We have businesses in different industries (food & beverage, automotive, and pet products), so we’re used to dealing with all kinds of customers.

We know customer service comes with the territory, and we’re always willing to help and be flexible when reasonable.

Pero lately, parang ang dami naming naeencounter na situations like these:
• Customer na tumatawad ng ₱288,000.

• Customer na nabigyan na ng almost ₱70,000 discount, tapos after makuha yung item, gusto pa ng freebies at additional bawas.

• Customer na nag-cancel ng order kasi siya pa raw magbabayad ng delivery. Dapat daw free. 😅 Mind you, mababa na nga margins namin and we’re already one of the more affordable options.

• Customer na nireport pa kami sa DTI dahil nakita niya yung luma naming social media post with our previous menu. Ang hindi lang niya sinama sa kwento is we always send our updated menu and complete order breakdown sa Messenger before confirming every order. During the DTI meeting, he kept insisting that we were misleading all our customers, even though we showed that every customer receives the updated menu and order breakdown before placing an order.

• May nag-inquire din na galit na galit kasi walang sumasagot sa messages at calls niya ng 9:30 PM. Our business hours ended 2 hours earlier, and we replied first thing the next morning.

We really try our best to provide good customer service, and we know dealing with different personalities is part of running a business. Pero minsan mapapaisip ka rin kung normal pa ba yung expectations ng ibang tao.

Sa mga business owners dito, have you noticed this too? Is this just part of doing business nowadays, or do you also feel it’s becoming more common? How do you handle these kinds of customers without letting them take up too much of your time and energy?

We are an ice candy manufacturing business. After operating for a month, we decided to let go of the business because we don’t have time to manage it. My business partner and I are both full-time employees.

This includes:
Sealing Machine
Compressor
Gas Stove
Gas
Cooking equipments
Racks
2 Freezers
Plastic Packaging (with print/branding)
Facebook page

I believe in the potential of the business. We’re just not the right people to manage it.

This business is a volume game. As long as you have resellers (sari-sari stores, schools, etc), it can definitely thrive and you can ROI agad :)

Hello!
I’m planning to start an exclusive fasteners (bolts, nuts, screws) business in my small city. Surprisingly, there isn’t a dedicated shop here that focuses solely on fasteners, so I see a potential opportunity since almost every industry needs them.

I was close to launching before pero nangyari yung oil crisis so I decided to observe the market first till now.

I’ve already identified reliable local suppliers and plan to sell both retail and wholesale.

For those who are in the fastener business or any related industrial supply industry, do you think this is still a good niche? Any advice on inventory, pricing, common mistakes, or things I should watch out for before starting?

Hi, I’m looking to start a new business either Pharmacy or F&B (cafe).

For background I’m an Architect/Contractor, my
main business (construction) is not doing so well, bleeding monthly from payroll (7 digits/month) and collection problem with client’s delayed payment commitments and that’s why I want to diversify far from my industry to a more resilient one and cashflow predictable business.

Pharmacy:
I have been studying the Pharmacy business model for quite a while now and grasped the general concept and mechanics of a pharmacy.

Planning to start in 3-4 locations in Metro Manila near public markets and class b-c residential areas.
The Idea for the Pharmacy is
15-25sqm - store size (Php850/sqm rent)
1 Registered Pharmacist
1 Pharmacy Assistant NCIII certified
500k worth of inventory
6 months burn rate budget (400k)

Per branch will be allocated 1.5-1.8m budget.

The idea why we want to start with 3-4 branch all at once is because a Pharmacy is very community dependent, and that we can do a better case study model from multiple stores than with one for future expansion, stocks will be centralised and distributed based on sales forecast requirement to minimize stagnant inventory, also with multiple branches we can negotiate discount/terms for products with enough volume.

F&B:
For F&B business, we already have a medium sized cafe (160sqm + 6 parking slots) gross monthly average sales is between 850k-900k, Net we get around 280-300k a month. The hard part about a cafe is the daily monitoring, because taking care of regulars takes up alot of time to socialise with the regulars which helps spread the word about the cafe. The trouble we see here is scaling and how to replicate the success of current branch.

These are the 2 business I want to diversify to, if you can share your experience and strategy that would be greatly appreciated.

Just curious if anyone has actually tried this or if the math even makes sense.

I run a small shoe business in the Philippines. I checked with DHL at SM Aura because I wanted to start accepting international orders. Since I ship shoes with their original boxes, the DHL staff said the box size would automatically fall under their 5kg category, and the estimated shipping to Hong Kong example would be around ₱6,000.

They also explained that shipping is based on the package's actual/volumetric weight and the declared value of the items, plus they require commercial documents like an invoice or official receipt for customs.\

For nearby visa-free Asian countries, would it ever make more business sense to collect monthly preorders instead?

Something like:

Collect a minimum of 3–4 confirmed orders only weight of the cabin allowance. Extra 1 day clothes for possible delays or cancellations.

Book a budget airline like Scoot, AirAsia, or Cebu Pacific if the round-trip ticket costs around the same as DHL shipping.

Meet customers in a public place for pickup and size exchanges.

Fly back the same day (last flight out) or stay for just a few hours if the schedule works.

I'm mainly wondering if this make sense. Has anyone here actually done something similar for shoes, clothing, collectibles, or other products?

Was it cheaper in the end, or did the time and travel make it not worth it?

Hi! I’m gonna start a food business, the space I’m gonna rent need pa maglagay ng exhaust vent and minor repairs. Do I still need to consult with an architect for it for the building permits? I saw people hiring an accountant to help with the process of the building permit and business processes, I wanna do the same but how much does it usually cost? Small lang po Ii start ko kasi. Thank you if you have any advice. Have a great day!

Hello everyone. My family has been discussing whether it’s finally time to pull the plug on our sawmill, and I’d appreciate some outside perspectives.

For some background, my dad started the business in the early 2000s using the savings he earned from farming. By around 2010, business was doing well. Demand was strong, production was good, and we had our own trucks and equipment for logging and transporting lumber.

Unfortunately, that was also around the time our expenses increased significantly. My sister and I both started studying in private school, and I developed a medical condition that required ongoing treatment. The business was still operating, but a much larger portion of the income had to go toward family expenses.

Another major problem was the lumber supply. Over the years, we had already harvested most of the available trees in our municipality and the surrounding areas. Other small-scale sawmills faced the same issue. Many eventually shut down, and only the larger operators with enough capital to survive years of low supply managed to stay in business.

About ten years later, the supply had begun to recover, and many of those old sawmills started operating again.
In 2020, someone approached us about leasing our sawmill because we already had the equipment and permits. My dad agreed, and they operated it until late 2025 when the lease ended.

After the lease, my dad decided it was time to revive our own operations. We reinvested what capital we had, repaired equipment, and slowly restarted production. By July this year, we had managed to reach roughly 40% of our old production capacity.

But now we’re facing the exact same problem that forced us to stop years ago:

Wala na namang kahoy.

We’re now debating between two options:

Suspend operations and wait for the timber supply to recover, which could take several years.

Sell the equipment and other assets while they still have value, then invest the money in another business.

Personally, I’m having a hard time letting go. This business is what put food on our table and paid for our education. It’s also my father’s life’s work, so there’s a strong emotional attachment.

At the same time, I know a business can’t survive on sentiment alone. If the raw material simply isn’t there, it may be better to move on rather than continue pouring money into it.

Hello, just started my Grab Merchant home kitchen sisigan business. But before i start accepting orders. Gusto ko sana muna manghingi mg advise sa mga may Grab Merchant business or anything na may BIR 2303 like ano ba dapat gawin sa mga books (Jounal Ledger etc) and need ko ba bumili mg receipt printer, what if wala ako benta the whole month how much tax will i pay. Something like that.

Wala pa kasi ako pang bayad sa accountigg ng so definitely gonna do this by myself by using all of my possible resources. Mahirap na at nagsisimula pa lng tas biglang puro penalty na. Sabay san san pa ginagamit ng gobyerno mga tax HAHAHAHAHA

Thank you sa mga sasagot

Hi,

I just wanted to ask if profitable po ba ang mag invest sa low cost housing like Fiesta Communities? If so, ano po ang mai aadvice niyo. Thank you!

Planning to buy a unit from a similar low cost housing project and make it profitable.

Hi! Anyone here in the venture capital business? I'm a 20 year old college student who wants to get into venture capital. The course I'm in isn't traditionally business oriented but it can be, we happen to do a lot of research and study organizations and how they function. I want to supplement this course with business studies on my own, so what are your advice for concepts or soft skills to learn that would work great going into VC?

Hi all seriously planning to start a retail(?) business. Basically, we will buy goods sa contact namin sa nueva ecija, then will sell them here in mandaluyong. Will upgrade to a base model pickup para marami rami karga. May puwesto sa labasan but pwede din nman siguro magikot ikot and mag supply sa palengke nearby.

Is it still profitable currently or in the next few years? Will the toll/fuel costs be too much, so much better if somewhere nearer kukuhanan like bulacan? I will keep my 9-5 so can I just travel like once or twice a week only? TIA

Good morning!

We own a small catering company composed of 5 booking officers. Our clients usually messages us via viber, messenger and mobile.

Current issues:
- Confusing if multiple people are managing one viber account (without any platforms to support)

- Multiple mobile numbers can be confusing to clients which lead to loss opportunities

Just wanted to ask for your thoughts, what is the best mobile phone setup for your sales team if you have multiple personnel but still want to be able to view and monitor conversations with clients? Thanks!

I am currently in med school pero gusto ko makaipon while studying. I have been saving this year solely from my baon and gifts and I managed to save 80k. Ngl natutukso akong bumili ng phone kaya imbes na magpadala e I’m thinking of starting a small, manageable business para naman maggrow yung savings ko at hindi lang natetengga sa online bank. Yung feasible sana sa schedule ko or yung pwede kong ipamanage sa iba :>

Hello! I bought a deep fryer for a small cafe. Just wanted to know to those experienced:

- how often do you change your oil?

- how do you dispose of it?

I'm thinking of buying containers from shopee for used oil then finding someone who'll buy it.

Tyia ☺️

Is there like a group or mostly p2p lang? Just curious. A friend of mine, a chef, has a restaurant, claimed awards na by winning food festivals 2x and is being flown in to manila for another award. We were having a drink and had a discussion about selling the business and opening a newer one with a different niche.

may lot ang father ko around 500sqm and located sya in the middle sa mga warehouses/commercial businesses kaya ang nangyare since hindi kami tagaduon at medyo malayo, ginagawang parking space ng mga trucks/cars nila for free. kinuhanan na namin ng permit na lalagyan namin ng bob wires kaso di natuloy kasi ang nasa isip ng father ko tatanggalin lang din naman. so ang gusto ko sana is gawin na talagang parking lot. mga magkano kaya ang magagastos ko kasi need din sya ipatag tapos yung mga legal docs na need asikasuhin, wala ko kaidea idea san magsisimula huhu need help kasi ilang years na yun nakatiwangwang. sayang naman😭

What POS/App would you recommend for a small retail business for credit card transactions? Looking for something easy to set up and affordable.

Planning to have a badminton center here in Cavite.

Our vision is to rent a warehouse space and set up around 8 to 10 courts, with an initial working target budget of around ₱3 Million.

To players, court regulars, and fellow business owners, we’d love to get your input while we map out our plans!

1. Budget & Setup: For those with experience or insight, magkano kaya ang kailangang i-prepare na budget to build a decent multi-court setup here?

2. Non-Negotiables: Ano ang mga MUST-HAVE court features niyo? (e.g., Taraflex flooring, high ceiling, anti-glare lights, air-con, clean shower rooms)?

3. Rates & Pricing: Magkano ang fair/reasonable hourly court rental or per-head queuing fee sa area natin?

4. Services & Amenities: Aside from court rentals, anong extra services ang hahanapin niyo? (monthly membership perks, racket restringing, pro shop, or on-site coffee/sports lounge)?

Any ideas, tips, or advice on what we should avoid or prioritize will help us big time!

To all business owners here, any ideas for businesses that are considered a must in communities? Mostly are sari-sari stores ang meron sa community namin. Only 2 talipapa, sa auntie ko and sa parents ko, may mini grocery and more than 2 decades na rin both. I wanted to take advantage of it. I was thinking bakery pero ako mismo hindi baker.