Healthcare founder finds health and wealth in new venture

The Manila Times

Healthcare founder finds health and wealth in new venture  Business Mentor host Butz Bartolome sits down with Henry Monzones, founder of Qualitech Diagnostic and Medical Services, shares his journey discovering his entrepreneurial potential while in college. He discusses how identifying a critical healthcare need during a dengue outbreak led to the birth of Qualitech, now a growing diagnostic and medical services company. Discover how Monzones overcame industry challenges, expanded his business through franchising, and built a sustainable healthcare brand that continues to evolve.  Subscribe to The Manila Times Channel - https://tmt.ph/YTSubscribe   Visit our website at https://www.manilatimes.net   Subscribe to Business Franchise Guru: https://www.youtube.com/@BusinessFranchiseGuru   Follow us:  Facebook - https://tmt.ph/facebook  Instagram - https://tmt.ph/instagram  Twitter - https://tmt.ph/twitter  DailyMotion - https://tmt.ph/dailymotion    Subscribe to our Digital Edition - https://tmt.ph/digital  Sign up to our newsletters: https://tmt.ph/newsletters  Check out our Podcasts:  Spotify - https://tmt.ph/spotify  Apple Podcasts - https://tmt.ph/applepodcasts  Amazon Music - https://tmt.ph/amazonmusic  Deezer: https://tmt.ph/deezer  Stitcher: https://tmt.ph/stitcher Tune In: https://tmt.ph/tunein   #TheManilaTimes  #philippines #entrepreneur

Transcript

00:00Hi, good morning, good afternoon, good evening. This is Butch Bartolomeo, the businessman

00:59of the Philippines, and we are going to talk about how to be a good businessman, a good

01:06businessman, a good businessman, a good businessman, a good businessman, a good businessman, a

01:10good businessman, a good businessman, a good businessman, a good businessman, a good businessman,

01:13a good businessman, a good businessman, a good businessman, a good businessman, a good

01:17businessman, a good businessman, a good businessman, a good businessman, a good businessman, a

01:20good businessman, a good businessman, a good businessman, a good businessman, a good businessman,

01:23a good businessman.

01:24Henry Monsones is a founder of Qualitech Diagnostic and Medical Services. Good morning to you

01:37Henry. How are you?

01:39Hi sir Butch. Good morning. Thank you for your warm welcome to me.

01:46Yes. Henry, is it true that you really don't want to do business?

01:54That's true. Ideally, my father is a businessman. He's into farm type of businesses. When I was

02:08in elementary and high school, he was my idol in business. Later on, when I went to college,

02:15he didn't want me to study in Manila. He wanted me to study in the province. So, we had a

02:22fight until it got worse because of disagreement. Then I told myself, I don't want to do business.

02:29I don't want to get anything involved with business. So, one time, I was doing a trans

02:34exam here in UST. Then I heard about a physical therapy course in the US. I said, okay, I'll

02:47take it. I don't want anything to do with business because it's medical.

02:52Okay.

02:53After that, I started studying in AYAC when I was in my first and second year. At first,

03:02I didn't discover that I really had that skill. It's in your genes to be a businessman.

03:09Then along the way, when I was in college, my skill came out because I saw the needs of my class.

03:18They're looking for books, nameplates, and supplies for the school. You know what's popular in Recto.

03:26You'll go to Recto.

03:27The Segunda Mano.

03:29Yes. Books and supplies. That's when I saw that I can do business.

03:36You know, I already forgot the story of my father until I realized that I'm doing the business now already.

03:44You know, one time, in Sobrang, the marketing before was just posting posters everywhere.

03:52Then one time, you know, even in the CRs, I was putting up posters because they were there most of the time.

03:59The problem was, one time, the owner of the school went to the comfort room and read my poster.

04:04He said, who's that? It's Henry who's doing business inside the school.

04:09You're selling inside the school?

04:12Yes. Inside the school.

04:15Even in the comfort room, you're putting up posters. There's street toilet marketing, right?

04:22Later, I saw that there are people who are already putting up posters.

04:26I was one of those who started that concept because I was the one who was dorming inside the school.

04:33That's why I was able to go around all the facilities.

04:36So what happened was, he saw that.

04:38I was called by the owner.

04:40He said, you know, Henry, I think you're not here to study. You're here to do business.

04:48After that, of course, when he told me that, I didn't become negative.

04:56I think that was my calling to do business.

05:00After that, that's when I started doing different businesses.

05:07You know, small businesses.

05:09Because of course, you're still a student.

05:12Before, I went to the school supplies.

05:16Then I went to the meetings.

05:19Because I'm from Laguna.

05:24So I'll get Bukupay from the province.

05:29I started with 10 pieces, 10 boxes.

05:32Then it became 50, then it became 100.

05:35So as you can see, I'm wearing a white uniform and I'm carrying 10 boxes.

05:42And you're riding a bus.

05:45Yes. I was just commuting.

05:47So in other words, you have a special eye for looking at pain points, Henry.

05:56It's like you can't see, but you can see something that others can't see.

06:02It's like that.

06:04Something that is remarkable, something that some people would say,

06:11why did you come up with this?

06:13In fact, the posters, I'm sure there were no Canva posters that day.

06:17It's just random.

06:19It's just random. Maybe it's Pentel pens, the posters.

06:23So you have a knock-off.

06:25What did you put on the posters? An example.

06:28What wordings did you put?

06:30I supplied these following books, nameplate, uniform, everything that is needed in school.

06:40Name it, I can provide it.

06:42Wow. Name it, I can provide it.

06:45That's great.

06:46So fast forward, you're being talked to now.

06:49That's good. You didn't do anything wrong.

06:53It's like you didn't do anything wrong.

06:55But you're just being given guidance that maybe you can't do this to others.

07:01So what did you do now?

07:03The story is just, that's the story that I can't forget.

07:10He said, you're into business.

07:12You're not really into medical practice or course.

07:17Because he said, that's the reason why you're here.

07:22And I said, because that's really my passion,

07:27maybe because of the relationship that happened to my father,

07:31I avoided it.

07:33Because I have that skill and passion for that, that's how it developed.

07:40Before, I didn't know the concept that if you have the solution for a certain problem of your community,

07:47you have the right business that you can do.

07:52That's what we're doing.

07:55That's how it is.

07:57So it's natural, very natural.

08:00It's like you saw something.

08:02Now, business gurus are saying why the why.

08:09But you're inherent.

08:11It's in your blood. It's in your genes.

08:15You're seeing an opportunity.

08:18It's like your spark plug is working right away.

08:23That's how it is.

08:25So fast forward, you moved to Valenzuela and you studied physical therapy.

08:35Correct?

08:36Yes.

08:37So what happened there in your physical therapy studies?

08:43Okay.

08:44The story is really in Valenzuela already.

08:48The first two years, I was still adjusting in Metro Manila.

08:57But when I was going to proper, that's when I saw that I have the skill and ability to do business.

09:04Before, I was able to afford to buy books, business books.

09:10Before, there was no YouTube where you can watch and learn about books or skills.

09:18What I did was I went to the National Bookstore here in the Monumento.

09:22Every day, I read per page, per chapter.

09:27Because it would be obvious how long I stayed in the National Bookstore.

09:32I read books.

09:35That was my practice while I was studying.

09:38After school, I would go to the National Books or certain books that I would read.

09:44That's when our ability to do business started to develop.

09:49Books are a bit expensive, right?

09:52So what you're doing is...

09:54If you're a student, it's still expensive.

09:58Yes, it's still expensive.

09:59Even if you say it's P500, it's still expensive for a student.

10:03But you have the ability to do it.

10:05Maybe after you finish reading a book, you put a bookmarker where you...

10:10I put a bookmarker per chapter because I'm not a book reader.

10:15It's like a library.

10:18Do you have a special place where you hide the book so you can continue to read?

10:24Yes. In the National Bookstore,

10:26There's a business corner. That's where I always stayed before.

10:31That's where I can read.

10:34Do you know the sales ladies of the National Bookstore?

10:39Yes, they know me. They can't see me because I'm a bit of a hi-hello to them.

10:45So you're friends with them.

10:48Anyway, let's fast forward now.

10:51How did the Qualitech Diagnostics business start?

10:57What was the beginning and end of this business?

11:04Actually, what's happening at present, 25 years ago,

11:10that's what happened before. It's an outbreak of dengue fever.

11:15Before, the management wasn't that good.

11:20At that time, I was following my wife.

11:24We weren't married yet.

11:26I was studying while my wife was working at the hospital.

11:29One time, I saw a long line of patients.

11:33Why is that? Usually, the line is long only in the morning.

11:38But I saw that even at night, a lot of people are waiting.

11:43That's why they're getting CBC platelets because there's an outbreak of dengue fever.

11:50So that's what I was saying.

11:53The concept again came out that if you have a solution to a certain problem

12:00of your community or your environment that you can give a solution,

12:05I think you have the right business that you can start.

12:10So that's where we started.

12:12We talked about it. Why don't we put up our own diagnostic laboratory?

12:17So when we saw that concept, we opened it outside our city

12:22because we work in a proper city.

12:26Hospitals will be a threat or competitors.

12:32So we started outside in Alaminos, Laguna.

12:36We started there.

12:38But when we saw that I think we need to go back out to the city

12:43because that's where the fight of the business is.

12:46That's where there are more opportunities.

12:48So in less than a year, we opened a second branch in the proper city of San Pablo.

12:56That's where the development and struggle in the business started

13:01because that's where your first seven years in the business started.

13:04So Henry, when you were still thinking, let's go back to the process.

13:09You saw a long queue even at night.

13:13There were many outbreaks of dengue that's 25 years ago.

13:18Okay. So that's in your memory.

13:21You discussed with your spouse what are the pros and cons.

13:26This is very important especially if you have a spouse who wants to do business.

13:32Take us there.

13:33How was your process?

13:35Did you have a dialogue?

13:37Did you have pros and cons?

13:41What did you do as a couple?

13:43Did you talk?

13:44Did you write?

13:46It's like you're really writing.

13:49What did you do?

13:50Of course, my excitement was high because I was looking for a goal

13:57or an opportunity for you to motivate you to do something beyond your comfort zone.

14:06Correct.

14:07Because if you're an employee for a long time,

14:09my wife has been working for a long time,

14:11you know, the risk of starting a business is scary.

14:15Correct.

14:16As a businessman.

14:17Because although my father is a businessman,

14:24but I'm not a hands-on.

14:25He's also not.

14:26His family is also not.

14:27So you know, that's where your fear to start is.

14:29But because you see the opportunity and you have the passion to do that kind of business,

14:36that's what motivates us.

14:38That's when we start evaluating what are the needs,

14:42where is the place, how much money is needed, and things like that.

14:47So of course, when it comes to capital, that's where it passes.

14:50Those are the four factors.

14:53Because most of us want this.

14:56Let's talk about it. That's number one.

14:58What do we need? What's the concept?

15:02We will put this and that.

15:05Who are the people?

15:06When it comes to the four, capital.

15:10That's it.

15:11What did you do in terms of capital?

15:14In terms of capital, we don't have available capital.

15:18We have friends.

15:20We also have a possible family that can help us.

15:25So from there, we gathered funds to start.

15:30So before, you thought that's all you needed.

15:33But once you start, you have a buffer.

15:38Correct.

15:39In rentals, in salaries, in operations.

15:43Of course, if it's your first time, you don't have any background about how to start a business.

15:48You're just excited.

15:50That's where it started.

15:52Actually, it happens in business.

15:55The pieces, in Tagalog, we call it the buffer in business.

16:01In other words, tying the knot.

16:05Because it wasn't easy because, of course, there was a threat.

16:10In other words, the doctors who started your business weren't happy.

16:15You're fighting them.

16:17So for one year of operation, they don't support us.

16:23Our results, you know, if they don't want to accept it,

16:26they will tell the patients,

16:28I know, we won't accept it.

16:30Get another laboratory and repeat it.

16:32Wow.

16:33That's how it is.

16:35That's too much.

16:36The patient is angry.

16:38Sometimes, they want to reimburse.

16:40How can we reimburse?

16:42We have nothing to do with doctors who don't want to.

16:45So that's how it is.

16:47Of course, that's what we didn't expect.

16:50Because at that point, they want to accept our results.

16:54But you know the twist?

16:55After a few years of running, we really fought them.

17:00Now, it's the other way around.

17:01If the doctors don't want our results,

17:04they should change their doctor just to accept our results.

17:07That's the twist.

17:10When you see that the doctor is the one you're going to replace,

17:14if you don't want to accept the results of Qualitech.

17:18I'm just wondering, Henry,

17:21why don't you want to accept when you're abiding by the standards of the Department of Health,

17:28the blood tests and all the laboratories.

17:32Why is that?

17:34What is the difference between what?

17:36Is there a connection?

17:38Of course, when you're in the province, once there's a threat,

17:45they will ally against you.

17:48Another thing, they are stockholders of the hospitals.

17:53They rather support the hospital laboratory even if it's more expensive compared to the private.

18:02That's how it is.

18:03But because our service is good,

18:12they saw that we are persistent in what we do.

18:17And the quality of the result and service,

18:20you can't question it.

18:24Along the way, our city accepted our results.

18:31They were happy that if the doctor doesn't want our results,

18:36they will change their doctor just to accept our results.

18:39That's the twist.

18:40In other words, the horse is going to be replaced,

18:42compared to the cartilage.

18:45Well, it's really if you insist.

18:50Patients have a choice.

18:52We don't force them to have this kind of doctor.

18:55But if they can see and compare, it's a leverage.

18:59What happened to you? It's a leverage.

19:01This quality is standard.

19:05If I'm a patient and I can save, I can save.

19:10You're cheaper, the service is good.

19:13So why not?

19:15I guess patients will now ask and say why the doctor doesn't want us.

19:20We're just here in Ibando.

19:22So let's fast forward.

19:25What happened?

19:27How many branches did you have from the day one that you started?

19:33Where did you branch out?

19:35When did you branch out?

19:37He ran for about 20 years running.

19:41He was just a player.

19:43Just a personal business, province type.

19:46When my kids were going to college,

19:49I saw that they needed to change gears.

19:53My kids needed to be given better opportunities.

19:59That's when I saw that I needed to go out of our comfort zone.

20:03Even though we already knew each other in our city.

20:06From there, we moved to Lipa City,

20:11another city near our province.

20:15After that, we moved to Las Piñas, Alabang.

20:20So this is now Metro Manila.

20:22That's when the concept of the franchise came up.

20:27Because I attended franchise events,

20:32and I saw food franchises.

20:36I said, is this okay for the service?

20:38Because they're not accepting it yet.

20:40Although up to now, it's a bit slow.

20:43The concept that you can do business as a diagnostic

20:47even if you're not a doctor or a nurse is not yet accepted.

20:51Simply, you just need to have a franchise

20:54of somebody who is giving you this opportunity

20:56that already has a system.

20:58Four years ago, we started it.

21:02We opened Imus Cavite, Montinlupa, San Pedro,

21:10and now Valenzuela.

21:12The latest that we will open is Calamba City.

21:15Wow. There are more and more.

21:19But you said it well.

21:21A lot of people will always think that franchise equals food.

21:25But you said, why not?

21:27Again, the entrepreneurial mind of Henry Monsones.

21:31Henry's bulb is back on.

21:35You said, why not?

21:38But again, there are now a lot.

21:40There are a lot of retail, diagnostic, healthcare, cleaning services.

21:47We cannot blame them because in the beginning, it started with food.

21:55But now, there are more and more.

21:58Even gas stations.

22:00So now, what are the services of Qualitech?

22:05At Qualitech, we only focus on the basic needs of our medical lab.

22:11Which is a laboratory examination.

22:14The blood chemistry tests.

22:17Blood sugar, cholesterol, triglyceride.

22:21But right now, we also have all the special tests.

22:24Thyroid, cancer marker, PSA.

22:30So it has evolved into a hospital.

22:34So the level of Qualitech diagnostic is a tertiary kind of laboratory.

22:39Because it has a primary.

22:42Usually, it's urinalysis, urine stool, CDC.

22:47Those are the basics.

22:49Secondary is the blood chemistry tests.

22:53And some of the special tests.

22:55Thirdly, it's like a hospital.

22:58Usually, if the tests you need are above normal, you need to go to the hospital.

23:07But right now, the private laboratory can serve that also.

23:12Because the tests that it can provide are evolving.

23:17Of course, we can now afford the machines that we need for our service.

23:23Before, it was just the basics.

23:25So right now, you have tertiary services.

23:29These are x-rays.

23:31Yes, it's another thing.

23:33We have x-rays, ECG, ultrasound.

23:36We also opened clinics.

23:39OB, internees.

23:42This is like a doctor's clinic.

23:46Before, it was just a plain laboratory.

23:49Then you added more tests.

23:51You added more services.

23:53X-ray, ECG, drug test, ultrasound.

23:56Then we added clinics of doctors.

23:58Because we think that when they prescribe tests, they will also go to you.

24:04So it's like that.

24:05So it's like the quality diagnostics are developing.

24:10You have different ones.

24:12And then medical services.

24:14Because there are advantages.

24:17For example, you are closer to the community than a patient who will travel to a faraway place.

24:26Also, at the same time, people now have an urgent need to know the result.

24:33Like the blood test and x-ray.

24:37I will come back to you after five days because you will get the X-ray plate.

24:44The blood test, I will come back to you.

24:46But now, we can see that you're just emailing.

24:49Yes. Now, I'm just emailing the results.

24:52Actually, after the pandemic, we have evolved in terms of home services.

24:58You will be taken to your home.

25:00We will just email the results to you.

25:02You will just pay through GCAS payment.

25:07Yes.

25:08We are really providing convenience to the patient.

25:12Yes.

25:13It's good because you won't get infected.

25:16You know, when you go to the hospital, you don't have pneumonia.

25:22When you go there, your illness increases because there are more patients in the clinic or in the hospital.

25:31Correct.

25:32So you will get infected.

25:36Yes.

25:37But at the same time, convenience is very important.

25:42Also, the availability of doctors.

25:44Sometimes, the line of doctors in the clinic is long.

25:48Our doctors now have Zoom meetings, Viber, and online check-ups.

25:56Unless you know that the patient's condition is serious.

26:01Because it's just an annual check-up and the situation is manageable.

26:06The doctors also know when you should personally meet.

26:11You really need to visit a doctor.

26:13But if not, through online, plus the results, they can see.

26:18The results of the diagnosis have correlations with each other.

26:22Correct.

26:23They know that Test A is infected with Test B.

26:28The doctor knows what to do even if it's online.

26:33So for us, just to add on to the services, we do consultation through Zoom meetings.

26:41That's great.

26:42So for now, while the patient is at home, the child can Zoom to see the doctor.

26:51If you need to bring the child to the hospital, you can bring the child.

26:54But one of the things I've seen from you, Henry, is that you have a mobile track.

27:01I've seen that lately. What is that?

27:03What are the things in your mobile clinic?

27:07For the companies that want their employees to have an APE annual check-up, we have a mobile track.

27:18We park it beside their office.

27:22Because sometimes, you can't stop the operation.

27:26You just need a certain 50 per day, 100 per day.

27:31So that they won't go to the clinic, we go to them.

27:34They get an X-ray, sometimes ECG, then blood extraction.

27:40So that's what we do.

27:42It's convenient in a large scale for industrial businesses and offices.

27:53There are only certain numbers because maintenance is expensive when you bring the track.

28:02Although there are individual persons who talk to us,

28:06can we bring it here to the house?

28:08Although now, we have a portable X-ray, but it's still too individual.

28:15So we have minimum numbers.

28:18Okay. So the important thing here, Henry, is how is the quality now?

28:25What do you see in the growth of the quality?

28:29Okay. So we started ourselves.

28:32I mean, first is the laboratory franchise.

28:36Because when we say diagnostic, it's wide services.

28:41We can go up to pharmacy franchise.

28:44We're now starting the pharmacy franchise, dialysis, which is very high in demand now.

28:52Emergency response.

28:54Because we've seen that when there's an emergency, you can't just call and they'll rush to you.

29:00Yes.

29:02They're also a hospital-based.

29:04It's very expensive. For one run, I mean, it's P20,000.

29:08If you know your bill, you're in trouble because it's too high.

29:15No, no. It's also the affordability.

29:18You know that our healthcare needs really improvement.

29:22Again, for example, if you need an ambulance, the problem is sometimes it takes a long time or sometimes it's expensive.

29:31It's like your illness is like this, but you know the result, the cost.

29:37Maybe your illness is getting worse.

29:40Just send a taxi to the bus.

29:42Sometimes the handling of the patient is critical.

29:48So you can't just carry it around.

29:51The emergency response team, we've seen that in other countries.

29:56They have training, right?

29:58Yes.

29:59For us, we have one time of Christmas party of this company.

30:04One of our staff suddenly had a heart problem.

30:10The big thing is that there's an emergency response and they immediately brought him to the hospital.

30:16Correct.

30:17Correct.

30:18So this is helpful to save lives.

30:21So I will include this in my pipeline of business in the future that we will open.

30:27We are also studying how many ambulances we need within Metro Manila,

30:35where they will put their location, and on standby so that when they respond,

30:39within a certain area, in a certain minutes, they should be able to respond.

30:45Exactly.

30:46You know our situation in traffic.

30:49Sometimes I get confused with ambulance drivers because it's like wow, it's like life and death.

30:58It's hard.

30:59Maybe it's stressful to be an ERT team, especially a driver.

31:03I mean with all this traffic.

31:06But anyway, let's look at your business now.

31:11What are the locations that Qualitech wants you to put?

31:17Okay.

31:18First of all, our priority is Metro Manila.

31:22When we go to Metro Manila, like I said, it's very expensive here in Metro Manila.

31:28So what I did is I diverted the services.

31:31We do service within the whole Metro Manila area.

31:35So even if I don't have branches, I can serve anywhere in Metro Manila.

31:40Then for the provinces in the north, we have in Pampanga, right now in Angeles and Olonga.

31:51Even going to the north, we started negotiating with our franchises there.

31:56Then in Visayas, we already opened.

31:59In Mindanao, we are right now negotiating in Davao City and Iloilo.

32:08Because our target for these 10 years is to open at least 100 branches initially.

32:15I think 14 in Metro Manila, 13 in Visayas, and another 13 in Mindanao.

32:22So within 10 years, this is what we are planning.

32:28It's to put up this diagnostic.

32:30Pharmacy franchises, dialysis, emergency response, and preparation for health insurance.

32:42We can provide health insurance.

32:45We started from a pain point in Dengue.

32:49We started in Dengue and the services spread.

32:54It's beautiful. It's beautiful. You're blooming.

32:57It's like you're saying something.

32:59Is your business involved by your family?

33:05I'm sure you have grown up children now.

33:10Actually in business, when I was young, I didn't see the point of having a lot of children.

33:18But all the way, it's beautiful when you have a lot of children.

33:23You can pass the baton to them to continue the mission.

33:28So what's the plan now?

33:30My wife and I did the first 25 years of the company.

33:34Of course, we laid the foundation.

33:37There's nothing yet.

33:39But the point is, we started.

33:41We saw where we will go, what are the needs, and preparation for another 25 years.

33:47Our business is not short.

33:50For example, if you have a franchise for 3-5 years, it's already closed.

33:54You can start again.

33:55It's not a diagnosis.

33:56Once you start, it can last up to 20 years.

34:00Let's not say for life. At least 20 years.

34:02Because we already experienced 25 years.

34:05So what's happening now, the involvement of my children,

34:09for the next 25 years, we're preparing for them to handle it.

34:14So now, my eldest son is in training.

34:17He's handling the operation in the sense of finance, development.

34:25He also has a team, almost his age, of economics graduates.

34:33You know, even if it's not full-time,

34:35because what he did, his friends with this kind of skill and special,

34:42he said that they have meetings from time to time to evaluate

34:47what is the future that they want to do for Qualitech.

34:51So, let's say, the funding that they need is not available right now.

34:55But still, they are studying where are the sources to fund this development.

35:12For more information, visit www.qualitech.com

Category

Transcript

Recommended