, hem both armhole openings, sew one side seam, hem the bottom, then sew the other side seam. The shirt is now complete!

source: http://www.entrepreneur.com.ph; photo from http://www.mypetswardrobe.com.au

How to make candy bouquets

Candy bouquets are a new take on the candies and flowers we normally give as gifts or tokens to friends and loved ones. And it can be a good sideline business, too, especially on Valentine's Day, Mother's Day and other occasions.

Candy bouquets are also hot items for sale in online stores, so check out the Web to earn dollars from retail websites selling padala items.

Jhoanna Gan-So, president and head of research and design at Businessmaker Academy, says candy bouquet making is a good complement business to gift basket making, selling baked goodies and sweets, and doing balloon arrangements.

MATERIALS AND APPROXIMATE PRICES:

• a pair of scissors
• measuring tape
  
• mini glue gun
• 1 mini glue stick (P2.46)
• 7 pieces of chocolates (preferably the Ferrero Rocher brand) (P14.67 each)
• 7 balloon sticks and caps (P2.75 each set)
• 1 flower accent (P10 each)
• 7 flowerets (P3 for a bunch of 5)
  
• curling ribbon (11/3-yard long)
• 0.65 yard ribbons (one-inch wide) (P10.50 per yard)
  
• a bow (P11.75)
• floral tape (3.5-yard long, size 12mm x 33m) (P40 per 33-meter roll)
  
• 2 sheets of non-woven wrapper (P16.50 per sheet, which can make 22 pieces)
• scotch tape (18mm x 25m) (P7 per roll)

PROCEDURE:

Step 1: Cut the balloon stick in two. Glue one end of the stick to a balloon cap.

Step 2: Wrap the balloon stick with floral tape to make it look like a real stem. Stretch the floral tape as you cover the length of the stick to make its adhesive hold more firmly.

Step 3: Glue the tin-wrapped chocolate to its paper wrapper and then to the balloon cap.

Step 4: Cut the non-woven wrapper into 8 cm by 18 cm pieces. Wrap this piece like a cone around the balloon cap. Secure it to the balloon stick with a 17- cm curling ribbon. Curl the ribbon's ends.

Step 5: Glue a floweret between the ribbon curls. Follow the same steps for the number of chocolate flowers you'd like in the bouquet.

Step 6: To make a bouquet, gather several candy flowers and tape the sticks together tightly, forming it into a pyramid.

Step 7: Wrap the candy flowers in two layers of non-woven wrappers to create pleats.

Step 8: Tie an inch-wide ribbon around the bouquet to secure it. Attach a bow over the ribbon.

Step 9: For a fancier bunch, add artificial flowers at the lower portion of the bouquet.

To compute its selling price, simply add to the production cost a 150-percent mark-up for a per-stick sale, and 40 percent to 75 percent mark-up if sold per bunch. Hence, a candy flower costs P21.97 to make and can be sold for P55. A bunch of seven candy flowers costs P207.40 to make and can be sold for P300 to P350.

TIPS to improve your bouquet-making skills:

• Experiment with different styles of candy bouquets, using various candies like lollipops.
• Re-use flower accents, flowerets, bows, and ribbons from old stocks.
• Take photos of your creations and use these in replicating designs or in presenting to clients.
• Browse the Web for sites and companies where you can market your product.
• Buy materials in bulk at Divisoria or Quiapo where these are cheaper.

Contact details:
Businessmaker Academy
Telephones: (02) 687-4445, (02) 687-4645, (02) 687-3416
Website: www.businessmaker-academy.com

source: http://www.entrepreneur.com.ph

How to Start a Bakery

If you love to bake, have at least P250,000 in capital, know a good location, and are looking to start a business with a steady and growing customer base, then you should consider setting up a bakery.
By Prime Sarmiento

Although bread is only the second staple food for Filipinos, bakeries can be found everywhere in the country – from the neighborhood panaderia where you get your morning pandesal to popular bakeshops in malls selling pastries and cakes of every ingredient and recipe. The Trade and Industry department reports that there are 30,000 bakeshops in the Philippines.

Given this number, you might think it’s foolish to go into this business as the market seems to be heaving with loaves and rolls. But master baker Ric Pinca, executive director of the Philippine Association of Flour Millers (PAFMIL) says “there’s dough in the bakery business.” “The bread market in the Philippines is under-utilized,” pointing out that a Filipino consumes only 1.75 piece of bread everyday. Singaporeans and Malaysians eat double this number – up to three pieces of bread per day.

The growing population and a slow yet steady economic growth are boosting the market for bakeries, according to Pinca. Combine this with the fact that you can sell bread and other baked goodies at a markup of 45 to 50 percent and you can see why owning bakeshop is a viable business.

But while profitable, putting up a bakeshop is no piece of cake. You need to invest a substantial amount of time, money, and energy to make it in this highly competitive industry.

The first thing you should do is to learn how to bake if you don’t know it yet. Rolando Dorado, lecturer at the Asian Baking Institute, says developing a winning recipe is one of the key factors behind a successful bakeshop. You can’t stay in this business unless you can offer a variety of bread products.

“You have to sell cakes, cookies, tasty bread. Kasi ang iba sasabihin, anong klaseng bakery ito, iisa lang ang produkto?” says Dorado. Not only that, you have to constantly change your product offering to keep up with the customers’ changing preferences. And unless you know how to bake, you won’t be able to keep up.

It also means that as an entrepreneur, you can't just rely on your workers to sustain your business. “You must know how to bake your breads even without your baker’s help. Your operation must not be paralyzed if your baker does not show up,” says Nini Reyes, owner of Pan De Anna, a modest neighborhood bakery in Pateros.

Prior to setting up Pan De Anna last year, Reyes didn’t have a clue about baking. But she was looking for a business opportunity to supplement the family income, and she decided to place her bet on a bakery because there was none in their neighborhood. Reyes studied baking at the Technology and Livelihood Resource Center and surfed the Internet to supplement her new-found knowledge.

Unlike Reyes, Aggy Villabona, co-owner of the 17-year-old Aggy’s Cakes & Sweets, grew up having a mother and an aunt who loved to bake and who served as her teachers. Aggy attended a number of seminars to hone her baking skills, and this was not to put up a business as much as to impress her husband Meo, who was then her boyfriend.

Aggy experimented with various recipes, guided in large part by her mother and aunt. Later, she and cousin Audrey put up a home-based bakeshop called Aggy and Aud’s Home Baked Goodies. They stamped their boxes and sold their cakes and pastries to friends and neighbors.

Their baked goodies were so well received that Aggy was getting orders on her honeymoon night. Aggy would continue the business with Meo as her partner and together they were able to lure corporate clients who bought their baked goodies for giveaways. In 1989, Meo and Aggy borrowed P160,000 from their parents to finance their first store in BF Homes, Parañaque.

Since then, the couple had grown the business to three stores. Aggy and Meo put up their second store at the United Parañaque Subdivision in 2004, and their third in Makati a year later. From the six people they hired to man their first store, the Villabonas now count 30 people in their employ.

Dorado says you can start looking for a good location once you’re done formulating your recipes. Once you have several choices, you should visit each one several times to know the area’s foot traffic and who your customers would be. Your customers’ demographics (their income and age group) and their preferences will determine your product line.

But first, don’t forget to file the necessary business papers. You need to register your business name with the DTI and secure a barangay clearance, a certification from the Bureau of Food and Drugs, and cash register, mayor’s, and sanitary permits. You also need to have your receipts registered with the Bureau of Internal Revenue.

You should set aside at least P250,000 to buy the necessary equipment, including a commercial oven, mixer, stainless table, and molder, and ingredients enough to make your initial product batch. If you’re short in cash, you can buy used equipment, but this isn’t a good option. “It’s better to buy new equipment because you don’t know the quirks of the (used equipment). You might end up wasting time (and money) on repairs,” Meo says.

You also need to hire workers because this business is time consuming. “You prepare the dough in the evening, then you sell your pan de sal early the next morning. After that, you look how much pan de sal you sold that morning. Then you start preparing the dough again to be used for other products like monay, ensaymada and cookies. Yun naman ang ibebenta mo para sa merienda. Sa gabi, mag-uumpisa ka na naman,” Pinca says. When she was starting her business, Reyes says she did everything by herself. But after two months, Reyes had to hire a baker, a helper and a front liner so she could take care of her children.

The best marketing strategy in this business is word-of-mouth – which will only happen if your products taste good. Dorado says you could recoup your investment in two to three years, although Aggy and Meo were able to break even in a year’s time due to loyal clients who spread the word.


BAKERY SETUP 101

Do you think managing a bakery can be your bread and butter? Here are a few tips to make it a hot business for you:

• Keep it sweet. Filipinos have a sweet tooth, and Ric Pinca of the Philippine Association of Flour Millers suggests that if you're planning to set up a bakery, make sure that you prepare sweet and soft breads. This is why cakes and donuts are popular in the Philippines.
  

• The secret is in the recipe. It's not enough that you know how to bake; you must also come up with your own formulation and keep it a secret, says Rolando Dorado of the Asian Baking Institute. Otherwise, one of your bakers might steal your recipe and use it to set up his own bakeshop. Having your own formula also means you'll always come up with good products no matter what. Bakeshops that close down are the ones that depend on their experienced bakers. When the bakers leave, the taste of the product changes, the business loses its regular customers, and later, the bakery closes down.
  

• Look for a good location. The best place to set up is where there's a lot of foot traffic. Pinca says it's good to set up a store near a school, a commercial building, and at bus terminals. A good location doesn't only ensure that your bakeshop will be profitable, but you could also easily sell the business when you're tired of running it. "What will make your business saleable is your good location. In fact, people might wonder why you're selling your shop when you're in a good location," Pinca says.
  

• Keep on learning. Consumer trends are always changing, so bakeries have to constantly adapt and innovate. "You don't stop learning in this business. You have to keep studying to stay on top," says Aggy Villabona of Aggy's Cakes & Sweets. Both Aggy and Meo take seminars regularly--from baking to food styling to designing packages--to keep abreast of new developments in the business. They also read a lot of books and magazines.

WHERE TO TRAIN:

Technology and Livelihood Research Center
Telephone: (02) 727-6205 local 208 or 209

Asian Baking Institute
Telephones: (02) 525-0390; (02) 818-4610

CONTACT DETAILS:

PAN DE ANNA
29 P. Rosales Street, Pateros

AGGY'S CAKES & SWEETS
44F Aguirre Ave., BF Homes, Paranaque Telephone: (02) 807-6674

PHILIPPINE ASSOCIATION OF FLOUR MILLERS
Telephones: (02) 811-4366; (02) 811-4387
Faxes: (02) 810-9462; (02) 811-4033
E-mail: pafmil@mail.com.ph

Source:

http://www.entrepreneur.com.ph; photo from http://bakery-display-case.com/

How to make beaded slippers

Wearing slippers (tsinelas) as a fashion statement began just a few years ago, but thanks to its extreme comfort and versatility, this trend is here to stay. Women treat flip-flops like dressed-up sandals.

Materials needed:

• Long nose pliers, P35 to P120
• Fishing line (30mm thick), P40 for a big roll
• Heavy duty glue gun, P200 to P300,
• Small glue stick, P3 to P5 per piece, (All available at hardware stores)
• Scissors
• Needles
• 1 pair of plain rubber slippers or flip-flops, P25 at wholesale price (available at department stores or Divisoria)
• 1 to 1.5 yards of satin or organza ribbons, P4 to P8 per yard
• Various accessories (i.e. beads, pearls, sequins), P0.05 to P10 per piece. (Both available at fabric stores)

Getting started:

1. Check the flip-flops to make sure there is no damage or defect, and the surface is clean and dry.

2. To provide a strong base on which to secure the accessories, you’ll need to wrap the thong especially on the top middle part where the toes are inserted with a ribbon.
   

3. Keep wrapping the ribbon around the thong, continuously using the glue gun as you go to secure placement. Make sure the ribbon lies flat on the thong, especially on the top middle part where the toes are inserted. Finish on the upper part of the flip-flop, so as not to make the wearer uncomfortable with the bump the glue may form.

4. It’s best to plan how you want the accessories to be placed on the thong. Once you’ve decided, cut about half a yard of the fishing line and thread it through the needle. Sew on the accessories, stitching from the top middle part going downwards, and making sure that the knotted part is on the top of the thong.

5. Survey your work to check that both sides have a balanced design. Then, tie a strong but clean knot on the end for durability.
   

Tips:

When starting out, don’t buy too much of the same accessory. You don’t want to invest all your profit on one item when you only really need a small amount.

Keep a good supply of sturdy needles. The rubber thong material on which you’ll sew the bead is quite hard and thick.

How Much Will You Make

Jaja Beltran of Colors and Me spends about P47.25 to create a pair of child-sized flip-flops, and sells them for P65 – P75 to dealers, and P90 to P100 for outright sales. With these figures, Beltran already recoups her P1,000 starting capital after selling about 20 pairs of flip-flops.

source: http://www.entrepreneur.com.ph; photo: http://www.sulit.com.ph

How to make Perfume

Because people love to smell good, making perfume and cologne can be a profitable home-based business for small start-up entrepreneurs. The steps in making them are easy and the profit margins can be as high. You just need to follow a standard formulation to make quality scents.

To start, you will need the following laboratory equipment:

• 10kg weighing scale or kitchen scale
• plastic cups
• stirring rod
• small beaker and a 1,000 ml beaker
• volumetric flask with cover.

The raw materials for this project are as follows:

• 70g triple deodorized alcohol (TDOH) at about P200 per liter
• 15g fragrance at P500 per 100g
• 5g muscol (MCL) at P400 per 100g
• 5g moisturizer (propylene glycol or PPG) at P250 per liter
• 5g distilled water at P10 per 300 ml.

For packaging, you may use either an atomizer bottle (spray) with a net content of 5 ml (P15 per bottle) or roll-on glass bottles with a net content of 10 ml (P16 per bottle). These are available at the Divisoria Market in Manila.

Procedure:

Step 1:

To start, put all the raw materials-except the alcohol-in small plastic containers or beakers for weighing. The alcohol needs to be weighed last because it easily evaporates when exposed to air. For accuracy, all of the ingredients must be weighed in grams. Getting the exact weight is crucial because If you bungle the measurements, you'll bungle the formulation.

First, weigh the beaker or the plastic cups on the weighing scale. Make sure to adjust the scale to zero before taking your measurements. While on top of the scale, fill the beaker or the plastic cups with the ingredients and weigh.

Step 2:

When the materials are ready, pour the MCL into the beaker containing the alcohol. To make sure that the container of the MCL is thoroughly emptied of the MCL, rinse it with the weighed alcohol, mix the resulting solution with a stirring rod, then add the thoroughly mixed solution to the MCL in the beaker. Stir the contents of the beaker until the MCL is fully dispersed in the alcohol.

Step 3:

Add the PPG to the mixture and stir. Always stir each time you add another ingredient, and make sure to completely disperse the substance before adding another ingredient to the mixture.

Step 4:

Finally, add the distilled water. To completely clean the empty container of the remainder of its contents, rinse it with water and add the resulting solution to the mixture in the beaker.

Step 5:

Thoroughly mix all the ingredients in the beaker until the perfume solution becomes homogeneous, then get your bottles and fill them with the perfume. Label and package your perfumes as desired, based on where you intend to sell them.

This formulation for 100 grams of perfume yields 12 to 13 roll-on bottles.Your fragrances and perfumes must be kept in dry, cool, and dark places because light can adversely affect their chemical properties. As much as possible, use dark-color bottles for storage and packaging.

Each time you need to get some of your raw fragrances, transfer them into smaller bottles. This is to minimize their contact with air, which may adversely interact with them. By using a volumetric flask with cover, you can keep your perfume intact and well-sealed until you are ready to package it.

The perfume can be sold to friends, families and co-workers; you may also use them as giveaways for weddings and other special occasions. If you are marketing the products to teenagers, it's better to put your perfume in spray bottles. If you are targeting office workers, however, putting the perfume in roll-on bottles would be a better option. Avoid using plastic as packaging material; they have dioxins that may mix or interact with your perfume.

source: http://www.entrepreneur.com.ph; Ronald Barangan of Ultima Entrepinoy

How to make icing flowers

For decorating debut and wedding cakes, nothing can beat icing in the form of flowers. And during kiddie parties, who hasn't seen boys and girls quarreling over the four pieces of icing flower from the party cake?

To get started on this project, you need a mixing bowl that can be either plastic or stainless, a flour sifter, a measuring cup, and a pair of scissors. You will also need the other materials listed below, all of which can be bought for around P1,200 from Divisoria in Manila or from the supermarket nearest your place: (prices may not reflect real market conditions)

• 12" pastry bag (P140), with tips 3, 36, 67, 103 or 104 (P35 each tip)
• Medium size rubber scraper (P230)
• No. 7 flower nail (P50/pc)
• Portable mixer (P500)
• Code P-100 plastic ware for packaging (P6.50/pc)
• 12" floral wire (P26/pack of 100 sticks), or magnetic wire #27 (P492/0.5 kg)
• Toothpicks (P9.50 per pack)
• Bond paper (P10/20-sheet pack), or wax paper (P500/5-kg roll)
• 454 g powdered sugar, sifted (P28/box)
• 1 tsp calamansi extract (P0.50)
• 2 pcs egg white (P4/pc)
• 4 colors gel-paste food color (P62/1 oz bottle of primary colors and P75/1 (oz special color)

PROCEDURES

STEP 1. First, separate the egg white from the yolk by cracking it into halves and letting the yolk stay in one shell while the white drips. Set aside the egg white and extract the juice from the calamansi. Then get the sifted powdered sugar, make a well at the center and pour the egg white and calamansi dew onto it. Circularly blend the three ingredients together using a portable mixer that is set to speed no.

The egg white will serve to bond all the three ingredients together, while the calamansi dew will serve as a stabilizer that can hasten the texture of your icing.

STEP 2. When the powdered sugar dissolves, turn the mixer to speed no. 2. Continuously mix until it smoothens. You'll notice that as the mixture smoothens, its shine begins to disappear because the egg white is getting mixed well with the powder. Once the three ingredients are well blended, the mix becomes creamy. Your icing is ready if sharp and pointed edges develop as you mix.

Once you notice those pointed edges, you can now put color to your icing. To do that, get a half-cup of icing using a rubber scraper and put it in a bowl. Cover the remaining icing with a damp cloth and set it aside. Then, apply your desired color to the half-cup of icing by dipping a toothpick in the color container and spread the color. Three dips are usually enough for this amount of icing, but you can reduce or add more color based on your preference.

STEP 3. Mix until the color is evenly distributed throughout the icing. Make sure there's no dull or pale portion left. After that, get the pastry bag, cut its tip using scissors, and insert the tip 67 for leaf making. Then, transfer the colored icing to the pastry bag. You can now color the remaining icing and put them in bowls that are covered with damp cloth.

Lay down a clean sheet of bond or wax paper on the table. To make a leaf, position your tip 67 at a 45-degree angle; the tip should lightly touch the surface of the paper and the wide opening of the tip should lie parallel to the paper. Squeeze out hard the icing to build a base and lift the tip slightly. Continuously squeeze while pulling steadily. Once you achieve the length you want, stop squeezing the pastry bag and lift away from the surface. You'll notice that the tip of the leaf is created as you pull the bag towards you. Do this repeatedly until you have emptied your pastry bag.

STEP 4. Now you can start making full-bloom flowers, like roses. Make flower buds first for your roses by using tip 36 for the shell design or tip 3 for the plain design. Insert a half-inch of the floral wire inside the tip. Squeeze out the icing while you are slowly pulling out the wire. Before doing that, however, make sure that you have arched the tip of your floral wire so it can serve as anchor for your flower. Stop squeezing once you have completely pulled out the wire. Place your flower bud in a Styrofoam to let it dry for an hour.

While waiting for the buds to dry, prepare the icing for the petals. You may use pink or purple colored icing, and tip 103 or 104 for making petals. When the buds are set, get one and start putting the first layer of petals. Hold the bud on your left hand, and the bag on the other hand. Position your tip 103 parallel to the lower part of the bud, with the wide opening of the tip touching the cone of the bud.

STEP 5. Make sure that the narrow opening points up and slightly inward. Now squeeze out the icing as you slowly rotate the bud counterclockwise, then move the tip up and down to cover the peak of the flower bud with another layer of icing. Don't loop the tip to the bud; just move it slowly up and down to create a swirling effect. Let it dry again for about an hour. Do this to other buds.

For the wild rose, however, you can directly make its petals as soon as the buds have hardened. Just hold the bud with your left hand again and the bag with your right hand. Position your tip 103 or 104 at a 45-degree angle to the bud. The wide opening of the tip should slightly touch the bud.

STEP 6. Then squeeze out the icing and hold as you slowly turn the bud clockwise, such that the icing is stretched. Then move the tip closer to the bud before lifting it away; this way, you can stick the end of the petal to the bud. Do it five times to complete the flower. To replicate your wild rose, just do the same procedure.

After an hour, you can go back to your rose base. To add petals, do the same procedure just like when you were doing the wild rose. The only difference is that you'll do three petals for the first layer and they will be in a closer position. Then you'll add another layer of petals-four in all-after one hour or when the first layer have dried. And for the last layer of petals, you'll need to do five that are in full-bloom position.

Keep your icing flowers in dry and airtight containers. After drying for 24 hours, you can bunch the leaves together with the flowers or put them in your cakes.

STORAGE

Icing flowers last long when they are kept dry. Rosario Tan, sales manager of Penco Powdered Sugar, suggests that you improvise a light box that can serve as a dryer and storage facility. Just make a box using plywood, providing it with a door and incandescent light bulbs at the opposite side. Put layers of chicken wire where you could hang your icing flowers. The incandescent bulb provides heat when it is turned on, so you can be sure that your icings are keep dry and moisture-free.

Because icing flowers are brittle, it is recommended that you use a square or cylindrical plastic jar with a screw-type cap. A P-100 square plastic jar can contain about 100 icing flowers, which is ideal if you're going to supply icing candies to grocery stores, school canteens, or sari-sari stores. Your yield for this recipe is around 500 pieces of icing flowers. If you're doing only drop flowers or leaves, your yield would be much higher.

source: http://entrepreneur.com.ph; Erlinda Ferrer, Resource Speaker from ESF Cakes and Bread House

How to make strawberry jam

For this project, we will make strawberry jam. Keep in mind, though, that other similarly pulpy and juicy fruits can also be made into jam.

You will need a total of P2,508 to buy the ingredients for this project in bulk. If you just want to try out making jam, though, you need not buy the whole lot. For instance, you can simply buy 200g of citric acid for P50 instead of paying P110 for a whole kilo.

Most of the utensils and equipment you will need for this project should already be available in your kitchen: measuring spoons and cups, gas stove, casserole, pressure cooker, ladle, containers, mixing bowl, and packaging bottle with lag-type cap (a box of 24 pieces of this costs P150).

STEP 1: Measure the ingredients and put them in individual containers. Then mix all the dry ingredients—the sugar, the food gel, and the citrus pectin. You may also mix the citric acid together with the other dry ingredients. Usually, though, the citric acid is best added after cooking the jam. This is because jams, depending on the quality of sugar and fruit used, tend to become either too sweet or too sour after cooking. So to get the desired taste—whether you want it on the sour or sweet side—add just the right amount of citric acid.

You must also carefully choose the quality of the sugar you are going to use. Keep in mind that commercially available granulated sugar is milder in taste than the finer sugars. Recommended for this particular jam recipe is the refined sugar that’s available in public markets.

STEP 2: After putting all the dry ingredients onto the bowl, mix them thoroughly until all the ingredients could no longer be individually identified. You need to make sure of this because if the ingredients are not mixed well, the citrus pectin won’t dissolve in the mixture. (Citrus pectin also does not dissolve directly in water.) Afterwards, set aside the mixture. Get the strawberries, wash them thoroughly, and remove their sepals (these are the leaf-like parts on top of the fruit). Press the fruits in a bowl using a spoon until you obtain 1/4 cup of the crushed fruit, including its juice. Make sure that you have thoroughly crushed the strawberries. Set aside.

Pour the water into the casserole, followed by the crushed strawberries, the juice and the mixed dry ingredients. Stir and blend all the ingredients until they are thoroughly mixed.

STEP3: When the ingredients, except for the pieces of the crushed strawberry, have already dissolved, allow the mixture to simmer on high fire. Continuously stir to prevent scorching and forming bubbles. When the mixture starts to boil, lower the fire and allow the mixture to simmer until it achieves a thick enough consistency.

STEP 4: There are actually two techniques for determining if your jam is thick enough and ready to be packed—the plate test and the gelling test. In the plate test, you need to scoop out some jam using a ladle or spoon and then let the jam drip from the edge of the ladle or spoon back into the casserole. If the jam does not drip completely from the edge of the utensil, then the jam is already thick enough. If it drips completely, then you would need to simmer it a bit longer. The gelling test, on the other hand, is done by dripping a drop or two of the jam in water placed in a container. If the jam does not disperse in the water, then it is thick enough.

Add the flavoring and check the jam for taste. If the jam is too sweet, then add a little citric acid and mix. Although the strawberry flavoring is artificial, it has the exact taste and aroma of the real fruit. This is what makes it a “nature-identical” flavor.

STEP 5: You can now pack the jam in bottles. Don’t wait for the jam to cool before packing it; otherwise, the jam would solidify into gel. You may pasteurize the product to prolong its shelf life to up to a year.

Pasteurization is the process of heating a substance to kill pathogens that can cause spoilage or disease; it also slows down the growth of microbes in the product being pasteurized. To pasteurize bottled jam, you can use the kitchen pressure cooker, designed to create 10 psi (pounds per square inch) to heat the bottles for two hours.

Entrep Tip: Don’t use a blender to press the strawberry fruits because doing so would make your jam cloudy instead of clear. Bubbles will form when you use a blender. Don’t use too much flavoring. Your jam won’t smell good and won’t taste well if you do this. Use labels that will appeal to your target market. If you’re targeting kids, the labels must be colorful and attractive. If you’re targeting health buffs, it would be good to make the label carry health tips and cite the nutritional benefits of the fruit.

Production cost & pricing

To compute your production cost, divide the buying price per kg of each of your ingredients by 1,000, then multiply result by the volume you actually used in making the product. For example, white sugar is P38 per kg. Divide that amount by 1,000 to get the cost per gram (a kilogram is equal to 1,000 grams). You will get a quotient of P0.038 per gram, which then has to be multiplied by 250g, which the actual amount of sugar you mixed with the jam. Do the same arithmetic for the rest of the ingredients. Add up the results to get your total production cost.

Following the above formula, you should get this equation: P9.50 (sugar) + P0.275 (citric acid) + P0.5 (strawberry flavoring) + P7.20 (strawberry fruit) + P3 (food gel) + P7.20 (citrus pectin) = P27.68. Add to this sum the cost of the bottle, which is P6.25 per piece, and add 10 percent for your overhead costs (electricity, gas and water).

You may price the jam at P80 to P100 per 230g bottle. However, depending on your market, all-natural fruit jams may be priced from P150 to P200 per 230g bottle. You may choose to just add 100 percent profit margin to your total cost.

source: Mishell Malabaguio of www.entrepreneur.com.ph

Make Big Bucks

I always wanted to put up a school supplies business. I've learned that we have a very huge market as school opening is a great chance to make big bucks! These items doesn't have expiry dates so there's no fear of losing your money.

Filipinos tend to put a premium on education, and buying their children’s school needs is usually on top of any family’s list. This is good news for entrepreneurs, especially since school opening season in June is fast approaching.

This is indeed a huge market, and the numbers will support it.

1. There are an estimated 20-million school-age children that will enroll for the current school year. That translates to 20 million potential customers, with needs ranging from shoes, school bags, uniforms, pens, pencils, and the like. That is of course assuming that each student will only get one set of their basic needs. For children whose parents are better off, that number could double.

2. They would require at least 100 million textbooks, assuming that only one book per subject is bought for them for these five basic subjects in the elementary and high schools: mathematics, science, English, Pilipino, and Araling Panlipunan (Social Studies).

3. The weather will also factor in. Since June is also the start of the rainy season, these schoolchildren would need millions of personal accessories like jackets, umbrellas, raincoats, and rubber boots—not to mention medicines for colds and other season-related ailments.

4. And, with the advent of technology, they will also need cellular phone loads, not to mention they will ride jeeps, eat meals, and do other activities.

5. College students will also come in droves. They will need dormitories, coffee shops, internet cafes, printing shops, and other creature comforts. All 13 million of them.

Although a school opening business may sound seasonal in nature, its ever-growing range of services and the growing needs of its clientele makes it an evolving and ever expanding business. You too can grab a slice of this huge market, and hopefully make lots of money doing so.

We have a forum member at entrep PH who offers an initial inventory package for starting a school supply business for a minimum investment of P10,000. For inquiries, you can email him at jefmarenterprises(@)yahoo.com

source: entrepreneur.com.ph

Producing Restaurant Placemats as an Advertising Medium

The concept is simple: Give free paper placemats to restaurants in your area with either a prominent color ad or their menu in the middle, and 2" x 2" ads around the edge. These ads will make so much profit for you that if you run up against a stubborn restaurant owner, you can even pay him or her to take your placemats and come out way ahead. They'd be a fool to refuse!

The first step is to contact printing establishments in your area and find out what kind of blank or ready-made paper placemats they can either print or have printed for you. Get a quote on at least 5,000, including at least two-color printing. Compare your quotes and find the printer that will do the best job for the best price. Make sure this is a printer that will work with you on the layout of the placemats, if this is new to you.

Once you have your printing costs, which will be your primary costs, you can figure out how much profit can be made. Your profit will depend, in part, on how many ads you can put around the perimeter of the placemat. For example, if the placemat is 11 x 15, you can put a total of 20 ads around the sheet, leaving a one inch margin around the edge for the printer. Divide the printing cost, together with your other estimated costs (phone, travel etc) by the number of ads, and you have your cost per ad. For example, suppose your estimated expenses will be P24,000. Divide that by 20 ads and you have P1,200. This is how much each ad contributes to covering the cost of the placemat. Now, figure a target profit margin. In an area for example, an ad that will be seen by 5,000 people over an extended period of time could go for P3,600. This would be a P48,000 profit!

Now, make a list of restaurants that would be likely prospects for this service. The best prospects will be locally-owned family-oriented restaurants that are visited by residents of the area. Small, family-owned, restaurants will be your best bet.

GETTING THE RESTAURANTS: Offer to provide the restaurant 5,000 free paper placemats with either a large color ad or a color menu printed in the middle of the placemat. Local advertisers will be featured in small ads around the outside. When you say the words "5,000 free paper placemats," you probably won't even have to go any further! If the owner's a hard case, offer to pay them to take your placemats! Offer P2,000 and 5,000 placemats. This breaks down more barriers than you can imagine! If the restaurant owner has a pre-made ad or menu available, this can be reduced or enlarged by your printer to fit the center area of the placemat. Be sure the restaurant's section dominates the placemat.

Now, contact businesses that are in the immediate area surrounding the restaurant. Good prospects will be video stores, dry cleaners, grocery stores, book stores, any business that is frequented by families. Tell them that you have an advertising opportunity which will put their name and offer in front of 5,000 people for an extended period of time. Contact as many possible advertisers as you can. The more you contact, the more ads you'll sell. If your prices are competitive and you deliver honest facts, you should have an easy time selling the placemat ads.

Now, take the ads to your printer and layout the placemat. Put the restaurant's ad/menu in the center, and the other ads around the perimeter. Have the printer print the requested quantity, and deliver them to the restaurant. It's that simple!
This whole process can be done easily in less than a month. But, even if it takes you a month, the example above cleared P48,000 profit (or P46,000 if you actually had to pay the P2,000).

This is just an example, and your profits could be higher or lower, depending on your area. But, it should be fairly obvious that this can be an easy-to-run, profitable business that you can start part-time and quickly move into a full-time business!

How to Put Up a Hardware and Construction Supply Business

With the increase in population, the demand for living quarters also increase. No doubt, the market is there. It is up to you, as an entrepreneur, to tap and take a share of that market.

Capital Investment

"How much capital do I need?" That is always the first question that pops up in our heads when we think of business endeavors. Let me just clarify that question. I think there is a more appropriate way to ask that because from there, we can determine the kind and extent of hardware/construction supply business we intend to undertake. It should be: "How much capital do I intend to invest? Is it or will it be enough to start the business?"

Okay, so let's break down the capital investment into two: Fixed capital and operational/working capital.

Fixed capital refers to immediate expenditure like construction of the place of business, rental; registration fees, cost of printing of invoices, delivery receipts, other business forms; store equipment and fixture such as tools, chairs and tables; cost of product display preparation; cost of warehouse if any; cost of delivery vehicle if any; initial product stock inventory.

Operational/working capital refers to the monthly expenditures: manpower remuneration and salaries; bills (water, telephone, electric); monthly rental (if leasing the place of business); gasoline expenses for delivering vehicles; payment of monthly stock purchases. When starting, you won’t always rely on the money your business will generate. What if you won’t be able to generate your expected payables? You should have a back-up capital. A capital investment budget must be prepared and set aside for the first two months of operation which can be arrived at after computing and estimating the aforementioned items.

In preparation, it is best to make your own checklist for the fixed and operational capital investment. After doing so, we can now compare and answer the question -- is the amount of capital you intend to invest sufficient enough to start your business?

Registration of the Business Enterprise

The easiest part in starting a hardware/construction supply business is how and where to register. One must first decide on the status of the enterprise you intend to put up - whether single proprietorship, partnership or a corporation.

Once these are settled, you can now register your business enterprise with the following government bureaus:

- Department of Trade and Industry (Single Proprietorship)
- Bureau of Internal Revenue
- Security and Exchange Commission (for Corporation)
- Mayor's Office

It is necessary to register with the BIR to get a Tax Account Number for the annual income tax return. The TAN is also required in the printing of business invoice. If you want it registered as a corporation, you need to register with SEC. For this, you will need to prepare corporation officers and by-laws. This is also necessary if you intend to export/import items. For the mayor's permit and license, you would need a barangay clearance and a barangay business permit. Your business enterprise will also have to undergo inspection from the City's Electrical/Fire/Sanitation Department before the mayor's permit & license will be released.

Location/Site Selection of the Enterprise

Everyone is aware that the location and site of one's business plays a major role in determining whether it will succeed or not. Strategic location is the key. Set up your store in places that are starting to boom. Don't up a hardware in a place where you see it is already fully developed or in a place where every corner has one already. The viability of the business site is primarily determined by one factor: in plain view and easily accessible to prospective customers. If this factor is satisfied, then one can expect to generate a bigger volume of sales. Aside from a good location, there are other factors to consider such as the size of the site for product display and stock storage (warehousing capability), ample parking lot, nearness to other competitor hardware stores, and most especially the rental cost of the business site.

Manpower/Personnel Requirement and Selection

The personnel needed to operate a hardware/construction supply enterprise are as follows:

• store manager
• purchaser
• secretary/filing/acct. clerk
• cashier
• salesmen/salesladies
• store helper(s)
• delivery driver
• delivery helper(s)

The store manager is also the owner of the business. He oversees the smooth flow of work, both operational and marketing. The purchaser is responsible for maintaining the stock inventory level as well as determining which product is viable or not. A secretary/filing/accounting clerk is a necessity in the hardware business. He/she is responsible for all the paper work in the business. The function of the cashier is most often times also taken by the manager. Whether to hire a cashier or not is determined by the volume of the business. The store helper(s) also serves as the stockman. He is responsible for receiving and releasing the product line of the business. The delivery driver and helper(s) ensure that items for delivery reach customers in good condition.

Product Line Identification and Selection

Hardware and construction materials should be broken down into two categories: Structural/Construction and Finishing/Hardware. Under the category of structural materials will fall the following:

• gravel and sand
• cement
• hollow blocks
• steel bars
• lumber and wood
• pvc and GI pipes
• galvanized iron and roofing sheet
  

Under the category of finishing materials will fall the following:

• paints
• plumbing fixtures
• electrical and lighting fixtures
• ceramic tiles and wood parquets
• kitchen sinks
• aluminum and glass
• hardware items

As for the items you will be selling, suppliers usually give terms. Like for finishing/hardware items, they usually give a 120-day term. For the structural/construction items, shorter terms are given e.g. 15-30 days, and sometimes cash basis.

Here's a tip: Finishing/Hardware items give a better profit compared to structural/construction materials, so you have to really compete with others. You must be aware of your competitor's price. You have to be always updated on construction/hardware materials.

Store Preparation, Design and Display

The presentation of one's business plays a big role in the sales of your product. Display counter must be designed and placed in such a way that they are readily accessible for customers inspection. This is particularly true for most hardware items. It is advisable to categorize the products on display to facilitate and serve the customer's requirements.

Sample Checklist on Capital Investment Requirement

FIXED CAPITAL

1. Registration Fees
2. Construction or Rental of Store (Advanced Deposit)
3. Warehouse
4. Delivery Vehicles
5. Store Equipment and Fixtures
6. Store Design and Display
7. Initial Stock Inventory

OPERATIONAL/WORKING CAPITAL

1. Monthly Rental
2. Water/Electric/Telephone Utilities
3. Salaries of Personnel
4. Delivery/Vehicle Expenses
5. Other Expenses
6. Stock Replenishment Budget
   

Product Stock Inventory and Control

Upon completion of the product identification and selection, as well as preparing the store display and design, one is now ready to make initial purchases for stock inventory.

A warehouse for the incoming stocks must, therefore, be ready and prepared. This is the most strenuous part of establishing and starting a hardware/construction supply business. One must have a listing of supplies with their corresponding product line. One must get in touch with them, canvass their prices, and get the highest possible terms and discount.

In most cases, suppliers have sales representatives, and you can ask them to visit you. One can get a listing of said suppliers from the telephone directory, advertisements of product, or through friends in the hardware/construction supply community. When you have identified the product you intend to carry, it is advisable to concentrate first on these items. There is always room for production expansion later.

One should start purchasing the common and essential items since this is necessary for a presentable store display and showcase. The level of stock inventory of each item is determined by the saleability and disposal of said items. To ensure facility and ease in making inventory, stock cards must be used. Items must be properly entered and coded in the stock card. This is also essential to be updated to regulate and control product items. Catalog the stock cards according to product items to be able to easily discern stock availability. Proper warehousing and stocking of products must also be pre-planned. Again, product categories and separations must be made. Stock control can only be achieved if updated records of incoming and outgoing stocks are kept.

Operational Guidelines and Procedures

This refers to organized and systematic flow of work. The manager must establish specific methods of doing thing. He must see to it that all aspects of business operation is guided by standard methods, pinpointing the personnel involved and the procedures to be followed to facilitate a smooth work flow. Incoming stocks, for example, must be properly received and checked if they are in good condition, etc. Release of goods to customers must also be done according to the dictates of the purchases made and covered by S.O.P. This is specially essential in the delivery of goods to customers.

Proper procedures in selling must also be well-established from the moment a customer comes in to the time he/she left. Specific cases, as in damaged goods (who shall be held accountable) or returned goods is another example. Guidelines and procedures - from the simplest task to the most difficult, to the unexpected cases that will occur - all store personnel must be well equipped to properly handle them.

Sales and Marketing Strategies

In any marketing endeavor, providing good service is essential. The salesman must establish a personal interaction with the customers to gain their confidence, and thus, ultimately make a sale.

Regular and prospective clients of the hardware/construction business are mostly architects, engineers, homeowners. These are targeted group and hence, any marketing thrust must be directed on them. Although pricing is a significant factor considered by these group, it entails a lot of lad work and honest to goodness relationship that the salesman must be able to establish to generate a sizable volume of sales. Aside from having in-house salesman, the trend today is to have field salesman who will go out and close a deal with prospective clients. It is also common to see big advertisement of SALE being made by hardware and construction supply enterprises. The manager must develop his own unique method of attracting more to generate more sales.

Projected Return on Investment (ROI)

Everyone is aware that to open a hardware/construction store, one must have the intention to be in the business for quite a long time. It is not like a simple sari-sari store that one can close shop anytime. No matter how much minimum capital is invested, any loss is something to reckon with. In short, the return on capital invested is not instantaneous. The projected ROI can, however, be estimated based on the business' monthly sales. A simple method to estimate the length of time of the ROI would be the following:

1. Get the gross percentage of profit from the monthly sales.
2. Deduct the monthly expenses (operational and working capital, excluding stock replenishment budget) to get the net profit.
3. Divide the net profit from the fixed capital invested.

For example: Monthly Sales: P720,000
% of profit assumed at 20% computed at 24 days in a month: P144,000
LESS: Monthly Expenses: 84,000
MONTHLY NET PROFIT: P 60,000

FIXED CAPITAL/NET PROFIT = LENGTH OF TIME OF ROI P 1,000,000 / P 60,000 = 16.66 months or approximately 1 year and 5 months

Examples of Common and Essential Items for the Hardware/Construction Supply Enterprise

Bail and Claw Hammer | Hand Saw | Hack Saw Frame | Shovel | Platering Trowel | Wooden and Aluminum Level | Tape Measure | Plier | Long Nose | Diagonal Cutter | Side Cutter | Flat and Philip Screw Driver | Tinner Slip | Pipe Wrench | Adjustable Wrench | Open, Back, Combination and Socket Wrench | Padlocks | Drawer Locks | Barrel and Flush Bolts | Safety Hasps | Door, Cabinet, and Piano Hinges | Dead Bolt and Rim Latch | Entrance, Bathroom and Handle Locksets | Door Closer | Door Track | Door Hanger Bracket Set | Cabinet Handle and Knobs | Flanges (end and center post) | Chrome Pipes | Sand Paper | Scrapper (paleta) | Rubber Hose | House Coupling | Hose and Plain BIBB Faucets | Shower Valve and Shower Head | Floor, Duplex and Basket Strainer | Wood and Metal Screws | Drill Bit and Aluminum Rivet | Paint Brush and Paint Roller with Tray | Veto and National Wiring Devices (Switches, outlets, and plates) | Eagle Wiring Devices (plugs, sockets, fuse, etc) | Safety Switch Box | Circuit Breaker | Transformer | Porcelain Receptacles | Bulbs and Lighting Tubes | Intercoms | Exhaust Fans | Gate Valves and Check Valves | Paints (oil and latex) | Tinting Color | Water Closets and Lavatories | Paint and Lacquer Thinner | Ordinary and Colored Cement | Sahara Cement | Wood Preservatives | Ceramic and Vinyl Tiles | Wood Parquet | Plastic Diffuser

Special Items

1. Ceiling Lamps
2. Formica
3. Penlight and Spotlight
4. Bathroom Accessories (towel rack, ring, soap dish, robe hook, soap & paper holder)
5. Water Heater
6. Wire Basket
7. Kitchen Sink (porcelain Enamel and stainless)
8. Range Hoods
9. Medicine Cabinets
10. Door bills & Chimes
11. Telephone Shower
12. Motor Pumps
13. Power tools
14. Bath Tubs
15. Shower Enclosure
16. Glass Blocks
17. Rubber & Aluminum and Brass Stair Nosing
18. PVC Door
19. Gypsum & Acoustic Board

Download: How to put up a hardware and construction store manual