Overseas Filipinos find success in 7-Eleven

Even as a greater number of Filipinos embrace the prospects of working abroad to earn a better way of life for themselves and their families, an even growing number of overseas Filipinos have also begun the inevitable exodus back to the Philippines, which they deem as the perfect place to retire, raise their children and even start their own business.

Among these balikbayans is a Wells Fargo banker formerly based in the US and an electrical engineer who spent 13 years of his professional life in the Middle East.

Literally worlds apart despite their Filipino heritage, these two now have one new thing in common that proudly binds them together — they are both new entrepreneur-owners of their very own 7-Eleven franchise.

"After working in the United States for so long, my husband and I wanted to migrate back to the Philippines to settle down and raise our children with Filipino values," said Laarni Legaspi Genoso, who worked as an assistant vice-president for Wells Fargo in San Diego, California.

Both Laarni and her husband Carlo, however, wanted to make sure that they would have a steady income in the country that would be able to provide them with a comfortable way of life. Thus driven by this goal, they began to research on different types of investments and businesses that they can go into here in the country.

"Early on we both decided to look into a franchise business, since with a franchise, the business is already set up and you know you will get help as opposed to setting up a business from scratch," stated Genoso. "And we also wanted a franchise that is universally recognized, so immediately opted for 7-Eleven," she added.

In the case of electrical engineer Felixberto Paras, the challenge of handing multi-billion dollar projects in his line of work drove his passion. So when he decided to settle back down in the country and enjoy the fruits of his labor, his passion blossomed into a full-blown entrepreneurial spirit.

"Working for a construction business in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Dubai has taught me a lot about depending on a company’s strength to ensure success. I was confident that if my company can back me up, I can build anything," said Paras.

The engineer-turned-businessman then applied his philosophy in the country when he began to search for a business where he can entrust his hard-earned money. Drawn to the consistent performance of the world-recognized convenience store, 7-Eleven and its country-licensor, Philippine Seven Corp., Felixberto immediately felt that he had a worthwhile partner who mirrored his passion for success.

And like all migrant Filipinos who have looked into the 7-Eleven franchise business as a worthwhile investment, Genoso and Paras were initially surprised to discover that the convenience store chain was available for franchise.

"We were happily surprised when we learned about 7-Eleven’s availability as a franchise business through the Internet. We had earlier thought that the stores were all company-owned," said Genoso. The husband and wife tandem later learned through their research that 7-Eleven indeed has a total of 169 company-owned stores, while also boasting of a total of 115 franchise stores.

"Upon learning that the franchise stores had grown to 115 since Philippine Seven Corp. offered it to the public back in 1998, I immediately knew that this is a dynamic business that is both lucrative and has great potential for growth," said Paras.

Thus, after moving back into the country, both Genoso and Paras joined other overseas Filipinos in applying for their own 7-Eleven franchise, undergoing the stringent pre-qualification process and training before finally being awarded their very own store.

Both new entrepreneurs opted for a new franchise store investment, which costs around P3 million capital infusion. Genoso’s 7-Eleven store was set up at the ground floor of the Madrigal building along Ayala Avenue, while Paras’ franchise was located near the exit ramp going into San Fernando, Pampanga.

Genoso and Paras also enjoyed the level of support that Philippine Seven Corp. gives to its franchisees, assigning area managers that provide constant support to the new franchisees as well as opening up communication lines for concerns and queries encountered in their daily operations.

Both new franchisees also appreciated the sharing system employed by Philippine Seven Corp., where the company also shares in the cost of operations of each store, thereby sharing in the risks involved in running the business.

Currently, both Paras and Genoso are more than satisfied with the steady growth from their store operations. Genoso has already begun the process of acquiring another store through the franchise conversion system of Philippine Seven Corp., while endorsing the business through their network of relatives and friends in the US. Their cousin, Lyndon Genoso, another banker had already acquired his own franchise in Gen. Trias, Cavite. Paras is also currently contemplating on adding another 7-Eleven franchise notch on his belt.

Among the other balikbayans who have embraced their blossoming entrepreneurial spirit are Sonia Paredes, who operates 7-Eleven Northgate; Rhoneil Sta. Maria, who owns the West Avenue and Roces stores in Quezon City; Manolito and Danilo Manalo, who are proud franchisees of the 7-Eleven in DFA and Libertad; Angel Briones, who runs 7-Eleven Burgundy; Ruby Ong, who acquired a Service Agreement franchise for Paco 2; Melissa Do, who owns both the Jupiter and RCBC 7-Eleven stores; Melvin Gervacio, who operates the Orosa and US Embassy stores; and Marilyn Sta. Ana, who runs the FEU and St. Scholastica franchises.

7-Eleven is available for franchise in the areas of Batangas, Laguna, Cavite, Manila, Makati and Quezon City. For inquiries, call 726-9968, 0920-9508651 or visit www.7-eleven.com.ph.