Probably the most frequently asked question that I get from readers of this blog is how to earn money here, get a job, or other such things concerning ways to live here while still earning a living. A lot of us would like to move here before it’s time to retire! I moved here when I was 38 years old. I had been able to save up a good sum of money and I formulated a plan on how I could use that money to earn a nice living while staying in the Philippines.
Unfortunately, my plan flopped!
I moved here, and put my money “to work” by opening 3 or 4 different businesses. Some did OK, but some did not. Doing OK, I learned, was still not very much income in the local terms. I finally got down to the point where I had to figure out a way to earn money, or I had to go home. Luckily for me, I worked hard and figured out how to earn a nice living here.
But, I also know that what works for one person does not necessarily mean that it will work for others. I also am aware that in this blog, I have primarily pushed Internet based ways to make a living, like what I do. However not all people are tech-oriented, and I understand that.
Let’s look at another way to earn a nice living here. Admitedly, this method will require a little more start-up capital than the Internet businesses that I do, but that’s OK. What I am thinking of is buying a franchise. It’s not like the USA where you will need to lay out hundreds of thousands of dollars to buy into a franchise. Here, in the Philippines, you can get a franchise operation for just a fraction of the cost. There are a lot of different types of franchises that you can start up for $20,000 or less.
I have a friend, and Austrian fellow named Rudolf Kotik. I’ve known Rudolf for about 6 years now, i guess. He is really a nice guy, and has lived in the Philippines for about 20 years or so. Rudolf is the man behind a company called “RK Franchise”. RK Franchise is based in Manila, but with offices in other parts of the Philippines as well. Rudolf got his franchise training with McDonalds Europe, I believe. Rudolf helps develop businesses for franchise, and he also helps market the franchises that he developed for people who want to start up with a franchise. He has opportunites in the food business, office type business, just about any kind of business that you could think of. I recommend that you take a look at Rudolf’s website, and if you have questions, be sure to e-mail him through his website and let him give you a hand! Rudolf is a very nice guy, and if you let him know that I sent you, he’ll take extra special care of you.
Franchises are a safer way to get into business for yourself than starting your own business, because they are based on businesses that are already operating, have proven the concept and have worked out the kinks already. You would be buying a system that is already in operation, just put it in your own location and start making money!
Another way that expats may consider is starting an English proficiency training center in areas where call centers are becoming a growing business. Many Philippine cities including Davao are trying to attract call centers to locate in their area. I heard that a big percentage of the applicants do not get hired because of low proficiency in English. This is probably due to the way the locals pronounce their vowels, a complicated thing especially in American English. Familiarity with American idioms and expressions would help. This is definitely one way that American expats in the Philippines can help. You may not be allowed to work there but you can start a training center or a school as a business.
Great idea, Samuel! I had not thought of this idea, but it's a good one. The call center trend will be alive for a long time to come, and providing training on speaking "American English" is a natural!
Hi Bob
I left a comment on your previous post on 'Can I buy a house' and after going over more of your posts I realise commenting on this one is more appropriate. To follow up on the previous questions I posted, would you know what the regulations are on foreigners owning franchises (in my case, being a part owner) in the Philippines and would ownership legally entitle the foreigner to live and work in the country?
Again, thank you for your help. Your blog has been very useful and informative!
Hi Alex – a foreigner can not own a business here, franchise or not. He can own a share of a maximum of 40%, but not more. Since he is prohibited from owning the franchise, that would make your question about it allowing him to live and work here void.
I agree with Samuel on starting an English proficiency training center. I've been offered this business opportunities by some of my wife's relatives that are applying to call centers. Because of my background in education, they think it's a good idea if I start one. Furthermore, aspiring call center applicants are not only your potential customers for this type of schools. You also have a lot of nursing/physical therapy graduates who are applying to work in the states. I believe they are either required to take an English proficiency exam or course in order to work there. Teaching English to Koreans in the Philippines are also a promising options. It's a know fact that more and more Koreans are flocking to the Philippines to learn English because it much cheaper than learning it in Korea. People who will be working in the hotel/cruise industries could also use this type of training. So the possibilities are endless. Till next time….
Wow, Julius, you are a true-blue Businessman! You are looking into all sorts of possibilities! You remind me of myself, actually!
I've got to, Bob, out of desperation. I want so much to stay here without having to leave and work abroad. I'm tired of it. I miss so much of spending time with my wife and kids. I've been working abroad since December 2005 and it's time I find something else to make a living, be with my family all the time, and grow old in paradise. That's the challenge I'm faced with and I'm going to try my best to meet and overcome. Hey, can't blame a guy for trying. The only alternative is to pack our bags and move back to the states and re-live the American Dream. I can't bear the thought of it. Been there; done that. We're much happier where we are. The Philippines brings so much promise and adventureand, to some uncanny way…, peace. Till next time….
It's not out of desperation, Julius. If you didn't do all these things, you would find another way to eek out a living. You do it as an entrepreneur because you are smart, and hard working! Mostly smart, though!
Is there such thing as tax "returns" in the Phils or do most people actually don't pay any taxes?
Hi John – Sure, people file tax returns here in the Philippines. You are correct, a lot of people don't pay taxes here, but a lot also do pay taxes. Their tax deadline is the same as in the USA too – April 15.
Julius, You can also teach Tagalog to ex-pats. Ron
Hi Ron – I do believe that Julius could earn some money doing that.
i nver thought that i would come across rkfranchise in here. Ive been visiting his site regulary. it is always mentioned in Entrepreneur Magazine philippines.
Franchising here is booming, it is the buzzword in the phil micro business world right now. But like most promising fields, scams are also all over the place. try to check business magazines for the reliable ones, and do your background check as well. Ive seen business, even though they are not doing well, being franchised.
😛
Hi Jerico – RK is a good friend! When it comes to franchising, he is probably the number one expert in the Philippines too. I believe that Rudolf would never steer you wrong! You are right that there are scams out there, that's why it's better to deal with somebody reputable like Rudolf Kotik – RK Franchising.
Hi. Agriculture is one area I looked at last time I was there in Davao. My friends here in Australia have family there who have a farm near digos where they grow sugarcane. They make a very comfortable living from it, the main problem with this is if you(or your partner) do not own any land then you have to lease it, this can be a problem. Land is cheap to lease if you are in the know, but you have to make sure everything is above board. Also it is quite expensive to get it off the ground, around $1000(first crop more expensive) per hectare, but this does include everything from planting, crop maintenance and harvesting. I am definately going to look further into it when we decide to make the move there, and as you mentioned Bob, the key is to be diverse and do your homework.
Hi Bob, this is a late post I know but I have been very interested in your failed business plans. You have mentioned this several times, maybe I have missed what they were, but could you please repeat what they were? Just so that I can cross them off my plans?!!!!!
Many thanks
Phil
Hi Jason – Yes, diversification is a good thing in any aspect of life, I'd say. I am not much of a farmer myself, but I wish you good luck with your plans!
Hi Phil – Our initial business was Internet Cafes. We had a chain of Internet Cafes in GenSan when we first came here. By Philippine standards they were quite successful, making maybe $1,000 per month or a little more. For us, though, that was not enough money to live on.
Hi Bob,
I wonder if, in addition to your Google Adsense (a program I use myself successfully), you had thought about using the Amazon Associates program. Easy to set up and Amazon has a reputation of paying on time and in full (and that has been my experience). I would think that you could sell books easily on this site (well, actually, Amazon sells the books; you never even have to mention them).
Hi Tom – Yes, I am already an Amazon Associate. I sell some books and other Amazon items through my websites (including this one). I've been an Amazon Associate for some time, since the late 90's, I guess.
Thanks for the tip, though!
Somehow I missed that.
One silly thing that I should have already noticed (because I am all about two things — multiple uses of the same information and multiple revenue streams) that I just changed today was not having the max number of Adsense ads on one of my major sites. I have noticed that, not surprisingly, where I give more opportunities for people to click, they actually click more. 😎 I noticed that on another site when I increased the number of Amazon Associates ads by just a little bit, the revenue doubled! You always need to keep on top of this stuff (and tweak here and there).
Hi Tom – One thing you might not realize, based on your comment, is that having more adsense ads can actually make your income decrease! I don't want to get into an AdSense discussion here, but this week, I'll write about this on my Virtual Earner Blog, so watch for it there.
Hi Bob, Its been maybe six months to a year since I've been to your site and its almost like saying its good to be home again. Anyway, I was wondering when considering to make the move to the Philippines what a "good sum of money" would be in round figures to have put away? Thanks Tony
Hi Tony Grosse – Welcome home! I'm glad to see you back.
Your question is hard to handle, because we are all different. We all have different needs and desires.
Personally, I would say that if you have $100,000 available to you, you can come here and set up a nice life. But, be careful with the money, don't blow it on junk, and look for ways to earn some income while you are here. This would pretty much follow my experience here, and I would say that I feel that I have been successful in getting set up with a nice lifestyle here.