In business you have to confront reality especially if there is a lot of hype and noise

Looking forward to the future of business

Lately because of the Jessica Soho feature everybody was enamored with agri forestry.  Even this post.  That is why this post devoted a lot of time and research into this new "opportunity"   It is said to earn zillions in 5  years.  However it seemed to me that there are gaps in the business model

1.  Selling lumber for 5 years tree  There was a post on the White Lauan that was 5 years old and had only about 6 inches diameter although it is about 30 ft tall, not enough to have 500 board feet as computed

2.  Dense planting (1.5 x 1.5 meters) of widely spaced (3 x 3 meters)

3.  End of the value chain -  marketing

This post verified this (checking reality) with a business partner who is from the island province and is into agriventure. and told me that the difficulty really is with no. 3.  There are many who are into this in their province. That is why her business partner who who has a 4.5 hectare planted to mahogany cut his trees and converted into our type of business.   But the difficulty is in marketing.  After the trees are matured and there a all ready the fragrances, the buyers are hard to come by, just like the nata de coco fiasco  of yesteryears -- many went into this because this was so easy to do.  Only to end up with containerloads of nata de coco wihtout buyers.  I know of a feed dealer who lost his shirt in nata de coco.

That is why it pays if you make a plan or proposal to incorporate/use the GROW template:

       G  -oal

       R - eality

       O -ptions

       W-hat to do next.

The reality portion deands that you:

1.  Do a market competitor research

2.  Ask those who are in the know

3.  Ask the hard questions.  Question the assumption

Living out the business experience vs pontificating, lecturing

Looking forward to the future of business

This post has taught in a GSB in the 4 walls of the academe but always wanting to be extraterritorial.  We went to restos, to sites of businesses owned by the students, we went on experimentation to give reality to what we were talking about in the classroom.  We asked students to come with illegal business ideas, we asked for business plans.  Not so much of lectures or academe (but which the succeeding dean killed ending my teaching career)

It was going back to textbook reading, chapter by chapter and answering review questions.  Life was never made that way.   And having departmental tests:   select the best answer.  True or false

My post here are not lectures but real experiences as we navigate negotiation and formulation of business ideas.  In real world.  Not from textbook

Independence Day Celebration for Angono Rizal Yesterday Aug 19; 2011

Our generation needs an ENTREPRENEURIAL REVOLUTION .Join

Yesterday was a non working holiday for Angono Rizal where I live. It coincided with the birthday of the late Pres. Manuel Quezon, who was the President then of the Commonwealth Government. Angono which was then a barrio of Binangonan, was given autonomy as a separate town.

What happened to that independence? Let us analyze.

Angono's annual income exceeds Pl00 million a year and qualifies the town to be a city. Which it hasnt done. The municipal government beefed up its tourism dept and intensely promotes the town as a tourist destination, an art capital. Perhaps the swot analysis reveals that there are many artists and painters in this town. Is this the right goal for the municipality?

What is the reality (we are using GROW framework: Goal, Reality, Options, What to do next?)

Angono has become a bedroom community being a town very close to the Metropolis. What are the main industries: rental units, bedspacers, commercial establishments serving the needs of commuters and workers: fx, tricycles, groceries, foodstuff sellers, schools, night spots, entertainment and hospitals. Angono has many schools and large ones at that: San Clemente, Montessori, Gingergrace, Raises Academy etc. As for health care there are 3 hospitals, numerous clinics, and drugstores. 2 Mercury Drugstores and a dozen or so others dispense medicines in Angono. According to Pharma friends, Angono is a huge market for drugs.


As for tourism, there is not much very very attractive places and attraction to visit here. No zoos, no exceptional resorts. The most visited place is the Blanco art gallery. The artist, Jose Blance and wife are all ready dead.

The artists themselves are aware and keen on the external environment reality that Blanco has its own school, Miranda has its restaurant. They can not depend more on their painting but other commercial endeavor which are more profitable.

Options:

l. Continue spending TAXPAYERS money on tourism.

2. Support health care.

3. Sponsor seminars on customer service, management/entrepreneurship for commercial business owners. Support entrepreneurship.

What to do next?

What should the managers of the Angono LGU do next?

Do you think the thrust of the present government, and the expenditures are well placed? Will it be successful?

Google Map of Angono Rizal: the Art Capital of the Philippines


View Angono, Rizal in a larger map