Striking Gold

While taking a break from my blurb-writing raketship, (which I'm close to giving up) I came across a Facebook post about a couple who struck big, during the Football matches in Brazil. 

The story goes exactly like this:

From Sigfreid Barros Sanchez

Now that the World Cup is coming to an end, let me share to you how a friend of mine earned P50,000 a night just by making loom bands. He and his girlfriend just had an idea to make loom bands whose colors are based on the colors of the flags of the nations that are competing at the soccer tournament. They made the loom bands really nicely and sturdy and went to places in Makati and Malate where expats hang out in the wee hours of the evening to watch the games. They sold the loom bands for one-thousand pesos each. It was a jackpot selling these loom bands to these foreigners because most of them come to these bars with their Filipina girlfriends in tow. So they already score a jackpot by selling two loom bands to two persons in one sitting. Add to these that most of these guys are drunk and fanatics and would buy almost anything you shove at them that is connected to their favorite team. They were able to sell 50 loom bands a night which gave them a take of P50K each evening they hang out almost sleepless. And that with just an investment of P800 per one big bag of assorted rubber bands! Talk about being an entrepreneur! And this guy did not even took up a Marketing course in college! His background is he is just a musician/cameraman! Now that the World Cup is coming to an end, I'd like to share this story to inspire others out there that doing business does not entail you to have a cum laude or a diploma from a big university. You just have to start small and dream big and know how to make good use of a situation to your advantage. He is starting his new batches of loom bands for the July 13 games. I know he won't be able to go to all the bars in Metro Manila to sell his works so I am sharing this to you so that you can earn a little money with the last game in Brazil. After the World Cup, he is already eyeing two sporting events to sell his wares. As they say in our native tongue, "Una-unahan lang 'yan! Kanya-kanyang diskarte lang 'yan!" What's yours?

I was telling my deputy the other night some painful truths about our rat race, including the people at work who has sunk under heaps of loan payments. It was our smoking break, and a fancy car passed by distracting our individual train of thoughts. I was the first to break the silence, to confess that sometimes, I no longer find comfort in the status quo.

"Alam mo, talaga sigurong yayaman ka lang sa pagne-negosyo." I said between the cigarette puffs.

"Honga, kung makaipon lang ako, gusto ko magtayo ng Internet cafe." 

"Malulugi ka dun, I countered." I told him the story of a friend who used to have an Internet cafe, and his never-ending problems of upgrading his units to catch up with technology.

"Kahit malapit sa school?" I nodded.

"Marami na may laptop at gadgets ngayon." I said. He then concurred that rental rates have gone too low, while electricity rates continue to surge, to even break-even.

I don't know what has gotten into me, but since the raket projects began to pay off, this aspiration to make more money became a stuff of ambitions. Last month, I spoke to a friend about treasure bills and government bonds. Lately, it's business ideas I'm incubating during my idle times. While there's no certainty that I have the guts for money-making ventures, the very idea that I've recovered my savings through means outside my day job speak of my potentials. 

I may not be as lucky and creative as the guy who struct gold during the Football matches. But one day, I'm certain to be overwhelmed by an entrepreneurial inspiration and do something to make it come true.

Who knows what life lies ahead.

"Alam mo Allan," I told my colleague and deputy during that same night we spoke about our business ventures. 

"Kung magnenegosyo siguro ako, gusto ko magtayo ng pet crematorium."

"Pet crematorium?" His contorted face expressed his befuddled thoughts.

"Yup. Mukhang wala pang ganung negosyo, and most probably, the market for it is already there." I said assuredly.

"Imagine mo na lang lahat ng mga pets na pinapatulog sa vet clinic." I disclosed.

"At yung mga pet owners na sobrang mahal yung mga pets nila, can't afford nilang ipatapon na lang yung carcass basta-basta.

"Yun ang unang kong mga clients."