A Psalm of Life

I've got a ton of things to do. I decided to share an 'oldie but goodie' just to kick things off on a positive note this fine Wednesday.

It's a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

It goes a little something like this:

A Psalm of Life

Tell me not, in mournful numbers,
"Life is but an empty dream!"
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.

Life is real! Life is earnest;
And the grave is not the goal;
"Dust thou art, to dust returneth,"
Was not spoken of the soul.

Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way;
But to act, that each tomorrow
Find us farther than today.

Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
And our hearts though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Funeral marches to the grave.

In the world's broad field of battle,
In the bivouac of life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle!
Be a hero in the strife!

Trust no Future, howe'er pleasant!
Let the dead Past bury its dead!
Act,-act in the living Present!
Heart within, and God o'erhead!

Lives of all great men remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time;

Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o'er life's solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.

Let us then be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labour and to wait.

It's a great little practice to actually type the poem up. I could've done a google search and just copied and pasted it; I decided not to. I will memorize this poem just like the good old days when I joined declamation contests as a kid.

I'll be doing a whole series on 'Inspiration'. I found a magazine from 1964 (in mint condition) that deals with this concept. I'll be borrowing poetry that really speaks to the soul!

Great day, y'all!

We can only build townhouses.

I prayed for an answer yesterday. And, true to form; the Good Lord drops me a huge one right away! Deciding whether to move back to Pasay - the city of my birth, the city where we had roots yet decided to leave and transplant ourselves to Sydney and San Juan, the blood that flows in my veins or Taguig - new beginnings, new city, Project New.

The answer came via a phone call from my lead developer partner.

Lead Developer: 'Hello, Andre!'

Andrepreneur: 'I'm sorry I missed your call earlier. Was driving.'

Lead Developer: 'No problem. I was in the meeting and wanted to get some answers to questions I had. I figured it out anyway. We've got all the building guidelines for AFPOVAI. The LGU allows for 4-storeys in Taguig but it's the homeowner's association that only allows for 3. We're not going to fight them na. We'll just build townhouses ala Campville or Forthville.'

Andrepreneur: 'Okay. This means that projected sales will be lower and we won't be able to market to foreigners.'

Lead Developer: 'That's right. We have to look for other properties there or go to other locations.'

Andrepreneur: 'What about Pasay?'

Lead Developer: 'I told you to set the meeting.'

Andreprenuer: 'Okay. I will. I'm seeing Rene tomorrow. I'll discuss it with him.'

The conversation went for almost an hour as I waited for my meeting that didn't show up. I was pacing back and forth in front of the NHQ in Camp Crame. There was a monument of Lapu-Lapu that provided me company.

Two things I learnt from the phone conversation:

1. Do what you say you'll do.
2. Investor's sensitivities are high.

I know Tita J is one of the few people who will read this. Tita J, your article in Panorama rocks!

Looks like we're going back to where it all began.

It's been a while. Hello World! I'm back, baby!

I just realized that it has been over a year since I wrote something on my blog. A year just went like that!

It has taken a over a year to get closer to the original intention of this blog which is to chart the progress of my first property development.

Have been busy the past 2 days. Tuesday was spent conducting marketing scan of comparable properties in Taguig City. In total, had a look at over 10 properties in the area. Truly an enlightening and educational experience. Very important to know what properties are out there, what price points, locations and then this would be your guide as where you will position your project. Very critical aspect of the process - knowing whether what you are proposing makes sense or not. Millions are going into the project so you would need to know what the competition is doing and how you will position yourself.

Highlight was a beautiful high-end townhouse. P12.5M. 180 sqm. Designed by a German and marketed by a boutique brokerage run by Americans. Again, my lamentation that it is the foreigners who see the opportunity of doing business over here!

Wednesday was spent getting the property owner and the lead developer talking. Critical is that all the major players get along. You will all be in bed together for at least 24 months so it is imperative that you can all have a drink and laugh at the same jokes! Thank God it went well!

Planners are at the LGU confirming all the building restrictions so we know what we can and cannot build. I learned that building restrictions are muddled here in The Philippines. You've got the HLURB, the LGUs, the Homeowner's Association, if you're along the flight path (just like us) then you also have the ATO! Then even in Makati - some follow the Floor-to-Area Ratio (FAR) while others follow just how many floors you can build. You have to check and cross-check that everything is in order and that you don't end up violating any of the restrictions.

I've decided to take a back seat and let an experienced gentleman take the lead as the lead developer. I retain a small equity position in the project and handle all the sales and marketing. I view this experience as an excellent learning curve in the area of property development! This is the stuff they don't teach you in school!

It's true. A developer is akin to a general. He is responsible for putting the soldiers together and deciding what strategy to implement.

When the Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) is finally signed; it will take 5 months for the planning, designs, permits and licenses to be completed. Looking for a place near the project site as we will also have a sales office there.

Andrepreneur, as an on-line platform, is currently in development. Buy e-books on Investing in Philippine Real Estate and get a chance to win a condo in our project!

Watch this space! Lots to learn! It's going to be an exciting journey! Also planning to probably do a vlog when we start groundbreaking.

The Barefoot Developer is born. Or should I say re-born.

To infinity and beyond.

The (Eight) New Profit Rules You Must Know

The (Eight) New Profit Rules You Must Know

Rather than keep you guessing, I'll just list the rules for you. If you want to prosper in the new business world, keep these rules in mind.

1. FREE is the new business model
2. Your customers are in charge, not you
3. Personal marketing trumps mass marketing
4. Old-school selling is dead
5. Small bumps results in big profit
6. Marketing partners make you rich
7. The less you do, the more you'll make
8. The speed of implementation determines success

The New Profit Rules is a must-have resource for anyone who wants to succeed in this economy. And best of all, it doesn't cost anything because, after all, FREE is the new business model.

Thank you to my mentor, Brian Tracy, for sharing these new profit rules. The rules have changed so as an entrepreneur - you must adapt or you die!

Hustle While You Wait

Okay. Hustling has always had negative connotations. Hustlers are usually portrayed in a bad light. In movies, these are the guys who operate in the fringe, in dark alleys, in dodgy bars, third-world countries. They wait for the next gullible soul to walk through the door or take a wrong turn and then they pounce! Con men and scam artists fall into this unsavory category. Larry Flynt even named his magazine after the term 'Hustler'.

Then why would I suggest something like hustling while waiting? In my universe, hustling takes a less sinister tone.

I am property developer in training. I am in the process of finalizing a few properties that we will begin working on in Q1 of 2011. While waiting for this to happen, waiting while there are procedures in process that are beyond my control; things like transferring a title to the company name, waiting for a scheduled appraisal from PNB, things of this nature.

While waiting, I hustle. I still have other things that I work on. Here are few of my hustling things...

I represent a private label wine, Miracle Hill. Both a chardonnay and shiraz. This is from Australia. Surpise, surprise! I'm also the exclusive marketing agent for the Admiral Group. Will be marketing 50,000-75,000 MT of space in several vessels for shipping between The Philippines and the world. Castlepines Corporation, an Australian investment group who are looking to invest in big ticket infrastructure projects in The Philippines have appointed me as Country Representative. Surprise again! A number of projects in the pipeline. I've also got insurance and telco projects on-going. ESPI is handled predominantly by wife, Queenie; she handles our BPO business.

This is my 'hustle'. Or should I say my 'hustles'. As I wait for what I really want to do materialize; I've got other things cooking!

Many will say that I need to focus - my answer to that is I am focused. I am focused on establishing multiple streams of income for my family while engaging in businesses that will help uplift the economy of the Philippines.

Others will say that they don't have the time to do these things. My answer to that is Thomas Edison had 24 hours, Mahatma Gandhi had 24 hours, Bill Gates has 24 hours, Sir Richard Branson has 24 hours, Manny Pangilinan has 24 hours. We all do so the whole 'lack of time' excuse is a lame excuse!

Each 'hustle' that I have has a corresponding peso value and return on energy (ROE). I employ time management techniques to allow me to attend to them effectively and efficiently.

I will have my first four-storey building this year. But then if any of my 'hustles' materialize; I will have them too! Which leads me to the next lesson - Multiple Streams of Income.

Tip No. 1 - Put it on paper.

There was a particular class from a particular Ivy-league university. For the purposes of this little story - it was the class of '75 and they were from Harvard. Someone decided to track the various levels of success and failure of this class.

Fast forward 2000, the results of the study were surprising. They all shared similar economic backgrounds, same education, same situations. The surprise was that there were those who were more successful then the rest of the class.

This group that was more successful than the rest, the study discovered, did the one thing that set them apart. They wrote all their goals and subsequent tasks down!

See, we can all think and wish about what we want to do and what we should do. It doesn't really mean anything if we don't put pen to paper.

Write your goals. Write your daily, weekly, monthly tasks down. Not only does it put things into perspective but is also cranks your time management skills into a whole new level!

I've written my resolutions down. I'm now writing my task list for this week. It's going to be a busy one.

It's very simple. Get a blank piece of paper. Get a pen. Write. List your goals. Where you want to be and the necessary action steps to get you there.

Out with the old, in with the new!

It's the first day of 2011. I've made a decision to become more active in blogosphere.

I changed the name of my blog to - Andrepreneur - The Barefoot Developer.

There are several reasons for the name change.

1. I took out the 'Angry' as a prefix to Andrepreneur. I took it out because I didn't want to be angry anymore. The angry part applied to 2010 which was election year in The Philippines. Most entrepreneurs I know are generally a happy bunch. I happen to be one of them.

2. Andrepreneur is now also known as 'The Barefoot Developer' - an obvious reference to 'The Barefoot Investor'. This is significant to me because I am going into property development (was in planning and preparation all of last year), will be doing our first building this year and I am known for wearing inappropriate footwear when doing business in the Philippine context. I have been advised that I should stop wearing thongs, slippers, tsinelas, when I go to meetings, see seasoned business people, or when I conduct business in general. I can't help it. I have nice feet. Thanks to wonderful beautiful feet genes inherited from my mother. My wife, Queenie, agrees with my self-serving observation. And I also picked up the habit when I was living in Australia. Such a laid-back culture, doing business near the beach, everyone just so cool and relaxed.

A part of me wants to replicate that spirit here in The Philippines. We have the perfect tropical climate for it anyway!

I will not stop wearing my thongs; on the contrary this will become a part of the image of The Barefoot Developer. Of course, I will don the safety boots when I visit the construction sites. Crazy shirts and thongs will be my badge. I want people here to see beyond appearances. Filipino culture puts too much of a premium on al things outward and not enough on substance and results.

I am still serious in my business undertakings yet I will pepper it with humour and the laid-back spirit of the Australian beach-side town.

'Tis the first entry and I look forward to many more. I hope you all do to. I have a lot to learn and I don't mind sharing this with all the budding entrepreneurs and property developers out there!