Today's Issue
- Editor's Take
- SME Featured of the Month:Garsion Merchandising
- Events: Cubao Expo Y.E.S. 08' (Year End Sale) (Friday 3 October to Wednesday 24 December); Overseas Call Center Job Fair '08 (Saturday 4 October); How to Craft an Engaging SEO Copy (Saturday 4 October); The KAIZEN Philosophy (Monday 6 October); How to Compete Effectively Supply Chain Management (Monday 6 and Tuesday 7 October); ISO 9001:2000 Quality Management System Documentation (Monday 6 and Tuesday 7 October); How to Start a Business (Tuesday 7 October); Developing an Effective Purchasing System (Tuesday 7 October); Risk Assessment, Analysis and Management (Tuesday 7 and Wednesday 8 October), and Entrepreneurship Course: How to Set-up an Internet Shop/Café Business (Tuesday 7 and Wednesday 8 October)
- SME Power Quote
Garsion Merchandising: Putting More Business 'Sense' through Pepper
In chic restaurants or at the family table, pepper is essential to the Filipino feast. Pepper is the ingredient that provides ‘spirit’ to the meal and sparks a craving for more.
No one knows better about the pepper trade than the Biscocho family of Lipa, Batangas. A family-owned company put up by entrepreneur Leodegario Biscocho, Garsion Merchandising has been in the business of supplying the delightful spice for the past 30 years.
Seasoned through the Years. From an initial investment of 20,000 pesos, the Biscochos have built a thriving SME and a reputation for the uncompromising quality of their produce.
To read full article, click here!
SME Power Quote
"You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great."
- Zig Ziglar
Editor's Take
With the benchmark of oil prices at US$100 a barrel, business and consumers are making radical shifts in energy consumption habits here and around the world.
Following the lead of taxi companies in Manila, a number of small fishing businesses have successfully converted their smaller vessels to run on cheaper LPG. Corporate institutions are leapfrogging over florescent lamps to use cutting-edge, energy-saving LED technology, and—since water pumps require electricity—to waterless sanitary toilets and low-flow taps. Meanwhile, the fuel price crunch has boosted the hopes of sugar farmers in Cavite if plans to put up an integrated ethanol plant in the province take off. Perhaps producers of lambanog will not take long to look into the development of a bio-diesel grade version of the potent liquor.
The continuing oil price volatility is the result of a confluence of factors. The rising energy demands by economic prosperity in large-population countries, combined with war jitters in the Persian Gulf and political instability in the Nigerian delta, and the attendant speculation is keeping prices high.
But as trends for China and India continue to indicate a long-term rise in fuel consumption, the figures for the United States, which is the world’s largest oil consumer, show a slackening off resulting from high prices and the economic slowdown.
It is not unforeseeable that the price of oil could reverse. In fact, there is even talk of world oil prices sinking to US$86, and calls some quarters to keep the price high by pumping out more black gold. The new psychological price remains to be seen until the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) meeting later in the year.
Whichever the case, we should enjoy relatively lower pump prices as they come but factor in high energy costs into our plans for the next year and far beyond.
The regime of really cheap oil is over. That is a given. A new reality is rising. Businesses that refuse to adapt, fail to prepare or even pay attention to emerging opportunities will, in no uncertain terms, pay the ultimate price.
What's your take on this?We want to hear from you! To participate in the discussion, click here!
