Business For Happy Retirees

This book is a personal story of Benj and Fely Santiago. The contents of this book are intended for information purposes, and reference only. It is unique to the background and experience of the Authors. It is intended exclusively to inspire and guide you on how to set up your own IMG business but does not guarantee you of your own success. Your success depends largely on your effort and commitment. Each person has unique situation, everyone must consider all the options she or he may get into. It is the hope of the author to inspire people to get into a business that suits your competence, experience, and more importantly your passion. The author of this book, and all other people mentioned in this book made sure that the information are correct as of the date of publication. However, there is no guarantee or warranty as to the completeness and accuracy of all the information shared on this book. The author of this book expressly disclaim liability for errors or omissions in the infor...

Fely and I had long wanted to have our own business.  I know you too want to have your own business before you retire. In fact, many of our friends who got their early retirement money, put up on their own business. Unfortunately, more than half of the people we know who went into business, went bankrupt and lost their money.   Early on in our career in the Semicon Manufacturing we wanted to put up our own business. However, our education set us up for employment. Our family experience also limited us to “sari-sari store” (convenient store) business. It was the business our parents had.  It was short lived and did not even prosper.  For many years, I and Fely's had a great desire to set-up our own business, but we were not able to pursue it because of our fear of failure. Besides, our comfort zone was employment.  But in 2007, our journey to our own business started. We are so thankful that with IMG-International Marketing Group. We had been changed and our...

Fely and I were both first engineers in our respective family. We were highflyers in Elementary, High School and College. Fely graduated Valedictorian in Elementary and is consistent honor student in High School, while I am always in the Top 5 of the class. I obtained my Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering on a Scholarship Grant by the National State Scholarship of the Philippine Government. My studies were motivated by a dream of making it good in school and landing a good job.  My parents wanted me to complete my engineering so I can land a good job in a company. Work on the company and retire in it. After my graduation (just a few years ago…1978 ehem...), I was taken in as an Instructor in the Mechanical Engineering Department of Adamson University.  For three years I was in the academe and as fate would have it, this university is where Fely and I would meet and fall in love (I still feel the “kilig” even after so many years… ha ha ha!) My first taste of an indus...

Looking back, it was mid of 2007 Fely was already notified by her company that her job will be eliminated and thus her position will no longer exist. She was identified for early retirement. So, before she reached her last day in office, we searched for guidance how we will be able to manage our finances. We bought and read books.  We attended seminars and studied different business options. During this time, I was still employed, and Fely was still receiving her monthly salary. There was not as much pressure to embark on a business at this time. November of that year, we decided to join a company named International Marketing Group-IMG. This is after we learned about it in Bro Bo Sanchez's Truly Rich Coaching Seminar. Our only motivation is for us to become the broker for all our financial services needs such as our investments, property insurance, and healthcare.  We did not seriously consider yet any business as I was still employed and receives my monthly income.  We ...

Our search for business was very meticulous and long. We studied our options very carefully. We considered business like a car shop with parts and services, with internet cafe, and spa set-up. We also looked at franchising a gasoline station, a convenient store, a meat shop, and fast-food.  We also toyed with the idea of converting our home to a spa styled specialty restaurant. But we believe that most successful business models are those that deal with distribution, a Business that has a system. Businesses that thrive are those that are of a One-Stop-Shop. Manufacturers are no longer the king. I studied the business model the richest men in the Philippines. They have a one-stop-shop or a distribution. Take the case of Henry Sy. He owns SMDC, BDO, SM Malls and many allied businesses.  When he needs to build more malls, he gets the services to construct the mall from his own company SMDC. The funding he borrows from his own bank BDO. When the malls are completed, the biggest re...

I did not even treat this as a serious business. In the onset I also did not see the immense size of this business! Fely and I finally saw the immensity of this business in 2011, when we attended our company’s convention in San Jose California, USA.  More than 20 thousand people attended from all over US and Canada, and from Asia. In that convention, we have met people who are ordinary people who shared their success stories in the business. It inspired us and opened our minds to do more or this business. But what really is this IMG business? IMG is a financial distribution company. As a business owner using the IMG System Fely and I are independent representative of a One-Stop-Shop of Financial Services. We represent various companies in different fields of service:  the top 5 Mutual Fund Companies (Soldivo, PhilEquity, SunLife Financial, ATRAM, PAMI), top 5 Real Estate Development companies (Ayala, SMDC, DMCI, VistaLand, MegaWorld), and many other refutable and solid compani...