Pumunta akong RDO 38 (Fishermall) yesterday para lang asikasuhin ang business closure, and I honestly just gave up and went home out of sheer exhaustion and overwhelm.

​Lumuwas pa ako galing province just to handle this in person—kasi apparently, in this day and age, hindi pa rin pwedeng tapusin entirely online ang ganitong workflow. Tapos bubungaran ka na kailangan mong mag-file ng almost 30 unfiled tax returns via eBIRForms. Thirty. I don’t even know how to file half of those. If a business has been inactive or non-operational, why can’t there be a consolidated or streamlined way to resolve dormant returns instead of forcing people to retroactively submit dozens of forms one by one?

​The actual physical process inside is just as draining:

​The endless window hopping: Pasa ka sa window na 'to, tapos ituturo ka sa kabilang dulo, balik ulit sa isa.

​The wait times: Almost 2 hours just waiting sa Compliance section.

​The noon freeze: Sakto pang inabutan ng lunch break, so literal na frozen ang movement and you have no choice but to wait it out.

​To make things worse, inactive na ang TIN ko and it can't be reactivated unless ma-settle ko lahat ng backlogs at bayarin. Currently, I don’t even have a job. The financial and mental toll of traveling back and forth while unemployed just to jump through bureaucratic hoops is insane.

​Fairness naman sa personnel: hindi na sila masusungit compared to 3 to 5 years ago. The frontline staff are generally more civil now. Pero yung mismong sistema at proseso? Completely broken. May nakapaskil pang ISO standard certification sa office, but you honestly wouldn't feel it with the way things are run.

​Sa mga nakapag-close na ng business sa BIR recently: how did you survive this? Normal ba talagang abutin ng ganitong kalalang backlog bago ka makawala sa system nila?

For anyone planning to start a small business or online shop, business registration can be confusing, especially if it's your first time.

Depending on your business type and location, you may need to check requirements for:

• DTI business name registration (for sole proprietors, when applicable)
• Barangay clearance and Mayor's/Business Permit
• BIR registration
• SSS, PhilHealth, and Pag-IBIG employer registration if applicable

The exact requirements and fees vary depending on your situation, so it's best to verify them with the relevant government offices before applying.

I also offer independent business registration assistance for sole proprietors, online sellers, and businesses that need help organizing their registration requirements.

If you're planning to register a business, what part of the process do you find most confusing?

Happy to share general guidance!

Hi! Just wanted to ask around, especially sa mga familiar with the agricultural or feed manufacturing industry.

My family operates a rice mill in Nueva Ecija, and I'm currently helping look into possible buyers for rice bran (darak/D1) particularly those purchasing by truckload.

We already have experience supplying the animal-feed industry, but we're hoping to explore other markets as well, such as aquafeed manufacturing.

Would anyone happen to know companies, traders, or even groups where we could connect with potential buyers?

Would really appreciate any recommendations or insights. Thank you po! 😄

Business 1: earning 10k monthly, pretty passive, once a month monitoring

Business 2: earning 10-20k monthly, semi-active buy and sell business

Business 3: shelling out 20-25k monthly, active business, good potential but not reaping enough sales yet

Business 3 is events, but events are pretty down this year so pretty much overhead expenses and looking for clients. Given that they are just about a year in operations, would you still wait until 2yrs, get a job to support its opex, close it, partially close it, etc?

Remaining bank funds 100-150k. No family. Low overhead living with parents. What will you do?

Hi! I’m a 30F entrepreneur from Quezon City, Philippines, currently looking for private funders to help launch my new business commercially (currently home-based).

Funding Details
Industry: Food and Beverage
Target amount: ₱300,000
Available funding options: ₱100,000 – ₱300,000
Fixed interest: 5% per month
Loan term: 6 – 12 months

This is a fixed-monthly payment lending arrangement, not profit-sharing. The agreed monthly interest will remain fixed regardless of the business’s actual profits or sales.

Interested funders may DM me their email address so I can send the complete business proposal.

To clarify: This is not an offer of investment, shares, or equity. I’m looking for a private loan arrangement with agreed principal amount, a fixed repayment term, and repayment of the principal + the agreed interest. The lender will not receive ownership or shares in my business.

Future plans: Once I’ve established 3 branches, I plan to open the business to franchising opportunities.

✔️ Post-dated checks (PDCs)
✔️ Notarized loan agreement

Document verification and the exchange of sensitive documents will be done in person only. I will not send IDs or sensitive business documents online to protect the funder and myself from phishing, scams, and unauthorized use of personal information.

I’m aware that some people pretend to be interested funders just to collect other people’s documents and IDs, then disappear afterward. For everyone’s protection, I prefer to do verification through meet-up only.

Repayment:
I also have an existing business (other service industry) that will help support the monthly loan repayments, alongside the income generated by my new business. I’m currently missing some of the documents required for a bank loan this year, specifically my ITR & AFS. I expect to be eligible to apply again next year once I have the necessary documentation.
For now, cash advances and credit-to-cash options are not options for me (small credit limit), which is why I’m exploring private funding instead.

That is why I’m seeking private funding and offering a fixed monthly interest rate of 5% (some say this is small, some say this is high and call it a red flag 🤦🏻‍♀️). I think this arrangement can work, provided that the lender and I agree on the terms and complete the necessary documentation.

I’m open to discuss the repayment schedule, provide the appropriate supporting documents from my existing business, and meet in person with genuinely interested funders.

Comments and Accusations
I welcome genuine questions, reasonable concerns, and constructive feedback. However, unnecessary comments, baseless accusations, and unsupported claims calling me a scammer (just because you think I fit that criteria in your head) will not be tolerated and may result in being blocked.

If you have actual evidence that I have scammed someone, you are welcome to present it. Otherwise, please refrain from making accusations that could unfairly damage my reputation and account. Also, having a new account does not make someone a scammer. I created this account to post about my business funding needs.

If you genuinely want to get to know me and verify my identity, I’m open to meet you in person. I can also show you my personal account during our meeting. Due diligence is important, especially when money is involved. No one is getting forced here. I simply ask for respect.

If you’re genuinely interested in funding my business, feel free to send me a DM. If you’re not interested, that’s fine, please scroll away instead of leaving negative comments.

Hi everyone!

I'm currently based in Ireland and working in digital marketing. Recently, I had a meeting with a company whose marketing team is based in the Philippines. That actually gave me the idea of potentially starting my own creative marketing agency over there.

I've been thinking about it for a while now and have started putting together a rough plan, but I'd love to get some advice from people who have experience running agencies or businesses in the Philippines.

Here's my plan so far:

I'm planning to start small, initially offering services such as social media management, content creation, photography, videography, graphic design, and potentially paid advertising.

Rather than immediately hiring a large team or renting an office, I want to keep things simple and build the business gradually.

Since I'll be managing things from Ireland, my idea is to hire a few people based in the Philippines who can help me get the agency started.

Ideally, I'd be looking for:

• Someone to find potential clients: One or two people who are comfortable reaching out to businesses, whether through emails, social media messages, phone calls, or in-person conversations. Their role would be to introduce our services, speak with interested businesses, and hopefully help secure clients.
• Photographers/videographers: One or two people who have experience taking professional photos and videos for businesses. They would handle on-site content creation whenever we have a client who needs it.

I'd personally be handling the overall creative direction, social media strategies, editing, graphic design, and general management of the agency, especially in the early stages.

I also don't want to restrict myself to cafés and restaurants. While those could be potential clients, I'd like to work with different industries and businesses that could benefit from improving their online presence.

One thing I'm still trying to figure out is how I should structure and pay the team.

For example, for the people responsible for finding clients, would it be better to offer a basic salary with commission, commission only, or payment based on successfully securing clients?

And for the photographers and videographers, would it make more sense to pay them per shoot or offer them a fixed monthly salary once we start getting regular clients?

My thinking is to keep the initial expenses manageable while making sure the people working with me are compensated fairly.

I'm also aware that running a business remotely could come with its own challenges, especially when it comes to communication, managing the team, and maintaining the quality of work.

I'm not expecting this to become profitable overnight. I want to start small, build a client base, and gradually grow the business while continuing my current marketing job in Ireland.

A few things I'd love advice on:

1. Does this sound like a realistic business model, especially when managing it remotely?
2. How would you recommend structuring and paying a small team like this?
3. Is the creative marketing agency market in the Philippines already too saturated, or is there still room for smaller agencies?
4. What would be the best way to approach and secure potential clients when starting from scratch?
5. What challenges should I expect, particularly when it comes to finding clients and managing people remotely?

I'm still in the early planning stages and haven't officially launched anything yet. Right now, I'm mainly doing research, working out potential pricing and services, and trying to figure out the best way to approach everything.

I'd really appreciate any advice, especially from people who have started their own marketing agencies or businesses in the Philippines. I'm open to criticism too, as I'd rather understand the potential challenges before investing too much into it.

Thanks everyone!

Hello po! Recently, dahil sa bagong kabaliwan nanaman ng BIR (the seal badge), inarchive ko muna ang mga crochet post ko sa FB. I have less than 150 followers and average income ko sa isang year is less than 5k lang haha. Dinelete ko na rin yung affiliate videos ko sa shopee (19 pesos lang naging income ko don after almost a year lol).

Sooo, plan ko ngayon is magstop sa pagaffiliate at pagsell ng crochet at magfocus lang muna sa paggawa ng content sa FB page ko (not yet monetized since requirement ni FB is 10k followers para diyan). If ever maging eligible na ako for monetization, I plan on selling crochet again and magpatuloy sa pagaffiliate. So ang mga tanong ko ay:

1. If I do continue my crochet and affiliate journey, what should I register myself if plan ko rin naman magwork as an employee once I graduate (currently as 2nd year college student)?

2. Ano po yung tax percentage na sinasabi nila? Like yung 8% or 3%?

3. About sa bookkeeping po, I have a background knowledge about accounting since business ad student ako. So alam ko paano mag general journal at ledger. However, di lang ako confident dito haha. So if magkaproblema ako sa pagrecord, magkakapenalty po ba ako niyan?

4. Hindi po ba mahirap mag-file mag-isa? Online po ba yung pag file or need pa pumunta sa branch?

5. Mahirap po bang mag-paregister? How much po yung ipreprepare ko na pera if ever?

Sana po may makasagot sa mga tanong ko hehe. Thank you po!

Ganito sha maka help sa mga shops madali lang sha ma recommend sa Google search ng maps if madami ka reviews aside from that you can see what you need based from feedbacks ng costumers. Actually known naman to from other countries I also see some on tiktok doing this in ph and it kinda work for them I'm planning to start selling I tried like 3 shops all of them said no 🙂what do you think is this really worth it? I spend weeks thinking of this and configuring the links

Hello! I'm not sure if it's the right sub to post this.

Baka may alam kayong office space or conference room within MOA for a meeting or small gathering. Good for 10 pax. Pa-reco naman baka may alam kayo. Thank you in advance!

For cafe owners, I would like to seek your advice and ask your thougts on the current market situation.

I’ve been running my small coffee shop inside a condominium for the past 5yrs and by the grace of the Lord, it has been sustainable. I run it alone, ako lang talaga sa lahat. I’m a one-man team since my set up is only a grab-and-go store. It’s a small counter type store that offers drinks and a couple of pastries, kaya people just buy their coffee and they dont stay. Some do for a quick chat pero talaga majority of the time, umaalis sila agad. Aside from that, I have a very targeted market. Majority of my customers are residents here in the condo where my store is. 95% of my daily sales come from regulars, yung tipong masisira yung araw nila pag hindi sila nakabili ng kape ko. Thankfully they like my coffee enough to return. Naging community coffee shop na siya in a sense na people got to expand their network by becoming friends/business partners kasi lagi silang nagkikita dito sa store ko

However, given na it’s been like this for the past 5yrs, ako naman ung napapagod na. The foot traffic is enough to sustain me, but not enough for me to get staff. Kaya pag nagkasakit ako, walang benta kasi sarado tinadahan

I’ve been thinking of expanding to a more commercial location na may dining set-up, like Valenzuela or Malabon since bago pa yung market in that area, compared to Mandaluyong Pasig and Makati na highly saturated na.

Gusto ko lang sana makarinig ng thoughts niyo on the current market situation. May mga nababasa kasi ako na talagang umaabot sa zero ang sales for the day, plus sa mahal ng overhead, talagang natatalo yung business nila. My current set up kasi, mababa lang ang overhead ko and since targeted nga ung market ko, hindi ako masyadong affected ng mga tumataas ng presyo ng bilihin since I have a consistent pool of buyers already.

Gusto ko na talagang lumabas since there is little to none growth dito sa location ko. I would highly appreciate your thoughts and opinions 🙇‍♀️

One of the most unexpected tasks bilang isang retail business owner (community pharmacy) is pag'manage ng availability ng barya sa kaha.

Madalas may bibili sa amin ng tablets worth less than ₱100, pero ang dala lang na pambayad ay ₱1,000. Siyempre tatanggapin mo pa rin kasi benta pa rin ’yan, or else baka mawalan pa ng customer at mapunta sa competitor. Dumadami na din kasi volume ng customers namin kaya nagiging challenge na din talaga siya.

Ang naging diskarte ko is monthly akong nagpapa-barya sa banko (coins & bills). Then, sina-sort ko into plastic ice bags per denomination, with specific quantities per bag. May maliit na papel din sa loob na may corresponding “barya code” para matrack ko kung saan napupunta ang mga barya kapag kumukuha ang staff. At para alam din ng staff ko na tina'track ko bawat barya para maging responsable din siya

In short, para akong may sariling inventory system sa mga barya namin. Haha

Mas naging efficient naman siya kasi may naka-ready nang reserba sa store, kaya hindi na kami nangangarag sa paghahanap ng panukli. Pero honestly, matrabaho pa rin sa preparation.

Curious lang ako sa ibang retail business owners na may ganitong daily challenge: Paano diskarte ninyo sa pag-manage ng barya/panukli?

Thank you in advance sa mga tips 🙌

Were planning to join as a seller next month. Kamusta experience nyo? New business owner lang kmi and nangangapa pa pero we are proiud of our product! Share your experience here and if may tips kayo TIA!

Hi everyone!

I'm a software engineer currently exploring an idea inspired by something I've noticed in our subdivision.

Maraming home-based food sellers ang nagpo-post ng daily menus sa iba't ibang Facebook groups, Pages, Messenger, and Viber. Often, they reuse the same food photos, prices, and descriptions. As a customer, napapansin ko rin na kailangan ko pang mag-message para malaman kung available pa ba ang food or ilang portions na lang ang natitira.

I've started talking to some local food businesses, and their feedback has been encouraging. But I'd also like to hear from sellers outside our community.

We're considering building a free initial version of a platform where sellers can:

Upload their food photos, product names, and prices once.

Manage daily menus, schedules, and remaining portions.

Generate attractive promotional posters using their existing food photos, with individual prices and different design templates.

Get ready-to-copy captions and a link/QR code to their own online storefront.

Share the posters themselves on Facebook, Messenger, Viber, or wherever they normally promote their products.

Let customers check their menu and contact them through their existing messaging channels.

For the first version, we won't handle orders, payments, or deliveries. Sellers would continue using their normal processes.

We're trying to solve the repetitive work of preparing promotional content while giving sellers a simple online storefront.

My questions for food sellers:

How much time do you usually spend preparing and posting food promotions?

Would automatically generating posters from your existing menu genuinely save you time?

Would you maintain your available portions on another platform, or would that become additional work?

What's the biggest reason you might NOT use a tool like this, even if it's free?

I'm not promoting a finished product or collecting signups. We're still validating the concept before building.

Critical feedback is very welcome. I'd rather discover problems now than spend months developing something nobody needs.

Thank you!

Title: Migrating to Australia / NZ as a Business Owner from the Philippines
Hi everyone! My husband and I are in our 30s and are considering migrating to either Australia or New Zealand.

We’ve both worked in our family businesses in the Philippines for several years, but we’re unsure how this experience would be viewed by immigration authorities or potential employers.

As business owners, we’re also wondering what challenges we might face when applying for immigration, especially since our experience isn’t necessarily from traditional corporate employment. Would our management and business experience count toward skilled migration, or would it be difficult to prove our qualifications and work experience?

For those who migrated under similar circumstances, how did you do it? What visa pathway did you take, and how long did the entire process take?
Would really appreciate hearing about your experiences and any advice. Thank you!

Were planning to join as a seller next month. Kamusta experience nyo? New business owner lang kmi and nangangapa pa pero we are proiud of our product! Share your experience here and if may tips kayo TIA!

I am a licensed professional with a startup firm (registered), and looking to scale it and add a construction line of business for it. I've had several projects in the past, with a few projects now, and hoping to scale in the future. Where can I find business consultants and mentors regarding this? I'm quite lost and overwhelmed. Hoping to get referrals!

Trade is under construction

Hello! Sa mga nagpapasabuy service, curious how do you do it? Gusto ko mag start and gawin na literal pasabay—nasa isang store, city or country ka and mag a-accept ka ng small orders (not more than 20 items) para handcarry lang. Yung I still want to enjoy my travel and at the same time why not earn some extra cash? mindset lol

These are my questions:
How do you know kung anong ipapasabuy?
Pag nandun ka na ba saka ka mag-aaccept ng orders?
What if out of stock?
Payment first? Added pasabuy fee ba per item or amount?
Ano pros and cons based sa experience niyo?

Mga nag a-avail ng pasabuy services are also welcome to share their experiences. Thank you so much ☺️

Hello, guys! Bagong boarding house owner here sa isang probinsya, like 3 months into operation pa lang. Security deposit lang sinisingil ko and pwede na silang lumipat agad. Target market are students and young professional po. Baka may mga tips po kayo for a newbie like me? Like, how do you ensure your renters pay on time, etc. tia. Tysm.

Do we have to upload the new BIR Seal Badge even in Facebook and Shopify?

If yes where do you guys put it?

There is no dedicated slot for this unlike the 3 ecommerce platforms, Lazada Shopee Tiktok, its specifically under the Business information page.

​

Hi po everyone!

I'm planning to start a small ukay-ukay business as a side hustle before Christmas, and I need advice from people who have experience importing thrift clothes into the Philippines.

I've already talked to a supplier on Alibaba, and I'm considering ordering around 45 kg of secondhand clothing. One of my concerns when buying locally is that I don't know how the bales are selected or whether the best pieces have already been picked out. That's why I'm considering sourcing directly from China, although I understand that importing comes with its own risks.

My biggest problem right now is shipping. I've contacted a few freight forwarders, but some of them don't accept used or secondhand clothing. I'm not sure how to bring a small shipment like this into the Philippines legally and affordably.

I've also researched the legal side and learned about Republic Act No. 4653, which prohibits the commercial importation of used clothing and rags, subject to applicable statutory exceptions. However, ukay-ukay clothing is still widely sold in the Philippines, which makes me curious about how local sellers source their inventory.

I've heard claims that some importers use special arrangements or make unofficial payments to customs personnel or other parties to get shipments through, but I haven't independently verified these claims. I'm not looking to take that kind of risk; I want to understand how the supply chain actually works and what legitimate options are available.

I'd really appreciate advice on these questions:

1. Has anyone successfully sourced secondhand clothing from China for resale in the Philippines?

2. Are there legitimate freight forwarders that handle this type of cargo in compliance with Philippine law?

3. Given RA 4653, how do local ukay-ukay sellers legally obtain their inventory?

4. Is ordering only 45 kg directly from Alibaba practical, or would buying from a local supplier be better for a beginner?

5. How can I verify an Alibaba supplier's credibility and check whether the bale quality matches what they advertise?

6. What other costs should I consider besides the supplier's price and shipping?

7. Are there legal alternatives, such as new surplus or unsold clothing, that would make more sense for a small starting budget?

I'm trying to start small because I don't have a large amount of capital, so I want to research everything before committing to the purchase. My goal is to earn extra income and help my younger brother go back to school.

If you've tried this before, I'd be grateful for any advice, recommendations, or lessons learned. Even suggestions for reliable suppliers or legitimate shipping options would mean a lot.

Thank you so much! ❤️

pano po bang makuha yung dti certificate na may qr code after renewal? yung na receive ko lang kasi is yung positive certification na file.

Hello, I have a Shopify store (general items usually mga viral products source sa China) with payment gateway setup na rin for international order. Any recommendation ng target countries to advertise products? Nag try ako mag target sa US pero ang mahal ng cost per purchase. Is it profitable parin ba ang dropshipping general products internationally?