This course is really highly recommend!! Why do I say that? If you are wondering you are stuck in your work, life or business. Think again. A friend of mine was complaining to me about losing her customers beginning this year and whining that this year is bad luck for her. What did I tell her? I lost my baby, my health, my business and money all in 2011. Am I complaining? Are you better or worse?
I have to pick myself up and start all over again. That is why I took up this course to bring myself back into life and in the momenturm again. Something that I lost while I was pregnant. What is my obseravation from this course?
1. People fighting to voluteer (Untypical of Singaporean especially ladies)
2. Results instantly immediately (I actually earn money while I am learning)
3. Taking action now (We have to call our friends or clients in the seminar)
4. Tears and weeping (Untypical especially this is not a Personal Develop. course)
Also, btw, just for the record, we have to break an arrow at our neck before we leave. Yes. I did it. See it below. I am awesome!!
This is an upcoming project that I participated in it. It is a book by 60 co-authors making up of various entrepreneurs to talk about their life journey, their business and their family. Answering some questions asked by most people, such as why start a business? How to run a business successfully to higher height and etc. I am happy to be part of it and hope that I too can help contribute a minor role to improving our society. The book is expected to be launch in August, do reply here if you want a copy. I will update you once it is released..
The month of April is a roller coaster ride for both me and my hubby. He has recently been promoted meaning more work responsibilities. However, family commitment required much of his attention as well. We have to go though together braving the storm and heat literally as well as to strike a balance between work and family. On my side, since putting more attention on family means lesser focus on work. Inevitably, some bad news hit me and hit me hard, however, the reality of life and the business world. Life goes on with or without you. Undeterred, I want to create a better life for myself as well as for my hubby…To a better tomorrow, that is our direction and focus!
It is coming the end of the month for march. In the past, this is the time where I waited happily for my pay check. Now it is a time for me to see my sales report, my results for the entire month. Ever since I embarked on this career path, I have changed quite a fare bit. From “Never say never” attitude to “Do my best and hope for the best”. Not that I am dishearted but rather I come to realise, some people just don’t share your vision, direction or even your rationale. So you just have to let go for that matters. I have unfinished projects way back dated 2009 and coming back to haunt me now. The thought of it terrified me, however, it just took a few calls to people of my industry and I am ready to brave though.
Looking at the current situation now, I can safely say 1 is down, 1 more to go. Haha Not easy, as least I have tried and seems promising so far to date…
It has been quite a while since I last blog, reason being I have been rather busy in the month of june. In and out or desk bound to do my work. Still june is coming to an end, my rush for the work will have to finish off by then. So it is all coming down to a final touch, the last round of changes or final editing and etc. Being in the industry for coming 8 years now, I am still getting stress, upset by clients and continue to be amazed by how people treat one another.
Some clients treated you as an equal individual, responded politely, replied fast. Some clients treated you like their slaves, expect you to respond and deliver fast but they take forever to pay you. Some even worse, tried to find excuses to buy themselves out of situation when they sign on the dotted line. Does that mean in order for them to make money, they are supposed to exploit on us to deliver without getting paid? It may sound ridiculous but what can we do? Clients always say we have more jobs coming for you, we want to work with you for long terms. Ya, right, long terms with 1 job for you in a few years? Or rush jobs with tight or low budget forcing us to accept and deliver? I only know what goes around come around. The way you treat your supplier or vendor is the same way your clients will treat you. No offence though but at least that is what I believe and continue to believe in. So all the best to you and who know what might happen…
I had a meet up with my ex-BNI members yesterday which is suppose to be a happy occasion to catch up and update each other. Only to realise, a guy in the group had just informed, he is back in Singapore with failed business and in debts. The obvious question to ask? What happen? With a rather obvious reason as well, someone ran away with the money…His lesson learnt, he should have stuck to his trade back 2 years ago and avoid this roller coaster ride. To persevere and ride out to the what is believe as “2009 economic downturn”.
Being all ex-BNI members in the group, we also realise the magic of BNI. Despite meeting weekly and the same old group repeating ourselves every week, in return we reminded ourselves of the goals, target, focus and the direction we set. Sounds easy? Being awake at 7 am to meet people does put your brain fresh and hype up to be motivated to work thereafter. It may be a painful lesson if you stray off the path… Then again, is yet another choice of yours.
What I realise at the end of the day is, how successful you are as a human “being” path the way to your successful business. It is in no way by any chance or luck but rather on what choice and decision you make. Of course, chance or luck plays a part but not the main factor here. It is who you are, what decision you make to get to where you are today!
Today is an unlucky day for me, or should I say it may be worse? I am rushing in and out delivering stuffs, only to realise there is mistake after I delivered it. This resulted in having to make another trip again next week. I got a call from my client for potential job this morning which I should be happy about, however, minutes into the conversation, I realise client is just trying to throw me a nasty photocopying job which he is relectant to handle it himself. Worse, he hang up before I can even get him to pay up for an overdue invoice. After which, I tried to follow up a printing job with my printer only to realise their office phones are down. Not only that, even their internet is down. I could have just called their salesman but I realised, I just saw his email yesterday stating he is on reservist since start of march for 3 weeks. Just my luck?? Back in office, I am trying to follow up with another yet past overdue invoice with a client only to realise their finance did not receive the invoice to start with. This means another 30 days to wait for payment. Bascially it is just trying to say whatever I am trying to get done today is just unsuccessful in any way you see it.
This did struck me and pretty hard. 5 years in the business, I can’t say I am successful nor am I the worst of the lot. However, how to grow and expand the business is the question here. Is my abilities not good enough? Or am I not capable? Or I am just not the right person for the job? I am confused, yet I do not wish to give up. My dreams, my passion, however, the question is how to justify that 5 years of effort is not moving anywhere or much? Within 5 years, others might have already established a team to run or even go listed. Of course, for some, they might have given up or to try strike their riches elsewhere. Here I am, asking myself, should I continue or give up? What should I do? Can god or heaven give me some indication? I am confused… Troubled. Tomorrow is another day, another day to make decisions or another day to ponder over it. To stand firm to one’s decision and charge all the way?
Recently, quite a few issues at work makes me wonder am I unlucky. First, I worked with my first-time supplier who has multiple screw-ups even after my constant reminder. Next is my reliable printer who also make a mistake, thankfully, we managed to settle it in time to prevent the big error. After that, I have the weirdest and bizarre encounter with my new client who starts talking about all the bad or poor services about me when he is trying to get me to do him a favour… In the end, I rushed out for him only to realise he asked to delayed it instead, ironic? I decided to forgo him as a client rather to earn his money in the future. Thinking that this is the end, I have another client who walks away barely after 5 minutes since we met without any explanation or whatsoever. What a roller coaster ride? Then again, I am still thankful. I learned to take things easy and learn from each lesson. I once remember someone saying this, if you are a sales person, you must remember every time some one rejected you, be thankful, because the next one will be the one to be your client. Also, be glad that the one that closed the deal with you is a good and your dream customer. He or she will liaise the work with you nicely in the way that you hope it will be and pay you the money that you wanted and most importantly promptly. For that, I am gladful that some of my big clients do belong to that category. Those who are the extreme or bad clients are also somehow, by fate or time, they just conveniently dropped out from my list already which I am not complaining either…
So after all this, why do I still feel thankful? Well, for simple fact that I still have my family who support me, my hubby who bought me a car recently. Be glad that I can do what I like and to choose what to do and what not to. So why should I not be thankful? Instead of always blaming others for not being this or not being that, why not ask yourself what you can be better in?
I am totally fascinated by this and wished I am there. Why? Being in business for 4 years, I know to pull off such an event like this is no easy feat. To ordinate with the number of dancers is already the first headache. I heard they are about 200 of them coming from NTU that make this slightly easier since you can work around their studying time and etc. Secondly is the venue, with so many dancers, you need to clear off certain area to perform. Hosting it at Raffles Place and during lunch time where people walk in and out while they are dancing? Who will think of that? Then again, that is the whole purpose, to dance during lunch time where the people are out from their offices being entertained with a pleasant surprise.
Not only that, there is no uniform or a particular dressing involved, how are you going to recognise them when they are all out there? Only thing is to open your eyes big big? That is what they are trying to bring the message across probably? A re-branding campaign to say their handphone are hip and popular across all ages? From students to working professionals? I have viewed this video clip a few times, some details I spotted are: some dancers are holding to HTC phones while dancing and flashing them occasionally (Subconscious marketing?), at the end, most of them left while bringing out their handphone pretending to be chatting on phones?
Lastly, enjoy… BTW, did I mention they stop at 1? Good things must be shared around right? They did another one in Wisma Atria the following day.
Music:
“All About You” - McFly
“That Thing You Do” - The Wonders
“You’re the One That I Want” - John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John
“Nobody” - The Wonder Girls
I feel this strongly today, when all my projects seem either on hold, drag or take a twist of events. Feel frustrated, helpless and angry, I tried my best to resolve 1 by 1. Talk to clients, talk to designers, talk to anyone that can help me. At the end of the day, some issues settled, some still undone, some issues disappear by itself suddenly. Then again, I feel a sense of relief, at least I tried my best, I have done what I can. Time has passed again, certain issues will fade off, certain issues will go away by then. My solution to it? Get going, keep going and you shall reach your destination soon…
Oh, I suddenly remember, a brand slogan is “Keep walking”. Know who it is? Not forgetting which trade I am, I do take note of such things. Any idea? Make a guess.
Reply me in the blog or leave a comment to guess it. :p
I believe in "When there is a Will, there is a Way". That's why I believe that, as long as we tried hard enough, success is within our hands unless you did not do your best.
