Business for foreigners on Pchum Ben?
- CambodiaGerman1
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Business for foreigners on Pchum Ben?
Throughout the year, Western foreigners who have business in my Cambodian town complain that they have little turnover and little profit. Since Friday is the Pchum Ben Fest and only 10-15% of the cafes or restaurants here are open at all. But these are mostly restaurants by locals, Chinese or Vietnamese.
All Western foreigners here closed her restaurants, Pubs and Cafes!
The make the extended weekend the sales of their lives, because from morning to evening, these shops are full and sometimes offer a buffet, which is offered off the menu. I really can not understand some foreigners! Not everyone who has a business - is also a businessman. (Or woman)
On Monday I moved with an Privattaxi to SR an payed 5,00 $ more than the normal price for this trip, because it's Pchum Ben Fest - so the Cambodians where the real experts in buisiness, I liked too.
Regards,
CG1
All Western foreigners here closed her restaurants, Pubs and Cafes!
The make the extended weekend the sales of their lives, because from morning to evening, these shops are full and sometimes offer a buffet, which is offered off the menu. I really can not understand some foreigners! Not everyone who has a business - is also a businessman. (Or woman)
On Monday I moved with an Privattaxi to SR an payed 5,00 $ more than the normal price for this trip, because it's Pchum Ben Fest - so the Cambodians where the real experts in buisiness, I liked too.
Regards,
CG1
- CambodiaGerman1
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Re: Business for foreigners on Pchum Ben?
I'm sorry, the post where in the wrong Category - must be here: Cambodian Culture and Language ! But I can't deleted or changed this.CambodiaGerman1 wrote: ↑Sat Sep 28, 2019 11:43 pm Throughout the year, Western foreigners who have business in my Cambodian town complain that they have little turnover and little profit. Since Friday is the Pchum Ben Fest and only 10-15% of the cafes or restaurants here are open at all. But these are mostly restaurants by locals, Chinese or Vietnamese.
All Western foreigners here closed her restaurants, Pubs and Cafes!
The make the extended weekend the sales of their lives, because from morning to evening, these shops are full and sometimes offer a buffet, which is offered off the menu. I really can not understand some foreigners! Not everyone who has a business - is also a businessman. (Or woman)
On Monday I moved with an Privattaxi to SR an payed 5,00 $ more than the normal price for this trip, because it's Pchum Ben Fest - so the Cambodians where the real experts in buisiness, I liked too.
Regards,
CG1
Re: Business for foreigners on Pchum Ben?
Throughout the region, you'll generally find that the majority of foreign-owned F&B places are "amateur farang restaurants" or are "not real restaurants". They don't understand much about marketing and promotion, market research, business plans, customer service, customer retention, branding and brand identity, staffing and scheduling, etc., so even in rare cases where the food is actually good, they often struggle and go out of business.CambodiaGerman1 wrote: ↑Sat Sep 28, 2019 11:43 pm Throughout the year, Western foreigners who have business in my Cambodian town complain that they have little turnover and little profit. Since Friday is the Pchum Ben Fest and only 10-15% of the cafes or restaurants here are open at all. But these are mostly restaurants by locals, Chinese or Vietnamese.
All Western foreigners here closed her restaurants, Pubs and Cafes!
The make the extended weekend the sales of their lives, because from morning to evening, these shops are full and sometimes offer a buffet, which is offered off the menu. I really can not understand some foreigners! Not everyone who has a business - is also a businessman. (Or woman)
On the other hand, you sometimes see restaurants where they food isn't very good, but the owner has some business knowledge and offers something different/creates a comfortable space for travellers that somehow results in a buzz that convinces a bunch of people that "the food is delicious" and ends up being the number one restaurant in town on Trip Advisor.
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I may be going to hell in a bucket,
but at least I'm enjoying the ride.
- frank lee bent
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Re: Business for foreigners on Pchum Ben?
Their staff mostly all go home for holidays so they can't operate single handedly.
Re: Business for foreigners on Pchum Ben?
There are some places where some staff go to the province, and others stay and continue working, so the business continues to operate.
## I thought I knew all the answers, but they changed all the questions. ##
Re: Business for foreigners on Pchum Ben?
I don’t get this pchum ben day.
New year they go back to hometown
Chinese new year they go back to hometown
Cheng meng they go back to hometown
What else....hmmmm let me think
That’s the only events i can think off,
1 years, they will go back to hometown for 4 times!
The khmer got more holidays then other countries
And if your on hospitality business should be good, otherwise!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
New year they go back to hometown
Chinese new year they go back to hometown
Cheng meng they go back to hometown
What else....hmmmm let me think
That’s the only events i can think off,
1 years, they will go back to hometown for 4 times!
The khmer got more holidays then other countries
And if your on hospitality business should be good, otherwise!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Re: Business for foreigners on Pchum Ben?
Some of the bigger places with bigger payrolls can rotate their staff so they can go and do their Pchum Ben thing beforehand and work on the weekend and operate on a half staff basis. I always tip very generously to all that work over the various big holidays. Without them it would be a very long weekend indeed.
But the smaller places with just 3 or 4 staff can't operate with just 1 or 2 and so have little choice but to close.
But the smaller places with just 3 or 4 staff can't operate with just 1 or 2 and so have little choice but to close.
- phuketrichard
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Re: Business for foreigners on Pchum Ben?
the ++ about being khmer in Cambodia, if you /work in PP ur never more than 5-7 hours from home.cadot wrote: ↑Sun Sep 29, 2019 1:08 pm I don’t get this pchum ben day.
New year they go back to hometown
Chinese new year they go back to hometown
Cheng meng they go back to hometown
What else....hmmmm let me think
That’s the only events i can think off,
1 years, they will go back to hometown for 4 times!
The khmer got more holidays then other countries
And if your on hospitality business should be good, otherwise!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
totally unlike other countries
In a nation run by swine, all pigs are upward-mobile and the rest of us are fucked until we can put our acts together: not necessarily to win, but mainly to keep from losing completely. HST
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Re: Business for foreigners on Pchum Ben?
for the most part if they are lucky they will get time off from work (many in hospitality and retail do not) for many they also do not get any annual leave, many of these businesses both Khmer and Foreign owned, flout labor law. Many Khmers only will get the three main blocks of - Pchum Ben, Water Festival and Khmer New Year. Many work 6 days a week 10 hours a day. I don't begrudge them 3 times a year to see their families.
As for the western run bars, sure it is a break for them too but as FLB says, they won't have the staff, as they either negotiate extra financial compensation with staff to stay (and if you are earning $5 a day triple time is hardly going to swing it for you) or follow the law and so have no staff, many would have to pour the beers themselves as they have no staff, for some owners this might be too difficult for them to manage whilst remaining sober
As for the western run bars, sure it is a break for them too but as FLB says, they won't have the staff, as they either negotiate extra financial compensation with staff to stay (and if you are earning $5 a day triple time is hardly going to swing it for you) or follow the law and so have no staff, many would have to pour the beers themselves as they have no staff, for some owners this might be too difficult for them to manage whilst remaining sober
- CambodiaGerman1
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Re: Business for foreigners on Pchum Ben?
Everything you really say, only I see here in Battambang - that just 3-4 restaurants and cafes (which one knows and where I like to go) have opened over 15 to 18 - and that's all the locals or Chinese and Vietnamese managing director with Cambodian employees. And these are really making a turnover in the last 3 days, that's insane. And I know these 3-4 restaurants well - the Cambodian staff are all well trained and work "exceptionally" not as modern slaves.
In addition, they are well paid for Cambodian conditions in this trade at moderate working hours. That's what I mean by business sense. If you plan the 4 holidays properly or just prepare certain things, then you can also make profit with a business idea, without being the copy of a cheap copy. Especially since there are two restaurants, which are operated almost exclusively by foreigners, so not even Cambodian cleaning or kitchen staff.
And then I lack the understanding, especially since the families are not really religious and have ties to this festival. I posted this here - because in the last year, I've really just met too many foreigners who believe they can open a guest house, bed and breakfast, or just a restaurant and pub without really having a clue about this matter - or indeed - In my opinion, too lazy to work for a success. Instead, they lament and blame the big world for their own mistakes.
What I personally find very bad, because I like culinary diversity...
In addition, they are well paid for Cambodian conditions in this trade at moderate working hours. That's what I mean by business sense. If you plan the 4 holidays properly or just prepare certain things, then you can also make profit with a business idea, without being the copy of a cheap copy. Especially since there are two restaurants, which are operated almost exclusively by foreigners, so not even Cambodian cleaning or kitchen staff.
And then I lack the understanding, especially since the families are not really religious and have ties to this festival. I posted this here - because in the last year, I've really just met too many foreigners who believe they can open a guest house, bed and breakfast, or just a restaurant and pub without really having a clue about this matter - or indeed - In my opinion, too lazy to work for a success. Instead, they lament and blame the big world for their own mistakes.
What I personally find very bad, because I like culinary diversity...
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