Before you open a restaurant.

Dear Nanay,

I just finished reading your column today and saw the letter from M&E about restaurants (Jan. 16). I was in exactly the same boat as M&E about four years ago. I also do some caterings and wanted to make my business bigger, expand and dreamed of opening a restaurant. Encouraged by my friends to start a restaurant, that is exactly what I did. OMG! It was very difficult and very hard. Not only at first but it was really very hard work. It was so different than what I was used to and after two years I decided that the restaurant business was not for me.

So, instead, I decided to concentrate on my catering business. My business grew and now I am doing much better than before. Most importantly, I am also happier than before. I am on my own, with no overhead and on my own time. If I want to go on vacation, all I have to do is to not accept any jobs and I can take a break. But, of course, usually the holidays are the busiest time for businesses like catering so be prepared to work on holidays.

I think part of the reason I succeeded in catering and not in a restaurant is because I realized that I really loved the catering business and that dealing with the daily problems of a restaurant just was not for me. I was being too stressed and it was eating me up alive to just keep up every single day. So my advice is to stick to what you love and the money will follow!     — Ma-An

Dear Ma-An,

I completely agree with your last sentence — do what you love and the money will follow. Totoo talaga iyon (that is really true). As I often say, do what you love and work is no longer work, but a joy.

And you have to understand that when you enjoy going to work every day, you will be willing to work harder and give more of your time and effort. Making money is also good but it can only motivate you so much especially when you are already doing well. Love of work is a better motivator for most entrepreneurs because that is the factor that will encourage them to work harder and thus succeed even more.

Sincerely,

Nanay

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Home-Cooked Food Business

Dear Nanay, 

I read the letter of M&E who is into the catering and restaurant businesses.

I have another suggestion for your readers who also find that they like to cook. This is especially a good business if you find that you have only two or three recipes that you are really good at, which is not enough in a restaurant or catering business. But it is enough to do a “home-cooked food” business. There are so many small entrepreneurs now who sell ensaymada, cookies, cakes, polvoron, Hainanese chicken and anything else you can think of under the sun. These entrepreneurs just make the food out of their home kitchens and usually sell just one product. They get one cell phone and an e-mail address and do a little advertising and then word of mouth takes care of the rest. If they are really good then people will flock to them and news spreads like wildfire. Also you can control your expenses and only prepare food when there is an order.

This is a good business to get into especially if you know how to do only a few things well. To do catering or run a restaurant you need to know many, many recipes. 

Take it from me. I have done exactly this business and it has supplemented my husband’s income nicely and while I earn money I can stay home, take care of the household chores, and spend all the time I want with my kids. I don’t know if you will get rich doing this business but it is very fulfilling and helps our household income without putting too much demands on my time.

— Sally