all-in-one post

Gah. The internet and Blogger are going bonkers, so in pure guerilla style, here are notes from the peanut gallery.

happy happy joy joy

One of Nikki's stories got accepted for publication in the upcoming Sawi Heartbreak anthology, edited by Ada Loredo, Bj Patino and Rica Santos. She joins a bunch of fine writers, including poet Barbara Jane Reyes. This is wonderful news and you simply must head on over and give her props. I am the delighted and supportive husband.

For the unaware, Nikki writes quite a bit more than I do, with her articles appearing in magazines like Smart Parenting (whose June 2005 issue also tells us what to do "When Mom is a Lesbian"). However, she is most notorious for her not-quite-so-kid-friendly-work. Ask her, not me.

In the meantime, wunderkind author and grafictionist Andrew Drilon has been selected to be one of the Top 20 under 20 in an upcoming feature by the Philippine Daily Inquirer. I am so proud of this guy, really, so go over and be nice. I understand that prodigious poet Angelo Suarez (hey, Angelo! Drop me a note, I have a little project in mind) is also part of this group, so good for everyone - not every young achiever excels in sports, you know. I prefer literature myself.


biz plan

I'm seriously considering getting a 7-11 franchise, with a small consortium of 2 or 3 partners to help make the initial investment more palatable.

I know I've been pro-Mini Stop for so long, but after comparing both convenience stores, 7-11 has distinct advantages. Previously, it was owned by the Paternos and another family, but it was recently bought by a Taiwanese group. This new owner has implement major improvements in several key aspects of the business, making it truly attractive. The initial franchise fee is around P500k, around half that of Mini Stop, but we're looking at an initial capitalization of slightly over P3M.

The most important thing with a business like this is the location. This can make or break you, and it is foolish to go ahead and invest without considering this. We have one in mind and are set to do an ocular very soon.

If it looks okay, then we move forward and begin working out the financing, logistics and other fun matters. How will I know that the location is good? I'll look at its geographic position in relation to schools, hospitals and such; check out if competitors or fast foods have outlets nearby (because if McDonald's or Jollibee built a store, the area must have some potential for growth); check the flow of traffic while keeping an eye out for accessibility, walkways, sidestreets; and finally, act like the superstituous businessman that I've become and call in the feng shui folk.

To a certain extent, business is logical. But it is not always scientific nor is it governed purely by predictable things. Part of business is luck - being in the right place at the right time with the right product; being spared in a fire that consumes the entire block, etc. And if it helps to face the east, then we'll face the east, run the business as systematically as we can, and trust that the lords of luck are happy and propitiated. Token gestures do not require faith, only an adherence to ritual.

And it doesn't hurt to think "Well, just in case...".


such sweet sorrow

Good pal Camille is letting her COMPAQ iPAQ Pocket PC go. If you're interested, details are here.

Sadly, I'm perfectly content with my own little bit of magic (yes, watching complete episodes of Futurama while trapped in traffic goes a long way to keeping my sanity intact).