Franchise opportunities abound in PHL for OFWs
07/08/2011

One of the country’s successful entrepreneurs, Rommel Juan, owner of the Binalot Chain of restaurants, has an advice for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs): take advantage of franchise opportunities in the Philippines.

“Franchising is a good option for OFWs so that they are sure that they are investing their hard earned money on a working and proven business concept,” Juan said in an email to GMA News Online.

“Franchises have a higher percentage of success than start-up concepts. This is because there is already a fixed system, the brand is established and expertise already exists. Franchising is working for yourself but not by yourself,” he added.

Juan was a former president of the Association of Filipino Franchisers, Inc. (AFFI), a non-stock, non-profit national organization of Filipino entrepreneurs and business professionals, duly registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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Asenso Forum 2011: Entrepreneurship Conference Series
June 28, 2011
Cinema 4, SM City Tarlac.

Asenso Pinoy entrepreneurship conference a big hit in Tarlac!

Around 1,000 entrepreneurs, faculty and business students , and representatives of government and non-government institutions all over Luzon converged in the 2nd caravan of the Asenso Forum 2011: Entrepreneurship Conference Series slated last Tuesday, June 28, 2011 at the Cinema 4 of SM City Tarlac.

Supported by its newest partners in promoting entrepreneurship in the country, the PLDT KaAsenso Sulong Minigosyo and SM City Tarlac, the half-day conference brought in Manila-based speakers who talked about various topics on entrepreneurship.

Mr. John Calub, the

Philippines’ no. 1 success coach and one of the country’s most sought-after motivational speakers, taught the audience some money magnet principles and other positive approaches to attract wealth .

Ms. Amanda Burrell, Country Director of the British Council Philippines, presented the emerging social entrepreneurship trends in the world. She also shared to the participants its ongoing “I am a Changemaker Social Enterprise Business Plan Competition” which the youth can actively participate and win P 100,000 pesos as grant to fund the proposed winning social enterprise. Burrell was joined in by representatives from Good Foods Co., Mr. Ron Genato and Ms. Crystal Anievas who won last year’s competition.

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July 03, 2011
09:27:00 PM

A TRADEMARK tiff between two fastfood chains that serve meals on banana leaves has been settled out of court with the accused copycat agreeing to change its logo, complainant Binalot Fiesta Foods, Inc. said in a statement yesterday.

Rafael L. Chu, the proprietor behind Nid’s Express Binalot, reportedly agreed to forgo the use of the “Binalot” trademark in negotiations held after it lost the case filed with the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines back in 2007 and was ordered to pay damages.

Mr. Chu then appealed the decision to the state agency’s director-general.

The cases were then referred to mediation,

Binalot Fiesta said.

Mr. Chu could not be immediately reached for comment.

“In exchange for withdrawing the cases, Mr. Chu recognized and agreed to observe [our] exclusive right to the trademark Binalot and to revise the trademarks it applied for registration,” Binalot Fiesta said in its statement.

The agreement has been submitted to the state agency to formalize the deal.

Binalot Fiesta noted that the settlement was accomplished via the recently established alternative dispute resolution center and hailed it

as a “strategic move in terms of improving services and efficiently managing the process and resources.” — EJD

By: Abigail L. Ho
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Homegrown food chain Binalot Fiesta Foods Inc. has agreed to an amicable settlement of cases it filed against the owner of Nid’s Express Binalot for allegedly using trademarks similar to those of the Binalot brand.

According to Binalot trademark owner Rommel Juan, the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines’ (Ipophl) Bureau of Legal Affairs had already approved the settlement arrangement between Binalot and Rafael Chu, the owner of Nid’s Express Binalot.

Ipophl director general Ricardo Blancaflor would have to issue a separate approval to deem the case resolved.

Binalot in 2007 filed a trademark infringement case against Chu for allegedly using trademarks that were “confusingly similar to and infringing on the Binalot trademark.”

Ipophl ruled in Binalot’s favor and ordered Chu to pay the former for damages.

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MY LIFE AS A BINALOT FRANCHISEE

Growing up, I never thought that I would be a businessman. The books that surrounded me in childhood pointed to a life of writing—and to a great degree, that was what I pursued. I started with plays and later dabbled in film and television before settling down with fiction. I never thought my brain and temperament was in any way wired beyond the comfort and power of words. But life likes to throw curveballs once in a while.

One evening I went to pick my wife up from her workplace. Arriving early, I was invited to brainstorm with the creative folk at her agency while waiting for her. So I dove in, contributed an idea or two. This ultimately resulted in my being the group’s GM for their Hong Kong arm—a whirlwind that firmly affixed me in the corporate world. From there, a series of fortunate events and great partnerships led me to the realm of the entrepreneur, founding my own company. But through all of this I considered myself an accidental businessman.

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“I like what I’m doing because it keeps me on my feet,” says the 25 -year old entrepreneur. “Everyday there are new challenges but I have learned to face up to each one with an innovative solution,” he says. Ken is one franchisee who has his own Binalot mascot, who even directs traffic on Legazpi City’s main thoroughfare where Ken’s Binalot branch is located.

Young businessman Ken Clemente chooses the Binalot franchise route to establish his own entrepreneurial venture in Legazspi.

“After college in Manila, I thought Legazpi was boring, but I was wrong,” says Ken Clemente, a young entrepreneur born into a family of business people. Ken’s parents are in the glass and aluminum business, and as with most children these days, Ken wanted to try his hand at something new.

Ken applied for a Binalot franchise last year after seeing its stand at the Franchise Show. “I was looking around for a good business I could bring back to Legazpi and Binalot was it!,” he proudly exclaims. Ken could relate to Binalot’s green ways and the Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives of the company because he himself is active in a civic group, the Jaycees.Continue reading→