Now a days having a business website is easy as 1-2-3. Thanks to the power of Social Networking websites. Initially, these sites were used for social networking activities, creating links to old friends and former colleagues. But now more and more people have been using it to promote their business on-line. And it really does wonder to their business. 
I have a client who urgently needs a bookkeeper for their newly established Manufacturing company at EPZA, Rosario, Cavite. Preference given to Cavite residents.
JOB DESCRIPTION
To record, monitor and report on the day-to-day financial activities of the company and assist in the general administration of the company’s various activities.
JOB SPECIFICATION
1. Maintain the day-to-day accounts for the company and ensure that all electronic and manual records are in order.
2. Liaise with the Chief Company Accountant on all matters relating to the company accounts.
3. Liaise with warehouse staff to ensure that inventory is in order.
4. Take an active role in the general administration of the company activities.
5. Provide administrative support to other company staff.
SKILLS REQUIRED
• Sound knowledge of the accounting requirements of small-medium enterprises.
• In-depth knowledge of financial accounting and taxation in the Philippines.
• Proficient in reconciling bank statements.
• High-level ability in a Windows PC environment using Microsoft Office software applications, especially Excel.
• High-level ability using Peachtree accounting software, or similar packages.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team.
• High-level spoken and written English language capability.
• Knowledge of manufacturing industry preferred, but not required.
EXPERIENCE REQUIRED
• College graduate - Accounting major.
• Minimum 2 years work experience in a small-medium sized enterprise or larger.
• Newly graduate are welcome to apply.
To apply, please send your resume at: sheila@sheiferr.com
Every business startup involves some degree of risk. But while no business is risk-free, some ways of launching your business are less risky than others. Here are six low-risk ways to start a business.
1. Start your business from home: Choosing a business location requires you to lock yourself into a lease and pay rent, utilities, and other costs for the space. But many types of businesses can just as easily be operated from home. By running your business from home, you save on the overhead costs of commercial space. You also save the time and money you would normally spend commuting, which means you can be more productive.
2. Start your business part time: If time allows, you can start a business while keeping your full-time day job. This gives you the cushion of a regular paycheck and benefits from your job until your business is making enough to pay you. If running a business and working full time is too much, consider getting a part-time job to pay the bills while you launch your business. Look for part-time work that has flexible hours to give you time for your business. You can even turn it into a business education; for instance, if you’re starting your own fashion-design company, get a part-time job at a boutique so you can learn the industry from the customer’s point of view.
3. Start an e-commerce business: These days, a retail business doesn’t need a bricks-and-mortar location to succeed. By selling your products online, you can reach a nationwide or even global customer base. You significantly cut your costs, since you aren’t paying rent and won’t need to staff a store with salespeople. Depending on how much business you get, it’s possible to run an e-commerce business with you as the sole employee, at least when you first start out. You can also launch an e-commerce site as a way of testing the waters and then expand to a brick-and-mortar location once your site is successful.
4. Buy an existing business: If the costs and risks of starting a business from scratch intimidate you, consider buying an existing business. Although there is still a certain degree of risk involved, you will be buying a business where the location, employees, customer base, and systems are already established. Since you won’t have to go through the trial-and-error you would with a brand-new business, you’ll save time, effort, and money. You’ll want a business that has proven itself successful and stands a good chance of thriving under new ownership. Enlist a business broker to help you find the right one and have your attorney and accountant help you with the due diligence. If you do your homework, you’ll be buying a known quantity and greatly decreasing your risk of failure.
5. Buy a franchise: In a franchise you pay the franchise company (also called the franchisor) a fee and ongoing royalties in exchange for the right to do business under the company’s name. As a franchisee, what you’re paying for is a proven system of doing business. Just as with buying a business, you need to do thorough research into the company you’re considering. Do it well, and you should end up with a franchise that trains you in how to run the business, assists in finding a location and opening your business, provides marketing and advertising support, and offers advice and support on an ongoing basis. Franchising is often described as being in business for yourself, but not by yourself, because having the franchisor to back you up greatly lessens your risk.
6. Don’t hire employees: No, we’re not suggesting you do all the work yourself. But hiring salaried employees adds greatly to your risk. First, there’s the ongoing cost of regular salaries as well as payroll taxes and the cost of any benefits. You’ll spend time and money staying on top of federal and state employee laws (or hiring someone to do so). In addition, employees open up liability risks, such as your need to get worker's compensation insurance or the risk of being sued by a disgruntled staffer. No wonder many entrepreneurs find independent contractors or freelancers a smarter way to go. There are no salaries, benefits, or insurance issues to consider. Thanks to technology it’s easier than ever to work collaboratively with a team of independent contractors without being in the same office. In addition to cost savings, contractors offer flexibility because you can hire them on a per-project basis.
Karen Axelton is Chief Content Officer at GrowBiz Media, a content and consulting company that helps entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses.
A South Korean firm will be investing $200 million for a resort complex at the Clark free port’s sub-zone and another P218 million to build roads there, Clark Development Corp. (CDC) said in a statement on Friday.
Donggwang Clark Corp. will be employing 1,000 workers once the resort at the "Next Frontier" in Sacobia Valley, Tarlac is completed. In the meantime, the firm is still drafting the site development plan which will need CDC approval.
The investment for roads, meanwhile, will cover the construction of a 1.8-kilometer "Spine Road" and a 4.5-kilometer "East Road 2" that will link the area to McArthur Highway.
"[The cost of the road construction] will be considered as advance lease rentals following standard government procedures," the statement read.
Earlier, the state agency announced it was developing the 2,000-hectare extension of the free port to accommodate more investors. Investments there will be qualified for the same economic zone incentives including a four-year tax holiday and a succeeding 5% tax on gross income. — JADH
Venture capitalists are typically very selective in deciding what to invest in; as a rule of thumb, a fund may invest in one in four hundred opportunities presented to it. Funds are most interested in ventures with exceptionally high growth potential, as only such opportunities are likely capable of providing the financial returns and successful exit event within the required timeframe (typically 3-7 years) that venture capitalists expect.
Because investments are illiquid and require 3-7 years to harvest, venture capitalists are expected to carry out detailed due diligence prior to investment. Venture capitalists also are expected to nurture the companies in which they invest, in order to increase the likelihood of reaching a IPO stage when valuations are favourable. Venture capitalists typically assist at four stages in the company's development:[19]
There are typically six stages of financing offered in Venture Capital, that roughly correspond to these stages of a company's development.[20]
Because there are no public exchanges listing their securities, private companies meet venture capital firms and other private equity investors in several ways, including warm referrals from the investors' trusted sources and other business contacts; investor conferences and symposia; and summits where companies pitch directly to investor groups in face-to-face meetings, including a variant know as "Speed Venturing", which is akin to speed-dating for capital, where the investor decides within 10 minutes whether s/he wants a follow-up meeting.
This need for high returns makes venture funding an expensive capital source for companies, and most suitable for businesses having large up-front capital requirements which cannot be financed by cheaper alternatives such as debt. That is most commonly the case for intangible assets such as software, and other intellectual property, whose value is unproven. In turn this explains why venture capital is most prevalent in the fast-growing technology and life sciences or biotechnology fields.
If a company does have the qualities venture capitalists seek including a solid business plan, a good management team, investment and passion from the founders, a good potential to exit the investment before the end of their funding cycle, and target minimum returns in excess of 40% per year, it will find it easier to raise venture capital.
MANILA--Google said it has "linked" the contributions of Philippine users of its popular Google Map Maker to Google Maps, allowing people across the globe to view the edits of Filipino users.
In an announcement last week, Google said millions of Google Maps users can now view more accurate and updated online maps of the Philippines, including new roads, points of interests and more regions all over the archipelago.
Google in October launched Google Map Maker in the Philippines, allowing the country to join some 121 nations in which the application is available.
The company said the Philippines is "unique" and a challenge for Google Map Maker users, owing to the more than 7,000 islands found in the country.
Due to the popularity of Google Map Maker among Filipino users, Google said it was compelled to take the next step to include Philippine contributors to Google Maps.
But Derek Callow, marketing chief for Google Southeast Asia, said the company will not offer any commercial application for Google Maps in the Philippines.
In an interview with ZDNet Asia, Callow said the inclusion of Philippine contributors to Google Maps is an initiative "purely for users of Google".
"It is extremely important for us to provide this service. Most Internet users access the Web to search for some location-based information, and this platform will do just that," Callow said.
He added Google does not plan to introduce money-generating schemes for Google Maps in the Philippines and will instead focus on generating more traffic ad more users.
The executive said Google is also not looking at partnering or tying up with local data providers on possible commercial applications of Google Maps data.
The executive said a large part of the Philippines's geographic data is not yet available online, and that this initiative "is purely for users to contribute" to make these information available via the Internet.
Although he did not have actual figures, Callow said Google Map Maker users in the Philippines currently stand at "hundreds of thousands", based on daily edits.
MANILA--The local business process outsourcing (BPO) and software sectors are projected to see higher growth rates this year, as U.S. companies deploy cost-cutting measures by outsourcing their IT requirements to countries such as the Philippines.
Officials from the public and private sectors asserted that while the Philippine electronics manufacturing industry, particularly the semiconductor business, is indeed taking a beating from the global financial crunch, the tough economic environment is proving to be a blessing in disguise for local BPOs and software companies.
Beng Coronel, president of the Philippine Software Industry Association (PSIA), said in an interview that 2008 was a banner year for the sector, surpassing the group's growth target of 30 percent.
"I think it's only manufacturing that that has been hit in the IT sector because I haven't heard from any our member companies that they're laying off people. In fact, we're even hiring," said Coronel, who is also chief executive of software development house, PointWest Technologies.
While she declined to give any growth forecast for 2009, since the market is "still very dynamic", she noted that the industry is expected to stabilize in the second quarter when the economic policies of new U.S. President Barack Obama take effect.
For example, the BPO industry is bullish on Obama's plan to spend billions of dollars to build a fully integrated health IT system for American hospitals and doctors' offices.
Another industry group, the newly-formed National ICT Conference of the Philippines (NICP), said call centers and non-voice BPO players have sprouted in different parts of the country. These outlets are now organizing themselves into regional hubs so they can bid for U.S. outsourcing contracts, which have increased in number over the last few months.
George Sorio, chair of the NICP, said while the worldwide call center industry has shrunk due to the financial crisis, the Philippines' market share has grown bigger, allowing local players to open more sites and hire employees. Sorio is also part of the management team at call center company, Cyber City Teleservices.
Directive to "accelerate"
According to the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT), it has secured funding worth 60 million pesos (US$1.3 million), which will be poured into talent development to grow the BPO industry and to combat the financial morass.
The CICT Chair Ray Anthony Roxas-Chua II said the agency is also bent on using up the 1 billion pesos (US$212 million) e-government fund, issued by President Gloria Arroyo under a directive to "accelerate" IT infrastructure spending this year.
Roxas-Chua, however, said there were no big-ticket IT projects lined up, as yet. "The proposals arrived at the middle of last year so we expect to approve them by middle of this year. But, we're hurrying up because we want to implement and finish them before the President completes her term next year."
Roxas-Chua, along with Coronel and Sorio, were guests at Thursday's launch and partnership signing between the CICT and Microsoft for the latter's BizSpark program for local SMEs. The project aims to spur the local software economy by providing Microsoft development tools and production licenses to small entrepreneurs at "no up-front cost", according to the partners.
PHILIPPINES--Local semiconductor and electronics companies are bracing for tougher times ahead as demand continues to decline this year, according to an industry group.
In a statement Wednesday, the Semiconductor and Electronics Industries of the Philippines Inc. (SEIPI) said one of the hardest hit sector is the semiconductor and electronics industry, as global demand continues to slide.
Established in the 1970s, the SEIPI seeks to be the representative body for major players in the Philippine electronics industry and currently has some 240 members.
The immediate effects on the electronics industry include a sharp downturn in consumer spending, lower volume requirements of original equipment manufacturers, and massive layoffs by electronics manufacturing companies that began in the fourth quarter of 2008, the industry group said.
The SEIPI estimated that electronics export revenues dipped by 5 percent in 2008, over the previous year, as customers of Philippines-based semiconductor and electronics manufacturing companies saw a drastic drop in demand for their products in the fourth quarter of 2008.
Based on current guidance, it said the situation is expected to worsen in 2009 for the electronics industry.
The SEIPI said the anticipated contraction in the global semiconductor market will continue to adversely affect the local electronics industry, which accounts for 75 percent of the Philippine semiconductor export revenues.
However, the SEIPI President Ernie Santiago said this dismal situation is not new to the industry, and is only "cyclical".
Santiago revealed that plans are now in motion to offset the effects of the global slowdown, particularly for Philippine semiconductor and electronics organizations that have laid off workers in mass numbers.
"Most companies have given a commitment to laid-off workers that they will be given priority when they reapply for jobs when the industry recovers," he said.
He added that programs have been put in place to "manage the downturn". These include initiatives on controlling costs, maintaining growth or operating at flat growth, strengthening local sourcing, and preventing or mitigating layoffs, he said.
"Layoff is the last resort of every company," Santiago said, adding that the industry is expected to "survive this crisis".
According to research firm iSuppli, the worldwide semiconductor industry will shrink by 9.4 percent in 2009. Revenue is estimated to decrease to US$241.5 billion, down from US$266.6 billion last year.
Intel was one of the first companies to announce mass layoffs. The semiconductor giant last week announced plans to restructure its manufacturing operations, reducing its manpower by some 3,000--mostly in its key facilities in Asia.
It will close two assembly test facilities in Penang, Malaysia, and Cavite, Philippines.
So, you decided to set up your own business. You have the money but problem is, what kind of business will you set up? If you have this kind of dilemna, maybe these tips may help you in your strategic planning.Business Tip #1: The business idea must be about something you love.
Business Tip #2: The business idea must be profitable.
Business Tip #3: The business idea must involve something you can do very well.
Business Tip #4: The business idea must be unique enough.
Business Tip #5s: The business idea must be something you can afford.
Conclusion
Plan your business carefully from the start. Decide on what business you really want to have, and the rest will be easier.
Credit gives the customer the opportunity to buy goods and services, and pay for them at a later date.
+Advantages of credit trade
+Usually results in more customers than cash trade.
+Can charge more for goods to cover the risk of bad debt.
+Gain goodwill and loyalty of customers.
+People can buy goods and pay for them at a later date.
+Farmers can buy seeds and implements, and pay for them only after the harvest.
+Stimulates agricultural and industrial production and commerce.
+Can be used as a promotional tool.
+Increase the sales.
+Modest rates to be filled.
Disadvantages of credit trade
+Risk of bad debt.
+High administration expenses.
+People can buy more than they can afford.
+More working capital needed.
+Risk of Bankruptcy.
The top 10 risks identified (2008 rankings in parentheses) are:
1. The credit crunch (2)
2. Regulation and compliance (1)
3. Deepening recession (New)
4. Radical greening (9)
5. Non-traditional entrants (16)
6. Cost cutting (8)
7. Managing talent (11)
8. Executing alliance and transactions (7)
9. Business model redundancy (New)
10. Reputation risks (22)
You needn't, of course, confine yourself to trade deals with importers and exporters in these countries--there are scads of other intriguing possibilities available, including the member countries of the Caribbean Basin and Andean pacts and the new kids on the Eastern Bloc, the former Soviet Union countries. But as a newbie on the international scene, you should familiarize yourself with our biggest trading partners and see what they have to offer. Then take your best shot, with them or with another country.
Credit Card when used wisely is a good business tool. You can use credit cards to purchase goods on line. You may also use it to pay in restaurants, business establishments, hospitals, schools, etc.
Some local businesses will continue hiring more people and provide skills re-training especially to displaced workers to help keep unemployment levels at a minimum despite the impact of the global economic crunch. Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) President Edgardo Lacson said except for electronics, other businesses are not much affected by the economic meltdown. "This is because 80 percent of our gross domestic product (GDP) is driven by local consumption which makes us little different from other economies and the presence of our informal economy "the SMEs, OFWs" these are peculiar advantages of the country," he noted. However, despite job demands especially for graduates, Lacson pointed out that matching the skills between the academe and industry remained the biggest problem. "Only four out of 10 are hired after graduation but the rest are not hired because their skills do not match the requirements of the industry," he said. Lacson said the PCCI’s School-To-Office Response to Employment (STORE) system hopes to address this gap, as it matches industry demand for specific qualifications through a ladderized system of entry either through on-the-job training or apprenticeship for permanent employment.
| No. 26 - September 2000 Global Competitiveness: Philippines ranks 37th By Michael B. Mundo |
Information technology, the internet, and electronic commerce have started to influence a country's economic growth prospects and productivity in recent years. Because of this, the United States now leads in terms of global competitiveness, outpacing Singapore in the Global Competitiveness Report 2000.
The Report, prepared by the World Economic Forum and Harvard University, surveyed 59 economies. It introduced a new major factor in its annual series of global competitiveness indices which determine growth in GDP per person.
1.1 Openness
What dragged the Philippines down was its ranking in terms of the international index, dipping six steps behind into the 48th place from the 42nd place. The Philippines performed poorly among other Asian countries, only surpassing Vietnam. Except for Thailand, other Asian countries also slid in terms of openness to global trade and capital flows from the previous report. Hong Kong and Vietnam slipped 1 rank; Taiwan, 3; South Korea, 6; Malaysia, 15; and Indonesia, 21. The Philippines' relative edge lies in its favorable exchange rate for exporters. In this category, the country ranked among the top 12. On the other hand, the report noted worsening hidden import barriers (other than published tariffs and quotas) dropping from the 42nd rank to the 53rd rank. In addition, the report noted the relatively low foreign access to capital markets resulting to a drop from 42nd place to 48th place. The country likewise rated poorly on foreign exchange availability (ascending from the 51st place to he 52nd place), Moreover, IMF lists 12 capital account restrictions for the Philippines, placing it at 53rd rank, below Malaysia, Korea, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand,
1.2 Finance
Though still at a disadvantageous rank, the good news on the Philippines is its ascent in the finance category from the 38th place to the 36th place, just ahead of Asian countries -Vietnam and Indonesia, in the 47th and 50th places, respectively, In contrast, other Asian countries dropped from their previous ranks in this category, Singapore and Thailand slipped by 1 rung; Hong Kong, 5; Taiwan, 6; and Malaysia, 11.
The BW scam and the loss of self-regulatory organization status in the stock exchange last year dragged down the Philippines to 57th place from 48th place in terms of insider trading, the worst in Asia. Weak investments last year as a ratio to GDP likewise pushed down the Philippines from the 31st place to the 42nd place, ahead of Indonesia at 45th place.
The star belongs to the bond market, however, where the country climbed from the 49th place to the 42nd position, ahead of Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam, at the 44th, 45th, and 52nd places, respectively. Another development is the improving access to credit, where the Philippines climbed to 42nd place, from the 50ili place, ahead of Thailand and Indonesia, at the 51st and 58th places, respectively.
1.3 Economic Creativity
The Economic Creativity Index now accounts for a third of a country's growth competitiveness. This indicator is composed of three sub-indices measuring innovation, technology transfer, and start-ups. The Philippines ranks 36th in terms of economic creativity, ahead of Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam, at 40th, 43rd, and 50th places, respectively.
In measuring innovation, the Report looks into companies' competitive advantage in unique products and processes, technology development, product design, technological sophistication, scientific research institutions, firms' need to undertake research and development, private sector spending on R&D, and intellectual property protection.
The Philippines ranks 47th in terms of innovation, ahead of Thailand and Indonesia, at 50th and 55th places, respectively. In this regard, the Philippines lagged behind in world technological leadership or technological sophistication. From 51st place in 1997, the Philippines slowly climbed to 48th place in 1998, and 45th place in 1999. Now, the country is back to a lower spot at 49th place. In terms of companies' pioneering products and process or technology development, the Philippines ranks 50th, ahead of Thailand and Indonesia, at 52nd and 54th spots.
Scientific research institutions here are far from being world-class, currently at 49d1 place from 32"d in 1997, 52nd in 1998, and 46th in 1999. The Philippines, though, remains ahead of Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand, at 50th, 53rd, and 54th places, respectively. Another important weakness of the Philippines is its 46th standing in intellectual property protection, ahead of Indonesia and Vietnam, at 53rd and 57th places, respectively. Previous surveys place the Philippines at 45th (1997), 46th (1998), and 42nd (1999) ranks.
The Philippines ranks relatively higher compared to other Asian countries in terms of technology transfer, at 19th place, coming from 13th place. Previous rankings show the country's fragile position in this aspect because of technology transfer's dependence on foreign direct investments. Since 1997, the Report has tracked down executive opinion on foreign direct investments' contribution to technology transfer under the previous category of technology as well as overall spending on R&D.
Factors contributing to start-ups are venture capital, loan availability, and starting a new business, including investment rate, entry into banking industry" competition with domestic banks, and access to external finance.
The Philippines needs to catch up in terms of startups, at 41st place, ahead of Thailand and Vietnam, at 42nd and 45th places, respectively. Since 1997, venture capital has been drying up in the Philippines, as the country's ranking slipped from the 21st rank in 1996 to 28th place in. 1997, 33rd place in 1998 and 1999, and 47th rank in 2000. In terms of loan availability for those with business plans but witl1out collateral, the Philippines ranks 4th coming from the 45th place, just ahead of China at 53rd place.
2.0 Current Competitiveness
Harvard Professor Michael E. Porter introduced the Microeconomic Competitiveness Index (MICI) way back in 1998 into the Global Competitiveness Report. This year, MICI has evolved into the Current competitiveness Index. Some of the factors that go into the Growth Competitiveness Index overlap with components of the Current Competitiveness Index. Their focus, however, remain different. The Growth Competitiveness Index measures factors behind the future growth of GDP per person. The Current Competitiveness Index gauges the factors behind the present level of GDP per person.
In the Current Competitiveness scheme, the Philippines fell behind to 46111 place from the 45th place in 1998 and 45th place in 1999, ahead of Indonesia and Vietnam, at 47th and 53rd places, respectively. This can be explained by the deterioration in the sub-index of Company Operations and Strategy to the 43rd place, from the 41st and 34th spots in 1998 and 1999, respectively. The Philippines comes ahead of Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam, at 47th, 51st, and 50th places, respectively.
The Philippines' strength in this sub-index lies in marketing and approach to human resources. Its 33rd spot in both factors come ahead of Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam. On the other hand, the country is weakest in Asia with regard to foreign distribution and marketing. Likewise, the country is disadvantaged at international brands and technology development.
The second sub-index that determines the Current Competitiveness Index is the Sub-Index on Quality of National Business Environment. The Philippine standing remained stable at the 46th place since 1999 from the 45th place in 1998, better than Indonesia and Vietnam, at 47th and 52nd places, respectively.
In this regard, the country's advantages lie in the quality of business schools or management education (13th place, the top two in Asia). Another edge lies in the sophistication of buyers, at 30th place, ahead of Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia, at 33rd, 41st, 45th, and 49th spots, respectively. The Philippines also enjoys an advantage in terms of consumer demand for innovation, at 32nd place, ahead of Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam, at 36th, 48th, and 57th places, respectively.
The country retains notoriety in terms of irregular payments (56th place), favoritism by public officials (57th spot), and poor research collaboration (55th place).
WEF and MBC
Food supplements indeed helps us to become healthy and fit. Aside from the health benefits that you can get from taking food supplements is also the opportunity to earn some income selling these products. 
Neovox Technologies is marketing a new product called STAR PC. Simply put, STAR PC can turn 1 ordinary CPU into 5 individual computers. STAR PC is not a server. Benefit from the following advantages of STAR PC: 60% savings on costs of PCs as you only need 1 CPU; you only need 1 Licensed Operating System; very easy to install.
