Has the idea of starting your own online business while living on the beach of the Philippines ever fascinated you?
Is custom designing your lifestyle something you are interested in?
The good news is, turning your hobby and passion into a profitable business is possible now.
In order to do so, first of all, you have to prepare a business plan for what you are passionate about, and then study the location where you want to start the business and at last, take action.
Philippines: The Land of Islands
So, in case, you haven’t given a thought to turning your hobby into a business, this is the right time for doing that.
Let’s explore some of the best cities with breathtaking beaches in the Philippines. Along with that, we’ll also do a quick analysis of how you can set up your own online business in this paradise.
But before doing that, let’s learn a little about Philippines.
With about 7641 islands, Philippines is located in the Western Pacific Ocean. Because of its thousands of islands, it is also called archipelagic country. Along with other progressive countries in Southeast Asia, the Philippines has also been considered as one of the growing countries in terms of e-commerce and online business.
It would not need much effort on the part of an individual to establish an online business in Philippines; however, its outcome will possibly be fruitful. Not only this, it will boost the country’s economy as well, that is why Philippine’s authorities now encourage more online businesses and e-commerce coming to the country.
When it comes to choosing some of the best beaches in the world, the Philippines is among the most sought out countries with the most stunning beaches. Some of them are Palawan, Aklan, Davao City, Bohol Cagayan Valley, Cebu, Surigao, and tons of others.
Land of Massive Market:
With millions of local and international visitors on the beaches, you can imagine the potential of any business (online or offline, both) in these areas and surroundings, can turn out be profitable, as you know most of the businesses in the Western countries have gone online and they prefer online businesses over the traditional ones.
We highly recommend you to read our below given guidelines before investing in any venture or starting an online business in Philippines.
The guide below contains some of the most important challenges that you can face during setting up your business and how to tackle these challenges.
Internet Accessibility and Speed:
Well, no internet or poor internet connectivity means no online business. So, internet connectivity should be your main area of focus while making a business plan. Try to find the best possible internet service providers in the area you are interested to start your business in. Check for their monthly plans, internet speed, customer support, and ask other businesses to suggest the best service providers.
High-speed internet connectivity isn’t available on all the beaches but you shouldn’t be worried about that because the government has been upgrading it steadily. Still, you can find the ideal internet connectivity in some of the places such as Palawan, Cebu, Siargao, Davao, and Makati. So, you can run your online business in these locations without any issue.
You may ask the internet companies about the internet connectivity on other beaches too as they may have installed the equipment in these locations and may be launching the services soon.
Another point to consider here is that you can consider establishing an online business on other beaches as well, if your business type does not involve uploading/downloading of heavy documents, images, and other necessary items.
Economical Cost Of Living:
We all want to earn more and spend less, and luckily, the Philippines are one of those few countries where you can earn more and spend less as the cost of living here isn’t so high, unlike other countries with beaches. All the basic amenities of life including accommodation, traveling, and food can be found easily at a relatively reasonable price.
Initially, you may be required to compromise on the quality of living in the Philippines as compared to the western countries, but you can equip yourself with all the necessities to make things easier for you. In fact, it should be included in your plan.
Smaller Communication Gap:
What is the biggest problem you face while you are in a foreign country? Of course language is a barrier. We can’t easily communicate if we don’t speak the same language.
Unlike many non-English speaking countries, the Philippine’s official language is English, and most of the people can understand and communicate well in English. So, there are a fewer chances of communication gap while mingling with locals, or befriending them.
People are friendly and treat foreigners in a fair manner. Interestingly, they also like to communicate in English with people from the western world and offer them support however they can.
Here, I’d like to highlight; their native language Tanglo is easy to learn as it has Latin alphabets. So, I’d highly recommend you to learn Tanglo to make a strong business-customer relationship. Believe me; your local business will be boosted in no time.
There are many other regional dialects and all of them sound very pleasant to hear as they always use humble and pleasant words for others.
Land Of Smiles:
The Philippines is also called the Land of Smiles because the locals are very pretty friendly as compared to any other country of Southeast Asia. Because of their friendliness, and easy to get along nature, you can communicate with them with ease, make them your friend, and move around with them which can be very helpful in creating your social circle.
Healthy Food At Low Prices:
Online business requires less body energy as compared to other businesses so you would have to focus on developing healthy eating habits, but you don’t have to worry about that, too, as long as you are in the Philippines.
The Land of Philippine offers plenty of Healthy food options. Here you will find all the healthy food products, that too at a very low cost because the Philippines are one of the cheapest countries in terms of food.
You can either buy ready-made food for yourself from the market or can buy grocery to cook at home, and luckily, both the options are low-cost. The best idea is to cook by yourself according to your taste buds and requirements. The pre-cooked food in the markets may have ingredients which may not suit you, such as high amount of sugar, salt, or other spices.
For a change in taste, you can always visit Palawan where lots of restaurants are available selling different types of foods including continental and other international flavors.
Have Fun If You Are In The Philippines:
Well, the Philippines is not just about work and business. While being in the country, you have several options to relax and have fun by trying out various activities the country has to offer. You can go surfing, scuba diving, island hopping, and many other adventurous activities. All you need are a few bucks and leisurely hours which you can easily manage since you will be mainly working online.
Philippines Entrance Visa:
Now, when you are willing to start up your online business in the Philippines, the first thing you need is an entrance visa, for that, so you need to do your homework well.
Luckily, the visa process and requirements are easy to get an entrance visa to the Philippines as compared to other Southeast Asian countries like Thailand or Indonesia.
Even, many western countries are given free 30 days visa waiver and along with that, it can be extended back to back on very less amount.
Believe us, once you get into the Philippines, you’ll not want to leave the country. The simple lifestyle, low-cost of living, and friendly people and environment won’t let you miss your country. Still, you need to purchase a return ticket while getting one because it is required by law.
Moreover, if you extend your visa for a couple of times you will be able to get ACR card (Alien Certificate of Registration) which means that you are registered with the country and can open a bank account, as well as, allowed to do many other things in the country legally.
Telecommunication and Cellular Data:
Telecommunication services are also in development mode you can’t fully rely on them for your internet needs. So, you may be facing slow communication, blackouts, and other issues related to communication and the internet.
Pollution and the Environmental Impact:
Despite all its natural beauty, beaches, and stunning landscapes, you’ll come to see many cities where air and water pollution are at their peak. All this is due to several industries in some of the major cities like Davao, Manila, and Cebu, where the waste products from industries are badly polluting air and water.
But as you move towards the island, the environment gets clearer and you can literally feel the fresh air from the Pacific. Still, we can say that there is much more to do to reduce this dangerous level of pollution.
The Major Cities of Philippines to Live in:
Manila
Manila, the city of traffic jams. Sounds adventurous? But it’s not because you cannot tolerate the traffic and noise all the time. Despite all the rush and traffic, you’ll find the facilities like an international airport, hospitals and many others.
Cebu
Cebu is located in the middle of the country, hence, it’slike a hub formany businesses across the country. Although, it’s not an ideal city to live in, still, you may be interested to spend some time because of some terrific beaches.
Davao
Davao is famous for its friendly people. It’s lays at the bottom of the country. Davao can be an ideal city to start an online business because it’s easy to find good quality internet here, as well as, cafes. If you are a coffee lover, Davao is the best city for you.
Siargao
Work, Eat, Sleep, and Surf. Siargao is the best city if you love surfing. Keep one thing in mind, this city gets lots of rain in the rainy season so you may face difficulties. But here is another idea, start a business related to items that are used in the rainy seasons, this will boost your sales. Moreover, Siargao is a famous tourist location so the prices of most of the items may go high in peak season.
Stay in the Philippines:
Philippines welcome foreigners with open arms and an open heart, so once you spend some time in the country, you’ll find yourself addicted to the love and affection expressed by local people. For the many good things the country has to offer, you can easily overlook the brutal traffic jams and the slow internet.
All in all a great place if you want to enjoy: great air quality, great places to work from, friendly people, freedom of speech, respectable people, economical cost of living, fun things to do, air condition.
The Philippines is a land of adventure and opportunities, filled with a plethora of business ideas and opportunities to help grow an individual.
Thanks for reading!
PS – Online Expert Empire is how you efficiently create your first product and build your online business so you can live/work anywhere (coffee shop, home office, while traveling).
This is how I efficiently get moolah dropped in my account each Monday.
This is how I help you make your business more efficient with the support of awesome people who want to help you.
This is how you efficiently increase your blog’s rank on Google
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