7 Hot Business Ideas For Summer

Summer in the Philippines can be pretty tough with heat index reaching anywhere from 35 to 40+ degrees Celsius range, a rather usual scenario for Pinoy residents, but quite extraordinary for those coming from abroad. The high temperature can easily switch you on to idle mode as you try to avoid further exhaustion and sweating from summer's scorching heat. Surely, a beach getaway to nearby Batangas or a road trip northward up to Baguio spells a whole lot of fun.  But while everyone devises ways to cool up, budding entrepreneurs or business-minded people also see the school break as a great time to engage in summer business ideas. 

Jump to your summer business adventure.
Photo courtesy of Pixabay

Whether done on a part-time seasonal basis or something that can jumpstart a long-term enterprise, exploring summer business ideas that are easy sell-outs during this sunny time of the year definitely provides one productive escape. If you're one among the enterprising crowd, read more below on hot business ideas for summer that you could cash in, too. Take that jump now to your summer business adventure!

• Tame the appetite

A sure-fire formula to bring fun amidst the summer heat is to eat!  And with that goes the hungry appetite of everyone for anything cold or munchable, which are enjoyable to take with the cooler breeze found outdoors. 

1. Thirst quenchers or "Palamig"

Thirst quenchers are very popular in the Philippines during summer time.  Unsurprisingly, it's only during summer that these so called "heat-busters" get heavy advertising exposure due to surge in demand; otherwise, you'll find these as just regular fast-food menu staples on ordinary days. 

Pinoy Halo-Halo
Photo courtesy of dbgg1979 via Flickr Creative Commons

Top-of-mind thirst-quenchers include halo-halo, sago-gulaman, mais con yelo, buko-pandan, and even fresh fruit shakes. All these may be blended in different style and taste concoctions, consisting of fruits and other flavoured ingredients, but one thing present always is the crushed or full-load ice. Easy to prepare and easy on the pocket, this home business can be found virtually almost in every village or community in the country during summer. Try levelling up if you choose this business by perhaps adding a cherry or strawberry on top to perk up your own halo-halo brand!

2. Mobile barbecue grille food cart 

Mobile barbecue food cart
Photo courtesy of Besophia via Wikimedia Commons

Another sure hit during summer are parties! Whether a live concert marathon, night bazaar sale, or even outdoor movie viewing, the crowd will definitely love some food treat after the event.  In these venues, nothing can be more appetizing than barbecues cooked smoking hot from the grille. Barbecues are another Pinoy favorite and are loved for being a versatile meal, which can be eaten either as quick snack or with rice.  Serving and selling barbecues from a mobile cart on wheels definitely appears exciting with the "on-the-go camping" feel it comes with. 

• Go with travel-bound services

With the Philippines being an island country, there are just so many places to travel to especially during summer.  If you're one local resident in a tourist destination, why not base your next business initiative with tourism-based services from which you have the most advantage in terms of proximity, familiarity and knowledge.   

Go travel-bound.
Photo courtesy of Pixabay

3. Tour guide/coordinator

If you have so much to tell about a tourist spot due to familiarity with the place, or just for the simple love of it developed elsewhere, you can use your knowledge to assist and guide local and foreign guests when they come and visit the locality.  Not only the ways and directions to the place, but knowledge about history, culture, and language will also be most helpful.  

4. Van-for-hire 

Van-for-hire transport services for ferrying travellers are also in-demand during summer. As every household wouldn't want to miss going out on at least one summer trip, marketing your van-for-hire business may start and come easy with word-of-mouth or simple little flyers distributed into mailboxes of every house in your village.  You just have to make sure that you don't only have a reliable and comfortable vehicle, but reasonable rates, too.  Also, be ready with a flexible schedule to accommodate overnights and out-of-town trips that require more than a day's travel time. 

5. Destination weddings/events management

Holding private occasions, whether indoor or outdoor, during summer is also one common sight due to long holidays and school vacation. If you love celebrations, providing destination weddings or events management services can also be a fun and lucrative business.  For summer, get ready with more use of sunblock for beach or pool-side events aside from the usual and intensive coordination work that goes with the work.
    

• For the love of kids

School is out and so are the kids.  With the little folks at home, every smart parent would want to keep them busy and productive.  Indeed, summer offers the best time for kids to learn more beyond the lessons taught in formal school. 

Summer learning for kids
Photo courtesy of Pixabay

6. Swimming/sports clinic

If you happen to be a well-trained or awarded athlete in swimming or other sports, why not share your formal sports knowledge with the kids?  Gather the interested kids from your village and rent out the clubhouse pool for the entire summer. Aside from basic swimming lessons, you can also enrich your summer sports clinic to make a strong niche by teaching water survival skills such as rescuing and first aid resuscitation.  

7. Kids workshop

There could be a wide range of offerings for kids' summer workshop.  These may include singing, dancing, and playing musical instruments for performing arts; baking & cooking for home skills; and origami, decoupage, sketching, painting, etc. for arts and crafts. A whole lot of other interesting summer training camps for kids may be initiated.  You just have to assess your skills and draw from your self-inventory which one you'll enjoy the most teaching to young customer learners.    

5 Business Hacks in Beauty Pageant Industry Uncovered

Oooh summer! Nothing can sizzle as hot as the soaring temperature but beauties on parade. Yes, the country's most prestigious beauty pageant, the 2016 Bb. Pilipinas, was just concluded the other night, last April 17, with Maxine Medina winning the top Bb. Pilipinas-Universe title.  Once again, Pinoy beauty pageant fanatics huddled together while glued to the black tube to watch the show, even how late it took to announce the winners.  But behind all the beauty and glamour, beauty pageants have managed to bring out today one vibrant industry of enduring business players, perhaps ranging from independent freelancers to enterprising business owners. They are those who are responsible for putting up long-time running beauty pageants which have kept loyal Pinoy viewers mystified and entertained through all these years. If you're one with a penchant for beauty, it's worth taking note of some business hacks that thrive with the prolific and undying beauty pageant industry in the country.  

Philippine beauty pageant.
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia Commons

• Pinoys' love for beauty pageants

Admittedly, the search for beauty is universal and dates as ancient as Greek mythology. In the country, there's just an air of charm and magic brought, not only by Bb. Pilipinas, but by beauty pageants in general, to Pinoy audiences. For one, the Bb. Pilipinas beauty pageant has been consistently wrapped up with so much excitement and anticipation every year, which helped sustain its existence for more than fifty years now since 1964, long enough to be reminiscent of anyone's childhood days. 

Beauty pageants are also held left and right everywhere in the country down even to the far-flung barrios while being made as local attractions during fiesta time.  Whereas before beauty contests were popularly timed with summer only, you can hear trickles of them held the whole-year round now. Manila Bulletin report showed that as of October 2014, the Philippines has a total of 43 beauty and modelling competitions.  Included here are the 4 major contests -- Ms. World Philippines, Ms. Philippines Earth, Mutya ng Pilipinas, and Bb. Pilipinas.  

• Early hits and misses 

But Pinoys' love affair with beauty pageants started even much earlier than today's much coveted Bb. Pilipinas seat.  A history of beauty pageants in the Philippines showed that as early as 1908, the country was crowning already its first Manila Carnival Queens.  Back then, untrained pageant contenders landed a title because of renowned beauty or descent from a well-bred family.  

It was in 1952 when the country was first represented in the Ms. Universe pageant in Long Beach, California.  However, it was only in 1964 when Gemma Cruz bagged the country's first major international title as Ms. International. Then other major awards ensued with winnings of Ms. Universe by Gloria Diaz in 1969 and Margie Moran in 1973, and again, Ms. International by Aurora Pijuan in 1970. 

Melanie Marquez capped the early period of winning streak for the Philippines when she won as Ms. International in 1979. Thereafter in the 1980s and 1990s, the country's triumph for a major beauty crown remained elusive. Incidentally during this dry spell on victories, pageant contestants usually didn't go through formal training. Most were fresh graduates or plain students who just relied merely on pageant tips from fashion designers who also acted as mentors. 

• The hard road to the crown

In 2005, Precious Lara Quigaman managed to put back the country in the forefront again by scoring with the Ms. International title.  Then in 2013, Megan Young finished off a remarkable win as the first ever Ms. World for the Philippines. 

Pia Wurtzbach
Photo courtesy of Marktanoja78 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0

For the Ms. Universe title, it was only again starting 2010 when the country began closing in to the crown with a winning streak that started from Venus Raj, Shamcey Supsup, Janine Tugonan and up to Ariella Arida, who all landed Top 5 positions in the prestigious pageant. And then finally, Pia Wurtzbach got the crown as Ms. Universe 2015, after being relinquished from 1st-place runner up. To date, this now brings a total of 3 Ms. Universe wins for the Philippines. 

With the latest pageant track record put up by the country's local beauty queens, competition has turned stiffer, which in turn also required more stringent preparations. Gone are the days when candidates were fielded into the pageant fresh and raw; getting formal training usually for at least half a year is more of the scheme now to stand out and win a pageant. Hence, there’s the emergence of beauty training camps nowadays, which summon skilled resource persons to teach make-up application, personal styling, fitness training, etc. 

• Now a flourishing industry 

With the Philippines now recognized as a major beauty power force in international contests, the country is also being tagged with new titles such as the Beauty Queen Training Capital of the World and even, The Venezuela of the Orient Seas.  But it’s most amazing how Pinoys’ love for beauty pageants has likewise spawned an intricate industry joined in by several players, who each have a hand in molding and training the next beauty titlist locally or internationally. 

Below are the possible businesses you may consider if you want to take part in the dynamic beauty pageant industry.  These are great for freelancers as a start, especially if you’re one pageant aficionado wanting a more active experience of the event. But nevertheless, these may also be turned into actual businesses with workers and staff of your own to cater to private customers later on.

1. Fashion designers.  From swimsuits, national costumes, and to long gowns, the skills and expertise of fashion designers are greatly called for in beauty pageants.  At the just concluded 2016 Bb. Pilipinas, local Pinoy fashion designers finally took center stage for wardrobe requirements of the candidates. 

2. Make-up artists. Beauty queen aspirants also need to learn from make-up artists application techniques for cosmetics and proper skin care and maintenance for a healthy glow. All these they have to master by themselves as they can't rely on assistance of others during actual pageant competition. 

3. Personal stylists. It's also necessary for beauty candidates to properly package themselves with the right individual look.  Here, personal stylists can guide them how to build a wardrobe ensemble which can be mixed and matched to convey a candidate's unique personality through her own fashion choice. 

4. Fitness gurus. Doing various exercises is essential for beauty contenders to stay fit and maintain their shapely figures. Candidates can consult with fitness trainers who can devise complete and tailor-fit exercise activities to trim one's physique from the head down to toes while considering one's health condition.

5. Public speaking experts. For proper self-projection, candidates can learn much from public speaking trainers, such as Dale Carnegie, which help provide training on areas of personality development, verbal expression, confidence boosting, global thinking, and human relations. Communication tools can also be taught to aid candidates articulate quicker and more intelligent answers.     

Undoubtedly while the beauty pageant industry prepares perennial feasts for the eyes, it also serves as a rewarding and fulfilling catch-basin for freelancers-turned-serious entrepreneurs who have the discerning eye for beauty and arts. 

5 Reasons Why Philippines' Destination Wedding Business Is On The Rise

Now that it's summer time, everyone just can't have enough of the outdoors to have fun and escape the sun's scorching heat.  But aside from heading to the beach and getting out on a road trip, the dry weather also offers the perfect time to hold outdoor events, especially scenic destination weddings. 

Beach-front destination wedding
Photo courtesy of Riviera Maya, Flickr Creative Commons

• Not your regular wedding type

Destination weddings are made clearly for the adventurous type of bride and groom who aren't saddled with issues on wedding budget.  It becomes an option when the couple chooses to hold their wedding in a place somewhere else from where they or their families live.  The site chosen by the couple is expected to be appealing to the both, which may be inside or outside of the country.  As this non-traditional type of wedding may take several days, the location ideally should be set off somewhere in an exotic place with several leisure items for the guests to enjoy so that the trip will be especially worthwhile, such as sight-seeing, water-fun activities, or even golf. For this reason, favourite wedding destination sites for American couples include California and Florida in the US, or Europe and the Caribbean Islands if abroad. And since destination weddings are expected to be more expensive than your regular weddings, invited guests are commonly only a chosen few who are extremely special to the couple.  The guests are also usually treated free in everything except for the transportation fare.
  

• An emergent wedding planning business trend 

In the last ten years, destination weddings have increasingly grown popular as alternative wedding celebrations not only in other countries, but also in the Philippines. If you haven't experienced one yet yourself, chances are high you'll be attending one in the near future for a family, relative, or friend who's bound to tie the knot soon.  In a deeply family-oriented country such as the Philippines where weddings are regarded as extra special family milestones, weddings are poured in with meticulous efforts and extensive resources during preparation time. But with the onset of destination weddings as an emergent trend, these weddings have become more complex to organize and manage since they also serve to showcase the wedding couple’s personal style and expression.

If you're a current wedding planner or a soon-to-be entrepreneur, you might consider offering this service, too, in your wedding planning packages menu. You’ll also have greater profit avenues due to additional fees on top of your regular wedding packages. Competition in destination wedding planning business hasn't also gone cut-throat heavy yet.  Not every player in the wedding planning industry has seemed to take seriously out-of-town events as regular staple in their services list. Best of all, you'll have the bonus of getting to see and travel to different beautiful places in the Philippines while attending to your business commitments.

• Philippines poised for destination weddings business

With exotic locations favoured for destination weddings, the Philippines is not far off from becoming one.  Several reasons stand to pack the country with great potential as one of the strong sites for destination weddings. 

1. Highly-Cooperative Spirit. The love for family prevalent in every Filipino's heart translates to a highly-cooperative working spirit for wedding celebrations.  Ultimately, this is manifested via impeccable service and hospitality that make destination wedding preparations easy to manage and pull-off.  

2. Wealth of Wedding Suppliers. There is undoubtedly a rich list of artistic and crafty suppliers who offer their goods and services at obviously lower costs versus those sourced from abroad.  From wedding gown designers and sewers, churches, reception venues, photographers, floral designers, event stylists, stationery printers, etc., you name it, you can find one here in the Philippines. 

3. Easy Access.  Available infrastructure like ports, bridges, and facilities, both from public and private initiatives, have also been put in place with the country's stress on tourism as one prime mover of economic growth.  These have greatly eased mobility and communication. 

4. Island Tourism.  Most of all, the country's island tourism efforts virtually turn every place in the country into one noteworthy tourist haven with numerous beautiful spots to hold the perfect destination wedding.  In the country's three major islands, you can find beaches, gardens, historical sites, etc. to cater to any of your client's choice for achieving their personalized wedding statement. Ideal sites for destination weddings in the country may include Boracay, Palawan, Cebu, Camiguin, Tagaytay, Batangas, Bohol, Intramuros, Benguet, and Baguio. 

5. Captive Market. Destination weddings won't also be too hard to market when searching out for clients. Aside from local couples, wedding couples from overseas such as the OFWs and their foreign friends stand as the best potential customers.  The two latter won't be too hard to convince with their wanting to experience the rich Pinoy wedding heritage and practices.  Based on Migrante International's article last July 2015, DOLE placed OFWs abroad at about 12M already.  Aside from their significant number, OFWs’ presence throughout the world ranging mainly from Europe, Middle East, Americas, and Asia, offers the ready availability of valuable word-of-mouth to serve as your best advertising tool. 

With all the above factors working together to make the Philippines an increasingly favoured location for destination weddings, destination weddings as a business isn't only a short-term trend, but is positively here to stay in the country for the long run. 

  

5 Tips to Beat Bureau of Internal Revenue's (BIR) April 15 Annual Tax Deadline

Once again, the deadline for filing Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) annual income tax returns (ITR) hovers with the month of April trudging in.  As the April 15 annual income tax deadline nears, businesses rummage through financial records to beat this date. 

Photo courtesy of www.efile.com via Flickr Creative Commons

While corporations and partnerships may just breeze through this task, single proprietorships are most commonly saddled with income tax return preparations due to the usual basic and grassroots nature of operations.  Especially if you're a start-up single proprietor entity, ranging from a freelancer, work–at-homer, or small business entrepreneur, you'll definitely be relieved from major headache when the tax season falls due with these simple tips in mind.

1. Take note of the schedules.

You'll face penalties with late filing of tax returns.  Hence, take seriously the schedules of income tax filings.  Oftentimes, some business applicants fail to attend the orientation seminar, which is usually set before the release of Certificates of Business Registration and Authority to Print (ATP) receipts. But it is during this time when the different tax filing schedules are specified for VAT and non-VAT taxpayers. Hence, others end up misguided and faced with huge penalties later on when they've already started with their businesses.

Aside from the April 15 annual income tax filing, non-VAT taxpayers are also required to file on these timings:

• Monthly: every 20th of the month
• Quarterly: April 15, Aug 15, Nov 15
• Annual Registration:  on or before Jan 31

Photo courtesy of kaboompics via Pixabay

2. Keep financial records organized.

Keep in place and in order your records of sales, expenses, investment costs, etc., with necessary back-up receipts and transaction documents to serve as reference attachments, if needed.  Maintaining your monthly income statements updated will also be most helpful to facilitate an easy and fast computation of annual income tax due at the end of the year.

3. Understand the computation process.

Filling up correctly the income tax return forms may not be achieved at one time only. You may need to do a draft first, especially if you're a first-time taxpayer, and finalize it later after reviewing it several times.  Not only do you need to understand the computational procedure, but you may likewise have to look up some terminologies, too.

4. Be time-conscious.  

Nothing beats an early bird so work in advance. Preparing records and doing computations at the last minute are everything you won't need.   These will only build up stress and costs, apart from the hassle of joining in the long lines at BIR offices and accredited banks.

Photo courtesy Public Domain Pictures via Pixabay

5. Seek professional assistance.

Lastly, if you think numbers and accounting stuffs are beyond your working realm, don’t hesitate to get professional help.  It's better to pay for some additional fees for the extra help, than not accomplishing the tax returns and being penalized later on.

5 Reasons Why Tagaytay Stands As Viable Business Site

Tagaytay, seat of the smallest volcano island that is Taal, is obviously one among the top favorites that vacationers flock to in the Philippines. Whether local or foreign, tourists find this place irresistible for various reasons.   But if you happen to be from the business or investor side, it wouldn't be hard as well to realize the many factors, such as below, that make Tagaytay a viable site for your next enterprising move.  

Tagaytay's Taal Volcano Lake
Photo courtesy off therealbrute via Flicker

1.  Nearness. Outside the busy and congested metropolis, Tagaytay poses as your nearest vacation getaway that lies south of NCR.  With average traffic, it would only take probably around two to three hours drive to Tagaytay if you're coming from the farther parts like Marikina or Quezon City. But it's definitely just a stone's throw away if you decide to start off after work from Makati or Alabang and get there via the Binan exit from SLEX.  

2. Temperate Cool Weather.  It may not be as cold as Baguio, but admit it, Tagaytay's refreshing cool weather offers the next best thing after the nerve-raising traffic in Metro Manila.  Owing to its slightly elevated location, Tagaytay's higher altitude, similar to Baguio, will truly leave you gasping up for more of a breath of fresher and cleaner air.  

3.  Breath-taking scenery.  If Mayon volcano in Bicol boasts of a perfect cone, Tagaytay meanwhile, holds the smallest volcano within a lake.  Just imagine what a lovely view that is to beckon with, too! If you need some place to think about or clear your mind off things, or simply just to enjoy sight-seeing,  Tagaytay promises to give you not one, but all that.  

4. Tourist Haven.  With its favorable location, weather and scenery, Tagaytay has undoubtedly become a tourist haven.  Among the various tourism spots for rest and recreation, the most frequented are man-made theme parks that guarantee family fun and bonding time like Sky Ranch, People's Park In the Sky, and Picnic Grove.

Destination weddings have also been associated with Tagaytay in the recent past. Apart from the picturesque Taal volcano and lake serving as romantic backdrop to wedding couple and guests, several beautiful Tagaytay wedding churches serve as witnesses to memorable wedding ceremonies.  

Beautiful wedding church at Our Lady of Lourdes Tagaytay
Photo courtesy of Go Entrepinay

During Holy Week, Tagaytay transforms into a Catholic pilgrims' destination due to the nearby chain of Batangas churches for Visita Iglesia. There are also other Tagaytay religious places ideal for prayer and meditation to fill one's spiritual nourishment like the Pink Sisters, Our Lady of Manaoag at Tierra de Maria, and Chapel on the Hill, among others. 

5. Nature's Bounty.  While modern commercial structures have emerged to line Tagaytay's landscape, its rustic farm appeal remains.  Guests on their way back home would surely find it hard not to make a stop-over at the roadside stores for a buy on food delicacies notably buko pies, farm products, and fresh fruits ranging from bananas, pineapples, corn, to watermelons.       

The steady and high visitor traffic in the small, yet upbeat town of Tagaytay, not only during holiday season but the whole year through, suffices to assure you of a strong, viable business location. Now, as to what business niche or offering you could bring to the place creates an exciting prospect left for you to think about.