Ryan Ho's Entrepreneurship Blog

Mistake is to commit an error.

It could be due to poor calculation, poor judgment, carelessness, lack of information or knowledge and many other reasons.

But there is a common point about all mistakes regardless of what kind, seriousness whatsoever. Most if not all employed staffs of different companies whether big or small, to have any mistakes in that could ruin, damage the reputation, creditability of the business.

Especially employees who are still in internship, probation period, or near promotion evaluation times, and even retrenchment periods during hard times. These times nobody will expect anyone to commit mistake.

With only less than a handful chances to survive without being fired, retrenched from their mistakes, employees are at great risk by making any mistakes risking their income and livelihood.

So in order to avoid mistakes, most employees would try safe, by only doing what is required, not wanting to try nor venture into the unknown areas beyond their knowledge and expertise. So most companies only can hire new employees to grow the business without making business, thus increasing cost for hiring more staffs in relevant fields.

While not making mistakes is safe in most eyes, I think mistakes is a must, and we as aspiring entrepreneurs and business owners should embrace and learn from mistakes instead of avoiding it at all cost.

It is only from learning, than do we know what’s right, what’s wrong, what’s workable and what don’t work nor are applicable for the business growth etc.

I came to realize this fact but yet not many business owners would even want to admit it. It is the refusal of learning from mistakes which impedes their growth, expansion of business, and worse will even lead to the business downfall due to inability to fight in new terrain especially with new information and technology.

There’s so much advantages of being an entrepreneur, you can make as many mistakes as you want, without getting fired, in fact it will only lead the person, the business to a faster success if they learn to face failure, learn from their mistakes and not repeat it again. This way, it is already one step ahead of other business models, by allowing oneself and fellow staffs to make and learn from mistakes, they not only save money from hiring new staffs, they also increase employees loyalty in the company/business promising room for growth.

Thinking back, it seems that Asian countries don’t really embrace the idea of making mistakes, while the Western countries all encourage it, perhaps that’s the main difference in why western countries are all very much richer, wealthier, successful than Asians who are considered very conservative in business, thus restricting their growth.

In a nut-shell, it is about the difference in mindset and perspective of how we look at things. Not to look from a single perspective but to think from multiple perspectives and views for a balance and more transparency.

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Learning is a process.

It is a continuous process. Once you stop learning, you put yourself at risk of being eliminated.

To avoid elimination, is to learn the survival skills and use it to the fullest and show coupled with wisdom, intellectual use of strategies to expand territory or niche and grow wealth.

It is the root of all success. It’s like a plant, without water, the plant will withered, and die off slowly and in a ugly state slowly rotting, decomposing into the soil as fertilizer for the others. Put this plant in a forest, and it becomes the nutrition for other plants, insects etc.

Just like the forest, or in the ocean, there is a ecosystem. Where everything, birth, growth and even death helps the ecosystem to live better and brighter with nothing but beauty.Even in the world of modern cilivlizations, it remains the same like anywhere else on earth. There’s an system and order on how we live.

While there’s an abundance of educational institutes both locally and globally, not many individuals will be able to utilize all the skills, knowledge taught to them in their lives. Having said that, how many Masters, Doctorates of different universities actually make it to become a Professor respected, and using the skills, knowldge for the good of man-kind in invention and research of better medicine, cure for illnesses etc. Not many to be precise.

But I can say that much of what is required for basic living, the skills needed for survival is simply what’s taught in elementary schools and colleges. Anything beyond that are considered bonuses.

To live, survive and grow out wealth, we only need to learn what’s needed to bring in money, that means the ability to sell and market products and services, growing a business. Bringing food to the table and supporting a family. It is a rather simple idea, while many choose not to learn the art of selling and marketing, they themselves are denying themselves of money and potential wealth that comes only after they have mastered the basics of selling and differentiating it from marketing.

Selling is the process, a transaction made over an exchange of product, service in exchange for money.

Marketing on the other hand is to offer value, benefits for instant, and future growth. Both directly and indirectly contributing to more money income which means wealth.

Wealth is money that grows over time despite factoring in inflation. Money is simply a note that depreciates with time and has no actual value as it is at risk of inflation, dependent on external economic factors and country’s bank, gold reserves.

While we all start learning, how many people out there really understand why do they need to learn, get educated? No many even asked, yet just go through the motion, in short copying what the seniors/elders taught them. As it is a genetic trait of all living beings, from organisms, to plants, insects, animals inclusive of hunans.

But with our advanced, developed brain, not much have being put to proper use. Most are still very much the same like the apes in the jungle or forest, learning how to survive, bring food back to the family, working to own a property for shelter and give birth to off-springs that’s considered an natural ecosystem.

While only those who seek wealth, actually utilize their brains and put it to good use. Learning what grows wealth, build on success, portfoilos, to diplomatically increase their assets (territory) both locally and globally. Without copying apes, to fight it out in the jungle for food and space, by offering mutually beneficial agreements and exchange thus growing without limits.

That’s what learning should be about, and not like the ordinary education system, teaching man to be employees. I can’t help but wonder as I watch more documentaries. Why do we even need to study all the way up to universities these days when all it can provide us with is a job that brings in money.

Yet money is what every one can start earning the moment they know how to trade their services for money as young as 5 years old to 15yrs old depending on different countries acceptance to entrepreneurship.

Are apes smarter, with only un-developed brain who are our grand ancestors, what we are doing now, study, work and die is just the same like apes. So who’s smarter? Why get into debts just to be employees trapped in a rats’ race?

Only those who understand, learned and master the art of sales and marketing knows how to utilize the brain to grow wealth and help other man-kind to improve their living conditions.

Employment is an excellent way of learning the ropes of business, the only way out for success. Learn, observe and ask, build diplomatic ties, relationships and don’t burn your bridges by being nasty to your colleagues to lay a good future ahead. Yet not many realized that entrepreneurship starts from employment and individuals must have a clear understanding of what they must learn, what should be learn to improve the business, before leaving to start their own business elsewhere without poaching your mentor’s clients to allow oneself to grow up stronger with respect from their peers.

In a nut-shell, it is to learn to respect the cycle of life, example of how important water is to all living beings. The same applies to food, for survival and learning to improve our living conditions, not to follow what’s already in place. Else what’s the point of education? Ain’t it meant to make us intelligent, yet many are getting stupider without putting on their thinking cap..

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Survival is the best bet against anything in the world.

Having watched documentary of the week: Surviving Disaster – Avalanche, it gave me new insights and reminder to on survival and the basic guidelines and principles to live. Linking it up with what I myself experienced on my progress in Entrepreneurship, it gave me a actual blueprint on surviving the hardships of entrepreneurship.

I’ll just summarized what i’ve just learned and convert it to make it business-proof.

In an ski trip with an injured ski-mate with a open bone fracture, and with a handful of team mates, with night approaching, the best bet is to set up a snow cave to spend the night waiting for day light before attempting to find help.

Check for any injuries, in this case, it’s a open bone fracture, cover the open wound with clean cloth to prevent infection, without pressing on the bone, put it on top of it, break the ski stick in the correct length and tie the leg tight against the sticks to prevent anymore movement. Lay person on a ski board, move injured head downwards with leg on top. So in event of hitting an object, wound will not incur any additional damage, with head protected by helmet. With sun setting, it’s time to build a snow cave for the night.

The snow cave allows all ski members a safety cover from the elements, shelter from the wind (which speed up heat lost), allows members to stay together to have the warm air in the cave stay there while the cold air drops to the entrance.

Once the cave is built, immediately move the injured team mate inside, as motionless individual stand greater chance of hypothermia. Lay the injured person on the, while other ski members take turns to take care of each other. Giving the injured as much food as possible to encourage more heat generated, but don’t let injured drink alcohol which speeds up hypothermia. One person in-charge of the injured, another in-charge of keeping the entrance partial open for air to come in, the other one to check for every team member’s health status (preventing death sleep in the cold), and rotate duties every hour.

Next day comes, day-break, leave behind the slowest team mate to take care of the injured in the snow cave while the rest seek help.Member staying behind uses urine and ski board to mark a clear X (cross) sign on the top of the mountain while the rest find help (instead of all waiting to die).

In the process, downwards, they faced an avalanche, 2 team mates trapped in it. Using avalanche survival kit to track (20 yards effective radius) members trapped under the snow and dig them out of it before they die of suffocation and hypothermia. Moving in a zig-zag direction to cover the whole distance of the avalanche path.

Upon finding trapped member, dig up, and wait for help, use binoculars to reflect light to the helicopter, and create a landing zone (L.Z) preferrably on a flat surface. Wait for the search and rescue dogs to search for team mate who’s survival kit was not placed with him, and instead a bag further putting oneself in danger.

Than inform the rescue team about the injured at the top of the mountain.

Now for the entrepreneur conversion. The food is the important fuel that allows members to live, in business wise, minimal food to fill our stomach.

Put aside emotions, which is vital for wealth creation, follow and obey leaders who can grow money, not reduce it.

Follow all basic ethics and the laws to observe discipline, so you will not have your efforts gone down the drain one day when you’re caught for any crime.

The snow cave refers to a shelter over our head as a protection.

Team members: Select only a handful who will not put you at more risk. Example: spilling your business secrets/strategies, waste your resources, burn bridges of trust, creditability and reputation critical for success.

Search and rescue team refers to new sources of income when your financial reserves are depleting fast. Seeking help is not a sign of failure, it is to live to die another day.

Proper medical, survival knowledge with experienced leader: Vital in a process, to tell exactly what’s happening, what will happen and how to minimize risk of failure and look out for safety.

PS: In ski, dangers are bears, elements of cold, but in business, it’s the eagles and vultures, seasoned players who gradually/openly steal your strategies, food, business partners, networks and turn them against you!

So weigh your own skills set, financial reserves, networks, expertise, knowledge and flexibility to adapt to new changes, such as temporary going back to employment to first solve the fundamental money issue before you resume your entrepreneurship.

Last but not the least, be damn aware of your own surroundings, keep your strategies and wealth generation sources to yourself. In the absence of team mates, depend on yourself and your own resources.

Never ever give in to opposition of your family and love ones (that’s logical) knowing they will want to be in the rats race suffering together for a short-term most risky employment without any job security.

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It is something that all businesses, people least like to happen to them.

Businesses fear competition, yet have to improve and improve with times.

Ordinary folks fear rivalry in relationships, battle over assets inheritance, etc.

Yet it is one which we cannot do without.

While it hate it, we also love it in-directly, without it, there’s no progress, no innovation nor rooms for creativity.

The one thing that struck my mind today was that when I was reading “How They Started Global Brands” by David Lester.

Just the first chapter alone whoa me.

I didn’t even know that Puma brand originated from Adidas and that both founders were brothers whom went their own ways when there’s disagreements in the way the business is being runned.

Nor do I even know how Nike came up, until this very first Chapter. Nike grow their business when Adidas was weakening and made a fatal mistake of not endorsing Michael Jordan in 1984 which proved fatal and that propel Nike to become the number 1 sports label with Adidas following behind at number 2 spot.

How They Started Global Brands” by David Lester is a book that I would recommend to other individuals who like to succeed.

Just this chapter alone taught me the important of protecting and patent every single product to your name if not the company’s name. I’m looking forward to reading the other chapters.

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Charity is commonly known and associated to help the poor and the practice of benevolent giving to the needy.

But as I was approached by an representative from a local heart foundation, during the no-obligation discussion, i realized that there are so many areas that the charity foundation isn’t solving the root of the problem.

While they may seem to want to solve the problem, but they are just educating the wrong group of people. By educating the young, while it’s good to start from young, but from what I understand of the local market, it doesn’t work this way.

It is general knowledge that all kids are in their prime health and are growing, unless until the age of twenty than our lungs stop reproducing new cells, bones start to weaken at age thirty instead of the commonly known fifty years old. (Refer to today’s Mind Your Body article page 2 in The Straits Time).

So while kids are growing, their concern is only fun and education, they will not be bothered by what they learn from a talk as it will not be craved into their mind.

It is only through immediate experience of fellow family members/relatives (touch-wood) facing similar health complications than only will people learn and remember it for life.

Charity education seminar and talk is useless when shared with the wrong group of participants. As their patients are all working adults, and knows exactly the importance of having money, and how difficult it is to earn money, so it should be of a wiser, smarter choice if they target all working adults, newly graduated students walking into working society.

Only by speaking to people who have felt the pain of earning money, and the importance of having a healthy body, than will only people learn.

In short, people are cheap (majority > referring to smokers); They know it’s bad, but can’t quit smoking due to weak mental strength, but once they know that they will die the next day or in a few months time (touch-wood), they can immediately kick the habit out far into the ocean without any signs of draw-back. The same goes to wine/beer drinkers who frequently goes clubbing, pubs to relax, putting their own body at risk, liver cancer etc.

Than the other phrase commonly used is “Prevention is better than cure” makes me think about the essence of having a charity organization or foundation.

Why should we pay and contribute to some charity foundations like Heart foundation, Kidney foundation when they themselves (the patients) didn’t even bothered to take care of their own health in the first place. Only after things happen, than cry for help.

This reflects a negative side of the way charity foundations are created in the first place. To help really the needy. I think the future and the direction of most charity foundations should focus on those really poor, and did take care of their own health in the past, and not help all of the patients (whereby some of them deserved it, learn a lesson from their past actions which i think of it as consequence of their own action)

So more charity foundations should instead focus on kids born in poor families, no ability to even have basic meals everyday, or those born with chronic illness, food allergies, those are the real people whom our hard earned money should be donated to, and not those who didn’t learn to cherish what they had before a healthy body.

Having said that, there’s still so much that can be done to properly educate the masses. But i didn’t see any real person who can actually see the root of the problem, most charities are just filling out a hole on the surface, ignoring signs of leaking which leads to new holes being created.

Funds made through such non-profit organizations should be better managed by professionals and not average joe who aren’t clear on how to solve the root of the problem. There’s more rooms for improvement definitely.

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Earlier in my previous blog entry, I wrote about my initial plans to launch a product on the 27th Jan 2011.

Now it has a high possibility of being delayed, I can say that it’s a blessing in disguise, just thought of a better phrase to increase the attraction of using better words to glue more eyeballs to the cover page of the book with a sudden flash of copy writing skills which I am learning on my own as I was reading Straits Time and learning how Newspapers actually use this skill to boost sales.

The same skill which they did to boost a Sold Out effect for Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew. Today is the 3rd day whereby they are using newspapers to publish this book. I finally learn the 1 strategy used by them.

As I look back and cross-reference to how I managed to remain and capture attention of most forum users with my attention grabbing subject, it all glued together and solve the very question which i had all these years.

Proper use of language will make wonders if applied on correctly. Putting emotions into a words and sparking some elements of controversy is what I found out to the one of the few secrets of copy writing.

Just when I got the feeling that my book will be delayed yesterday. new hopes surfaced when I saw a spectacular view of sun rays shinning from the ground upwards into the sky like what spotlights do in events. Which I captured it down with a camera, telling me that hope is just round the corner. I’ll post the picture in future after I watermark it.

Than today, i got just that, new hopes of additional money with product creation. Instead of re-writing the whole book, chapters, I’ll will writing a 2nd book and market both books together since it compliments each other.

As for the details, maybe next time when my books are ready for launch and adds more value to the product than when left marketed alone.

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For the past few days,

I was writing my first e-book with intention to launch on 27th Jan 2011 for $27/-

With only 2-3 more chapters left, it should be an easy task even the customer support for a product is what comes after the sales which is where the real value of the product comes into play.

During the process, which i’m still in currently, it seems difficult at first, but when you actually settle down, have a peace of mind, empty your thoughts, than it will be easier than what you actually thought it would be..not as difficult as i initially thought to be..

There will still be some stumbling road blocks especially when writing the contents, but after so many years of mentally walking with some many stones..the time for change has come..and its a simple process..

Simply push all the problems aside, clear path way for a smooth journey, problems will always happen, the only way to move on is to execute and minimize problems from surfacing by preventing it from the start and not making detour or beating around the bush hoping the problem will KIA (killed in action = a unhappy client) itself when there’s no hope of solution which most small scale business employ such tactics  as a matter of fact.

Back to subject proper..I hope I can launch the product online by estimated 27th Jan 2011 if not earlier. Lets hope my cold will not affect my progress of completing the book.

The book which I’m writing will help people to cut down on their shopping budget and learn tricks to intelligent shopping trip with proper use of money by making the right choices.

This book will go a long way in helping everybody in saving money in the long run as i specifically wrote this book in a way that is applicable to assist in the sales decision of any and every product being sold without advertising for any product (for obvious reasons since they didn’t pay advertising fees). Plus with this book, it can help you to cut down of time spend on shopping trips in future if you know the tricks to it.

Hope this book can launch on time.

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Execution is the number one step which all entrepreneurs must do in order to have any results regardless of positive or negative.

Only with the results can they measure, plan and carry out the next course of action or if there is any minor/major corrections to rectify in fixing a soltuion.

Over the past few months of absence, somehow I realized and learn this very basic step to be a simple yet profound meaning in a simple word.

Months of absence from blogging gives room for thoughts to fly in my brain, and with the help of decreasing financial capabilities forcing me to finally put down the first step in uploading and fine tuning my website for commercial purpose.

Unlike this blog, http://www.mlmclassroom.org will be primarily serving the commercial aspect.

Creating, writing, editing the contents of the website is not a simple step. It takes numerous uploading, editing, overwriting to ensure every single html code in the website is correct.

Entrepreneurship is a difficult route, but a route worthy of its risk and gains. Riches are made in adversity and I choose this particular niche due to a simple reason, no academic qualification required and success are best enjoyed and shared with the messes.

Making money is one thing, enjoying the fruits of the labor is another thing. The common lonely celebration which affluent individuals face, no real friends or buddies to celebrate success with thus direct selling makes it a good platform for ordinary folks like you and me to have a platform to change for the better without interviewing.

As long as oneself is committed to success, it will come to you if you start off direct selling with the right intention, ethics and responsibility.

Direct selling which is also know as Multi-Level Marketing, Network Marketing, Referral Marketing is both an employment as well as a business opportunity for the poor to get rich and wealthy if they make the right choice to change for the better and succeed.

We cannot control where we are born in, but we can control where our children are born in, the environment, financial status etc. It all boils down to making the right decision.

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Well, its being a long time since I last written a blog post.

And i think i’ve lost touch in the way i write..

Over the silent absence without blogging..lots of business ideas was recorded.

I was trying my best to write my own website using WYSIWYG software like kompozer to create a simple website hoping to get it online by year end.

And I did exactly that, of course with some technical problems in process which i’ve learned something.

While the site progress isn’t up to my standard of commercial readiness, at least it is a good start and the best lesson learn during this long period of silence..is that nothing will be done/completed without a date due/time limit.

That the very reason for my slow progress despite having more than a handful new business ideas per week.

Nonetheless, I’m happy that my 3rd website is now uploaded online and can be found at MLM Classroom.

It is still not ready yet, but something has to be done, at least that’s what I learn.

You never will get things done until you apply, verify and edit the results accordingly.

I’ll keep working on my website..to make it ready for it is still not yet at least at the moment.

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Answer in dictionary terms has different meanings and it can be a reply to a question; a solution to a problem, a response to something or retaliation when faced with opposition or in defense of oneself.

Over the past few weeks of absence with full use of notebooks, time and thoughts set in with more rooms to think.

As I look back, I’m thankful for the natural life cycle of items, objects and even living beings inclusive of animals of all kinds.

During the absence of a own fully operational notebook, there are times whereby I wanted to continue to write out my thoughts via blogging, but is limited to my situation which I’m in with depleting resources inclusive of money, time and health.

Without money, time and health will not be possible. Without money, my path towards entrepreneurship will cease to exist and so I will remain just like another average joe on the streets.

Having ample time off from the notebook (electronic gadgets) has given me another answer which I would otherwise never will come to realize without the aging notebook due to the shelf life of items.

As I read books, thoughts started flying through my mind, at times floating  and even crawling pass my mind. While the ideas and thoughts are constantly changing, the one thing in particular which I was constantly thinking was how to get rich, and being both rich and right at the same time without compromising on my principles needed for my own personal branding..

As days passed..weeks…months..even while I’m working, being employed (though I once said the last time I wanted was to be employed) but I still got to face reality.

The harsh cruel truth of society, money is essential for almost everything. Without it, nothing is possible, but on the hind sight, money still has its limitations.

Searching for answers and the path (formula) required for success, with the advice and comments from my current boss, I learn quite a few helpful tips essential for success and getting rich.

Face the music is what I could sum it up of.

Face the truth, reality, and never ever live in my own desired world or some say fantasy. The right answer is that there is no model answer.

Here’s a food for thought for readers: How to get rich?

You might think there are numerous ways and different scales to doing it. That’s right, there’s no one definite answer to a question or problem.

What works for you might not necessary work for me so the key to success is to ask yourself what kind of parameters and environment do you want to be in and be ready to compromise on certain things which you might not like.

Flexibility is what makes all millionaires and billionaires rich. With the same goal and destination, you just need to search for a terrain suitable for you depending on your working style, preference and personality, work with supportive people and be in a team.

No matter how rich and successful a individual is, the wealth he/she now holds are a collective effort of all the other individuals who are helping those in the limelight contented with what they have

Ask yourself and find the different answers. The truth of the adulthood is that there is no such thing as good or bad, whatever brings in results is considered good. (A far cry from what’s taught in schools, but that’s a cruel fact of life)

Start asking yourself questions and try out different answers. Even if it’s wrong, it is also an answer which you have tried, you just need to identify those suitable answers and assemble them accordingly to make it function and together with a framework, it will than become a formula of your own.

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