Ryan Ho's Entrepreneurship Blog

There are an abundance of opportunities everywhere, every second and every minute.

Opportunities are anywhere and everywhere, to take advantage of the opportunities,  an individual must be well prepared, as it is a chance for only the deserving individuals to succeed.

Once the opportunity window has shifted or moved, than we must wait for another slot of window to open before we can have a chance to display our strengths, values, products and services to a secure a business deal, transaction or even finding sponsors or be part of a team.

It is not what you promise to deliver that gives you a shot at the opportunity, but rather what have you already done in the past and present to get you where you want when an window of opportunity comes along.

Just like the Formula One race official volunteerism chance came, I took a shot, yet was informed that I didn’t make it despite my couple of years helping out as a volunteer, perhaps it’s due to not relevant with many other volunteers able to meet the criteria thus they slots goes to them.

To me, it made me have some reflections, while I know I’m not qualified for the time being, at least I know I need to increase my experience in volunteering to gain a slot in Formula One grand prix race official the next year and considered the last and final year of SingTel Grand Prix in Singapore before any new discussions surfaced to selected the new Formula One title sponsor to replace SingTel.

It is just a matter of time, experience before I gain a slot to be the race official. Hopefully, I can bring more skills and expertise to the table next year for the submission.

Opportunity is only given to those who are well-prepared, thus only the rich get richer, because they are well-educated, knowledgeable and knows how to take maximal advantages of whatever advantages that comes along.

By utilizing their connections, networks, reputation, creditability, it increases their chances of squeezing maximal value out of the single window of opportunity.

For the rest who are less knowledgeable, with less contacts, creditability etc, they might need to tag along and follow closely to those who are leaders in whatever niche they want to succeed in and reap the fruits of shared labour.

Here’s a opportunity for all entrepreneurs in Singapore and that’s a good news for all aspiring business owners. If you have always wanted to start your own business in Singapore, be it home based or in a retail outlet etc, better do it in year 2011.

Reasons are as follows:

1.     Government has announced to have tax rebate of $2000 for the year 2011 only, a sweetener for SMEs (small medium enterprises) to gather more votes to vote for them in the coming elections 20112 as announced in Singapore Budget 2011.

2.     To maximize the full $2000 in 2011 tax rebate, you just need to make sure that your business does not earn incomes beyond $120,715 in combined annual sales income. (I think should be gross income for tax purpose)

3.     Your business cycle must end on Dec 31 2011 for full advantage of the tax rebate

4.     Since its catered for SMEs which accounts for nearly 95% of the SMEs falling into this category, it means huge savings, thus more so for aspiring entrepreneurs and business owners.

5.     If you can’t make money from a business with this tax rebate this year, what makes you think you can make more money without the tax rebate in future?

In a nut-shell: How prepared are you for the next opportunity that comes your way?

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Tax is a liability, which every single working adult from the middle-low to high income earners have to pay the government on a yearly basis.

It is a topic that is less discussed, as not many will want to think about it. As it only increase the stress and problems with accounting, financial related problems.

This word popped up in my mind just a moment earlier as I went to supermarket to purchase groceries for the next two weeks approximately, when I was approved by a representative of a Heart Foundation asking for charity donation on a monthly basis.

Out of the many selling points or reasons that the lady shared, i only agreed with the one and only reason. And that it the tax deductible up to 250% of the amount which donors contribute to the organization.

With a simple illustration from the representative, than it was only at that moment that I realized and finally understood how some businesses would use charity organizations to reduce their taxes.

One of the well known businesses that uses charity to reduce their business tax was a furniture brand listed in Forbes Top 10 Rich List in 2008/9. Name not written out to avoid any legal lawsuits. You can simply do a search on the furniture business and the organizations under the main business and the owner and they should return you some results about rumors on how the business owner started his own charity foundation to cut on the tax expenses. (At least that’s what I understand at present moment)

It is better to learn, understand tax a a subject when doing business, else you don’t know how to cut down on expenses and increase assets, which is critical in all businesses as cash-flow  problems remains as the core concern of every single business globally.

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Unity is to be undivided or unbroken completeness. It is the state of being completed as a whole, combining parts into one with the absence of diversity without and having a common goal or focus.

Together as a whole, in quantity, it translates to quality in terms of strength and a force not to be reckon with. Following the updates of Thailand demonstration that has lasted for the past month, it has come to the attention that even military is helpless against the united group of demonstrators.

While the politicians wanted to capture the red shirt leaders, the red shirt demonstrators successful defended their leaders and even assisted in their escape.

Military going up against the civilians might sounds a strange because one side is fully armed for combat while the other party isn’t, but with time and news reports, it have proved that without weapons, and sheer numbers, military can be push over when people come in numbers as reported in news.

It is the cooperation of all individual demonstrators of the red shirts which made the demonstration successful and cause the military helpless plus tourism in Thailand suffered millions losses in terms of revenue. That is a classic example of unity, and power that represents the people, civilians are the boss of the politicians.

Looking at the model of the boss or employment, while it’s true that we work for money, and our boss are paying us income in return for service, the biggest boss which refers to the politicians and governments of every nation still have to listen to their bigger boss who are paying them their income in the form of taxes, which is ordinary civilians.

Upset the real boss, and politicians will have a tough time clearing up the mess. The real power lies in the people, not the politicians, as they are still serving the people.

Politics and government is a people business, the rich politicians have to listen to their real boss the civilians and their requests else they will be forced to leave their post, especially when votes and elections are being made.

Communication and listening to what our clients wants and needs are important if we want to be rich and successful and at the same time earning the respect of our real boss.

Ironic but true.

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Business is a trade, profession engaged in commerce, manufacturing and profit seeking enterprise.

It is anywhere and everywhere, big or small, it is all about business. It is part of our lives and to succeed, we need to master this trait. It is a must for survival, but thanks to politicians all over the world, everyone has since than become lazier with time, from bad to worse, relying solely on government grants, tax-relief, for a living and not working depending on different countries.

Successful people does big businesses working together with bigger companies for mutual benefits and growth sharing the pie while poor people only fight for the same pie and kicking the competitor aside thus there are always not sufficient food to go around the poor who knows nothing but only pure selfishness.

Business is anything and everything; it is a transaction between two or more parties involved in the deal. As long as multiple sides get to benefit, everybody will be happy.

That’s how simple business is, it is never complicated thus we do not need to get highly educated to do business. Just basic calculations will do, of course this applies to most of the businesses but not all due to the complexity of health sciences, food and beverage industry thus education is not a necessity but rather a bonus for those who do.

If you want to succeed, mind your own business, take care into anything that is associated with your industry, and that is basically what all businessman does.

Don’t be a busybody, since it will only increase your problems, worries and get more troubled instead of increasing your wealth, assets, and money.

Its time to get down to business, you are ready or you are not, there is no two ways about it.

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Change is the transformation from something to another thing. It is to become different, pass gradually into something else.

Since the time men started roam the earth, we underwent lots of changes to who we are today. With different nationalities language, tribes and religions we all still come from the same roots and origins, from the monkey family.

Fast forward to present, and staying local in Singapore, this nation has underwent so much changes that the kampong days are long gone, even the friendly neighbourhood atmosphere is already gone, no longer do neighbours know one another among the community. When I was young around 1980s to 1990s, the community bonding and unity was slowly fading away as I grow up while Singapore keeps changing and improving.

Lives 1990s was definitely way much better than 1950s that period, but looking at the present bonding of Singaporeans among different races, Singapore in fact has gone worse. Back than, even my grandma knows Malay and now those local Singaporean Chinese who knows Malay language is the minority with Malaysian Chinese taking away our advantage in language proficiency.

In the past, everybody knows a bit of other language here and there, even Indians know Chinese, but that’s is the super minority.

These days, with the housing development planning, the layout of the houses are pleasant taking into considerations for limited land, but gone are our privacy, with doors shut, the friendly neighbours atmosphere is long gone.

People who used to be able to work until fifty years old and retire for a blissful family, is already gone without a trace, the possibility of it is gone permanently. No longer can we grow up looking forward to retirement, in fact we will work till the date we die, that’s how the way we are growing, and this problem is not subjected to only Singapore but all over the world. Any capitalist country will face this issue.

Just that Singapore with limited resources is showing the negative effects of capitalism society faster than our neighbouring countries because they still have land, religion and culture to fall back on thus they will not face this problem so fast but gradually, they are feeling it.

Taiwan is also losing its tribe practice and people are going to cities for a living, like wise for India and other countries. But somehow thanks to its strong unity and government space for religion practice, they are still going strong with their Chinese culture and proud of it, unlike Singapore, even for our own four different religions, we also have the public holidays reduced, no longer greatly celebrating it but it has downsized so much that it becomes more like a yearly commercial event rather than festive celebrations doing only a yearly routine with no heart put into it. It’s a festival without the soul, bonding and unity in it. How I envy countries with such rich festival celebrations.

Singapore although has lost the festival bonding among people, but it has gain something else in return to compensate for its culture losses which is financial industry and is often said that Singapore is the window to China, nonetheless that comes with a great price of sacrifice.

Hard work, always increasing work load, only more and no less, work load increase is way much faster than the speed whereby our pay increases, thus we are getting poorer and poorer. Just look at the working age and ask yourself if you can even retire and enjoy a blissful family, never ever if you follow the majority. It’s just the facts.

Should we want to reverse the effects, we should pick up entrepreneurship, in particular allowing ourselves more time to spend with family, encouraging a family and work-life balance, so as to have more births per family, thus tax will not increase. Financial insiders or those who at least study bits of history will know why birth rates has links to tax.

What we deserve, we got to earn it, and to do it, we have to find our way. Singapore is growing and improving, but not the people, majority of the people are still staying in a poor mindset thus making Singapore government job of running the country increasing harder having to cope with the silver tsunami many years ahead which is slowly revealing the tip of the ice berg already. We are just another country one step slower than Japan only.

We earn what we keep, and we got to defend our homeland from foreigners, lower our demands for foreign talents, in order to do that, we have to increase our own competitive advantage so as to reduce our reliance on them.

The easiest way to do so is to do our own business, and offer employments to fellow Singaporeans by helping Singaporeans earn their own keep. Entrepreneurship is the only way to go about, don’t look at it as purely business, you can go into entertainment, science, invention, financial related or even sales and service, it is not restricted to only business. Explore different ideas and stomp the front. Be a leader, take charge of your own life.

BE in control and stay in control.

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Money can be anything that is accepted as a payment for goods, services and repayment of debts. It can be in gold, silver, or other metal pieces of convenient form stamped by public authority and issued as a medium of exchange and a measure value.

It is tool, a double edge weapon, which both the rich and poor people use for different purposes.

Rich, wealthy and successful people use it to benefit more people via charity, sponsorship, and philanthropy purposes, and not forgetting by being generous, it also helps to reduce the tax payment thus businesses never fails to donate and do their part for charity. There are so much advantages to doing charity.

Poor people on the other hand use money as a weapon, to put themselves only to more harm via what everybody knows of the lack of financial knowledge and proper financial management. It is more about understanding the basics of money management, the returns on investment which differentiates the wealthy and the poor.

Wealthy invest while poor spend their money.

Invest for growth, using money as a seed, fertilizer to grow more money trees via business acquisitions etc.

Spending money only increase the debts, liabilities and more financial woes to surface with time and encouraging of bad habits.

You don’t need to pay school fees to learn how to manage money, you just need to think right and start from the basics and go in the right direction and get the right coaching from mentors who will give you more examples on how to increase your wealth.

Coaching is only applicable to successful businessmen and not financial wealth managers who are employees who are not trained to do so, even if they are trained by banks, they are just trained to use money to roll money, but they are not trained in using little or no money to grow money.

So if you want to grow your money tree to be strong and healthy, find yourself a coach and learn from them. If you are a cheapo like me previously, just stay tune to my blog or website for more examples and understand the difference in thinking which should be able to help you get a better idea of money management without paying a single cent.

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Tension is a strained relationship between both parties between individuals, groups or nations. It is the disagreements which both parties fail to come up with a mutually beneficial terms causing the relationship to be stretched and the bonding goes from thick to thin with each escalating issues surfacing.

It creates emotional strain, intense anxiety among everyone among those affected by the disagreements.

Tensions are everywhere, from average person walking on the streets to businesses, and even nations. All the way from the smallest average people like you and I to the biggest most powerful nations, all of us are living in a tensed up society these days with lots hidden unhappiness stored inside each nation waiting for eruption like a volcano. Each new failed or sour business relationship between two countries is like the sill of the volcano, the unhappiness among both countries is like the large magma chamber.

When a failed sour business caused relationships to take a slight turn for the worse, causing job losses in businesses affecting large scale especially among different countries, a parasitic cone is formed with lava flowing out from the parasitic cone slowly increasing the damage as it waits for the magma chamber to erupt with time.

There are so many examples to look at among different nations.

First up most frequently appeared in news media is China US bilateral ties issue which goes a long way, and is made worse with white house support Google from getting bullied by Baidu who is protecting the China identity at home and online.

Next up is US versus Iran, the quest to sweep the root of the terrorist clean and flush them out but it still has a long way to go. USA once missed the chance to plug out Osama Bin Laden as reported in one of the news reports last time, wanting to silence the ring leader, father of the terrorist who was personally trained by the US themselves.

Up next will be Thailand politics chaos situation, with the red shirt versus the yellow shirt. Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra who made billions upon using his politics influence to increase his wealth, avoided paying tax and accused by current prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva who is constantly digging for new evidence to upset and reduce his influence in Thailand wanting to silence the opposition the red shirt but has yet to see any improvement, in fact he made the Thailand economy worse following the recent demonstration just in front of the Thailand airport causing it to be closed for a day, out of business suffering huge losses.

Up next closely is Korea, North and South Korea always appear in the news yearly due to tensions between cross-border with communist and democratic country respectively with the display of their military might and protection from strong nations from Russia and US respectively as backing.

The rest that follows are just minor national tensions purely for profits and tourism competition that not as important as those above.

Tensions arise for many reasons, without early antidote, it will escalate bigger and bigger over time like a volcano, once erupted, serious damage will be felt and casualties and business losses of people who live around the volcano area suffers.

Tensions are just identical to our health. A cold may be a minor issue which can heal and thus often overlooked, but it is leaves any after-effects, it will lead to serious complications, as cold, flu and cough are the minor symptoms.

Health is the core problem for individuals. Business tensions is the core problems for countries while politics and military related concerns affects the whole world if not at least the surrounding countries when there’s a surge in military might with purchase of weapons.

The next time you get into any disagreement, solve it instantly if not as soon as possible, else it will escalate into another business war whereby companies lose, profits reduced and only the consumers benefit from business battle. If it’s individual, sooner or later there will be more stares, arguments before turning to catfights or business sabotage depending on the genders.

So handle any arguments addressing right to the root of the problem, look at what caused the problem, don’t solve it only from the surface which will not help.

If you need examples: Look at hospitals around the whole world, the patients get sicker and more illness especially terminal and expensive illness find their way onto the patients increasing their burden. Have you ever heard of patients suffering from TCM, not even once at all since history?

Look at the difference, which medical practice should you seek help from, answer is obvious, if you want to save more money, choose TCM, but start early, and it will save you mountains of money bit by bit starting from young as TCM is all about healing all weakness of the body that cause a illness to surface, while western drugs only help heal the illness which has surface and not the root of the problem.

Understand the cause and effect, and entrepreneurship will be a breeze for those who understand it, building a strong mind with the right foundation as basics.

Good habits start from young.

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Balance is about equilibrium with equal distribution of weight distributor to achieve balance.

Everything must be balanced, and there must not be bias on any side but in reality, it isn’t possible to strike a balance unless we control our own source of income, wealth and time by working for ourselves and not for our boss.

At work, government across and all over the globe always talk about having a balance working life, which is nonsense, if they want to get paid via tax thus they have money, they have to think of ways to allow business to have more employees thus more tax will be received from everybody making them richer but not wealthier since government are not experts at wealth and financial management.

The true experts of wealth and financial management are the billionaires and multi-millionaires. Millionaires are not included in my theory because millionaires can be done alone with hard work while multi-millionaires cannot.

News reports of financial crisis, great depression, stock crisis, commodity shortage thus causing sky rocketed cost of food and basic ingredients such as sugar, salt, and oil at times are the solid proof that government leaders are just ordinary people like you and me in the streets. They know nothing about real wealth management. They can make mistakes and push the blame to somebody else by military or keep it within the walls of each respective country as top secrets etc, and the best part, they don’t get fired because they need to retain ‘talents’ who are just sadly ill-trained professionals who knows only theory but not practical experience whatsoever.

Such people in the government do not and will not know how to balance the equilibrium and will continue to make mistakes than push it to others, got let somebody be the scapegoat taking the blame while opening a back-door to the person who help them take the rap.

The Lehman Brothers is a typical example of ill trained professionals who cause the world economy to share the rap and consequences of their actions, sparking a crisis with more problems in western countries than Asian countries.

With US government using tax-payers money to bail out the companies that didn’t do a proper job to save employments, when this happens, it is debt sharing, and passing the debt to the majority of the people. Take the total sum of money USA used and divide among the US population, and you know on average how much a US citizen helps the government to pay off the debts, which is why the US presidential election is all about, getting the consent of every citizen for approval by votes.

In Asian countries, it is run with a slightly different practice, because of the lack of politicians, and leaders, whatever mistakes they made, it will be compromised because there are no successors to take over thus they can continue making mistakes and nobody can do anything because they lack the higher appointment to veto the politician out immediately. Business and politics will never be able to work together due to a conflict of interest and why Warren Buffett initially decline President Obama request to lead the US in terms of investment options.

At work, health and family, it is all about striking a balance but it is not possible to do it because not possible to do so as business is all about profits and family work balance must be compromised in order to meet quota set by the company and the management else face the risk of being fired.

The only possible way to attain work life and family plus health balance is to work for ourselves, and find alternative income source to have flexible work time, have a business system to have it running on automatic basis so to allow equal balance.

The alternative is via internet marketing, and multi-level marketing (MLM) which requires no boss, no fixed timing, efforts and pay are justified by the amount of commitment they put in which is why news articles in Singapore have mention successes in blogging stay home young mothers who are IT savvy. MLM however has created tremendous success that can’t be overlooked but it is treated with negativity thus people are not receptive to it.

Education is all about helping ourselves to earn more money, but why and how did people think that it’s only right to help boss earn money and not help themselves? Are you slapping yourself in the face? Wake up to the reality and face it. If you at any one time want to deny facts, you will be a loser and loser will only suffer in misery and nothing else.

Do you want to seek balance in live which will encourage good health or do you want to continue to work your guts out risking your health helping your boss get rich, and not helping yourself?

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Help is the act of either giving or provide what is necessary to accomplish a task or a need, to render assistance to people who need it.

It also make life less difficult and reliving them off their illness, pain and sufferings.

Help is everywhere and anywhere. Are you the person who likes to help and advise people or are you one who only likes to receive help and assistance from others and never give back any?

Help is a two way thing. The more people you help, the more people will help you succeed. The more reluctance you show in refusing to help others, the same others will show to you.

Look at businessmen. They are setting up businesses, helping many people in different areas. By employing employees, they are helping the majority of the people to get paid if they are willing to work hard for the company, and in return they get money to bring bread and butter back home to the family.

By doing business, providing service and solutions to help solve business partners’ problems, they are helping others again, and in return they get money (profits) back in return.

By lending a hand in charity with money, they help people in extreme poverty get fed with food and basic supplies, they didn’t expect anything in return, but than others see it, than again they are helping themselves.

The return favor of helping comes back to the business in the form of recognition, branding and position which is goodwill, building a reputable brand for the country, individual or business, the more low-profile you are, the more happiness you will get and more rewards will come back to you.

Not everything comes back from helping in the form of money, but the values and reward to helpful people and businesses will end up with much more than what they offered.

When individuals and business do charity, they can reduce their tax for that year too from the government and more support from the leaders governing the countries with more benefits in future. There’s nothing to lose in helping but a lot more to gain.

Exercise caution when you offer and extend a helping hand. Never ever help any individual that refuse to accept your help and stretching out their hand. If they reject you, so be it, there are others who will gladly accept and appreciate your help.

Practice selectively helping, else you will be abused too. Example: You don’t go around helping people in the brink of bankruptcy when they didn’t learn their mistakes or lessons. The more you offer help, the more you’re digging your own grave to perish together with the people facing bankruptcy at the expense of your financial help.

You will not help people who don’ t share the same vision, goals as you (only applicable to businesses only). If you’re into philanthropy, than just do it as long as it is within your means and financial ability allows. Spending and spreading wealth wisely to those deserving of a chance to succeed and grow.

Do not help people who will turn their backs on you, a real life betrayal of unconditional help will be USA. They who believe in their religion believe in helping anyone and everyone, and the help they offered get abused in this case example.

USA trained Osama Bin Laden, who in turn became a real ring leader in terrorist who betrayed USA’s kind intentions, war breaking out among Iran, Iraq, and neighbouring countries suffer in some ways.

So select carefully and help, don’t help people who act like they need help but with hidden agenda that go against your vision, principles and directions which again leads me to entrepreneurship.

Choosing the right business partners, help people who accept your help and not people who only want to make use of your help, be selective and test their intentions if needed.  Choose the right business partner and your life plus wealth will be made much easier, choose and make the wrong choice or decision, and you have hell of a time like USA still trying to capture Osama Bin Laden who may still be hiding inside the mountains underground and in the caves etc.

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Money is the common language regardless of boundaries as long as we all live in modern civilizations than we have a simple way to go shopping even if we don’t know how to speak their native language.

Armed with just a calculator, all you need is to press the buttons, show to the vendor and point to the item you want, than the vendor will take the calculator, clear the screen and key in the price he/she can accede to, sometimes leaving tactics are used to make the vendor sell it off at a cheaper price if the business show signs of not doing so well.

Everything we do, we earn money, buy food, study, survival, happiness, all requires money. There was once when money isn’t a need or a want, because back than, being self sufficient was still able to meet ends needs so it was more on relationship and helping one another. That particular era, had left and evolved thanks to the hindsight of the leaders of nations, but it may look like they are helping the country to progress, but it has a selfish agenda behind it also. Taking away the rights to be self-sufficient, by having their own land, set up their own stalls, don’t need to pay tax, earning their own keep, that was before and after WWII era, when I wasn’t born.

That time was the period whereby entrepreneurship flourishes and lots of successes all around. That time, money although was important, but it isn’t as important as the bonding people have in the older generation. In today’s world, to get wealthy and successful, we need to take back what we own from our nation leaders if not buy over the rights permanently, our country Singapore isn’t fully theirs yet, as there are still plots of lands belonging to a few individuals who didn’t think nor is intelligent enough to have foresight and hindsight to profit from their assets which are billions if not trillions dollars worth.

Less than a handful of individuals still own their own assets, land, plots of land which was passed down from generations, some siblings may have agreed to government ‘kind intentions’ that’s filled with hidden agenda, but it’s a willing party, so who to blame except for their ignorance and greed for instant gratification, not taking into consideration of what happens to their next few generations which are the difference between poor and wealthy mindset of people that makes them who they are.

When you show that you can depend on yourself, your assets to survive, you will be the natural king leader attracting followers, as the others must depend if not learn from you how to be self-sufficient, but no matter how they learn, they can learn everything, but they can’t take away the ownership of the land that’s exclusively to the land owner, not the government unless they surrender the rights to it.

Once you surrender your rights to the ownership, they may make it look like it’s a win-win situation, but look, you benefit only one miserable time, whereas government benefit forever having 25years leasehold, 99years leasehold, freehold properties, selling lands to big MNCs for hundred year period, than take it back. Look, if you know how to profit, wealth will find you once your brain is tune and adjusted correctly and money will follow if not haunt you, that is why the wealthy successful businessmen always fail in one thing, to spend away all their wealth which just keeps growing on its own after the ball has started rolling. That’s the one and only failure I notice that the wealthy and successful businessmen all have in common, but hey at least it’s a positive failure.

So if you still want to be wealthy go buy over lands from other countries while you still can, make sure you know how to manage your land for maximal profitability and in accordance with the owner decision and plans with the plot of land so as to have win-win situation.

When I have the money, I will also move to the place I want to live, a place where government cannot do anything there, since government don’t own the land there yet, I hope I can generate enough money to support myself and be a resident there in Singapore, earning my own keep while my wealth generation system is still running and spreading the essential tools for wealth and success provided the person is still alive and have yet to surrender the rights on death.

Money is not everything, but without money, you can’t buy anything.

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