At 7:29 this morning, Philippine time, Tina sent me a cellphone text message saying she did not have to attend vocational training (mandated by governments) today because it's Labor Day. She was staying at her shop-house "to face the problems of the eatery."
According to Tina's sister Liza, a group of 10 or 15 persons had asked, yesterday, to be permanent customers. Tina needed my advice.
I responded with thanks for the news, adding that I'd be at home again about an hour later and able to text her via the Yahoo Messenger program [at much lower cost].
At 8:49 I texted again: "Hi Tina. It's good to hear that 10 or 15 people want to be permanent customers but I fear they'll want credit. That's a real problem, I think."
The message session that ensued, extremely stressful for both of us, was spread over 2 1/2 hours.
The good news was that the new customers would pay cash.
The diner staff would need to have two meals prepared early for them, however, always on time: breakfast at 6 a.m. and lunch at 11. Dinner would need to be ready at 6 p.m.
"The problem is, I don't have enough capital."
Although the lack of finance was predictable, I responded with alarm: "Oh! The problem for me is that I don't have any capital at all, I'm deeply in debt! That's one reason I've been urging people for a long time to register, if at all possible, with www.kiva.org and www.betterplace.org, ASAP."
The prospective customers were construction workers, Tina said, working with cables. They liked the food Liza was cooking and it was cheaper than elsewhere. Tina's "Bernadeth-Joe Eatery" was charging 25 pesos for a serving of food whereas competitors were charging 30. The cablers were waiting for Tina's answer at lunch time, to see if she would agree with their proposal.
The lack of immediate capital was the great problem. I asked: "Have you estimated how much extra you need?"
I also added that a friend had kept insisting to me that Tina should raise her prices. "Considering the very long hours and hard efforts you and your staff expend," I said, "you really need to make a reasonable % profit. Please do try to calculate that."
Instead of responding directly, Tina outlined staffing arrangements: she would need to wake up early, herself, at 3 a.m., then (after she had been shopping in the market) her sister Liza would be in charge of the cooking, with the help of their co-worker Josephine. The other sister, Laurice, would care for the 7 kids, with the help of Tina and Liza's mother.
I said "It's going to be an even longer day for you, with insufficient rest and greater strain on your health."
"No problem, Bern," Tina responded. "I can make it, for the sake of the kids; also I can have time management with the help of my family."
She added that "my problem really is capital"; to which I replied that "I really do worry about capital too."
Tina had been enjoying herself in the business training; it was useful and she was learning a lot.
She had been encouraging her classmates to eat in the Bernadeth-Joe Eatery at lunch time. "But I'm sad coz when we arrive at 12, no leaf food [left]. Coz lack of stock, get already by d [power station security] guards" (who are also customers).
The news that for the second time Tina had been embarrassed upon arrival with her classmates at lunch time to find most of the food already eaten was alarming to me. "Oh, my God!" I replied. "The problems continue! What am I to do? I did so urge you to register for a business loan from kiva.org or help from betterplace. I really do wish my Filipino friends would make strong efforts to do that. I really wonder why they seem reluctant. Are the difficulties too great?"
Instead of responding to this, at 10:23 a.m. Tina came straight to the point: "I need additional 1 sack rice, cost 2K, [plus] 1,500 [for] every meal, so 6,500 total, my problem to my elec[tricity] 2,500, due date May 6, Wed[nesday]. Sorry about this."
The dialogue continued as follows:
Bern (10:26): Oh, my God! Calculations need to be made and money set aside daily for the electricity bill. Your income must cover that. Are you saying you need 6,500 + 2,500? Nightmares!
Tina (10:34): Yes, Bern, you're right: that [is] da total, 9,000, sorry.
Bern (10:40): I just don't know what to say. I am stunned. Will this nightmare never end? You really need to compare total buying prices and selling prices and include labour [in your calculations].
Tina (10:45): I'm starting to make an order of ulam 30 pesos per order, like other eatery did! I'm try[ing] my best to get low price of stock in d market, that [is] why I do [it] early in d morning.
Bern (10:48): I understand. Hard as it may be, I think you need some account records too, including the cost of everything, even jeepney rides, etc, also total income.
Tina (11:04): Bern, sorry to tell you, I need your advice and decision, coz it's 11 a.m. right now, any time dey will be here, asking their request. I will do d record of expenses and income.
Bern (11:06): I'm all too conscious of that. My debt is far too high, I don't know how I'm ever going to get out of it.
Bern (11:09): I'm so sorry Tina, but with great sadness, I really think the answer must be no. As my banker and doctor have been warning me, I should not continue.
Tina (11:10): I'm hoping that if I can support d demands of orders, in cash, we can survive every expenses for d kids, and save some money.
Bern (11:12): What worries me is that in all the time I've been helping, it's never happened yet. And my debt keeps increasing. I must start repaying them.
Tina (11:25): Right now, if 10 to 15 person came I can serve, almost 15 guards already get their foods in credit, I understand your situation, please help me too, I just want to survive coz of d kids. The adult[s] work hard to help me.
Bern (11:26): I'm still wondering how on earth I can survive.
That was the end of our messaging session. Two and a half hours later, however, in a last-ditch effort, Tina sent a text to my mobile phone:
Tina (14:04*): Gud p.m., I understand your situation, but dis is my chance to have cash customer[s]; they will start to eat breakfast tomorrow a.m.; pls help me, for d sake of my family and child.
I did not respond. The situation left me deeply perturbed, however, and still wrestling with the decision.
* Philippine time, GMT+8.
According to Tina's sister Liza, a group of 10 or 15 persons had asked, yesterday, to be permanent customers. Tina needed my advice.
I responded with thanks for the news, adding that I'd be at home again about an hour later and able to text her via the Yahoo Messenger program [at much lower cost].
At 8:49 I texted again: "Hi Tina. It's good to hear that 10 or 15 people want to be permanent customers but I fear they'll want credit. That's a real problem, I think."
The message session that ensued, extremely stressful for both of us, was spread over 2 1/2 hours.
The good news was that the new customers would pay cash.
The diner staff would need to have two meals prepared early for them, however, always on time: breakfast at 6 a.m. and lunch at 11. Dinner would need to be ready at 6 p.m.
"The problem is, I don't have enough capital."
Although the lack of finance was predictable, I responded with alarm: "Oh! The problem for me is that I don't have any capital at all, I'm deeply in debt! That's one reason I've been urging people for a long time to register, if at all possible, with www.kiva.org and www.betterplace.org, ASAP."
The prospective customers were construction workers, Tina said, working with cables. They liked the food Liza was cooking and it was cheaper than elsewhere. Tina's "Bernadeth-Joe Eatery" was charging 25 pesos for a serving of food whereas competitors were charging 30. The cablers were waiting for Tina's answer at lunch time, to see if she would agree with their proposal.
The lack of immediate capital was the great problem. I asked: "Have you estimated how much extra you need?"
I also added that a friend had kept insisting to me that Tina should raise her prices. "Considering the very long hours and hard efforts you and your staff expend," I said, "you really need to make a reasonable % profit. Please do try to calculate that."
Instead of responding directly, Tina outlined staffing arrangements: she would need to wake up early, herself, at 3 a.m., then (after she had been shopping in the market) her sister Liza would be in charge of the cooking, with the help of their co-worker Josephine. The other sister, Laurice, would care for the 7 kids, with the help of Tina and Liza's mother.
I said "It's going to be an even longer day for you, with insufficient rest and greater strain on your health."
"No problem, Bern," Tina responded. "I can make it, for the sake of the kids; also I can have time management with the help of my family."
She added that "my problem really is capital"; to which I replied that "I really do worry about capital too."
Tina had been enjoying herself in the business training; it was useful and she was learning a lot.
She had been encouraging her classmates to eat in the Bernadeth-Joe Eatery at lunch time. "But I'm sad coz when we arrive at 12, no leaf food [left]. Coz lack of stock, get already by d [power station security] guards" (who are also customers).
The news that for the second time Tina had been embarrassed upon arrival with her classmates at lunch time to find most of the food already eaten was alarming to me. "Oh, my God!" I replied. "The problems continue! What am I to do? I did so urge you to register for a business loan from kiva.org or help from betterplace. I really do wish my Filipino friends would make strong efforts to do that. I really wonder why they seem reluctant. Are the difficulties too great?"
Instead of responding to this, at 10:23 a.m. Tina came straight to the point: "I need additional 1 sack rice, cost 2K, [plus] 1,500 [for] every meal, so 6,500 total, my problem to my elec[tricity] 2,500, due date May 6, Wed[nesday]. Sorry about this."
The dialogue continued as follows:
Bern (10:26): Oh, my God! Calculations need to be made and money set aside daily for the electricity bill. Your income must cover that. Are you saying you need 6,500 + 2,500? Nightmares!
Tina (10:34): Yes, Bern, you're right: that [is] da total, 9,000, sorry.
Bern (10:40): I just don't know what to say. I am stunned. Will this nightmare never end? You really need to compare total buying prices and selling prices and include labour [in your calculations].
Tina (10:45): I'm starting to make an order of ulam 30 pesos per order, like other eatery did! I'm try[ing] my best to get low price of stock in d market, that [is] why I do [it] early in d morning.
Bern (10:48): I understand. Hard as it may be, I think you need some account records too, including the cost of everything, even jeepney rides, etc, also total income.
Tina (11:04): Bern, sorry to tell you, I need your advice and decision, coz it's 11 a.m. right now, any time dey will be here, asking their request. I will do d record of expenses and income.
Bern (11:06): I'm all too conscious of that. My debt is far too high, I don't know how I'm ever going to get out of it.
Bern (11:09): I'm so sorry Tina, but with great sadness, I really think the answer must be no. As my banker and doctor have been warning me, I should not continue.
Tina (11:10): I'm hoping that if I can support d demands of orders, in cash, we can survive every expenses for d kids, and save some money.
Bern (11:12): What worries me is that in all the time I've been helping, it's never happened yet. And my debt keeps increasing. I must start repaying them.
Tina (11:25): Right now, if 10 to 15 person came I can serve, almost 15 guards already get their foods in credit, I understand your situation, please help me too, I just want to survive coz of d kids. The adult[s] work hard to help me.
Bern (11:26): I'm still wondering how on earth I can survive.
That was the end of our messaging session. Two and a half hours later, however, in a last-ditch effort, Tina sent a text to my mobile phone:
Tina (14:04*): Gud p.m., I understand your situation, but dis is my chance to have cash customer[s]; they will start to eat breakfast tomorrow a.m.; pls help me, for d sake of my family and child.
I did not respond. The situation left me deeply perturbed, however, and still wrestling with the decision.
* Philippine time, GMT+8.
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