Let’s not kid ourselves. Retirement is nirvana for us working the daily grind. And I bet this includes Mike Bolos, who came home looking forward to a well-deserved rest in his hometown in Guagua, Pampanga after 25 years working as a finance executive in Saudi Arabia.
But when he noticed that little has changed in his hometown since the time he left, he quickly took off his retirement loafers and put on his working shoes again – this time as an investor.
Mike’s insightful mind saw that Guagua’s lack of development stemmed from lack of investment pouring into his beloved hometown.“There was nothing wrong with Guagua, the money is there. Someone just had to jumpstart the economic environment by investing in the town.” It turns out that this first-class town of 120,000 has a considerably high purchasing power because most residents have family members working abroad, who are regularly sending money home.
And so Mike, with his savings and a loan from a local bank, decided to build a four-storey commercial center to prime the pump, so to speak. After all, wasn’t it said that if you build, they will come. And come they did.
Now Mike’s field of dreams houses a modern dental clinic, a spa, a dance studio and an internet café. Not content with simply providing a venue for businesses, Mike also went ahead and invested in his own 7-Eleven franchise. The familiar logo of the world-class convenience store now serves as a beacon of economic growth for the community.
He says the decision to acquire a 7-Eleven franchise was a deliberate move to push his economic advocacy forward. “With a world-class brand now in the center of town, other entrepreneurs will be inspired and will recognize the economic potential of the town.”
True enough, new businesses are sprouting all around the area and old shops are giving their stores a more modern make-over. Furthermore, the local government set up a PUV terminal a few meters away from the store to service commuters traveling between Guagua and the neighboring towns and provinces.
Because of its 24-hour operations, the store became a convergence point for the townspeople where quality products and services can be availed especially at night, aside from providing travelers a safe place to take time out before heading home.
Another benefit of getting a 7-Eleven franchise is that almost everything involved in the operation of the business is provided by Philippine Seven Corporation. “This means that I don’t have to re-invent the business, and no longer have to risk losing my capital through trial and error,” Mike shared.
He also revealed another phase of his economic advocacy, wherein he will attempt to convince other OFW friends to pool their resources together to acquire 7-Eleven franchises of their own.
As he continues with his personal advocacy, Mike is putting his retirement temporarily on hold. But he is enjoying every moment of it.
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