Dutch firm deems Cebu potential biz launch pad

Challenged by the astuteness of the Cebu market, a Dutch company chose to make Cebu its launch pad in doing business in the country.

Chief Executive Officer Richard Shulzer said that choosing business here in Cebu was not only because of its friendly people but also because of what the researches say.

"According to research, if you make it here in Cebu, you make it anywhere else," Schulzer said.

Bickers Group's services held a wine tasting activity at its office at the fifth floor of Ayala-Life FGU Building, as an opening salvo to its numerous launching of products in the next few months.

Bickers Corporation is engaged in international trade facilitation, which includes buyer and seller representation and the hosting of international trade portals focusing on certain specific areas for the reference of foreign as well as local companies who may want to do business. It is being composed of the Bickers Corporate, Bickers Public Solutions, and Bickers Law Firm. However, only Bickers Corporate is exercising business in Cebu City.

The company has already launched its website, www.cebu-market.com, November of last year. They are also soon to launch their magazine in the same month this year.

Joel Cabatas, sales and marketing officer, said that the website of the company serves as a portal designed to provide trade leads and other information such as free corporate and government listings, local and regional events, jobs or classified ads, flea markets, photo albums for sharing of memories and other highly useful information to those who are searching for anything on the web.

The sales and marketing officer also added that www.cebu-market.com is the best venue for advertisements since it provides a comprehensive listing of major information resources, serves as a "one-stop-shop" for web searchers as to what they specifically need in Cebu, and the best and most informative features but has the lowest price rate.

Also a sales and marketing officer, Maria Cristina Adarle elaborated that it is easy to advertise in their webpage. Advertiser could either contact them through phone calls or electronic messages in order to make the proper arrangements. Lay-out would be done by the company but the final approval would come from the advertiser.

Aside from the website, the company's satellite in Cebu would soon engage in the export of wines and flowers.

Bickers Corporation, with its mother company in Netherlands, is a member of the European Chamber of Commerce. It is engaging in liaison services for Calatrasi Wine, which provided the wines for the wine tasting, NTI University in Netherlands, University of Wales, and Robert Kennedy College in Zurich, Switzerland. It also gives services to various companies for personnel selection through web channel and provides consultation on Litigation and International Law on Immigration.