ARC offers lucrative business for small entrepreneurs

Sometimes the key to a successful business is to gather your wits and take the plunge. That is what former employee Rhea Gonzales did when she gambled the security of a 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. job for the uncertainty of entrepreneurship. Seventeen years ago, Gonzales resigned from her job to venture into a grocery and softdrink dealership business. She has not gone back to office work ever since. At present, Gonzales is currently one of the topearning and top-selling distributors of RC Cola products in Malolos, Bulacan.

Finding a bottling company that takes care of its dealers well is a challenge in itself. Fortunately, her company got wind of how it is much easier to do business with ARC Refreshments Corp. (ARC), the Philippines’ licensed bottler of RC Cola Interna- tional in Georgia, USA.

“The feedback we got was mostly positive,” she shared. Gonzales decided to sever business ties with a more established softdrink brand and switch to RC products. She was delighted to discover that ARC is not only very supportive and easier to deal with but has no prohibitive arrangements that hinder distributors like her from realizing their full potential income. “The company does not put a cap on our target areas as long as I distribute within Malolos,” she said.

SELLING A MARKET ‘NEWBIE’

When Gonzales decided to partner with ARC, RC Cola had just been reintroduced to the Philippine market. In an industry dominated by two soda giants, selling RC cola products seemed like a gamble. Many retail stores were hesitant to carry the brand. “Our team had to personally peddle RC Cola to

sari-sari stores,” she recalled. “We had to reassure them that the product would stay in the market.”

Her confidence in RC Cola was justified as it is now a household name. Its refreshing taste and affordable price point (cheaper than its competitors) clicked with Filipino consumers, making it a favorite carbonated drink brand in the country today.

EMPOWERING ENTREPRENEURS

Entrepreneurship is a major driver of economic growth as it helps generate jobs and improve the lives of many Filipinos.

Gonzales is one of the small business owners that have been empowered by ARC’s accommodating and supportive dealership program.

That’s because ARC offers distributors opportunities for double income. They can profit from selling the fast-growing brand and earn from hauling the products at the same time.

“ARC encourages dealers to haul from the plant with a corresponding fee for the effort,” Gonzales said. “They will teach the hauling system. They will even provide allowances for gas, for the driver and for the distributors.” It’s a lucrative source of income, she attests. She has since dropped her grocery business to concentrate on RC Cola distributorship.

More information on ARC Refreshments Corp. and its products is available at http://www.arc. com.ph.