Are you an entrepreneur?

admin — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 08:41:18 +0000

I love entrepreneurs especially when they are self made!

Entrepreneurs are fabulous people, they reek of passion and clarity, and they are usually visionary and can easily see the big picture. Entrepreneurs also enjoy the company of like minded people; they like great people around them and most find it difficult to suffer fools.

Entrepreneurs are born optimists, they are confident, generally willing to help others and adopt a double win attitude.

This website is based on my real life experiences; there have been many turning points in my business career. The purpose of this blog is to assist you in determining your turning point and hopefully I can give you the inspiration and sanity to continue on your life dreams and goals, even when the chips are down. If I can help one single person avoid the stupid mistakes I made this blog has been worth while.

Never give up despite the setbacks, keep moving forward.

“tough times don’t last, tough people do.”

So you would like to start a business?

admin — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 04:05:56 +0000

Did you know that most small businesses fail within the first 12 months? Well this news is not new; most people starting out these days probably do understand that.
However I suggest also most people actually choose to ignore that fact.

The greatest book I have ever read that clearly spells this out is called “The E Myth” by Michael Gerber.
He points out the majority of people who start businesses are “Technician’s” and usually choose to work “in” the business rather than “on” the business.
This was the case for me when I started and when I read this great advice by Michael I still shudder with embarrassment.
My original business was the importation of hifi equipment and this was and still is a world full of hobby hifi enthusiasts who know very little about the running of a business.
The reality is though, schools give little or no business training and how can any budding entrepreneur be expected to know all about bookkeeping and accounting? Advertising and marketing? How to employ and train staff? Etc.

If you take a good look at it and what business really demands it can be daunting, however if you are anything like me it is exciting and there is no way I would let these things put me off.

In my opinion there are compelling reasons to go and work for you rather than work for a boss. In these days of recession there is no such thing as job security as one just has to take a look at the job agencies and the inquiries they are getting. There is also the television media each night bleating out the bad news at 6pm.

If your desire is to own your own business and control your own destiny then do not let anything or anyone discourage you. Just be aware of the pitfalls and problems that may arise but tackle them with enthusiasm and vigor. Never give up.

One major piece of advice I would like to pass on if you are just starting out:

Learn all you can about every aspect of running a business, get good people to support you and make certain you have a solid and clear business plan based on strategy not tactics.

Anyway, here is my other view about business:

“Passion and people create successful businesses”

“Get out when it stops being fun”

Give The Best Business Training To Your Employees And Make Sure Your Organization Reaches The Heights Of Development

admin — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 21:52:32 +0000

Any business will thrive only when the employers working there give in their hundred percent. Every industry takes in individuals who are fresh from their college education and these people require the best business training failing which they will not be able to work under the best of circumstances and produce the best results. Industries look for developing people. Only when you have this quality of learning from the business training that is provided and implementing the same in your area of work will you be of any use to the development of the industry.

There are several business training activities that are provided by several companies including management training courses and leadership training. As an employer, you need to make sure that you have developing people under you who are equipped with all the skills required for the progress of your business.

Management training courses need to be taken up by almost every individual who wish to work in today’s industry because what professional employers look in you are such management skills. You need to be equipped with the best managerial capabilities that will enable you to manage any work given to you in an efficient manner.

When certified management training courses are part of your qualification, it adds weight to your resume. Several companies do provide these management training courses as part of their internal training. This is most required because employees need to be equipped with such skills for the best outputs.

Developing people must also take place in the area of leadership. Potential leaders are present in the industry, but they are not armed with the skills that are required for the development of the industry in itself. Leadership training also needs to be an integral part of the training that is provided to any potential employee.

Business is always built on team work. Someone said that TEAM meant Together Everyone Works More, and this is very true. But there need to be people who are equipped with skills enough to manage an entire team in this fashion and this is where leadership training plays an important role.

Developing people in all these areas of management, leadership etc, providing the right leadership training all must be done by you if you are employing them. Not every one is blessed with leadership qualities. You need to select potential leaders and get them equipped with the best leadership training methods. There are several companies that provide them which you can find online.

When you look for the best management training courses, the best place to search for is the internet. There are several companies that are available. With a small pay they will integrate their business training courses in your training session and make sure that you have set of people working under you who are completely trained with the best skills available. This is one way of improving your business.

Business does not work well, if only the employer has the skills to carry on with the business. Each and every prospective worker needs to be equipped with the best skills available giving your industry scope for development. More information about Business Training visit our site http://www.trainbrains.com

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Radio Hauraki Days

admin — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 08:52:10 +0000

Talking of entreprenures, there has been nothing like the boys that started a New Zealand Pirate Radio Station at sea in 1966. David Gapes, Denis O’callahan, Chris Parkinson and Derek Lowe got together and were the pioneers of commercial radio after years of government domination.
There is a webpage dedicated to these people at THE PIRATE YEARS.

One of the DJ'S Peter Telling from Australia

Consumer Electronics: Innovation Everyday!

admin — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 10:54:13 +0000

If you would have asked it a decade back, the story would have been far different – yes, the story of consumer electronics. Compared to those bygone years, the present day consumer electronics market has succeeded to such a position where ‘innovation’ plays the driving force, the fuel behind everything that is intuitive and sophisticated. We now live in an era of extreme gadgetry pleasures with music systems, cell-phones, MP3 Players, PDAs, laptops, plasma TVs, etc. molding the consumer electronics saga. Honestly put, life – sans these products, will simply result all in a mess!

What’s the specialty of these products? Would it be really difficult to live without these? Ask yourself! Could you? NO! Modern day technology has advanced at such a terrific speed that we didn’t even know when and how we surrender to them in the process. Products are being manufactured everyday keeping in mind what consumers really want. Be it in your kitchen or living room, in your communication habit or entertainment requirement, the presence of consumer electronics now can be felt everywhere. Credit goes to the major consumer electronic product manufacturers which leave no stones unturned to offer the best in the market to their customers.

With the advent of the internet, it has become easier for consumers to find the product of their choice instantly. By simply browsing the web you can have a plethora of information about your desired product. There is also consumer electronic news for you on the web that keeps you updated about the latest happenings in the world of consumer electronics. Consumer Electronic news is also beneficial for you in enlightening you about the latest releases from rival companies.

When you search online, you’ll also find electronics guides that work like a boon for you. These concise and effective electronics guides can help you a lot when you want to purchase any consumer electronic product. Apart from these electronics guides and consumer electronic news, online endeavor also gives you the advantage of comparison shopping. But before resorting to any decision, analyze your budget and requirements well ahead before proceeding. The rest, as they say is history.

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Keeping Your Word in a World of Bad Business

admin — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 05:57:45 +0000

I was always taught, “You should say what you mean and mean what you say.” It has simply never occurred to me to break my promise to someone or to try and slither out of a deal because some finite point wasn’t in writing. My own integrity and credibility are on the line when I make a verbal commitment to someone just as much as when I sign a legal document

You can certainly tell people trust less these days by the size of legal contracts and by the vast number of lawyers needed to process the unending line of lawsuits. It’s appalling to note the greed, dishonesty, and abusive situations that have become the norm in people’s personal and business lives.

Why keep your word?

Keeping your promises to people indicates you are dependable, accountable, reliable, and credible. That’s certainly the kind of person I want to be and it surely is the type of individual I want to do business with or enjoy as a friend.

No one wants to be in a personal relationship with someone they can’t trust or do business with someone who fails to deliver at a crucial time. Everything I do in life requires the cooperation and assistance of other people, so if I break my promises or they break theirs, neither of us is going to reach our goals.

I also know I have been protected, honored, and greatly blessed by God as a result of keeping my word.

My word is my bond.

I had an employee who shared with me that even though there was nothing physically wrong with him, he still had the feeling he didn’t have much longer to live. He asked if I would make sure his wife was cared for should something happen to him. I gave him my word I would do that.

I suggested that my company take out a life insurance policy on him but make his wife the beneficiary. Strangely enough just 90 days later he died from a brain aneurysm!

Not only did my company honor his wife as the beneficiary, but I also continued to pay her half of her husband’s salary for the next 17 years until she qualified for social security funds. I also made arrangements for someone to help manage her money so she could continue with her same lifestyle. Why did I do this even though I was not legally bound? Because I had given this man my word to take care of his wife and my word is my bond!

The value of keeping your promises

Businessman and president of Faith Work Ministries, Bill Nix defines trust as “the foundation on which our relationships are built. Promise-keeping is the adhesive, the substance of our character that prevents the foundation of trust from cracking.”

Saying you forgot a promise you made is not an acceptable excuse. Either avoid making the promise in the first place or write it down and keep it in a place of safekeeping. I’ve found that people generally do not break just one promise. It becomes a habit.

If someone makes a promise to me I usually make a note of it and then check back if I don’t see any follow through. If in the end they don’t keep their promise I erase it from my mind. I decided a long time away not to poison my own system by holding a grudge. I simply move on and find a person I can trust.

“Yes” should mean “yes” and “No” should mean “no.”

Betrayal has become the normal experience in far too many people’s lives. A disregard for keeping your word has been elevated to the new art form! It seems the more scandalous a person becomes the more popular and admired they are. What a sad commentary on our world today!

On the other hand, can you imagine how wonderful life would be if people merely said “yes” when they meant “yes” and “no” when they meant “no”? When someone said, “You can count on me,” they meant exactly that.

Isn’t it time the pendulum swung back toward credibility, trust, and honor? Isn’t it time “My Word Is My Bond” becomes the “law” of the land once more?

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Stock Market Timing > How To Time Stocks – When To Buy And Sell Your Shares ?

admin — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 16:15:13 +0000

BY.- http://www.MomentumStockPick.com

Beginner traders often fantasize or wonder about how some people are able to achieve tremendous profits by trading stocks just a few hours on a daily or weekly basis.

So going farther than the hype & the bells and whistles that a lot of the called “trading gurus” like to invoke, the real “secrets” of the stock market game are enclosed within the trading set ups and market signals you rely on to decide how to CHOOSE stocks, as well as WHEN to BUY & when to SELL them, or even when to SHORT SELL those that are poised for a profitable fall.

So the clearer your set ups are, the faster you can spot a potentially profitable trading scenario and ACT ON IT reducing your risk.

Complicated technical systems and information overload can make you slow and confuse you right from the start, making you loose money instead of making your profits grow.

In essence, You can be sure that the trading method you employ to approach the stock market and pick stocks can make a big difference in your results as a trader. In order to succeed you will need to FOCUS on a set of simple trading strategies that you can implement without hesitation.

Fortunately some sites on the web do offer more effective and updated day trading methodologies. One of those sites that can show you how to take advantage of certain stocks on positive and negative momentum as well is MomentumStockPick.com

They focus on momentum stock trading strategies, that are practical and easier to apply than many other technical systems out there.

Stock trading doesn’t have to be complicated as many people perceive. But you do need to follow a well organized set of rules and tactics, that once you master them, you can aspire to replicate profitable trades with consistency.

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What Is Social Media Marketing?

admin — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 07:30:25 +0000

If you fall into any one of the following categories, like:
the ones who don’t know much or anything about social media,the ones who are interested but don’t know how to use it andthose who don’t believe in the value that a social media strategy can bring to any site or business
you must read this article to know how big a deal is social media and the enormous benefits of social media marketing.
Social media is information content created by people using highly accessible and scalable publishing technologies that is intended to facilitate communications, influence and interaction with peers and with public audiences. This is typically done via the Internet and mobile communications networks. Today this practice is being enjoyed by executives and professionals for brand exposure and marketing.
Do you make these mistakes to market your brand or services?
Use Yellow page ads that cost thousands of dollars, yet bring in little new business? Spend money on direct mailers that also have limited results. How about money spent on print advertising. How effective is it? Are you spending lots of money optimizing your website but still have little traffic. Spend money on Pay Per Click Advertising Campaigns, with limited results.
Can you improve your business if you know:
What is being said about you. What your customers think about your product or service. What your customers really want. What your competitors are doing. How to stay up to date with the latest trends and developments. How to make your business more profitable.
Nothing provides a better return on investment than having a network of people raving about you and it doesn’t matter what product or service you sell. So let’s have a look onto the benefits of social media viral marketing.
The value of Marketing through Social Media Channels
Social media marketing is the process of promoting your site or business through social media channels and it is a powerful strategy that will get you links, attention and massive amounts of traffic.Social media marketing is an engagement with online communities to generate exposure, opportunity and sales. The number-one advantage is generating exposure for the business, followed by increasing traffic and building new business partnerships. It is a powerful strategy that will get you links, attention and massive amounts of traffic.
What are the benefits?
It’s natural. No doubt you get natural links, your website is exposed to a large number of people. This differs from paid advertising which has overt commercial overtones.
It’s defensible. Social communities can be a great source of web traffic on top of any traffic you are already receiving from search engines. While you can’t easily increase your search engine traffic, social media traffic can be very easily controlled through strategic marketing.
It’s low-cost/high returns. Costs are limited to only time and perhaps the expenses involved in hiring a freelance programmer/designer. The benefits will often exceed the cost. It would take you thousands of dollars to buy many links; social media has the ability to give you that for free.
It complements other efforts. Social media optimization and marketing is usually community-specific. It doesn’t interfere with any other methods of getting traffic to your website. It can and will fit perfectly with an advertising campaign targeting other websites or search engines.
There is no other low-cost promotional method out there that will easily give you large numbers of visitors, some of whom may come back to your website again and again. If you are selling products/services or just publishing content for ad revenue, social media marketing is a potent method that will make your site profitable over time.

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Malaysia

admin — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 07:27:49 +0000

I am currently in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia, one of my favourite places on the planet. At this time I am assisting my great friend Dick Tan with the forthcoming Malaysia Hifi show, enjoying good hospitality and excellent food.
Therefore the posts over the next few weeks will be few and far between.

Why Staff Are Your Most Important Customers In Small-Medium Business. If You Disagree, Do The Math

admin — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 18:41:08 +0000

Introduction.There are many definitions of “customer”. But, however you define them, customers are vital to your business. But there’s a group of customers you may forget.
Those “Other” Customers. We all try desperately to retain good customers. We talk about “lifetime value” and their worth to us. If necessary, we try to “serve ‘em to death”, as the old sales trainers used to say.
But there are people who you pay to do that. They are in your business, day in and day out. You pay them day in and day out, and they are your most important customers.
You call them staff, your “other” customers. If they don’t provide the essential service levels for your external customers your whole organization may be in jeopardy.
Disgruntled Customers. How do you treat disgruntled external customers? Calm them? Apologize? Try to find out what’s upset them? Try to restore their confidence in you? Offer restitution or compensation?
Do you treat unhappy staff differently? Do you show them the same courtesy as the disgruntled external customer? Or do you counsel them about inappropriate behaviour, remind them of their obligations and threaten dire consequences if they continue to show their feelings?
A Matter of Money. The disgruntled external customer can damage you by taking their business elsewhere and telling others to do the same. That’s about all.
But you have to continue to pay the salary and taxes for the disgruntled staff. They can damage you far more than an angry external customer. If you can’t stop the damage, you can fire them. By then the damage will be done.
In Australia salary service costs average about 40%. These are the taxes and charges plus statutory costs such as leave and pension entitlements you must pay in addition to actual wages. They mean that it costs you a total of $70,000 p.a. to retain an employee whom you pay $50,000 p.a. Whether you pay 15% or 50%, they’re part of the cost of having staff – “other” customers.
Perception. You see it’s all a matter of perception. See staff as a difficult burden you must carry to be in business and that’s probably what you’ll get. See them as valuable collaborators in your business success and you’ll understand why they’re also customers.
Warm and Fuzzy? Let me make one thing clear. I’m not suggesting you try to turn your workplace into a “love-in”. I’m not suggesting you tolerate incompetent and unco-operative employees. I am suggesting that you look at what staff cost you.
Conclusion. Staff constitute a huge investment. Regard your staff as you would a major client. By doing so, you’re far more likely to retain the external customers. Do the math!

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