Hi.
I am Pål H. Johannessen from Norway but have been living in the Philippines for the last 8 years. And the two first years I had a very well-paid job I Makati.
August 2020, I quit my job in Makati. Had then saved up enough capital within my mind to start my own company; to live out the plan I have had in my mind a long time before I moved to the Philippines.
What I’m now going to say is not to highlight myself or appear like an angel or anything like that. I am a giver and love to give. So, doing what I am doing now is very hard and difficult. I have known about this webpage for a long time but have been hesitating. Because I find it difficult to receive. So now I’ve gathered the courage to give it a try.
I like to help without thinking that I should have anything in return. I’ve always been that way. Even when I sometimes haven’t had that much either. But I’ve always shared the little things I’ve had. If I have a roof over my head, pay my bills and can fill my stomach. That’s good enough for me. But I don’t like to give just for the sake of giving. It is best if it can help someone in perpetuity. Something that persists and creates growth. And that was the idea when I started Bluelight. It wasn’t to fill my bank account to the brim. But I wanted to give and help people/families who I saw absolutely were in need. Like families with small kids, who live on the street. And they are not hard to find in Manila.
When my company got the legal cert as bluelightcenter.com. The first project was signed, even before I managed to rent an office. So, I started the first project in my own home. 10 computers in 2 rooms on the second floor. Got 20 agents on a short-term data entry Project. 10 agents during the day, and 10 agents on graveyard shift.
I have been calculating the economics, and I knew there was a lot of money to be made in this business. But I was surprised that the income became much higher than I first expected. And that’s why I also set a higher salary than the usual norm. The normal rate of such a project is about 12,000 pesos per month in salary. Which I thought was much underpaid. And I know that it is not possible to support one’s family from such a low income. So, I set a minimum salary that no one got less than 20,000 pesos per month. Because as a company owner. It is possible to do that, and at the same time have a good profit. And of course, we also got very satisfied agents, who did a very good job. We did inbound chat and phone support, and we also had many good short-term assignments on outbound projects in terms of appointment setting, mostly towards the US market. Such as dept settlement, Medicare, diabetics, etc.
Most call centers are in the wealthiest areas. Such as Makati, BGC, Ortigas etc. … But there are not many people who need help there. After all, they have everything and far more than enough. Instead, I chose a place among people living their lives below middle-class standards and below the poverty line. A place called Napindan. A rural area in Taguig, on the border with Pasig.
I also started free English lessons. Since there were many with interrupted schooling due to finances/poverty. But regardless of whether they do not have enough education but are good enough in English speech. So, they deserve to get the chance to be hired at any Call Center. Unfortunately, many people aren’t good enough for that either. So, I hired an English teacher and gave free English lessons. At least then they had an opportunity to get a job, despite their education. Everyone needs a second chance.
My company made a huge profit on every projects and manages therefore to help many poor people in the area around the office. The focus was on families with school-age children but didn’t go to school. The simple reason is that they had more than enough struggle to get enough food. Yes, public school is free, they say. But it is not really free, how about school uniform and other school stuff? And all those projects that don’t serve for any good teaching. All that must be paid from their own pockets. They can’t manage to do that. Many are so poor that they are lucky if they have one meal a day. So, we gave many families help to start their own little shops of various kinds. And it was so unlikely to see those children who used to be sent out to beg. Could rather be sent out in a school uniform to be educated. It was amazing to see the changes. Today I regret that I didn’t do much filming and pictures. I didn’t really think about it either. But that will change in the future, when I can set up a foundation with its own webpage to follow.
In January of the year 2022, I was awarded a very good inbound project. The project owner was based in the United States, but of Indian origin. Now it is correct to say that there are an incredible number of scammers within the bpo – world. I knew of several centers that had been scammed. We investigated and did deep research before we went into new projects. And sadly, we uncovered many scammers along the way. But the people behind the new inbound project we were supposed to work on at that time seemed good. We investigated what was possible to investigate and nothing wrong to be found. They even came to the office. To see and train the agents who were supposed to work on the project. Everything seemed to be safe and sound. I must say that this was a very lucrative project financially.
I started setting aside large sums of money. Because I had seen a very dilapidated leisure area nearby to be restored. It would be a nice place for the kids to play. And since I am born and raised in a farm in Norway and my education is in agriculture. I started to think about setting up a place for aquaponic growth, which would create work for many.
We used an online bank linked to us and the partner. They paid out 2 times per month. We were in daily contact over Skype. We also got quite personal with a lot of humor and casual talk. Little did I know that they had probably planned what was coming for a very long time? In the Month of March / April 2023. On a Thursday night we were supposed to start up as usual. It was strangely quiet on Skype. Then I noticed that the whole personal chat was gone and the group chat. I was wondering at first, if there was something wrong with skype. It didn’t occur to me that this was a scam, after such close cooperation. I tried calling by phone, where I only was told that the number was not in use. This was a good economic project for both parties. So, I didn’t understand this completely. I don’t get it to this day either. But then I checked the accounts. And it hit me quite forcefully. It was like a horse kicking me in the face. The day before we had close to 6 Mill pesos on the accounts but that night it was zero. My body froze and felt completely empty. I couldn’t quite believe that this was happening. I had my general manager check it one more time. Same result. So many thoughts went through my head. There are 28 employees waiting to do their job. Instead, I had to stand in front of them, to say there’s no more work.
It was the worst experience ever. I couldn’t just send them home without any kind of payment. After all, they have family to support, and they have been very hard working and dutiful.
I had a private account with my own funds. Not enough for full pay for all of them. But better than nothing. I emptied the account and distributed it equally among all the employees.
I was sitting in the office alone all night, thinking why is this happening? What’s the deal? How do I deal with this? Of course, me and the general manager went to the police and gave what we had of paperwork and information. But it serves little purpose in a country like the Philippines. The next few months became very difficult and maybe the worst time in my life. Or difficult became just as a first letter in what I was facing next.
The first 2 to 3 weeks became the darkest times. I closed the door to the bedroom, and I didn’t know all the emotions I felt. Shame, pain, despair and anger. Didn’t feel like talking with anyone. I closed myself in. I couldn’t find solution for anything. But things were going to go from worse to worse. Here we are talking about zero income, empty accounts and the bills are pouring in. Water, electricity, rent, etc. And the bills started to pass due date. I was so heavy at heart and depressed. But I had to have income. So, I managed to force myself out of bed and start up the computer. The next 3 months were in front of the computer.
I stitched the web after work. But it started off very badly. Got a freelance job, which turned out to be a scam. After I delivered a 3-week work of translating a document, they just disappeared. It happened 2 times in a row. So, it got 7 weeks of work without getting paid. Fortunately, there were some small day assignments on the side that paid out the same day. It was just too damnable. Sit there trying to do a job with heavy thoughts and often an empty stomach. Because some days I didn’t even have food. And then I also got very stressed out by a landlord who want his monthly settlement. I couldn’t pay. And it felt so degrading and shameful.
The notice of shutdown of both water and electricity was coming in. I thought at that time: Am I really going to end up on the streets of Manila? That was an absolutely insane thought. I was so at the rock bottom now. I really felt several times under this journey from Hell, that I just wanted to give up.
Two months had gone by and hardly any income. The pressure was squishing me; But then, I suddenly got an 8-week assignment by an American real estate company. It was not paid per hour, but very well paid per booked meeting, as well as extra paid/bonus if there was a sale out of it. I didn’t know if this could also be a scam or something. I had almost become paranoid and thought everyone was out to scam me. They would pay every 2 weeks. But I demanded per week. They agree. I guess I thought more that they were going to just fool me too. But I had no other choice. But the day I was supposed to start the assignment, was also the day where they cut the electricity. It couldn’t come in a more inconvenient time. I went to the caretaker of my office and told him about everything that had happened. He has always been a very nice man… I borrowed a generator that gave me enough power for the internet router, 2 fans and the computer. Now I’m going to do that work no matter what. I crossed my fingers that they actually would pay me. Despite the heavy struggle I landed more appointments than they expected. And I got paid very well. And many appointments ended up in sales.
I was sitting and working in the dark without electricity and water for 14 days. I got paid after the first week. With that I could pay the electricity bills for the last 2 months. And all other bills got paid as the weeks went by. I felt that for the first time since the day of disaster, I could lower my shoulders a little. I had hardly been outside the doors in those months. I didn’t talk to family and friends during all that time. I found it very difficult to tell of this defeat. I had 2 weeks left on the mission. And I just drove on and called uninterruptedly. That’s when it dawned on me. I’ll never give up! Never!! Although I felt like it many times during that period. But that was never a solution good enough. There are just losers who give up what they’ve started.
The last week of the assignment, I was fortunate enough to get a freelance Remote job at a growth tech company as a Business Development Representative. They are a growth agency for B2B companies. That company became one of the best companies I have been working with. Fantastic leaders and outstanding coworkers.
At the same time, I decided to focus on self-growth, re-establish my company and focus on my new work. And that is more and less what I have been doing now.
My company as a call center is changing to be an outsourcing service of Filipino IT professionals to primary Norwegian companies but will also welcome companies from other countries. They are not working from home. They are employees of Bluelight center and work from our office. They work as a group with direct contact to the Norwegian(foreign) company, as if they were their own employees.
The big win in this is that the foreign companies more and less cutting 40 to 50% of their expenses on new employees. They just pay the same amount every month. And we also creating new jobs for many unemployed IT professionals with good, competitive salaries.
Now I will finally come to the point I have discovered an untapped business niche, who don’t have an app to connect thousands of vendors, consumers and delivery options.
Given the unique nature of this project, I am too afraid of disclosing a specific detail. I cannot revile the niche. I am afraid that someone with capital will take my idea. I will surely revile the niche to those who sign an NDA (nondisclosure agreement).
This is in fact a unique situation. When you look at the app market. There is an app for everything. In fact, there are many apps for the same thing. That’s why it is incredible to discover a niche in the Philippines without a connecting app, but it would be highly beneficial, similar as for restaurants who are using Grab and Foodpanda, and other vendors who sell things through Shopee and Lazada.
I hired a professional office to do the market research. So, the numbers are based on the results from that research.
“This is a very promising idea. You have spotted a clear market gap. It is unbelievable that no one else has thought about this before. It is like discover an untouched goldmine”. This was the words of the researchers.
I am asking to get $100 000. I have already put a lot of money into this. Now I must finish the app, and I need skilled developers for that. I have already made the basics, so the app should be finished within 2 months. Before I release the app, I need to have customer service ready. I also want to secure salaries for a year ahead. See the breakdown
I am not comfortable to be given money. I would feel better if I could give something in return.
📊 Breakdown:
| Item | Monthly Cost (₱) | 12-Month Total (₱) |
| Office Rent | 60,000 | 720,000 |
| Electricity | 15,000 | 60,000 |
| Internet | 5,000 | 30,000 |
| Developer Salary sr.
Developer Salary jr. Csr chat support 5*30.000 Floor manager chat support
|
80.000
60.000 150.000 40.000 |
960,000
720,000 1,800.000 480,000 |
| Computers/office invent. | — | 150,000 (one-time) |
| Admin Accessories: Ink, paper, contracts, legalizing/validating of contracts and external hard drives for backup storage | 20,000 (one time | |
| Unexpected expenses | 1,300.000 | |
| Total | 410.000 | 6.240.000
$ 100,000 |
Estimated calculation on how we think it will look 12 months after the app is released.
This is an understated estimate. But even if we only hit 50% of this, it’s still a healthy business. And this is just the start with one out of many populated cities in the Philippines.
Manila has more than 20 million inhabitants and more than 4000 vendors in this niche. There is no app that connects vendors, consumers and delivery.
- We deduct 5% of every transactions amount, but no more than PHP 200.
- Consumers spending minimum ₱2000 on each order,
- 5% deducted from ₱2000 is ₱100. That will be the income.
- With 2500 transactions per day. The estimated income will be ₱250 000 per day
- ₱250 000 per day * 30 days = ₱7, 5 mill = approximately $125 000 per month.
- We deduct 10% of the transport fee, with an average delivery fee of ₱200 gives us ₱20 per delivery. (90% goes to the rider/delivery).
- With estimated 2000 deliveries per day and Avg. delivery: ₱100 → ₱10 income per delivery, the income will be ₱20 000 per day.
- ₱20 000 per day * 30 days = ₱600K = approximately $10 125 per month
This is based on daily income 7 days a week. Because they are open every day, from early morning to late night.
This is how we expect for the next 3 years:
- Year 1: Only NCR Manila expected yearly revenue ₱91M = $1,5M
- Year 2: Expanded to Cebu and Davao expected yearly revenue ₱225M = $3,8M
- Year 3: Expanding to 10 cities/nationwide expected yearly revenue ₱585M = $9,8M
🚀 Keys to Making It Success
- We Start Local, Scale Gradually
- Starting with one city (e.g., Metro Manila). Build density of vendors and consumers before expanding nationwide.
- Vendor Education & Support
- Offer simple onboarding: “We’ll help setting up the vendor profile. ”Sending field agents to register shops.
3. Consumer Trust & Marketing.
- Highlight the poverty-fighting fund in the branding. 10% of the delivery and 25% from the sales transactions goes to our own foundation and will be used for poverty projects.
- Run promos during peak seasons (Valentine’s, All Saints’ Day, Mother’s Day etc.).
- Delivery fleet.
- Consider a “preferred rider” program for reliability.
- Tech Roadmap.
- Base44 is a solid start. I have myself made the basics off the app. Over time, we may need to migrate to a scalable backend (Azure, AWS, or GCP) as transactions grow.
• Build analytics early: track which vendors sell most, peak order times, delivery success rates.
Thank you for reading and considering to join me on a exciting journey.