MR. & MS. IN BUSINESS
July-August 2007

Pinoy Big Brother Housemate turns Aquabest franchisee
by Jojo Ocampo

Aquabest franchisee Bob de la Cruz first gained fame when he became one of the housemates in ABS-CBN's Pinoy Big Brother in August 2005. Among the members of the first batch, he was among the neophytes who did not know what to expect from the show.

"We did not know what was being shown on TV," he recalls. "We did not know how people perceived us. We were self-conscious at first but after a few weeks, we forgot about the cameras watching our every move. We became more relaxed."

After 50 days under the prying eyes of Big Brother and TV voyeurs, Bob was forcibly evicted due to medical reasons.

Looking back, Bob says that "PBB gave me the opportunity to be known to other people, and also it opened the doors of showbiz. Without PBB, I admit it would be very hard to penetrate showbiz."

Aquabest franchisee

After his Big Brother stint, Bob now keeps himself busy as a franchisee of Aquabest. "I learned about Aquabest when I saw their logo in Pinoy Big Brother. They were one of the sponsors during that edition," he recalls.

Bob says he chose Aquabest because of its outstanding franchising program. "After comparing their franchise package with that of other companies, I found that Aquabest offered the best deal, not only with their minimal start-up fee but also with regard to the support they provide," said Bob.

Learning the ropes

Looking back to when they started, Bob reveals: "the challenge is in coping with the orders made by our clients, delivering them on time and in the right quantity."

He shares the following experience: "When we first went operational, I did not anticipate the number of clients and orders that came in. I expected only a moderate number, which would steadily increase as days went on. But it was not the case. We were floored with orders less than a week into our operation. We had to make double time in processing purified water."

As a marketing strategy, Bob encourages 10+1 deals. "This means that for every purchase of 10 five-gallon refills, I give them 1 five-gallon refill for free.

As part of his social commitment, Bob has a soft spot for children. "I would like to put up a foundation to help needy children, he admits. "I have been doing outreach activities with my friends but I realized that with a foundation I will be able to help more kids."