UPDATE: Editor’s note: Added video taken by INQUIRER.net business editor Ma. Salve Duplito.

(From left to right, Marvin Natores, Meme Natores, Allan Cruz and Willy Arcilla)

Most newbie entrepreneurs rack their brains trying to think of ways to sell more. Marvin and Melani Natores wonder how they can keep up with surging demand for their products and are even struggling with the basic question: “Are we ready to grow the business? Are we ready for wealth? Is it possible to be rich and happy?”

Nuts? Foolish? Crazy? Who wouldn’t want to be in their shoes, huh? Believe it or not, it’s a serious matter on their part.

They have received queries on franchising, been booked for events outside Metro Manila, toying with other novel product ideas and are wondering whether to consider advertising. But they still come back to that question on whether they are ready to expand.

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NEAR THE FAR end of Tomas Morato Avenue in Quezon City, a new restaurant has been quietly luring diners these past seven months with its authentic Asian cuisine. This is Nasi Lemak, a small cozy restaurant just across the big McDonald’s outlet with French fries on its roof.

There’s a queue at lunch and dinner on weekends, and during weekdays at peak hours, the restaurant gets almost full too. And it’s all due to word of mouth, as satisfied customers rave about the tasty dishes, mostly Singaporean, at reasonable prices.

Restaurant consultant H.K. Tan, a Singaporean, says they are very particular about the quality of the food they serve, to the point of being paranoid. “We import ingredients to be assured of consistent quality,” he says. They also don’t scrimp on the ingredients to be used in the dishes so as to give customers the real deal.

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A FEW nights ago, I was busy filling out my income tax return, which is due tomorrow, April 15. My son was asking me how much I have to pay, and why I even need to pay when the government isn’t using the money well. You see, my son, who’ll be 13 soon, is very much aware of what’s happening in the country, and knows about the ZTE-NBN scandal, the Piatco fiasco, and all the other events occurring on the political front.

So why pay taxes when there is much corruption? I have heard this line before. Someone indeed asked me a few years back why we have to pay the right taxes when it will just be misused anyway.

Well, what would happen if we don’t pay the right taxes? The teachers in public schools may not even get their meager salaries at all. Patients in government hospitals may not find one doctor or nurse to attend to them. The potholes in the roads may get big enough for cars to fall into. Traffic lights may get busted and not replaced, or worse, there won’t be any more policemen to direct traffic. Senior citizens in places like Golden Acres may have no more place to run to.

Some two thousand years ago, some men also asked Jesus, “Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” The Lord asked for a coin, showed them whose face was on it, then said, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” (Matthew 22: 17, 21).

So, do your duty and pay the right taxes. What happens to the taxes after we’ve remitted it is up to the government; the leaders will be held accountable for that.

“WELCOME to TriNoma!” Every time I park at this mall’s North Avenue parking building, I am greeted with a sweet smile from the lady issuing the parking ticket and the two security guards inspecting my car. They don’t know me personally, but they smile just the same, and I can’t help smiling back.

In his column in the Philippine Daily Inquirer today, historian Ambeth Ocampo said greetings are also given at the Rockwell and Ayala Malls parking booths. See, niceties like these do not go unnoticed.

A year ago, my family scheduled a late lunch at Greek restaurant Cyma at Shangri-La Plaza. The place was packed, and there was a long wait for a table, and for orders to arrive. But to this day, I still remember the heavyset male server who had his hair pulled back in a pony tail. He had a genuine smile on his face and apologized sincerely for the long wait as he brought in our orders. I think because of this, none of us got mad; we did enjoy the meal.

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I RECENTLY came across a report on CNN about personal paparazzi you can hire for a day (or night). Yes, for about $1,500 a day, you can have a pack of paparazzi trailing you from your home to a restaurant to several clubs, snapping away every second and calling your name so you can look at the camera for yet another (expensive) click.

So far, the service is offered in the US and Britain, but who knows — this may click soon in Asia. Really now, if there are people dying to get to the society pages around here, then there’s a market for this service.

Clearly, the personal paparazzi business is one crazy business idea that has worked. And there are a lot more crazy business ideas that have brought in the cash for its owners.
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