Family Members As Employees

[GregZ]

I was only giving the gentleman from Houston my opinion. I don't care what any of you others think about my opinion. Everyone's situation is different therefore opinions will vary. What makes a good forum is the variety of opinions not immature people attacking another's opinion if it doesn't agree with their own. I suppose the next thing will be to get me censured or banned. Now that's real democracy is it?.

YEP, YEP & NO... I went back and read my post... it was not directed at any one individual intentionally and I just gave it some 'color' for fun. Maybe, "...consider themselves on notice..." could have stayed out, but nah; that is a good attention grabber. Thanks for your opinion. Don't take any offense... :th_signs027:Just sharing my thoughts. Everyone's results will differ; maybe even from day to day. I myself have a brother that owes me a large sum that he only needed for a few months, IN 2000.

Opinions are like butts; everyone has got one and everybody ELSE's stinks! Not mine though. :lmao:

WELCOME to the BEST FORUM around Robin Hood

[Call me bubba]

In the end we will probably be living here with several business ventures all manned by honest, trustworthy and loyal filipino family members. I'll be starting my second WITH FAMILY undertaking as soon as I get a little more capital.

in 6 months to 1-2 years come back and tell US how good or great these new business ventures have turned out,

TELL US please how things turned out. The successes. The failures

if any thing went wrong or not according to plans,,? any thing "$$missing"?

What have you learned from them? or about them?

How has the "loyal family" turned out?

have they changed at all? better? or worse?

Please share with US

I post this so that we can learn from you,

YES some people DO post negative items or experiences

BUT isn't that what the forum is for

.(within limits of course ((forum rules))) To share both the Positive & Negative

Edited July 28, 2012 by Call me Bubba

[Mike S]

Robin Hood ..... I doubt very seriously if you would ever be banned for speaking your own opinion unless you personally attacked another member on the board ...... and yes YOU certainly are entitled to your opinion as I mine ....... I think you telling the OP that he is better off staying in his own country because he wanted to know if hiring relatives here in the Phils was a good idea or not I felt was a little much ..... but hey that is your opinion and I respect that ..... but then I expressed my opinion and so that for me is the end of it ...... the OP can make up his own mind with the information he has received here ...... I for one will gladly listen to anyone's advise but I may often times make up my own mind on which answers to except or reject ...... the more info a person gets the more of a well rounded decision he ...... hopefully ...... can make ..... I love to take a bunch of other people's ideas and along with my own mold them into an intelligent decision .....

So keep up expressing your opinions and welcome to the board ...... :cheersty:

Edited July 28, 2012 by Mike S

[Robin Hood]

My experience may be unusual and maybe I was just unlucky or whatever. When I said that 95% of the staff were so and so, that did not mean that I meant 95% of Filipinos are the same. I would have had the same problem with staff in the west. People are the same everywhere in the world, human nature does not change at borders. On the most part I actually do like Filipinos very much (or I wouldn't live here) , and outside of employees, maids and driving on the roads, I haven't had major problems. I have been involved with family in OZ with business and we all ended up at war with one another that's why I am against employing family or even friends. I would prefer to employ total outsiders. However that doesn't mean you are going to have less problems with an outsider.

Its really difficult to give someone advice because your own advice is based on your personal experience. Unless you are an unlucky person like me, you probably will be alright, but having said that just bear in mind that you too could be unlucky like me for the same reasons. So perhaps if you take a balanced view your judgement could contain an element of caution and save you from some disaster. On the other hand your wife may have perfect judgement about who to employ. Only you can know that. My Filipina wife is a bit naive and somehow always manages to choose the wrong people, but that's just her. I like to think I am a better judge of people when it comes to employees, but in reality I never made better choices then her either, hahaha.

Living in the Filipines and being on holiday is different. I been living here for 4 years now and am still learning. You never stop learning here. Studying for a masters degree would be easier.

cheers everyone.

[GregZ]

in 6 months to 1-2 years come back and tell US how good or great these new business ventures have turned out, TELL US please how things turned out. The successes. The failures if any thing went wrong or not according to plans,,? any thing "$$missing"?

I'll do that and maybe as they happen. Maybe you guys could point out some flaws or strengths in my plans. I will probably tell you TOO much according to some people, but information is power and I want you guys to have as much power as possible. Keeping it to myself doesn't help me any & I may get some power in return. Some things I will NOT put down in writing so if you want to know EVERYTHING you'll have to go shoot pool with me. :dance: ... and we'll check you for a wire at the door.

The first business venture I mentioned I won't talk about, but the second should be interesting and a good TEST. My father-in-law used to drive taxi and says that he can get everything set to get into the large van taxi business at the Cebu Airport. :th_noproblem: Since he doesn't speak much English and I'm not quite up to beginner Visayan we are losing a bit in translation. I think I'll just get the van and see what happens. :kidding: It will surely be fun and we'll have a GOOD ride with the family to the beach if nothing else. Last beach trip we used the boom truck... good for up to 50 Filipino!!!

Anyone have thoughts to share on the taxi, car rental busines (with driver) in Cebu? I see there is a bit of competition but nothing like the apartment situation. They tried to talk me into getting involved in that and NOPE, not with all the EMPTY places I see when I go walking. The driver will be my father-in-law with one of his sons as an alternate. They get a daily rate or job rate plus any tips. When not is use it is parked in the motor park (we actually have one of those... no kidding). As long as I am around there should be no problems... maybe. When I am gone will be the test of how many extra kilometers get clocked.

Even though there is some communication issue here we have a good relationship and my good judge of character indicates that my girl's family is really intelligent, just needing a hand after some hard times involving hospitals .... you know... and they won't bite the hand that feeds them. :89:

I look forward to any tips... and will let you know how things progress. I'm looking at December to get things going, but am an over-achiever so maybe next month. Everything is depending on my investors coming through.

FINALLY, just so you know my background... 20+ years in supply and logistics, business & computer degree, owner successful businesses of a retail store AND residential construction. I've had several English as a second language employees also; never a problem with Mexicans, Puerto Ricans nor Filipinos. Except the one time when the Mexican told the Filipino to take boxes "dunstare" one day. He was saying to put them in the dumpster but they ended up downstairs. In Mexican Spanish Accented English they sounded the same to me. :lmao:

[MikeB]

Anyone have thoughts to share on the taxi, car rental busines (with driver) in Cebu?

High cost of gas and a huge liability issue for you as owner. Getting insurance for a business venture like that would probably be very high (if you can get it) and if you don't you're putting yourself at risk. You're competing against an abundance of cheap white taxis in Cebu City so you would have to keep prices low. I live about 2 hours out of Cebu City, give or take, and I was approached by a good friend and driver to use the SUV I just bought to make airport runs, I would pocket p2,000 per trip. I thought it over for about 5 seconds and passed.

[GregZ]

I would pocket p2,000 per trip

Wow, I'll take p2000... I'd like to see the calculations used to get there. I'm expecting much less, but I always plan for the worst and hope for the best. I'll actually be very happy to cover my interest & principal payment on the capital. That SHOULD be very doable. My goal is to provide a source of income to my girl's family that is NOT named GregZ.

liability issue for you as owner

My involvement in this venture is merely a capital source. Ownership and operation will be in Filipino names only. Yes, I know that leaves me with no real power except what I will have through contractual agreement. Agreements are normally only worth the paper they are written on if the parties decide not to honor the agreement.

Hmmmm, I better go read up on Phil contract legalities. Have to make sure I don't do anything 'wrong'.

ThAnKs for the input. I look forward to more.

[i am bob]

Way way back at the start of this post, I stated that I would never hire family again and also why... But that is just my opinion and I am sure everybody else will be able to decide if they wish to hire family or not and be happy with their decisions.

I also wish to give both sides of the issue that popped up my congratulations for sitting back and using dialogue to come to an understanding on what each were saying. I can agree with both sides - it all depends on the situation and circumstances!

:tiphat:

[Mike S]

Anyone have thoughts to share on the taxi, car rental busines (with driver) in Cebu?

Well I know you are using your family as drivers and that might be fine .... BUT .... when I first moved here there was a young Dane who bought 5 taxis and went into business .... in less than 6 months 4 were for sale and the last sold as junk because so many parts were robbed to make the others run ..... I asked him what happened and he told me that not only did they pocket some of the fares but they also made up bogus repair bills that were signed by friends they had in the repair business and they split the money .... and they would make up wild stories about the repairs .... one taxi needed a battery so the driver got a new one (yea right) 2 days later when Mike went to check on it to see what was purchased he found an old battery in the cab .... when he asked the driver where the new battery was the guy told him someone stole it and he borrowed the old one from his cousin ..... that was the last straw for him .... he just sold all the taxis ......

Just be careful in ANY business venture that you don't run or control yourself ........ and then keep an eye on yourself .... :hystery: :hystery:

[Jim Sibbick]

The asawa and I are still in the planning phase of the "big move". Sometimes talks are smooth sailing, other times rocky shores!

My wife has the typical mindset that we should have a driver once we get to PI, since I won't be used to the style of driving there. Nevermind that I was raised driving through Houston's heaviest traffic, as well as small town backroads, ie. 1 lane for both ways, dirt roads. But I digress.

She wants us to have her brother in law as our driver. I'm not opposed to having a driver (I guess) but I don't know if its such a good idea to employ family members. What do yall say?

Also, while I'm asking for opinions: The wife (we) plans on having the helper/maid she had in her house back in PI, previous to us being married, living with us as a helper. Now.... I (believe) I understand the style/extent of house cleaning of the general Filipina. Recently we were discussing this. I told her that I want my house to stay cleaned, especially the bathrooms and kitchen. She said something like "you cant be too picky". I said if I am paying someone to keep our house clean, I expect the house to be cleaned to my expectations. She told me that I would have to tell the helper that as she, my wife, wouldn't. My question is: if you have a house keeping helper, do you allow them to clean to their standards (if they are lower than yours) or do you expect the house to be cleaned to your standards?

My standard of cleanliness matches all the Filipinas I have met. I have had 2 housemaids in the past and have not had an issue with their standard. If you wife is not happy tell her she has to have words with the housemaid.

Paying relatives to work is an excellent idea. Instead of handouts, any relatives who want money, can work for it. If they don't want to work, then don't pay them.