Every Monday now you can expect a new category in my blog where i will feature an entrepreneurial person every week This Week Entrepreneur.
And this week i am happy to present a very young person who share with us his journey and dreams.
With this i am confident that our readers will be getting new learnings as well tips from them.
This week Entrepreneur FADZULI………. answers our interview….
1)What kind of business do you have? What inspired you to become an entrepreneur?
Ok 1 registered business, 3 other forms of income yg belum jadi registered bisnis…
What inspired me? Robert T Kiyosaki. I’ve never look back after reading his book – Rich Dad Poor Dad.
2)Did you need to have a certain mindset to achieve success?
Yeah. nak kena elaborate eh?
“Its not about what you do tommorrow that matters, but what you do today that will make the difference.”
Maksudnya – kalau kita tak merancang hari ini atau pun not taking action today, esok hari akan disia-siakan.
3)Have you noticed certain advantages to being an entrepreneur?
Tax breaks!! You decide what you want to do, not others telling you what to do!! You juggle your own time!! You see your family more!!
4)Is it difficult to get financing for businesses? If so why and are there any solutions?
Initially “yes” it will be difficult. Many people will say ahh i will help you ah when you start your business but in truth none of them will because they don’t have that believe in you that you can earn that money back.
Always start with family first. Please don’t use all your savings..even though i did, i found that they are better ways later on which is to invest things in small proportions first. Make the money first then use that to roll back.
Abang Abu teaches the $1 to $2 Money Magnet technique…We should all learn this method… Come for Abang Abu’s Map lessons at Nowasia.SG!!
Always start small and grow later on.
5)Did you have a mentor to help you get started?
Nope!! But along the way, I met mentors like Kak Jen Anwar ( Gold Chocs ) and yes Abang Abu! Dont worry too much about this, along the way after you start you will meet genuine people like them to help you grow and be on your way but you must also search for them and take action!! You wont find them sitting down at home.
6)Approximately how much money did you invest before your business became profitable?
Belum profitable lagi!! Started with $30…that was all i had!! Insyallah it will grow.
7)What resources were most helpful to you when you were starting your business?
The computer!! Parents. Their endurance to tahan you for the decisions that you make cos initially they are the funders. They are also the first one who discourages you from going all out but when the situation changes later on, they will also start to change. Begin with yourself, then people around you and then you will see your friends doing the same.
8)What ways have you found to be most effective in marketing your product or service to get sales?
Still looking for the right formula. But so far its the word of mouth strategy. It beats all the advertising campaigns.
9)What tips can you give others who want to embrace their dream but, don’t have the confidence or feel they don’t have what it takes to succeed?
Take baby steps and always keep the dream alive!! I listen to a very good motivational CD a few years back. It talks about protecting your dreams. Dreams are the driving force in what you do. If you allow others to steal it away from you, then there goes your desire to grow your business.
Here’s how to do it.
a) Write your ultimate goal as big as possible on a paper. This need to be clear and pasted at a place where you can see it all the time. SO every time you wake up you will see it to remind yourself that this is what you want.
example.. Time with Family and a Million Dollars…Draw it and paste it on a wall!!
b) Mix with people who are keen for you to succeed not people who only like to waste your time…
c) Read!! You need to expand your knowledge. Talking to people is not enough. You have to read!! If you dont like reading, change that habit, pick up and easy book of about 50 pages first. Practice reading a book 15 minutes a day!! If you get used to reading, you can finish 200-300 pages of books within a day.
Why reading? Knowledge comes from many places, when you read, it allows you time to digest the ideas and somehow it makes you more intellectual and it helps you in your conversations also.
When and where to read? Use the time on the train on the way to work or your break times to read not to sleep. Even 5 minutes of reading can change your life. Keep a book with you all the time.
When i was younger and Uztaz mention to me, learn a line from the Quran every day and that will change you and your life. Its the same principle here. If we spend the time to gain knowledge daily, your life will change by leaps and bounds.
Recommended books to read:
Quran – you can surf the net and search for verses related to business and character building. Its a good place to start. People say our Prophet, Muhammad, is the best businessman and leader to learn from. So yes why not start from here.
Robert T Kiyosaki’s – books to build your mentality.
Get Sun Tzu Art of War – to learn about strategies!!
Read about Entrepreneurs – to keep inspiring yourself!! Nothing beats a dosage of great inspiration.
For those who wish to start a business and do not know what to do first!! I encourage you to read books mention above. The Quran is actually the best to start with. Find their translations and understand its meaning – not sure ask an Uztaz.
10) How do you manage juggling the responsibilities of being a entrepreneur?
This is the toughest thing to do. Somehow its just manageable although there are times when its too much!! Then your skills as a manager need to kick in..Learn to outsource and learn to find the right people to help you out. Ok actually that is also a tough job but someone has to do it right and that’s you. That is why networking sessions are very important.
Yes being a manager!! This is an integral learning process of an entrepreneur. You have to learn to be one so that someday some of your jobs can be replaced by someone else.
Regards to family and friends, sometimes you have to make the sacrifices.
11)What’s next for you?
Its a Secret!! Cannot announce yet!! Okok..hints ah.. A project with Abang Abu & Ed and another with a few friends from NUS.
Do comment any learning point from here.
