A Young Entrepreneur and His
Secret for Success

In business, competition is the meaning of the game, and success is the field could be measured through the years of sustainable growth and the ability to keep people’s loyalty intact.

Andrew de Real, 29, enjoys competition. He ventured into business because he believed he has the talent and the determination to make it big in the industry. Right after college, at Adamson University, where he finished a degree in commerce, he opened The Library, a sing-along pub, along the busy street of Adriatico, in Malate.

He was then 22 years old. He opened the club at a time when only risk-takers dared as the 1986 EDSA Revolution had just occurred. The business climate was in shambles.

“Most of my friends are trying to dissuade mo from starting any business,” he says. “I was aware that the economy that time was in bad shape, but I didn’t listen to their advice.”

The he adds: “I don’t know, but I was confident with my business instinct because I was offering a new form of entertainment. And besides, my feeling then was, to take the chance of to forget the whole idea of becoming a businessman. And I think I made the right decision.”

Andrew’s optimistic stance proved correct. He was able to pay his borrowed capital after six months. And for the past seven years, The Library has gradually become the favorite hang-out of many sing-along lovers and live entertainment aficionados.

His success as a businessman is attributed to a simple formula. He emphasizes the importance of hard work and will power to attain one’s goal.

While pursuing his degree, he tried various menial jobs in several food chains, restaurants, clubs and hotels. Equipped with all his work experiences, the exposure gave him an idea on the kind of business he wanted to operate. And the sing-along club was his right choice.

“I always wanted to be involved in the entertainment business,” he shares, “and at the same time, I wanted to open a restaurant. I was looking for a new concept. So I conducted a survey. I made my own project study. I planned for a year. When the study was completed, I found my kind of business.”

Andrew is the fifth of seven children. His parents owned a canteen in the university belt area in Manila. He grew up in the atmosphere where food business was their main source of livelihood. He wanted to become a doctor, but when he reached college, all his plans changed. He wanted to gain success early. And becoming a doctor was not the answer to his plan.

In six years, Andrew was able to double the size of his club. His success story has inspired some aspiring entrepreneurs.

“I believe that when you share your talent and knowledge with others, more blessings would surely come back to you,” he equips. He encourages the youth to grab any opportunity in life which will surely be a learning experience.

As an entrepreneur, Andrew is not only concerned about the profits he earns from his business. He also worries about others’ welfare. With a couple of friends, Andrew organized The Library Foundation, a non-stock, a non-profit organization and one of the prime movers of the anti-AIDS campaign in the country. The group conducts seminars and lectures nationwide to make people aware of the dreaded menace and prevent the spread of the disease, particularly those in the remote areas.

Andrew considers his employees as partners in success. “Without manpower, there’s no business,” he relates. “I always value my people.”
“My management style involves good relationship with people. I work with them and let them feel that I need them. My success is also the success of everybody working in the business,” he ends.

Publication: The Philippine Star
Publication Date: November 10, 1993