Multiply Transfer: Business portfolio

I've been thinking about this since my college time, to create a diverse yet manageable business portfolio to help negate risks as well as to increase my profitability. Over the past few months however it Struck me that having something so diverse may not be possible when done alone, there are simply so many tasks to be done in some fields and by the law of opportunity costs it is not possible to do both. 

After much thought and strategies my plan of action has been perfected, a long term business portfolio will be implemented classifying my assets into different categories and allocated into differently classes depending on risk. Now essentially the key to the success of this portfolio is being with a great team of colleagues with competence in their field to give advice in what they are good in and for me as a responsible member to give advice and to manage well. Here is my business portfolio (when it is completed).

Conservative assets:
1 Real Estate (rentals, buy and sell etc)
2 A bank account that shows a healthy level of liquidity
3 Mutual funds

Medium risk assets
1 Firms - Energy firms My love, my heart, my soul

2 Joint venture firms with me as part of the directors or managing partners - not that there must be a team of managing partners on this one or professional management must be tapped. I want to be in education, retailing, franchising, health and even pets. Me and my friends have started already by noting the essential values neded for a setup like this. Were happy with the rate we are going.

       The aim of the joint venture is more than to diversify risk and to gain added income, it is a way to learn different business disciplines and to incorporate them into personally managed firms 

3 Venture capital projects

4 Professionally managed firms - From the words of Benson " Let the professionals worry and work for it and enjoy life" A fat salary or you're fired bwuhahahahaha

5 Real eastate projects 

High risk Assets
1 Stocks and other securities (with much advice with trusted traders)
2 Occasional investment in pioneering projects

Im rich, you're rich and everyones happy=) diversify too!

Original Post: November 3, 2007

Multiply Transfer: You are what you wear…beyond basic consumerism

You are what you wear…beyond basic consumerism A trendy twentyteener goes to a Rustan’s shopping mall in Alabang; she goes down the escalator and is bombarded with a buffet of clothing selection, browsing through it she sees a dress she likes and as quick as she went in, she purchases it. A senior executive enters a luxury car showroom and is given a brilliant sales talk by a highly trained sales executive. He might purchase the car when the price is right and if the car has the testosterone filled features he craves for. Lets now go to a scenario we are more familiar with, a young person goes inside an All Flip Flops store and buys a pricy pair of slippers imported from a country that can boast nothing of industrial output and efficiency (maybe except for ethanol production). In this day and age where we seem to be bombarded with the multicolor dizzying displays and nonstop marketing of product benefit propositions we seem to be at the hypnotic mercy on what is currently trendy and fashionable. We tend to purchase our luxury items because of the influence of opinion leaders. While I have nothing against seeking advice from friends nor benchmarking with certain “celebrities”, why can’t we evaluate our brands beyond the peer pressure and flashy marketing stints. Brands that live by the moment have the tendency to be faddish and investing too much on items that are faddish wont be good on your purchase investment- although a little fads are fun because variety is the spice of life! Now this is not a walk in a park, I will have to advise you to do something many people dread in middle school until college. Research your brands my friends. I believe if you must consume or purchase a luxury product, you must learn its background. The core values of the brand. Get a brand that blends with your values. Let me give you an example; if given a choice between a Ferrari and a Lamborghini I will choose a Lamborghini. Why? Here is the reason. Lamborghini represents defiance and entrepreneurship, it represents out besting others and challenge. The founder of Lamborghini was a farmer who rode and drove trucks to till the fields. He once bought a Ferrari and wrote to Mr. Enzo Ferrari that the clutch is too difficult to operate, Enzo retorted saying “How are you to know these things, you are but a truck driver” with that he took up the challenge and made his own line of sports car. Notice the bull logo in a Lamborghini, now that’s a sign of his humble beginnings. I would buy that brand because that’s me- me against the doubters, pessimists and the people who say I cannot. I am a rebel an innovator and an entrepreneur. Another example: If I were to own a luxury car Id own a Mercedes Benz over a Jaguar, a Cadillac and an Audi. More than the comfy seats and the astounding driving features I will own it because it represents who I am, A person who blends innovation and tradition. You see the owners of the Mercedez Benz brand came from 2 distinct companies that have been fierce rivals for over 40 years- one (Daimler) company thrives through traditional reliability and simplicity the other one (Benz) has the spirit of innovation and the racing spirit. Despite the opposite philosophies the companies are practicing they have one value that is an important part of their corporate soul: the desire to give the best. Now that’s just me. I would like to believe I am like a Mercedes Benz, someone who lives the best traditions and values with the heart of an innovative entrepreneur. As far as my brands are concerned I an essentially utilitarian but when I go for luxury I make sure I but items with a soul. They are investments my friends and an extension of one’s persona. Now my friends, we don’t really buy luxury brands all the time but in case you do, don’t buy it just to fit in the crowd and as I relate in the paragraph before this put utilitarian thinking over the immediate impulse buying. Some brands are just names that carry an expensive price tag- seek brands that only a few can really own. Be prudent and thrifty and when you have enough cash you might as well put the necessary research to make sure your investment is really a part of yourself.

Original Date September 12 2007

Multiply Transfer: Bangkok Reflections

Bangkok Reflections A few days ago I visited our South East Asian neighbor Thailand, expecting to see the exact reflection of our own self in a country just over 1,500 kilometers away. I was wrong. My dear friends we have been clearly overtaken and the only reason for our lagging is our own doing. Sadly the bright Filipino is almost always overtaken by nations with better value system and a better functioning culture. During the descent of the plane to the Bangkok International Airport all looks the same high above the clouds; upon the final approach however the landscape surprised me. They have built an elevated highway system going to the airport, not just one but 4 elevated highways. Judging from the distance of the airport from the city I’m estimating it the distance of Quezon City to Laguna. Their airport is way larger and way busier then our own, I might say it is 8 times or 800% larger. This made me pause and think what went wrong, we used to have the best, we got complacent and we were overtaken- now Singapore, Malaysia and even Thailand have a better airport. Upon exit of the airport we were met by our arranged private transport service and drove all the way to the hotel. The road networks were world class and pretty soon we were zooming at 100 kilometers per hour with little interruption (the interruptions came when we approached the Bangkok city proper). I also noticed that there are very few shanties present by the highway, although there are some clustered shanties in hidden areas they are far less than the shanties in Metro Manila. From my point of view Manila has 7 times more shanties. The very site of our shanties located in prime real estate land infuriates the developer in me. After a hour’s drive we reached our hotel, since we were on a business trip to visit plant sites in their province it doesn’t make any sense to check in an expensive hotel when you wont really have the luxury of time to enjoy its facilities. The road to the hotel (Petchburi road) looks like a cross between EDSA and Aurora Boulevard. In a gaze of awe because of its uncanny similarity I pondered, why we are so slow? Before anyone reads and makes a hate campaign against the author (me) remember that this is a private blog. I can and will write anything that comes into my mind. You are entitled to your opinions; I am entitled to mine- criticisms against the content of this article are welcome but criticisms against the author (me) are not…. Well say it nicely. For the Leaders Forget the masses, they are stupid and they do not know what is good for them in the long run. I firmly believe that populist leadership is not a successful leadership and will not in anyway give any long term benefit. The masses are greedy, short sighted and only care about their basic welfare. They will want wage hikes because they have 5 children to feed and the cost of goods are expensive; they will not mind the fact that we are already a very expensive nation; expensive electricity, expensive real estate, expensive because of the bribes, expensive because of the red tape and corruption. Now expensive labor? Tell those protesters to shut the fuck up and get back to work, I have personally seen ordinarily poor people who got out of poverty, I know Gasoline sation manager being promoted from the lowly ranks of a pump attendant, I saw a fisherman’s daughter become a multi millionaire business woman with connections from china to the UK. I’ve had afternoon tea with a millionaire who started out as a 14 yr old dropout. Focus on the businesses, our government’s job is to create opportunities for business because we are a market economy in the first place. Make business a priority- business set up hire people and promote the excellent ones with big $$$$. Poverty solved. Stop coddling the squatters- they don’t pay any taxes! Sometimes I wish the government acted like a corporation, allowing the biggest tax payers to have the most voting power. Someday I wish to see a figure like Lee Kwan Yew to run the Philippines. Dictatorial strength. Businessman credo. For the masses. Stop multiplying. Use a glove, pill or whatever to control your numbers. Don’t blame the government that you are starving, the logic is simple if you cant afford kids don’t have em. Stop complaining about the setbacks of land reform you got what you asked, a plot of land for every farmer and firms not being able to own more than hectares. Be productive. Stay away from crime. For the Working and Middle class. I know a large majority of you never trusted the government and are very pessimistic about this country. But please, don’t be selfish brats who don’t acknowledge the efforts and the successes of this administration, congratulate the good- it motivates people. It gives the signal that good work is rewarded and looked up upon. Forget about the thoughts of leaving the country, this is a land of opportunities and by far its much easier to get wealthy in one’s own country than to be forever a corporate slave for a foreign boss abroad. Be entrepreneurial. Be entrepreneurial. Be entrepreneurial. It starts with a dream, many of the upper class come from the middle class, strive to have a world class business, strive to have a business that the Filipino will be proud of. Stop the pessimism we are thankful for your efforts but the pessimism is contagious. For the Rich and the Upper class Be the rich and upper class that inspires. Invest in the development of our nation. Be fair. Do not corrupt the politicians, it will produce bad economic backlash and is bad or business. Do not cheat, cheating is bad for business and is shameful. For the Religious leaders. Rich is good. Rich is good. Being rich is according to God’s plan. God wanted us to use our talents for productivity. God loves the industrious man who helps his nation in economic progress. God hates the lazy poor who complains, steals other people’s property through squatting and multiplies too much only to make his children live in poverty. Stop mingling with politics. The Abu Sayyaff and the other Terrorists deserve to die, a ceasefire will only prolong the violence in the Mindanao states. Assume responsibility for your own defective culture and own defective teachings. The prominent religion in our country just blames. Stop preaching the crab mentality. Prayers dont solve everything. Shut the fuck up on the dogma regarding creationism. If we can improve crops, lengthen life though genetic modification- lets do it! Do not preach people, we live in a world already saturated with preachers and too much religious dogma. Let the people decide what to follow. Do not judge other religions. I am not expecting to see all of these done overnight, but with constant change for the better we will come back with a vengeance. Beat the Thai. Beat the Malayasians. Beat the Singaporeans. Long live the Philippines. Cheers!

Original Date: September 4 2007

Multiply Transfer: I finally made a multiply account

Since I realized Ive been missing a lot not blogging I finally decided to put up this multiply personal blog site! Special thanks to Michelle and Christine for adding extra pressure on me (in a good way).  Yeah this site is boting for now, eventually my individualistic self would gradually upgrade and improve this site and hopefully it becomes a habit for me to add up people and check on this site from time to time. 

Original Date: October 5 2005