WHEN the Association of Filipino Franchisers Inc. started the All-Filipino Franchise Expo for SMEs in 2000, we encouraged small- and medium-sized businesses to try the franchising way in growing their business. On our fifth year, I was not able to make it to the show due to an accident I met while traveling on many of my trips for the Department of Trade and Industry. I fell, broke my right hip as I alighted in the “load and unloading zone” nicely decorated with 12-inch-tall lot marker stones which were not well placed in Tuguegarao Airport. This resulted in my having a titanium implant. What saved me from hitting my head first on the pavement was my one-year-old laptop. As a result it caused me to be dependent on a walking aid for a month. What caused this fall? I believe it was my persistence in going everywhere to preach about entrepreneurship and franchising.

They say tatistics cannot be challenged. I was traveling almost thrice a month to far-flung places (by air, land and sea) to inspire people to take up their passions and fuel them. At the same time, I was fueling my passion as well. So the more travels I made, the more chances I had of being prone to small accidents, thankfully, not major ones that would forever quiet me down.

During the 30 recuperating days, I could not be contented in just lying in bed with all the tubes and straps on my body and stare on the blank four corners of the hospital room. My mind was finding ways how I can regain that passion in helping many SMEs. With strong faith that God will heal me plus always instilling positive attitude, I thus began to reach for my reliable laptop. There I began to produce my first seminar on PowerPoint in DVD. For me it was a way to reach out. Some people were skeptical to my idea. Nevertheless I insisted and had my staff produce copies.  Little did I know that from a few that DVD sold over 1,000 copies. People from all walks of life were ordering online.

This so-called preaching all over the country resulted into exciting discoveries beyond my expectations. Seven years ago I met a young man in shorts and rubber slippers who approached me to seek some assistance. That young man who began with a few thousand pesos borrowed from his father is now the boy with a Midas touch. His brand unknown to many before is no other than Mang Inasal.

How about a couple whose business was inherited from the wife’s father and began in a small space in the public market of La Paz Iloilo. The couple borrowed money from the bank and expanded which is now the popular Ted La Paz Batchoy.

In Cebu my child-like curiosity led me in search for the talk-of-the-town bakery called Julie’s. And meeting a migrant family whose patriarch had to serve the military and accept with complete obedience his sworn duty as medical doctor. As a result, he had to transfer his wife and six children from Santa Cruz, Laguna, to Cebu. This led to the discovery of the famous Café Laguna.

If not for the passion, I would not be privileged if I just became contented in my Manila office.

After almost 20 years of traveling, I think it is high time we gathered all the interested small, and even micro business owners in one venue, and talk to them about potential. After all, that has been my dictum: Your growth potential my passion. Many of my entrepreneur-clients-turned-friends will join me in this gathering we have called Philippine SME Franchise Expo, which will be held from October 27 to 29 at the Philippine International Convention Center. Admission is free upon registration in www.smexpoph.com. We hope to see many aspiring potential “Mang Inasals” or even a startup business seeking their future growth.

These days it is not enough to write books or be regular contributors to entrep bibles like Entrepreneur magazine and my weekly column in the BusinessMirror. People want to hear their idols, see them in person, and ask for a photo opportunity as if that photo would be their lucky charm to success. Well maybe, for others, that is all they need to experience: To be within speaking distance with their entrep idols. And as they say, “rub elbows” with the mighty and the successful.

This is what we hope to accomplish with our expo. We are here not to sell you anything. We are here to inspire you to take your idea to greater heights. We are here to expose you to those who have already reached their dreams. We are here to fuel your passion. In my almost 20 years in the business in the country, I have taken every opportunity to listen to great minds, whether it is at the leadership conferences or in symposia where I may have been a guest among other specialists. We can never learn enough. Actually, it is lifelong learning that separates the good from the great. Every day is a new opportunity to learn something new.

A great idea simply stays as a great idea if it remains in your mind. A great idea must be pitched, launched or developed. Now is the time to get it going. And the best way to be encouraged is to hear about others who have already done it.

I hope to see you all at the SME Expo. It is a day worth spending with like-minded people who want to achieve their potential. Together with Tradecon, my organizers and my wife Lyndah, a US-certified franchise executive and the wind beneath my wings, we hope to be able to inspire you to take your idea or business to the next level.

Invited too are my fellow “angelpreneurs” from Go Negosyo. There is also the ever-dynamic and passionate friend, Brendan Yu, whose loves teaching in College of Saint Benilde and University of Asia and the Pacific yet a successful franchisee of Jollibee. Brendan worked as an employee and managed his way toward becoming an entrepreneur. He by the way was awarded “Franchisee of the Year” by the same company.

I also managed to get hold of Rommel Juan of the popular Binalot who will share how he became an advocate of implementing corporate social responsibility. Juan, too, won a prestigious award held by UPS Out of The Box Award in 2008. He also won from Asian Forum of Social Responsibility 2010 the Intel Award for Corporate Social Responsibility.

Getting the speakers together was already tough as they have busy schedules. However, I had to beg that for the sake of our fellow countrymen to spare me their precious time.

For the small business owners, you, too, have an even chance of growing your business whether it is by franchising or licensing. You can share your knowledge and be rewarded for it. You can share your experience and convert it to money.

You can leverage on your brand or name or idea. Everyone has potential. You only have to unlock it by opening your mind to new ideas that others have done or experienced.

The best thing about this activity is that it is free. Register online at www.smexpoph.com to avail yourself of free admission. Some of the best things in life still are free.

Fuel your passion. It’s the only thing you need to do.