I never really ran a business before and I honestly did not dream of being a business owner growing up. My focus was always on school and helping at home when I can. Still, sometimes I think about what kind of work would feel right for me. Not something big or flashy but something useful for people.

A Business I Would Like to Have

If I ever run a business I would like a small restaurant with its own farm and produce. It would not be fancy and it would not aim to grow big. The idea is simple and practical. What we grow on the farm is what we cook and serve in the restaurant. This isn't anything grand like being healthy but a more realistic and grounded explanation. If I have a farm to table type of restaurant, I can do a lot of things cheaper which means the food will also be cheaper.

In this setup, I would not need to buy much from outside. There would be no middlemen and no extra costs added to the food. Because of that, the meals can stay cheap for everyone. People can eat good food without worrying too much about the price. The best result can even be that if my food are cheaper than if you cook it yourself, then you would probably eat at my restaurant instead. It's practical and I think there's a lot of potential for it.

For example one meal could be a simple Egg Fried Rice with a slice of chicken. On the farm we grow rice and vegetables like pechay and tomatoes. The eggs come from our own chickens and when the chickens grow old, we could slaughter it as well. Early in the morning the vegetables are picked washed and brought straight to the kitchen including the meat and other spices.

In the restaurant the rice is cooked fresh and the vegetables are stir fried lightly. An egg is cooked on top and seasoned simply. There is no need to add many things and because there's no transporting of stuff, I don't need to add gas or other expenses on top of it. If I would price it, probably P30 (around $0.20) per plate. While this looked exaggerated, if you think about it, it's practical. The rice and vegetables technically grow on its own. You don't use electricity or other resources except for time. So, the price can be really low. It's both health and cheap which would be helpful not only for me but for everyone around me.

If there would be excess vegetables or produce as well, I could simply sell them for more profit. This lowers the costs for families and I can sell it quite cheap since I basically didn't use anything on it. Even the fertilizer, it can come from the chicken poop and the wastes in the kitchen like vegetable peels or old and wilted leaves in the farm. I think they call this "Green fertilizer." It's really a complete loop.

If money skills or people were not an issue I think I would start this kind of business. Not to earn a lot but to make food easier to get for families. I like the idea of a loop where nothing is wasted and everything has a purpose. It feels complete and everyone benefits from it which is what I value most.