NU Paper: JUAN A. VILLAMOR, MBAH Section 10B
Serendipity “Drive”: Business Opportunities Along a Rapidly Urbanizing Stretch of the
Indang-Trece Martires City Road
In just three years, our part of the Cavite backwoods has seen much progress. While the subdivisions have long been in place, hordes of families – some not necessarily from Metro Manila or other faraway places – have settled in and found their sweet spot in the cool weather (just 30 minutes from Tagaytay) and relative peace and quiet of our city. With the influx of people came business establishments, and only last Christmas, a full-pledged Waltermart community mall opened shop in the heart of the city.
Driving along a 3-kilometer stretch between the city proper and our family compound, I recently thought about entrepreneurial opportunities that would match the burgeoning commercial requirements of our community. Ranging from the most capital-intensive to the most easily actionable, here are some options for a would-be entrepreneur like me:
1. Resort and Convention Center
There is actually a small, seemingly hole-in-the-wall type of resort along the highway, but it’s so small I can’t imagine how they managed to squeeze in a swimming pool in the less-than-quarter of a hectare compound (much like some of the private pools in Laguna). A few tables with huge umbrellas are passed off as gazebos, and the shower and comfort rooms are rolled into one tiny cubicle. If your party is more than five people, chances are you’ll be rubbing elbows with the other group in the next “gazebo”. Obviously, having a meeting or running a training activity in that place is out of the question. A relative in the city hall tells me that they have to go to Dasmarinas or Tagaytay if they want to have the convenience and efficiency of running a whole-day meeting. Incidentally, the city also houses the provincial capitol and at least a dozen other government offices, so a place for these kinds of activities definitely has a market. And there is in fact a nice property on sale along the highway exactly for this type of business.
2. Cable TV Service Provider
Believe it not, cable TV is available only in the city proper, and with very limited channels. Even satellite dishes (Cignal TV) are quite rare, and offered just a few shows, I was told. This obviously will entail some investment, especially if the cables are to be buried underground. Considering the affinity for technology of our households, with their new-found disposable incomes, such a service is not considered a luxury anymore, however. Flexible installation and subscription rates should be added incentives for families to sign up, especially if “educational” content is available, e.g., National Geographic, Discovery, etc.
3. Resto Bar and Grill
The last time there was a chill-out place within a ten-kilometer radius of the city was more than ten years ago, and not one has sprouted back ever since. Back then, there were relatively fewer people, and nighttime is officially over at 10 in the evening. Such rustic settings are long gone, and you would mistake a good stretch of highway from the city proper as the environs of Marikina (Marcos Highway) or Pasig (along C5). Up to now however, nobody has ventured to open a decent, cozy bar in the city, and people have to – again – go to Tagaytay for some grilled food or band music. If only among my friends and extended family members, this venture sure looks like a winner.
4. Car Wash
Definitely, cars are more plentiful in the city now, but the car wash joints are ALL in the city, too! A simple set-up and a small budget can get this operation going, and gauging from the lines at the shops on weekends, there seems like a good business proposition for this kind of a venture. From an operations management as well as from a customer service perspective, there are definitely better ways to run these shops, and I’m sure car-owners like me will appreciate the change in their weekend experience. 3
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