Giving back to others through Franchising

Dr. Ed Escalona is a surgeon and a medical professor. He is also a businessman. But before all these, this husband and father of four is first and foremost a Christian businessman, whose primary obsession is to bring God to the marketplace.

It is said that one cannot serve both God and money, but for Doc Ed, as he is fondly called, there is really no conflict as long as one puts God first. He admits, however, that money was the primary reason why he studied medicine. He wanted to be rich. He also wanted to be in control.

Being a doctor and s surgeon - where most often somebody’s life lies in his hands - gave him the false feeling that he is indeed in control. That is until things turned out differently from what he expected or wanted. “It made me realize the limits to my humanity,” he remarked.

With this realization, Doc Ed decided to join the Brotherhood of Christian Businessman and Professionals (BCBP) in 1992 where he learned to ‘turn over the driver seat’ to God. It was also during this time when he acquired a Julie’s Bakeshop franchise. Already a recognized brand then, Julie’s was the favored choice of Doc Ed primarily because of its marketing and advertising advantage. He likewise cited the comprehensive support given by the franchisor in terms of financial, technical, educational, logistic and operations as an added benefit.

This time, however, his consideration was not just money, but also the opportunity to give back to his community.

Since then Doc Ed was able to build an empire of 15 Julie’s Bakeshop outlets spread all over Bohol, his adopted hometown. His outlets have been consistently reaping nominations and awards from the management, as well as recognitions given by various government and private organizations, for exemplary contributions to the community. The pinnacle of these recognitions was being named Franchisee of the Year in Franchise Excellence Awards (FEA) 2008.

Doc Ed has three things to say to prospective franchisees. First, he said that it is important for a franchisee to have his hands busy and his mind focused, as he reminded that a franchisee is a businessman and not an investor. It is essential, he added, that one puts both his heart and mind into the business, not simply be there for financial gain. Lastly, Doc Ed says that a franchisee should accept the fact that he is not in control - that the franchisor is above him and God above the franchisor.

He also has this reminder to all businessmen. “One thing I am sure of is that in the end, during my hour of reckoning, my creator will not ask me how many branches I have opened and operated, or how many thousands of pesos I earned, or how many cars or properties I have acquired in the process. Rather, he will ask me, was I able to love and give hope and made significance in the lives of others? I hope and pray that I can confidently answer Him with a big YES!”

"2007 Franchisee of the Year" Shares His Secret to Success

Franchising is all about duplicating a successful business. This means when one gets a franchise, you don’t have to start from scratch. No more groping in the dark. No need for the trial-and-error phase associated with most start-ups. All that the franchisee has to do is to follow the manual provided by the franchisor. If he does this, the franchisee is assured of a very high success rate – about 80 to 90%.

It was this high success rate that attracted Mr. Vinzent Thel Querol to franchising. At that time, he had already been into pawnshop and rice retailing businesses for years, but seeing that franchising could be a promising addition to his enterprises, the seasoned businessman set his sight on getting a 7-Eleven franchise.

He chose 7-Eleven because it is a global brand and is, in fact, the global icon of convenience. Upon closer scrutiny, Vinzent was also pleasantly surprised that 7-Eleven offered an operations program that will keep him ahead of the competition. In May 2004, Vinzent opened his first 7-Eleven store in Fields Avenue, Angeles City, Pampanga.

Pretty soon, Vinzent was able to open 3 more stores – in Bulacan, Quezon City and another one in Angeles City. And the amazing thing is these stores were opened using earnings from shops already in operation.

And the secret to Vinzent’s success… a close working relationship with the franchisor. After all, the franchisor knows what’s best for the business. And the success of the business is a shared interest and goal for both franchisor and franchisee. It is no wonder then that franchising is often compared to a marriage. And to cement and institutionalize this franchisor-franchisee relationship, he co-pioneered the formation of 7-Eleven’s Franchise Council, the first council of its kind outside the U.S.

Because of this close working relationship, Vinzent’s stores are ace performers, which make him a frequent awardee of the company’s sales and service excellence awards. The opportunity to give back to society, however, is what he sees as his greatest reward. Tucked under his belt are various programs such as sidewalk-clearing cooperation with local government units, hiring working students as company scholars, and the Plastic on Demand Project aimed at lessening the use of plastic bags.

Lastly, having franchise also comes with a bonus. Vinzent admits that franchising has introduced him to other ways of operating a business through the company’s best practices, which he adapted to his other businesses. Now, his other entrepreneurial endeavors are also doing very well… thanks to franchising.

Retiree Starts ‘Economic Advocacy’ with 7-Eleven Franchise

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.

Franchising, a good reason to go back to the PHL

Overseas Filipinos miss the comforts of home, and bear the sacrifice of being a stranger in a foreign land and living away from their loved ones all for the sake of providing a better life for their families. This is the same story of Carol Rivera.

Carol had been working for over ten years as a saleslady for Corona Supply Company when, realizing that she was not earning enough, she decided to go to Hong Kong to work as a domestic helper.

“I came to Hong Kong in May 1992. It was difficult for a mother like me to leave behind my children who were still very young then. My eldest was in grade two; the second, also a girl, was in grade one. My son was still a baby then, just over a year old.”

It was a tough decision for her to make, but out of sheer desire to give her family a better life and provide for a good education for her kids, Carol went ahead and left for Hong Kong. “For countless nights I cried myself to sleep because I missed my family. I endured the loneliness, the grueling work, the difficulty of mingling with people from other cultures just so my children would not have to go through the same hardships I went through for lack of money.” While Carol was away, it was her husband who looked after the kids, grateful that he had been a very good father to them.

Carol strived in Hong Kong, even taking on extra work from friends of her British employer, to earn more money and save enough in the hope of starting a business so she could go back to the country and be with her family.

Contemplating what business she would go into, Carol had her sights set on franchising. With no experience in running a business, she said she was confident that franchising was the one for her. “I knew then that franchising was better because I knew I would get the support I needed from the franchisor. A business with a proven track record was another advantage for me,” she added.

And so in March 2002, while Carol was in the country for a vacation, she and her husband opened their first franchise – Crystal Clear Water Store – in Bagong Silang, Caloocan City. “I remember, it was only a single motorcycle that my husband used for delivery. Our son, who was only 12 then, would ride with his father, holding the five-gallon Crystal Clear container in his arms to deliver to the customers. They toiled with that kind of system until we were able to grow the business and bought a van and two tricycles for the deliveries.”

“Just a year after opening our store, my husband asked me to come back home to the country for good since our franchise was doing very well, the profits even exceeding my earnings in Hong Kong.”

Carol added that the returns they made from Crystal Clear also helped her pay off the property in Cavite that she bought while working abroad. Moreover, she was able to expand the business and opened her second Crystal Clear franchise. “I opened my second franchise in Cavite and it is now managed by my eldest daughter who is a Medical Technology graduate.”

Blessings to the Riveras continue to abound as they have acquired another property in Fairview, Quezon City. Carol said that plans to open a third Crystal Clear franchise is also in the works. “I’ll ask my second daughter to manage this one. She finished B.S. Psychology and is taking her Master’s while working. My son is in his last year at San Beda where he’s taking B.S. International Business and Entrepreneurial Management, with plans of attending law school later.”

Carol is thankful that she chose to invest her hard-earned money in a franchise. Recognizing the immense help she got from following the established system that the franchised business provided her, she also credits her success to hard work, determination and faith in God.

“I have kept my faith in God, trusting Him to guide me everyday. With all the blessings He has showered on me and my family, I never failed to thank Him. Crystal Clear made it possible for me to be reunited with my family and give them a much comfortable life. For this, I will forever be thankful.”

The Woman Behind a Successful Franchise Brand-PR Gaz Haus

Siu Ping Par, the Chief Operating Officer of the subsidiary company of PR Gaz Franchising Corporation, says that “successful women entrepreneurs can be found in every country and under all circumstances.” A member of the Philippine Franchise Association (PFA) Board, she cites that women of today have the equal opportunity to make a difference in the business community and in society unlike decades ago when they had to fight for the right to self-determination.”

Describing herself as foremost a wife and a mother, Par keeps a very simple and straightforward business philosophy. “My father has taught me that hard work, perseverance and discipline are the key in achieving success. Careful, efficient and long-term planning and strategizing are important, too.”

According to Par, who also sits on the Board of the PR Gaz Haus Group of Companies, a good management style should not be grounded on skills alone. “One must have the heart and passion for running a business,” she states. “The challenges and demands of being an entrepreneur can be multi-dimensional, and women, because of the various roles we play in society—daughter, wife, mother, sister, teacher, or friend—are uniquely equipped for this.”

Thus, when faced with challenges Par reveals that she not only draws support from her team. “I also get an overflowing dose of inspiration and encouragement from family and close friends.” Married to Nelson Par and a mother of four, Par gives priority to family life. “Pages of my office note planner bear important school dates of my children, family events or functions, to ensure that I don’t miss out on anything. Likewise, technology has made the job for busy moms like me a lot easier. I am always a phone call away.”

“On weekends, we go on short, out-of-town trips because the change of scenery is sure to charge up one’s spent ‘batteries’. Watching movies with my husband and kids is a great stress-buster, too,” Par confides. “And to keep fit, I attend a bootcamp class once a week and I play badminton as often as I can.“

Par recounts that she was a full hands-on manager during the initial stages of their family business. That was in 2001 when the company she helped grew with her husband set up refilling plants in Metro Manila, Cavite and Zambales. A year later, the company began putting up its own retail outlets, called PR Gaz Haus—the first LPG convenience store in the country. “But now, we have a different organizational set up and I am able to focus on the bigger, more important requirements of my division.”

A Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) graduate of the Institute of Certified Franchise Executives (run by the US-based International Franchise Association), Par narrates how she and her husband got into franchising in 2004. “We needed a proven way to extend our reach and franchising provided us the means to do this. So, we tried to learn as much as we could about the concept and we found out that many popular brands employed franchising to grow their business. We also attended franchise shows like the Philippine International Franchise Conference and Expo (PIFCE) to get more information. In 2005, our first franchised store opened in Cavite. Less than two years after, we had a total of 34 franchises in our chain.”

Par attributes the growth of their franchising business to having the right program, people and processes. “You must constantly employ innovations in business and update yourself with developments in the industry. It is also a good move to link up with peers in the franchising sector and tap the benefits of being in a franchising association such as the PFA.”

She adds that it is vital for franchisors to be always connected with franchisees. “We hold conference with our various franchisees to update them on company developments and to discuss concerns. We also have good relations with our franchisees even on an individual level. We consider our franchisees as active partners in growing the business.”

To date, PR Gaz Haus has over a hundred outlets operating in Luzon. This figure is expected to grow by at least 60 more stores before yearend. “This is part of our company’s “500-in-5” vision, in which we aim to set up 500 stores by 2015,” Par says.