3 Online Resources to Spur the Growth of Your Business

In business or in life in general, proper utilization of tools that are available is what differentiates the resourceful from those who aren’t. Really, no matter how many tools you have, no matter how expensive these tools might be, if you don’t know how to make full use of them, they will never be enough. If you consider yourself resourceful and are on the hunt for free or low-cost tools to spur your business’ growth, consider the following resources:

1. PickyDomains.com

Naming a business can be a tough business nowadays, given that hundreds, if not thousands, of similar products and services are already out in the market. Branding agencies are there for this reason – to come up with a unique and relevant name for your business, but they can also charge a lot, up to thousands of dollars.

PickyDomains.com, in business since 2007 and the first of its kind, is a crowdsourcing site comprised of 50,000+ registered creative individuals from different parts of the world, ensuring hundreds, if not thousands, of suggestions for every single order. To become a client, register with the site, fill out an order form and make the required fee of $50 if it’s a domain or name you need ($75 for a slogan) and list down your naming guidelines. Here is what makes this service absolutely risk-free: If none of the suggestions you receive catches your fancy, you get a refund.

2. Bitrix24.com

In more ways than one, technology has made a lot of businesses efficient. CRMs and intranet systems are just two of these technological advancements benefitting a lot of companies nowadays. The downside to these tools, however, they cost a lot, leaving those without financial leverage simply looking on.

Bitrix24.com is a corporate intranet solution that’s 100% free for companies with a maximum total of 12 employees. Bitrix24 combines several different work tools in a single platform, such as free and fully functional CRM, free activity planner, free file and document sharing, free real-time streaming, free workforce management and a whole host of other free tools. The application is cloud-based, so there’s no need for installation and can be accessible virtually anywhere via a smartphone or a browser, allowing you the flexibility of a workstation that’s on the go and at your fingertips anytime you so please. An upgrade to unlimited users is available at just $99 per month.

3. JetRadar.com

Business and travel oftentimes go hand in hand. And with the emergence of low-cost airlines and online ticketing sites, airfare has become dramatically cheaper, too. But what most people aren’t aware of is the fact that the ever-stiffening competition among airlines has caused some to go out of business, prompting those that remain to confine their best deals into their own sites and/or partner third-party sites. Consumers would then have to go hopping from one site to another to find the deal they’re out to find.

JetRadar.com is a search engine that specifically sifts through 700+ airlines and hundreds of flight and ticketing sites for airfare tickets that are the lowest possible, and makes them easily accessible by the public in a single web portal. This then dramatically cuts down the time and effort a regular deal hunter needs to find the air ticket that fits his travel and budget needs.  Yahweh bless.

Letting Go Of The Bottle

We had a heart to heart talk with our son... in as much as we wanted him to continue drinking his milk, he must do it without his bottle, as he  already started going to school.

Yes, I'm proud to say, my son already started going to school.  And unlike other nursery pupils, he doesn't need to be accompanied in the classroom or in school by a guardian.  We just have him carpooled from house to school and vice versa.  Very independent indeed.  There was even this one time, that he was asking for milk and we were all asleep.  He went out of the room, cleaned his bottle and filled it up with water, and  made milk for himself.  Though we asked him, that the cleaning part would be for mommy and daddy, so it would be thorough and safe for him.

Change wasn't easy for him.  We decided that he finally said goodbye to his bottle after 4 long years.  It's heartbreaking that he wakes up at night, sobbing, asking for his "dede" (bottled milk).  Understandably, it had been his comfort and sleeping  companion for a long time.  So, we comforted while reminding him of what we talked about, that since he is soon to be "kuya" or elder brother (as we are expecting our baby this year), he must already be drinking milk in a cup or a glass.  And for the same reason that he already started to go to class.  He simply replied, "Okay, po."  We now make him a glass of milk, which he gets to finish drinking using a little compromise... a straw.

From time to time he receives a couple of stars from school and he proudly shows them to us.  He loves to draw and color things, promising artist or architect, maybe (hahaha).  He can easily figure out his lessons.  And when asked what he did in school, he always answers, "We play... we color... we watch TV... we draw...".  Maybe that's why he is always excited to go to school.  

Looking at how he adapts to all the changes that come to his life, we think he will be just fine.  To Yahweh be all the glory, as always.

My School Days Food Trip

Do you still remember those Custom Concessions trailers and carts we usually frequent along the streets selling those miniature burgers called "burgerito" and "bulilit burger"?  Well, who wouldn't.  It was one of my favorite snacks during my college years.  Especially made for those having tight budget and short in cash, which I often was.  

Back then, I had a daily allowance, just enough for my days fare and lunch expenses.  I can get lucky at times, but during those penniless days, me with a couple of friends would find ourselves gathering around our favorite concession trailer, ordering their "buy 1 take 1" bite size burger and filling it with lots and lots of barbeque sauce... those were the days (LOL).

Really tough but very memorable days.  Though I thank God  I got lucky enough to land myself a good job and is now able to buy most of anything I want to taste.  Still nothing would compare and is more mouthwatering than an enjoyable and fulfilling meal that comes from those simple treats that leave you wanting for more, making you crave because  you can't afford another one since you don't have enough money left (LOL).  Again nothing compares.

These days, I haven't seen them selling these miniature burgers anymore.  Though they still have the buy 1 take 1 thing, making it a lot cheaper than the other fast food chain burgers.  If you haven't tried one before, then you missed a great boodle experience.  It's never too late though. Yahweh bless.

In Memory Of The Founder Of A Great Corporation

Last Saturday, I heard the sad news that Don Antonio Floirendo Sr. already passed away.  He left Friday night of June 29.  A man of his character wouldn't want us to focus on his death but to the greatness of his deeds.  A long journey of trial and errors, ups and downs, improvements, crucial decisions and heart and passion for work not only to help people land a job but most importantly, to be their mentor on how to achieve with excellence... which he did, until the 96th year of his life.

He had made landmarks in Davao and nearby cities.  As a child, I usually passed by a building on my way to school, displaying automotive.  For a long time, I thought the place or street was named DAMOSA, as how everyone would tell the jeepney when stopping at the area, "Nong, lugar lang sa may Damosa" (sir, please stop at Damosa).  Later, I discovered that it was the building's name and an acronym for Davao Motors Sales.  Now it serves as a home to its affiliate's offices and other known companies and businesses.

His other known companies in Davao are: TADECO, Pearl Farm, DAVCO, Pitrade, Nestfarms and Nenita Farms, Unifinance, DAPACOR, Pantrucks and Anflocor.  

With all these companies rely a great number of families.  Providing them their hard-earned salaries, enough to give them a decent life.  He and his family are truly a blessing to Dabawenyos.  They give their employees what is due them, all the benefits and even bonuses.  They are not selfish in sharing their blessings to their employees.  That's maybe why, they continue to receive lots of it from the Almighty Father.

I bet, most people would say, that he touched and helped a lot of lives, one way or another.  He gave people a comfortable way of life, by giving them work.  Or luxury maybe, by opening Davao to other businesses and bringing them here, like the just recently opened Abreeza. Not to mention the many least fortunate families he had helped in his charities and foundations. His toughness as a leader is undeniably compensated by his kind heart making him gain everybody's respect.

We didn't just lose someone but he will forever be remembered as a great man, a strong leader, a good mentor, and a kind person who helped a lot of people during his lifetime. Thank you sir and may you rest in peace, sir.  Yahweh bless.

Enjoying The Pouring Rain

It was raining one afternoon and the kids asked us if they can play in the rain.  We were hesitant at first thinking they might get sick.  But then I remembered, how fun it was doing that, so I asked my wife to let them.  And before we knew it, the kids were already running around and playing in the rain.

Watching them, I can't help myself recall of how careless we were then when we were kids.  We would play in the rain for hours, even after the rain stopped.  We would run in the muddy waters not knowing what was in it, oh yes, we didn't care.  We would even play with mud as if it was clay, using it to form something we can use for fun.  Then we would play tags all day long with our clothes just dried up while wearing it.  And as soon as we were finished we took a bath to wash away rainwater, as we were always told by elders, that being soaked with rainwater would make you sick.

It's okay to be protective with our kids, especially that there are a lot of diseases today.  But being overly and sometimes unreasonably promoting strict measures just to keep our children safe is another thing.  We must also let them enjoy things and exposing them to these conditions will somewhat improve their immune system since our body is created to adapt and build its own defenses naturally, just as that when we were kids. 

After minutes in the rain, they were ready to hit the shower and we made sure they clean themselves thoroughly.  Oh well, my boy got a minor cut on his foot when he accidentally removed his slippers while playing.  But they were really both happy, and we received hugs and kisses for allowing them.

There will be risks along the way, but they will only be kids once... I just can't take that away from them.  I enjoyed mine, its time they enjoy theirs.  Yahweh bless.