Kelly Boncan’s Science of Successful Resort Management

Submitted by lella on Mon, 11/03/2008 - 18:14.

Start: 11/03/2008 - 00:37

Timezone: Etc/GMT+8

Businesses start in different ways. There are some that begin from well-thought out business plans complete with market surveys, strategies and projections. Others are offshoots of the entrepreneurs’ previous careers. Some develop from a hobby or a passion. For others like Raquel “Kelly” Boncan, business started by chance – through a series of fortunate events.

On the road to Bora
For Kelly, it was a circuitous route to becoming a resort owner in Boracay. She belonged to a totally different industry. Her former company was called Advertising Media Boutique. When the economy and political climate started to go bad during the Marcos regime, she got fed up with doing business here. The advertising agency was sold and she retired from the industry.

In search of a new life, she and her family hopped around the globe. Bangkok, Palau, the United States were some places where they tried to transplant their roots. Not finding what they were looking for, they decided to come home.

Back in the Philippines, she dabbled in real estate. But there was something missing. Deep inside her was the desire to improve the situation in the country by providing jobs for our countrymen. The real estate business just did not need that many employees. This was the EDSA Revolution era when hopes for a revitalized Philippines were high.

The Accidental Boracay Entrepreneur
Self-improvement books say that when you want something passionately, the universe conspires to grant it to you. Kelly’s desire to promote national growth by giving employment must have been truly passionate. Fortuitous events led her to a new business in Boracay.
The resort was originally a family vacation house where Kelly and her partner, Charlie Uy, planned to spend their retirement years.

Then friends heard about it and occasionally borrowed the place for a couple of days. As the frequency of these visits increased personal belongings had to be crammed into one room to accommodate the guests. People also needed to be hired to take care of the place and to cook.

When word spread about this beach house in Boracay, friends of friends became paying guests. It officially became a business in 1990 when one patron asked for a receipt. Their only registered business then was a restaurant in Binondo called Pink Patio. To meet the immediate requirement, the receipt from the restaurant was given. This incident brought home the fact that it was time to formalize the status of the business. Thus Pink Patio the resort was born.

Building a Successful Resort
The beginnings of Pink Patio may have been unplanned but its growth was a result of solid business practices and philosophy.
•As with all successful businesses, knowing and utilizing the strengths of key people involved is vital. Kelly, with her background in advertising, was a natural for heading Sales and Marketing. Charlie, whose work experience was in real estate, had the connections for Purchasing and the expertise for construction.
•Kelly emphasizes that it is important to hire a qualified team to run the business. Currently, their resident Operations Manager is a German who was the classmate of one of their sons in hotel school. Employees from the island who were not yet skilled were given sufficient training.
•It is also imperative to pay the employees correct wages. Before the influx of big hotels, when tourism was literally just a “cottage” industry, Patio employees were the only ones receiving minimum wage. It was in stark contrast to the other establishments who paid below minimum and hired seasonally. This instilled a sense of professionalism and loyalty in their employees.
•Caring for the environment is the responsibility of every citizen especially those who make a living off the sea and sand. Improving the drainage system, maintaining cleanliness and beautification of the island were just some of the many projects that the Patio owners spearheaded.
•Kelly believes that educating the community and serving the less privileged is a duty they had to perform to help Boracay prosper. Pink Patio is a founding member of the Boracay Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI). BCCI’s advocacy is to build the capability of the island and its residents to sustain the development of tourism. As a BCCI member, Patio was involved in giving tourism orientations and marketing seminars to the islanders. They also organized the island transport system and conducted feeding programs for the school children.

18 years from its inception, the accidental beach resort employs 130 people. Three years ago Pink Patio was renamed Patio Pacific Boracay. Accommodation was increased to 65 bedrooms. Facilities were upgraded to include a swimming pool, fitness center, wellness center, wall climbing and 4 food & beverage outlets. The image was changed from a “mom & pop” operation to a world class establishment.

Patio is accredited by the Department of Tourism as a “Triple A” resort. All these because of a Pinay who passionately wanted to help her fellow Filipinos by giving them decent jobs.