ENTREPRENEUR Jefren Pages and his business partners are setting aside P5 million for the expansion of his latest business venture, The Techbox, to surrounding cities of Cebu.
The Techbox is a gadgets supply and repair shop located across the Banilad Town Center. It is a provider of top-of-the-line closed circuit television cameras (CCTV) for retail outlets, hotels, schools and business process management firms.
The Banilad store is a P4 million flagship outlet operated by Techbox Electronics Inc.
The business is also a joint venture with Pages’ son, J. Ezra Pages. Its core business is the supply and installation of CCTV cameras.
Pages, who owns Kaona Grill, said they ventured into the business because of the growing demand for CCTVs in establishments and households.
He said that although CCTV installation is already a requirement in getting and renewing business license, there are still a lot of enterprises that don’t have the system.
“Entrepreneurs, whether big or small players, should consider installing CCTVs in their establishments for security purposes. It can help protect our assets and families,” said Pages.
He said CCTVs help deter criminals and solve crimes.
“With the kind of crimes committed and the involvement of technology, it really pays to have a high-quality CCTV system to apprehend criminals,” said Pages.
The Techbox CCTV system is supplied by Scouter Electronics Corp., a manufacturer and distributor of CCTVs and intelligent cameras. Scouter is also the supplier of some well-known establishments in the country.
Jad Encarnacion, one of Pages’ business partners, said their CCTV packages range from P15,000 to P20,000, excluding installation costs. The CCTVs also come with a one-year warranty and after-sales service.
Aside from CCTVs, The Techbox also offers parts, repairs and servicing of smart phones (with a technician from Greenhills Tech Group) as well as laptops and other electronic gadgets.
The company is eyeing expansions in other areas in Cebu through setting up sub-outlets.
“We are looking at an investment of P5 million for future expansions,” said Pages.
Among the areas they are considering for sub-outlets are the cities of Danao and Carcar.
Early this year, the Cebu City council passed an ordinance requiring all establishments in the city to install CCTV cameras. The ordinance covers all business establishments and residential subdivisions and condominiums operating in Cebu City.
They include banks, money changers, lending institutions, pawnshops, gas stations, internet shops, private schools, privately-owned wet and dry markets, hotels, motels, inns, travel agencies, coffee shops, junk shops, terminals, and retail establishments with an annual gross sales of not less than P5 million.
The ordinance’s scope also includes shopping malls, privately-owned paid parking lots, entrance and exit gates of residential subdivisions and condominiums, and private hospitals.
It also required that the establishment’s CCTV system should have a recording speed of not less than 30 frames per second, sufficient memory to retain data for at least 30 days, time-stamping feature, retrieval and viewing functions while in operation; and with independent uninterrupted power supply system.