It was a rare opportunity to speak to around 30+ students engaged in a satellite training program located in Marbel (a town found 2 hours away from General Santos City), conducted by the Academy for Creating Enterprise. These eager minds were very hungry for knowledge and after sticking to the 1 week course outline, they were now about to graduate.
I was lucky enough to be chosen to be a motivational speaker for them. What I said was not as important as what they were feeling towards their ability to practice what they learned and get out there to start businesses that have high value. In essence, I asked them point blank if they were going to be one of the frogs who jumped and learn how cold the water was, or are they going to be one of the frogs that remained on the tree and never changed the humidity.
After the ceremonies, I had another opportunity to chat to some of those students and to find out if they had indeed received a great paradigm shift. Most of them were very fired up in relating their respective business plans and the strategies that they were going to use to get their businesses up and running. One of the students that I have interviewed had an existing Mobile Phone stall in one of the more prominent portions of the town, and he was relating to me about creating a brand for his shop and focusing on improving customer service.
Learning for these students, I realized how we could all change our realities by adding new and vital information on a constant basis and how we could indeed change our temporal situation by exerting a little imagination in the field of business and investing.
Showing posts with label Financial Education. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Financial Education. Show all posts
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
TO START OR NOT TO START
Below is a letter from 2 American volunteers that is heart warming and motivating to those who want to start a business but are still wrestling with your own fears and doubts. Whether you are a Mormon or not, it is worth reading.
From the website: www.creatingenterprise.com.
Dear Alumni,
Before we share our message with you, please allow us to introduce ourselves. We are Jeremi and Rebecca Brewer, Directors of The Academy for Creating Enterprise—Mexico. We are returned missionaries, alumni of BYU-Hawaii, and in our last year of PhDs at Texas A&M University—the second largest university in the United States. We are sharing with you knowledge that we have gained through personal experience in business and experiences of other people. We know that what we share will bless your lives as it has blessed ours and others in Mexico.
Our hope is to reach the heart of each one of you that reads this letter. Consider this letter to be addressed to each of you, personally. Pretend that this letter is a conversation that we are having in your house, your office, or somewhere private. We want you to know that we love you very much. We know that the Lord is mindful of you, your trials, your triumphs, and your families. We have felt the special Spirit of the Lord each day in the Philippines, and know that ACE has been a blessing in each of your lives. Please, take your time and read this letter carefully; it is directed to you individually. This letter has one main purpose: We want to encourage you to start your own enterprise if you have not done so already.
As you very well know, the primary purpose of creating an enterprise is for you to be able to break the bands of generational poverty, improve your temporal life, and teach yourself and your children a new way of behaving and thinking. However, old habits and customs are very hard to break. Traditions and cultures are also very difficult to change if you do not make a daily effort to adjust your way of living. So, we encourage you to start today doing something new. Remember, “If you always do what you have always done, then you will always have what you already have”.
If you have yet to start your own enterprise, we write to you to help you remember those things that you already know are true. You know that being an employee is usually not the way to have the financial freedom that you wish you could have. You know that working hard for someone else usually does not pay you a sufficient amount for your needs. You know that when you work for someone else they have more control over when you work, where you work, how long you work, and how much money you make. In other words, as an employee, your employer has more control over your time and money than you do.
Now, being an employee is not always bad. You may very well be thinking, “But, I just need to raise capital” or “I am only working as an employee so that I can learn how the industry works.” Those are wonderful thoughts and you should be taking daily notes of how the operations are run. If not, start now! Try to find out how business transactions are completed. How much they cost. See if the clients are satisfied with the business and if not, then try and see what they are not receiving from the company you work for—you may find a great niche. If you are working to learn and gain knowledge (capital), training (capital), and experience (capital) you must make sure that you document what you see, hear, and feel.
You graduated from ACE, what is stopping you now?
If you are an employee and thinking about starting your own business, what is stopping you? Are you afraid or nervous? Do you lack the confidence? Are you still looking for the secrets? If so, allow us to share with you our favorite word in the English language: “Do”. “Do” is our favorite word because it requires thought and action. Remember the Rule of Thumb, “Ready, Aim, Fire!”? Well, this is similar to that. Remember the words of the Lord, “Therefore be ye doers of the word”? Do you remember the truth that we are agents to act and not be acted upon? And, do you remember the scripture which challenges us to be anxiously engaged in a good cause? As you can see, the Lord yearns for us to improve our own lives. You must pray as though everything depended upon the Lord and work as though everything depended upon you!
We know that you may have not started a business already because you are afraid. You may have not started of a lack of capital. You may have not started because you you’re your employment. There are thousands of reasons why you may not have started a business. However, we promise you that if you will just “Do” something today, if you will just “Do” something every day, that you will find success. The Rules of Thumb teach us great principles. You have the magic bullet and the secret sauce. You have all the tools. If you lack confidence, the greatest secret of all is that confidence is only gained by “do”-ing. If you “do” something you will learn more and more. If you “do” business you will learn more quickly than if you are idle. Remember, thinking is not enough, you must think then do, then evaluate what you have done and then do more!
Allow us to remind you of those missionaries who came to the Philippines from different countries. You may have had companions from outside of the Philippines, you may have gone outside of the Philippines on your mission, or you may have had contact with people from outside of the Philippines. Can you remember those missionaries? Can you remember how well they spoke the language of the mission? Some of them were more Filipino than most Filipinos—they spoke the language so well. Others, however, were so afraid and nervous to make mistakes and fail that they spoke as little as possible. Do you think they were smarter, faster, or more prepared because they were from outside of the country? The answer is simply no!
Our professions are in language learning and teaching. We know that the more someone tries to learn the language by speaking it, the quicker they will become fluent in that language. Sure, the missionaries make mistakes while speaking the language, but the difference between one who learns the language well and the one that doesn’t has a lot to do with the amount of energy, attention, focus, and discipline they put into practicing the language. In other words, those that would “do” the language by speaking it each day learned better than those that didn’t.
The same principle applies in business: you will make hundreds of mistakes—not one single person on this earth has ever spoken their native language perfectly. In fact, we make mistakes with our own language every day. The same reality exists with people that “do” business—everyone makes mistakes.
President Monson once said, “Elders and Sisters, when learning your new languages you must remember that you will make one million mistakes—so, you better start now!” The same principles apply in business—you will make millions of mistakes, but you must learn from them. You must learn how to improve upon them. We promise you that if you will start to “do” something in business that you will begin to become more fluent in business. Your abilities will increase. Your confidence will increase. And, your bank accounts will also increase! But, if you stay quiet, too nervous to start or try, then you will be like the missionary that never opened his mouth. You will never learn and you will miss out on so many opportunities—in this case, you will miss out on the opportunity to create a better life for yourself and your family.
So, “do” something today to change. Start now! You can do it! Find your talent, your passion, and your dreams and work for them each day. We know that you can do it. Whatever your business is, don’t feel that you are locked into just one business. We know that if you will start by selling papayas today, next year you could very well be manufacturing lead weights. You never know what tomorrow holds if you will just “do” something to change today!
We don’t only pray for your success, but we have come to the Philippines to train those in the Academy these same principles. We pray and we act. We pray and we do. We make mistakes each day, but we learn from them. We grow from them. We improve each day. We know that you have it in you to “do” great things. We know that you can “do” more than you are already doing. There is no magic bullet. There are no more secrets. Start now! And, as the hymn goes, “Wake Up! And do something more!”
With much love and hope for your success,
Jeremi & Rebecca Brewer
From the website: www.creatingenterprise.com.
Dear Alumni,
Before we share our message with you, please allow us to introduce ourselves. We are Jeremi and Rebecca Brewer, Directors of The Academy for Creating Enterprise—Mexico. We are returned missionaries, alumni of BYU-Hawaii, and in our last year of PhDs at Texas A&M University—the second largest university in the United States. We are sharing with you knowledge that we have gained through personal experience in business and experiences of other people. We know that what we share will bless your lives as it has blessed ours and others in Mexico.
Our hope is to reach the heart of each one of you that reads this letter. Consider this letter to be addressed to each of you, personally. Pretend that this letter is a conversation that we are having in your house, your office, or somewhere private. We want you to know that we love you very much. We know that the Lord is mindful of you, your trials, your triumphs, and your families. We have felt the special Spirit of the Lord each day in the Philippines, and know that ACE has been a blessing in each of your lives. Please, take your time and read this letter carefully; it is directed to you individually. This letter has one main purpose: We want to encourage you to start your own enterprise if you have not done so already.
As you very well know, the primary purpose of creating an enterprise is for you to be able to break the bands of generational poverty, improve your temporal life, and teach yourself and your children a new way of behaving and thinking. However, old habits and customs are very hard to break. Traditions and cultures are also very difficult to change if you do not make a daily effort to adjust your way of living. So, we encourage you to start today doing something new. Remember, “If you always do what you have always done, then you will always have what you already have”.
If you have yet to start your own enterprise, we write to you to help you remember those things that you already know are true. You know that being an employee is usually not the way to have the financial freedom that you wish you could have. You know that working hard for someone else usually does not pay you a sufficient amount for your needs. You know that when you work for someone else they have more control over when you work, where you work, how long you work, and how much money you make. In other words, as an employee, your employer has more control over your time and money than you do.
Now, being an employee is not always bad. You may very well be thinking, “But, I just need to raise capital” or “I am only working as an employee so that I can learn how the industry works.” Those are wonderful thoughts and you should be taking daily notes of how the operations are run. If not, start now! Try to find out how business transactions are completed. How much they cost. See if the clients are satisfied with the business and if not, then try and see what they are not receiving from the company you work for—you may find a great niche. If you are working to learn and gain knowledge (capital), training (capital), and experience (capital) you must make sure that you document what you see, hear, and feel.
You graduated from ACE, what is stopping you now?
If you are an employee and thinking about starting your own business, what is stopping you? Are you afraid or nervous? Do you lack the confidence? Are you still looking for the secrets? If so, allow us to share with you our favorite word in the English language: “Do”. “Do” is our favorite word because it requires thought and action. Remember the Rule of Thumb, “Ready, Aim, Fire!”? Well, this is similar to that. Remember the words of the Lord, “Therefore be ye doers of the word”? Do you remember the truth that we are agents to act and not be acted upon? And, do you remember the scripture which challenges us to be anxiously engaged in a good cause? As you can see, the Lord yearns for us to improve our own lives. You must pray as though everything depended upon the Lord and work as though everything depended upon you!
We know that you may have not started a business already because you are afraid. You may have not started of a lack of capital. You may have not started because you you’re your employment. There are thousands of reasons why you may not have started a business. However, we promise you that if you will just “Do” something today, if you will just “Do” something every day, that you will find success. The Rules of Thumb teach us great principles. You have the magic bullet and the secret sauce. You have all the tools. If you lack confidence, the greatest secret of all is that confidence is only gained by “do”-ing. If you “do” something you will learn more and more. If you “do” business you will learn more quickly than if you are idle. Remember, thinking is not enough, you must think then do, then evaluate what you have done and then do more!
Allow us to remind you of those missionaries who came to the Philippines from different countries. You may have had companions from outside of the Philippines, you may have gone outside of the Philippines on your mission, or you may have had contact with people from outside of the Philippines. Can you remember those missionaries? Can you remember how well they spoke the language of the mission? Some of them were more Filipino than most Filipinos—they spoke the language so well. Others, however, were so afraid and nervous to make mistakes and fail that they spoke as little as possible. Do you think they were smarter, faster, or more prepared because they were from outside of the country? The answer is simply no!
Our professions are in language learning and teaching. We know that the more someone tries to learn the language by speaking it, the quicker they will become fluent in that language. Sure, the missionaries make mistakes while speaking the language, but the difference between one who learns the language well and the one that doesn’t has a lot to do with the amount of energy, attention, focus, and discipline they put into practicing the language. In other words, those that would “do” the language by speaking it each day learned better than those that didn’t.
The same principle applies in business: you will make hundreds of mistakes—not one single person on this earth has ever spoken their native language perfectly. In fact, we make mistakes with our own language every day. The same reality exists with people that “do” business—everyone makes mistakes.
President Monson once said, “Elders and Sisters, when learning your new languages you must remember that you will make one million mistakes—so, you better start now!” The same principles apply in business—you will make millions of mistakes, but you must learn from them. You must learn how to improve upon them. We promise you that if you will start to “do” something in business that you will begin to become more fluent in business. Your abilities will increase. Your confidence will increase. And, your bank accounts will also increase! But, if you stay quiet, too nervous to start or try, then you will be like the missionary that never opened his mouth. You will never learn and you will miss out on so many opportunities—in this case, you will miss out on the opportunity to create a better life for yourself and your family.
So, “do” something today to change. Start now! You can do it! Find your talent, your passion, and your dreams and work for them each day. We know that you can do it. Whatever your business is, don’t feel that you are locked into just one business. We know that if you will start by selling papayas today, next year you could very well be manufacturing lead weights. You never know what tomorrow holds if you will just “do” something to change today!
We don’t only pray for your success, but we have come to the Philippines to train those in the Academy these same principles. We pray and we act. We pray and we do. We make mistakes each day, but we learn from them. We grow from them. We improve each day. We know that you have it in you to “do” great things. We know that you can “do” more than you are already doing. There is no magic bullet. There are no more secrets. Start now! And, as the hymn goes, “Wake Up! And do something more!”
With much love and hope for your success,
Jeremi & Rebecca Brewer
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Capital is NOT the problem
It sounds so common we often get paralyzed by it.
'wala man akong pera pang-negosyo' or
'kelangan ko ng puhunan' or
'dapat ako may xxx na pondo para makapagtayo' ng negosyo.
You hear these all the time, though there may be some truth to it, but it is NOT the complete truth. Money alone is not the hindrance to starting your entrepreneurial venture.
Much money at most instances can cause us to be dumb and fumble in making decision making in business. I knew a person once who received 1.5M a decade back or so from a real estate deal, but lost it all within a few months. The business world is too unforgiving to the unprepared mind who believes that having the money at the onset would guarantee success. It's the thing between your ears (your mind) that will help you be creative enough to succeed in business, but you need further training & education. The way I see it, there are 3 kinds of start up prototypes
1. The one who BUYS the prototype (Franchisee)- has cash but wants to duplicate an existing system
2. The one who INHERITS the prototype- business-minded parents giving away to their seed
3. The one who STARTS THE prototype- the one with seed money
4. The one who STARTS the prototype- the one with LESS funds
The categories are arranged according to level and the hardest being No.4 the one who starts the prototype but has LESS funds. But if you apply the rule of nature which states "That which is easy has a tendency to become difficult, that which is difficult has also a tendency to become easy." The choice BECOMES CLEAR. The odds for all levels are varied and the rewards as well.
You are an immediate prototype of your business. As truthful as a reflection in a mirror can be, we can all do well to enhance that reflection though continuous study & application. A good busineess owner needs working knowledge on the following:
SALES
ACCOUNTING
BUSINESS LAW
Just to name a few.
You need not be a genius for all areas, but you need to know the basics so that you can objectively gauge your business. The Academy provided the baby steps, but ultimately you are responsible for further education. The rules of thumb are immortal and are guiding principles but there are still a lot of disciplines to learn from and investing in good business books that are written by entrepreneurs as well can help a lot.
You ideas are the greatest resource that you will ever have, not money.
'wala man akong pera pang-negosyo' or
'kelangan ko ng puhunan' or
'dapat ako may xxx na pondo para makapagtayo' ng negosyo.
You hear these all the time, though there may be some truth to it, but it is NOT the complete truth. Money alone is not the hindrance to starting your entrepreneurial venture.
Much money at most instances can cause us to be dumb and fumble in making decision making in business. I knew a person once who received 1.5M a decade back or so from a real estate deal, but lost it all within a few months. The business world is too unforgiving to the unprepared mind who believes that having the money at the onset would guarantee success. It's the thing between your ears (your mind) that will help you be creative enough to succeed in business, but you need further training & education. The way I see it, there are 3 kinds of start up prototypes
1. The one who BUYS the prototype (Franchisee)- has cash but wants to duplicate an existing system
2. The one who INHERITS the prototype- business-minded parents giving away to their seed
3. The one who STARTS THE prototype- the one with seed money
4. The one who STARTS the prototype- the one with LESS funds
The categories are arranged according to level and the hardest being No.4 the one who starts the prototype but has LESS funds. But if you apply the rule of nature which states "That which is easy has a tendency to become difficult, that which is difficult has also a tendency to become easy." The choice BECOMES CLEAR. The odds for all levels are varied and the rewards as well.
You are an immediate prototype of your business. As truthful as a reflection in a mirror can be, we can all do well to enhance that reflection though continuous study & application. A good busineess owner needs working knowledge on the following:
SALES
ACCOUNTING
BUSINESS LAW
Just to name a few.
You need not be a genius for all areas, but you need to know the basics so that you can objectively gauge your business. The Academy provided the baby steps, but ultimately you are responsible for further education. The rules of thumb are immortal and are guiding principles but there are still a lot of disciplines to learn from and investing in good business books that are written by entrepreneurs as well can help a lot.
You ideas are the greatest resource that you will ever have, not money.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Mindanao Conference
I am sitting in my hotel room here in Davao City, my flight came in early this afternoon and so i had a chance to relax a bit and visit the Employee Resource Services (ERS) office and exchange thoughts with it's Manager- Mr.Philip Tan.
The ERS is an LDS Resource Office that helps people become more self reliant and be able to provide for their families. The office is located in the 8th Floor of the Landco Building, just across Victoria Plaza Mall. The center is equipped with computers with Internet connectivity, a library of great books and magazines that will surely foster success and training rooms. What is unique about this center is that it is run by Volunteers and is also open to the public, be it LDS or non-LDS.
It did not occur to me that in their quest to help people, the ERS also focuses on education and self employment, not only in job seeking. Mr. Tan's dedication to his position can help an individual fill the void in the quest for a great career.
The ERS also encourages programs for those who are willing to engage in Micro Enterprise. In fact, one of the projects that the ERC is coming up with is a training module that will cater to the needs of those seeking to start their little businesses but don't know where to begin. Even for those with existing businesses, the ERS can provide referrals from it's extensive network of people and companies that need a certain product or service that you already have.
"The lack of capital is not the reason not to start your own venture. I believe in the 3 C's that individuals need to have to be successful!", Mr. Tan is quick to recite. The 3 C's are
1. C haracter
2. C ompetence
3. C onnections
For further information on the services provided by the ERS, click here.
Mr. Philip Tan can be reached through the following phone numbers (082)224-6458 or by email: tanpa@ldschurch.org
Tomorrow, I attend a conference for the Mindanao Region at the Marco Polo hotel. The Academy has been gracious enough to provide follow up training and this will also be a great opportunity to network with other ACE Alumni. I will jot down more on this here on this blog so stay tuned.
The ERS is an LDS Resource Office that helps people become more self reliant and be able to provide for their families. The office is located in the 8th Floor of the Landco Building, just across Victoria Plaza Mall. The center is equipped with computers with Internet connectivity, a library of great books and magazines that will surely foster success and training rooms. What is unique about this center is that it is run by Volunteers and is also open to the public, be it LDS or non-LDS.
It did not occur to me that in their quest to help people, the ERS also focuses on education and self employment, not only in job seeking. Mr. Tan's dedication to his position can help an individual fill the void in the quest for a great career.
The ERS also encourages programs for those who are willing to engage in Micro Enterprise. In fact, one of the projects that the ERC is coming up with is a training module that will cater to the needs of those seeking to start their little businesses but don't know where to begin. Even for those with existing businesses, the ERS can provide referrals from it's extensive network of people and companies that need a certain product or service that you already have.
"The lack of capital is not the reason not to start your own venture. I believe in the 3 C's that individuals need to have to be successful!", Mr. Tan is quick to recite. The 3 C's are
1. C haracter
2. C ompetence
3. C onnections
For further information on the services provided by the ERS, click here.
Mr. Philip Tan can be reached through the following phone numbers (082)224-6458 or by email: tanpa@ldschurch.org
Tomorrow, I attend a conference for the Mindanao Region at the Marco Polo hotel. The Academy has been gracious enough to provide follow up training and this will also be a great opportunity to network with other ACE Alumni. I will jot down more on this here on this blog so stay tuned.
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