Source: Chris Cains (Creator of the Miracle Mind Method)
Confucius was a Chinese thinker and social philosopher.
Confucius’ philosophy focused on issues of morality, both from a personal as well as a governmental perspective. Confucius taught concerning the correctness of social relationships, justice and equality. His teachings became very prominent in China.
Below are 9 Powerful Life Lessons based on the philosophy of Confucius.
9 Powerful Life Lessons from Confucius:
1. Just Keep Going
“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.”
If you keep going down the right path, you will eventually get to your intended destination. The hard work is being consistent; anybody can do right for a day. The person who succeeds is the person who stays committed despite the circumstances.
2. Your Friends Matter
“Never contract friendship with a man that is not better than thyself.”
Your friends are a prophecy of your future; where they are is where you’re headed. It would serve you well to find friends who are going where you want to go.
3. Good Things Come With a Price
“It is easy to hate and it is difficult to love. This is how the whole scheme of things works. All good things are difficult to achieve; and bad things are very easy to get.”
This explains a lot! It’s easy to hate, it’s easy to be negative, it’s easy to make excuses. It is love, forgiveness, and greatness that require a great heart, a great mind, and a great effort.
4. Sharpen Your Tools First
“The expectations of life depend upon diligence; the mechanic that would perfect his work must first sharpen his tools.”
Confucius said, “Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure.” Whatever you are called to do, if you are to succeed, you must first be prepared.
5. To be Wronged is Nothing
“To be wronged is nothing unless you continue to remember it.”
Don’t sweat the small stuff; to be wronged is no great offense. Don’t let the wrongdoing of others ruin your day. Don’t let they’re negativity occupy your thoughts. To be wronged is nothing!
6. Consider the Consequences
“When anger rises, think of the consequences.”
Solomon said, “He that is slow to anger is greater than the mighty.” Always remember to keep your temper in check and to consider the consequences.
7. Make Adjustments
“When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.”
If its looking like you’re not going to make your goals this year, now would be a good time to adjust your plan. Don’t accept failure as an option, adjust your sails, and you will sail safely to your goal.
8. You Can Learn From Everyone
“If I am walking with two other men, each of them will serve as my teacher. I will pick out the good points of the one and imitate them and the bad points of the other and correct them in myself.”
You can and should learn from everyone, be it a crook or a saint. Every life is a story filled with lessons ripe for the picking.
9. All or None
“Wherever you go, go with all your heart.”
Whatever you do, do it with everything, or don’t do it at all. To succeed in life requires your very best, give your very best, and you will live without regrets.
Sunday, September 09, 2012
Thursday, August 09, 2012
Olympic Inspiration
Olympic Inspiration
August 6th, 2012
What Olympic “moments” have inspired you? Maybe it was Michael Phelps winning a gazillion medals or Usain Bolt running faster than the speed of light. For me it was a guy I had never heard of until yesterday, Oscar Pistorius. This guy is phenomenal and puts any attempt to feel sorry for myself into a new perspective. You know the saying, “I was complaining I couldn’t find matching socks until I met a man with no shoes. I grumbled I had no shoes until I met a man with no feet.” Well my version is that I was complaining that I had sore knees until I saw the man with NO knees…….running 400 meters in 40 seconds.
I would be pleased to run 400 meters in 4 minutes, without stopping. Oscar, who was born with no knees, at least enough of his knees were missing that he had both legs amputated before he turned one, would lap me 4 times while I ran it once. He overcame one obstacle after another, blitzed the Paralympics four years ago winning 100, 200 and 400 meter events and is now a contender in the 400 meter semi final in the London Olympics. He’s the Blade Runner, the fastest man on no legs, a very cool looking guy, a sharp dresser and a HUGE inspiration to many.
So what can we learn from Oscar Pistorius? I mean what can those of us who have no Olympic aspirations and little athletic potential learn from this guy? How can we apply his inspiration to our everyday challenges to persevere through the hard times and keep going?
Stay in the middle of the challenge
Oscar’s mother wrote him a letter five months after his amputation with the instructions not to read it until he was an adult. It said this,
The real loser is never the person who crosses the finishing line last. The real loser is the person who sits on the side, the person who does not even try to compete.
Did she know his future? How amazing and how true! Staying in the middle of challenge is the first rule of perseverance. Active participation in your destiny is winning.
Do you remember Eddie the Eagle in the 1980s? He was reportedly the worst ski jumper to ever compete in the Winter Olympics. The worse he got, the more popular he became. Known as Mr Magoo, he was overweight and farsighted. BUT, he was the first ever Brit to compete as a ski jumper. He was a cultural icon because of his determination and character.
People like Eddie the Eagle and Oscar Pistorius remind us that if you have stay in the middle of the challenge, amazing things happen. It doesn’t mean you become the best in the world, just that you win in the broadest sense of the word, as Oscar’s Mom meant it.
Stay with your challenge. You can’t go over, around or under it, just as kids learn about the bear hunt. You have to go through it. I shouldn’t make any promises, but I believe with all my heart that if you persevere with courage and determination that you will experience success beyond your wildest imagination.
2. Reframe the challenge
Oscar Pistorius is an inspiration partly because he reframes his life situation and refuses to let circumstances control his destiny. He stays positive no matter what the challenge. He describes growing up with his brother,
My mother used to tell us in the mornings, ‘Carl put on your shoes, Oscar you put on your prosthetic legs …So I grew up not really thinking I had a disability. I grew up thinking I had different shoes.
That’s called reframing your life with sole. My favorite Pistorius quote is,
You are not disabled by the disabilities you have. You are able by the abilities you have.
You can’t control your genes and you can’t always control your circumstances but you are ALWAYS able to make the most of what you have and the mind is SO much more powerful than genes or circumstance.
In many cases it’s the limitations or disabilities that make your mind stronger because you have to work harder than others, get more creative than others and compensate for limitations with strength of mind. This leads to the third lesson.
3. The Power of Hustle
Hustle is part of the power of perseverance. It’s like the Subway commercial when Michael Phelps swam a lap of the pool, right through the wall of the pool, through the aquatic center walls, through corn fields, carving up the highway as he swam, finally arriving at the Subway restaurant. When you live with hustle, incredible things happen. As the Shakespeare of Germany Johann Wolfgang von Goethe said,
Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it!
Hustle includes hours of practice over years of commitment. World famous Cellist, Pablo Casals practiced every day for 4 hours. Someone once asked him, ‘Mister Casals, you are a master, you have accomplished so much. Why do you keep practicing four hours a day even though you are 93 years old?’ He said, ‘Well, I’m finally beginning to notice some improvement.’ Legend has it that he even completed his daily practice on the morning that he died. Casals believed in the power of hustle to keep improving throughout his life.
Will Smith is another hero of hustle. A few years back he gave an interview where he spoke about the secret of success. He described the power of intentions. He said,
Make a choice. Decide what it’s gonna be, who you’re gonna be, how you’re gonna do it. I can create whatever I want to create. We are who we choose to be.
Then the interviewer asked if others without his opportunities could do what he has done. He then spoke about the power of persistence.
The key factor is “I will not be outworked. You might have more talent than me. You might be smarter than me. You might outdo me in 9 categories out of 10. But get on a treadmill together, one of two things is going to happen. You gonna get off the treadmill or I’m gonna die on that treadmill.
Put two people alongside each other; sportspeople, musicians, business people, whoever. The two people have similar genetic makeup. Which one is more likely to succeed? The one who has the burning passion to persist through pain and obstacle, with little sleep and little reason to keep going, but they keep going anyway. The one more likely to succeed is the one who will stand in the flames of struggle to fulfill their dreams. Put two visions or plans alongside each other- the one that is backed by passion will win every time.
In the next piece I describe hustle’s partner in perseverance; inspiration, and my personal experience with perseverance. Combine WILL power with the THRILL power of inspiration and you will beat any odds. Add the STILL power of self acceptance to the mix and you have the trifecta, the triple threat of human spirit.
August 6th, 2012
What Olympic “moments” have inspired you? Maybe it was Michael Phelps winning a gazillion medals or Usain Bolt running faster than the speed of light. For me it was a guy I had never heard of until yesterday, Oscar Pistorius. This guy is phenomenal and puts any attempt to feel sorry for myself into a new perspective. You know the saying, “I was complaining I couldn’t find matching socks until I met a man with no shoes. I grumbled I had no shoes until I met a man with no feet.” Well my version is that I was complaining that I had sore knees until I saw the man with NO knees…….running 400 meters in 40 seconds.
I would be pleased to run 400 meters in 4 minutes, without stopping. Oscar, who was born with no knees, at least enough of his knees were missing that he had both legs amputated before he turned one, would lap me 4 times while I ran it once. He overcame one obstacle after another, blitzed the Paralympics four years ago winning 100, 200 and 400 meter events and is now a contender in the 400 meter semi final in the London Olympics. He’s the Blade Runner, the fastest man on no legs, a very cool looking guy, a sharp dresser and a HUGE inspiration to many.
So what can we learn from Oscar Pistorius? I mean what can those of us who have no Olympic aspirations and little athletic potential learn from this guy? How can we apply his inspiration to our everyday challenges to persevere through the hard times and keep going?
Stay in the middle of the challenge
Oscar’s mother wrote him a letter five months after his amputation with the instructions not to read it until he was an adult. It said this,
The real loser is never the person who crosses the finishing line last. The real loser is the person who sits on the side, the person who does not even try to compete.
Did she know his future? How amazing and how true! Staying in the middle of challenge is the first rule of perseverance. Active participation in your destiny is winning.
Do you remember Eddie the Eagle in the 1980s? He was reportedly the worst ski jumper to ever compete in the Winter Olympics. The worse he got, the more popular he became. Known as Mr Magoo, he was overweight and farsighted. BUT, he was the first ever Brit to compete as a ski jumper. He was a cultural icon because of his determination and character.
People like Eddie the Eagle and Oscar Pistorius remind us that if you have stay in the middle of the challenge, amazing things happen. It doesn’t mean you become the best in the world, just that you win in the broadest sense of the word, as Oscar’s Mom meant it.
Stay with your challenge. You can’t go over, around or under it, just as kids learn about the bear hunt. You have to go through it. I shouldn’t make any promises, but I believe with all my heart that if you persevere with courage and determination that you will experience success beyond your wildest imagination.
2. Reframe the challenge
Oscar Pistorius is an inspiration partly because he reframes his life situation and refuses to let circumstances control his destiny. He stays positive no matter what the challenge. He describes growing up with his brother,
My mother used to tell us in the mornings, ‘Carl put on your shoes, Oscar you put on your prosthetic legs …So I grew up not really thinking I had a disability. I grew up thinking I had different shoes.
That’s called reframing your life with sole. My favorite Pistorius quote is,
You are not disabled by the disabilities you have. You are able by the abilities you have.
You can’t control your genes and you can’t always control your circumstances but you are ALWAYS able to make the most of what you have and the mind is SO much more powerful than genes or circumstance.
In many cases it’s the limitations or disabilities that make your mind stronger because you have to work harder than others, get more creative than others and compensate for limitations with strength of mind. This leads to the third lesson.
3. The Power of Hustle
Hustle is part of the power of perseverance. It’s like the Subway commercial when Michael Phelps swam a lap of the pool, right through the wall of the pool, through the aquatic center walls, through corn fields, carving up the highway as he swam, finally arriving at the Subway restaurant. When you live with hustle, incredible things happen. As the Shakespeare of Germany Johann Wolfgang von Goethe said,
Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it!
Hustle includes hours of practice over years of commitment. World famous Cellist, Pablo Casals practiced every day for 4 hours. Someone once asked him, ‘Mister Casals, you are a master, you have accomplished so much. Why do you keep practicing four hours a day even though you are 93 years old?’ He said, ‘Well, I’m finally beginning to notice some improvement.’ Legend has it that he even completed his daily practice on the morning that he died. Casals believed in the power of hustle to keep improving throughout his life.
Will Smith is another hero of hustle. A few years back he gave an interview where he spoke about the secret of success. He described the power of intentions. He said,
Make a choice. Decide what it’s gonna be, who you’re gonna be, how you’re gonna do it. I can create whatever I want to create. We are who we choose to be.
Then the interviewer asked if others without his opportunities could do what he has done. He then spoke about the power of persistence.
The key factor is “I will not be outworked. You might have more talent than me. You might be smarter than me. You might outdo me in 9 categories out of 10. But get on a treadmill together, one of two things is going to happen. You gonna get off the treadmill or I’m gonna die on that treadmill.
Put two people alongside each other; sportspeople, musicians, business people, whoever. The two people have similar genetic makeup. Which one is more likely to succeed? The one who has the burning passion to persist through pain and obstacle, with little sleep and little reason to keep going, but they keep going anyway. The one more likely to succeed is the one who will stand in the flames of struggle to fulfill their dreams. Put two visions or plans alongside each other- the one that is backed by passion will win every time.
In the next piece I describe hustle’s partner in perseverance; inspiration, and my personal experience with perseverance. Combine WILL power with the THRILL power of inspiration and you will beat any odds. Add the STILL power of self acceptance to the mix and you have the trifecta, the triple threat of human spirit.
Friday, August 03, 2012
10 Tips For Traveling Through Life I Learned From Dr. John C. Maxwell
Traveling Through Life
Tip #1: Travel Light. – You can always tell the difference between an experienced traveler and a new one… by the size of their luggage. John mentioned that too many people travel through life with a lot of emotional baggage, which they’ve not yet learned to let go.
Traveling light is about finding your priorities… carrying only the essential stuff… Oh yes… and asking for forgiveness along the way.
Tip #2: Take someone with you – Life is about relationships. Isn’t it awfully lonely to travel through life alone?
Maybe you’ve been hurt before, but that doesn’t mean that you should close your heart. It only means that you know the characteristics you don’t want in a partner/friend.
Let time heal your heart and then find someone to travel through life with.
Tip #3: Follow The Road Map – Have a game plan. If you do not know where you are going, then how can you hope to get there?
It is important to know where you are (A) by doing self-reflection everyday and where you want to go (B) by setting goals… but do not succumb to “destination disease”. Life is not only about reaching B. Life HAPPENS between A and B! Enjoy the journey…
Tip #4: Take The High Road -”Those who are instruments of grace to others become recipients of grace to themselves”.
John talks about the necessity of having a life stance – your overall frame of reference – your attitude, assumptions and expectations of yourself, others around you and life.
Taking the high road means that you do not keep score. You learn to forgive others and do your best to help the people around you.
Tip #5: Stop And Ask For Directions -Most people are too stubborn or proud to do that. They would rather go around in circles than stop to ask someone for directions.
Remember that no matter the direction you are heading, it’s very likely that someone else has already been there and done that. Be prepared to ask for advice… and shortcut your learning curve.
Tip #6: Make A U-Turn When Needed -”Life is the art of drawing without an eraser.” You can’t turn back time when you have made a mistake… but you can change directions and make a U-turn before it’s too late.
Sometimes, we may find ourselves headed into a dead end… the sooner we realize we have to make a change and do it, the more likely we will find ourselves back on a safe route.
Remember… not changing when you have to may lead to death!
Tip #7: Appreciate The Detours – Life is not a smooth one way street. Along the way, you will meet obstacles and challenges. Appreciate and learn to take the detours.
I love the way John reframed “Problems”. He said that problems are…
Predictors
Reminders
Opportunities
Blessings
Lessons
Everywhere
Messages
Solvable
Could you see how that can be really empowering?
Tip #8: Take Pictures – Create Memories.
Now this is an advice I need to take seriously… if not only for the fact that I seldom take pictures.
John suggests that you should….
Work like you don’t need the money
Dance like no one is watching
Sing like no one is listening
Love like you’ve never been hurt
Live like it’s heaven on earth
How beautiful is that?
Tip #9: Travel The Extra Mile – And then some…
Who knows what you would find in that extra mile? Another adventure… A beautiful sight… A lovely encounter… An enchanting lover…
Go the extra mile… it may be worth the whole journey.
Tip #10: Stop To Smell The Roses – Remember not to rush though life… Take some time out to appreciate its beauty… Enjoy the butterflies’ dance… and last but not least, be grateful… for everyone and everything in your life.
Tip #1: Travel Light. – You can always tell the difference between an experienced traveler and a new one… by the size of their luggage. John mentioned that too many people travel through life with a lot of emotional baggage, which they’ve not yet learned to let go.
Traveling light is about finding your priorities… carrying only the essential stuff… Oh yes… and asking for forgiveness along the way.
Tip #2: Take someone with you – Life is about relationships. Isn’t it awfully lonely to travel through life alone?
Maybe you’ve been hurt before, but that doesn’t mean that you should close your heart. It only means that you know the characteristics you don’t want in a partner/friend.
Let time heal your heart and then find someone to travel through life with.
Tip #3: Follow The Road Map – Have a game plan. If you do not know where you are going, then how can you hope to get there?
It is important to know where you are (A) by doing self-reflection everyday and where you want to go (B) by setting goals… but do not succumb to “destination disease”. Life is not only about reaching B. Life HAPPENS between A and B! Enjoy the journey…
Tip #4: Take The High Road -”Those who are instruments of grace to others become recipients of grace to themselves”.
John talks about the necessity of having a life stance – your overall frame of reference – your attitude, assumptions and expectations of yourself, others around you and life.
Taking the high road means that you do not keep score. You learn to forgive others and do your best to help the people around you.
Tip #5: Stop And Ask For Directions -Most people are too stubborn or proud to do that. They would rather go around in circles than stop to ask someone for directions.
Remember that no matter the direction you are heading, it’s very likely that someone else has already been there and done that. Be prepared to ask for advice… and shortcut your learning curve.
Tip #6: Make A U-Turn When Needed -”Life is the art of drawing without an eraser.” You can’t turn back time when you have made a mistake… but you can change directions and make a U-turn before it’s too late.
Sometimes, we may find ourselves headed into a dead end… the sooner we realize we have to make a change and do it, the more likely we will find ourselves back on a safe route.
Remember… not changing when you have to may lead to death!
Tip #7: Appreciate The Detours – Life is not a smooth one way street. Along the way, you will meet obstacles and challenges. Appreciate and learn to take the detours.
I love the way John reframed “Problems”. He said that problems are…
Predictors
Reminders
Opportunities
Blessings
Lessons
Everywhere
Messages
Solvable
Could you see how that can be really empowering?
Tip #8: Take Pictures – Create Memories.
Now this is an advice I need to take seriously… if not only for the fact that I seldom take pictures.
John suggests that you should….
Work like you don’t need the money
Dance like no one is watching
Sing like no one is listening
Love like you’ve never been hurt
Live like it’s heaven on earth
How beautiful is that?
Tip #9: Travel The Extra Mile – And then some…
Who knows what you would find in that extra mile? Another adventure… A beautiful sight… A lovely encounter… An enchanting lover…
Go the extra mile… it may be worth the whole journey.
Tip #10: Stop To Smell The Roses – Remember not to rush though life… Take some time out to appreciate its beauty… Enjoy the butterflies’ dance… and last but not least, be grateful… for everyone and everything in your life.
Friday, May 11, 2012
10 Secrets to Happiness I learnt from Andrew Matthews
Today I'm going to share with you 10 secrets I learnt from Happiness Expert,
Andrew Matthews as well as a video of an extraordinary dog with 2 legs.
As usual, the article is pretty long and accompanied by pictures and a video, so please follow the link below to access it from:
10 Secrets to Happiness I learnt from Andrew Matthews
Source reference link:
http://richgrad.com/10-secrets-to-happiness-i-learnt-from-andrew-matthews/
Andrew Matthews as well as a video of an extraordinary dog with 2 legs.
As usual, the article is pretty long and accompanied by pictures and a video, so please follow the link below to access it from:
10 Secrets to Happiness I learnt from Andrew Matthews
Source reference link:
http://richgrad.com/10-secrets-to-happiness-i-learnt-from-andrew-matthews/
Saturday, April 07, 2012
Building a lasting brand requires a solid business model, ability toreinvent
Saturday April 7, 2012
[On Your Own]
By TAN THIAM HOCK
"No need for 'grand vision', just a clear one."
SINCE I arrived at the “School”, life has been a rush. Upon arrival, I dropped my bags in a small but well appointed room numbered 41-8 and went straight to the dining table where I met my living group.
A group of very diversified personalitie s of different nationalities all seven of them. So we make a group of eight. Which I was told, is a good number.
Living group (LG) 41 is housed on the 4th floor of the north wing with one living and meeting hall and will be together for eight weeks. In Cantonese, 41888 or 88418 when spoken, has the same meaning so far, so good.
After dinner, LG 41 read it's first case study at 8pm. Another good omen, except for the jet lag. Then the meeting dragged. Phil Knight of Nike Inc can wait. I have to unpack my bag and hit the sack. I am finally in the hip hop US of A.
Phil Knight is a kampung boy from Oregon and a runner for the University team. His MBA paper was on competing with Adidas in the performance athletic shoe segment with a business model of importing lower cost but high quality shoes from the far east. So he went to Japan, secured a distribution agreement for Tiger shoes in 1964 and by 1972, had a decent business of US$2mil per year. Then Tiger wanted to control his fledging 8-year old company or he risked losing the distribution rights.
He decided then to launch his own brand of performance athletic shoes and Nike was born. In 10 years, Nike went from US$2mil to US$693mil in sales and then in the next 30 years grew to become a US$2 0bil company. Nike b oleh! It is bigger than Adidas and Reebok combin ed and i t still has the same business model.
For entrepreneur wannabes, you do not need a BIG idea to start a business. But you do need a good and solid idea on how your business model can compete. Blended with intimate industry knowledge, you stand a fighting chance of surviving the early years.
The owner of The Chicken Rice Shop was a pioneer staff of KFC and worked there for many, many years. My company distributed multiple cosmetic brands for some years before we launched our own Silkygirl brand. If you decide to invest in an industry that you are not familiar with, the learning curve will be extremely steep so be prepared for the ride of your life.
Phil Knight never had a grand vision of having his own brand. He was just a small-time entrepreneur trying to establish a distribution business. Without a strong financial base, he relied first, on his principal and later on, another Japanese trading house for financing his imported inventory.
With his back against the wall and out of necessity, he started his own brand. For entrepreneur wannabes, you do not need a GRAND vision when you start a new business. People with grand visions normally spend most of their time day dreaming, with vivid imaginations of beautiful homes, luxurious cars and holidays. Business plans based on personal viewpoints and beliefs are flawed and doomed to fail.
Forecast numbers plucked from the clouds are unrealistic and unattainable. My advice is to start small, think big (margins), stay slim (overheads), avoid fat (hopes) and count right. Then put your head down and get on with the business. Just do it.
In the course of the last 40 years, Nike Inc suffered some hic cups when it had flat sales and profit p eriods but it has always managed to reinvent itself and create another decade of continuous sustainable growth. Nearer home, do you think our local brands like Bonia, Padini, Parksons, The Chicken Rice Shop etc will survive? Where is Anakku? Will Proton still be around in 20 years time?
All over the world, entrepreneurs build brands to last. What happens when the business outlasts the entrepreneur? It is proven that a business/brand, built on a solid foundation of a sturdy and robust business model will last for years and years. The journey of an entrepreneur normally starts with a glimmer of hope, some sprinkling of success, then visions of grandeur and finally the reality of the need to reinvent itself. It is a dynamic world out there. Reinvent or you will just fade away.
To all the vain entrepreneurs, if you have poor vision, put on your glasses so that you can see clea rly, the road ahead. Warning signboards, speed limits, road bumps and potholes. And, may your engine never run out of fuel.
> The writer is an entrepreneur who hopes to share his experience and insights with readers who want to take that giant leap into business but are not sure if they should. Email him at thtan@alliancecosmetics.com
Source reference link: http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/4/7/business/20120407073609&sec=business
[On Your Own]
By TAN THIAM HOCK
"No need for 'grand vision', just a clear one."
SINCE I arrived at the “School”, life has been a rush. Upon arrival, I dropped my bags in a small but well appointed room numbered 41-8 and went straight to the dining table where I met my living group.
A group of very diversified personalitie s of different nationalities all seven of them. So we make a group of eight. Which I was told, is a good number.
Living group (LG) 41 is housed on the 4th floor of the north wing with one living and meeting hall and will be together for eight weeks. In Cantonese, 41888 or 88418 when spoken, has the same meaning so far, so good.
After dinner, LG 41 read it's first case study at 8pm. Another good omen, except for the jet lag. Then the meeting dragged. Phil Knight of Nike Inc can wait. I have to unpack my bag and hit the sack. I am finally in the hip hop US of A.
Phil Knight is a kampung boy from Oregon and a runner for the University team. His MBA paper was on competing with Adidas in the performance athletic shoe segment with a business model of importing lower cost but high quality shoes from the far east. So he went to Japan, secured a distribution agreement for Tiger shoes in 1964 and by 1972, had a decent business of US$2mil per year. Then Tiger wanted to control his fledging 8-year old company or he risked losing the distribution rights.
He decided then to launch his own brand of performance athletic shoes and Nike was born. In 10 years, Nike went from US$2mil to US$693mil in sales and then in the next 30 years grew to become a US$2 0bil company. Nike b oleh! It is bigger than Adidas and Reebok combin ed and i t still has the same business model.
For entrepreneur wannabes, you do not need a BIG idea to start a business. But you do need a good and solid idea on how your business model can compete. Blended with intimate industry knowledge, you stand a fighting chance of surviving the early years.
The owner of The Chicken Rice Shop was a pioneer staff of KFC and worked there for many, many years. My company distributed multiple cosmetic brands for some years before we launched our own Silkygirl brand. If you decide to invest in an industry that you are not familiar with, the learning curve will be extremely steep so be prepared for the ride of your life.
Phil Knight never had a grand vision of having his own brand. He was just a small-time entrepreneur trying to establish a distribution business. Without a strong financial base, he relied first, on his principal and later on, another Japanese trading house for financing his imported inventory.
With his back against the wall and out of necessity, he started his own brand. For entrepreneur wannabes, you do not need a GRAND vision when you start a new business. People with grand visions normally spend most of their time day dreaming, with vivid imaginations of beautiful homes, luxurious cars and holidays. Business plans based on personal viewpoints and beliefs are flawed and doomed to fail.
Forecast numbers plucked from the clouds are unrealistic and unattainable. My advice is to start small, think big (margins), stay slim (overheads), avoid fat (hopes) and count right. Then put your head down and get on with the business. Just do it.
In the course of the last 40 years, Nike Inc suffered some hic cups when it had flat sales and profit p eriods but it has always managed to reinvent itself and create another decade of continuous sustainable growth. Nearer home, do you think our local brands like Bonia, Padini, Parksons, The Chicken Rice Shop etc will survive? Where is Anakku? Will Proton still be around in 20 years time?
All over the world, entrepreneurs build brands to last. What happens when the business outlasts the entrepreneur? It is proven that a business/brand, built on a solid foundation of a sturdy and robust business model will last for years and years. The journey of an entrepreneur normally starts with a glimmer of hope, some sprinkling of success, then visions of grandeur and finally the reality of the need to reinvent itself. It is a dynamic world out there. Reinvent or you will just fade away.
To all the vain entrepreneurs, if you have poor vision, put on your glasses so that you can see clea rly, the road ahead. Warning signboards, speed limits, road bumps and potholes. And, may your engine never run out of fuel.
> The writer is an entrepreneur who hopes to share his experience and insights with readers who want to take that giant leap into business but are not sure if they should. Email him at thtan@alliancecosmetics.com
Source reference link: http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/4/7/business/20120407073609&sec=business
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