Kita sering melihat badan-badan Melayu/Islam dan pihak Masjid meningkatkan usaha mereka menjelang bulan puasa tahun ini. Saya hanya ingin memberikan sebuah saranan agar badan-badan Melayu/Islam termasuk pihak Masjid dapat menjimatkan wang dan pelaburan mereka (secara berkumpulan) sedang mereka berusaha memasarkan kempen memungut derma.

Tambahkan nilai airtime (masa siaran) & raih diskaun media tempatan.

Saya akur bahawa setiap wadah media boleh digunakan untuk membantu melaung-laungkan usaha memungut derma. Cuma saya jarang melihat badan-badan/masjid tertentu bersatu dalam pelaburan pemasaran untuk meraih diskaun lebih besar yang sudah tersedia bagi beberapa wadah media ini.

Misalnya, bagi wadah televisyen, ramai yang tidak tahu bahawa jika kita satukan bajet pemasaran, kita boleh menerima nilai airtime (masa siaran) tambahan. Sebagai contoh, jika sebuah badan melaburkan $10 ribu untuk menempah airtime, sukar untuk badan ini mendapat masa siaran tambahan kerana pelaburannya dijangka kecil. Tetapi lain halnya jika 5 badan-badan tertentu, yang mempunyai bajet $10 ribu  setiap satu, mula menempah airtime secara berkumpulan. Pihak TV pasti akan memberikan nilai airtime tambahan hanya kerana kini pelaburannya ($50 ribu) besar berbanding sebelum ini. Jumlah nilai airtime tambahan ini boleh menjangkau beribu dolar – bergantung kepada pelaburan asal.

Kontrak $50 ribu ini pula boleh mendapat diskaun lanjutan sebanyak 7% hingga 15% jika badan-badan ini menggunakan sebuah agensi pengiklanan yang diiktiraf. Tidak susah untuk mencari agensi-agensi ini. Anda hanya perlu mendapatkan senarainya dari pihak TV. (Lagipun bila anda menggunakan agensi pengiklanan, anda ada 30 hari untuk melunaskan bayaran pelaburan pengiklanan anda. Lain halnya jika anda menempah masa siaran tanpa orang tengah, anda perlu melunaskan semua bayaran sebelum iklan itu ke udara.)

Hal ini serupa bagi semua wadah media tempatan yang lain (tak kira radio atau media cetak) kerana hampir semua wadah media menggalakkan pembelian ruang iklan (advertising space) secara borong.

Saya yakin diskaun dan nilai airtime tambahan ini merupakan penjimatan yang muai dan boleh membantu mengurangkan kos promosi memungut derma. Lebih-lebih lagi jika wang yang digunakan sebagai pelaburan asal itu datang dari masyarakat umum. Sudah pasti penjimatan ini cukup berbaloi.

Konsep jimat secara berkumpulan ini juga boleh kita terapkan dalam semua khidmat promosi dan pemasaran. Kita hanya perlu sudi bergerak secara berkumpulan.

Sama-sama kita berjaya.

Below are 7 tips in TV research:

1. Do not comb everything. TV research is not a thesis. You need to pin-point your research to match the programme slant and target audience.

2. Get a new angle to an old story. Easier said than done. Drop the first angle that pops up in your mind. That’s what everybody else is thinking of.

3. Chart what you want to research on paper first. Don’t go crazy Googling the topic. There’s a kazillion things out there and you get lost in the net very quickly. Nothing beats pen and paper. Write down exactly what you are looking for. TV is a poor medium for details, so why search the big field when you can narrow your findings first.

4. Think how much can a 23 minute TV programme contain. Then you realise you don’t have much to air. So your research better be pow-wow enough to make it on TV. If you break down a half-hour show, this is what you will get: 5 minutes of presenters links, 18 minutes of content. How much research materials can you squeeze? Not much. So if you are in doubt, leave it out.

5. Don’t be afraid to change the slant of the TV programme. Sometimes researcher stumbles on a whole new angle that works better. Approach the producer and make your case.

6. Roll your sleeves and do your ground work. Nothing beats talking to people who are experts in the field you are researching. You can’t be shy to meet people face-to-face. Get it done.

7. Three words I live by when it comes to information I want to air on TV: Accuracy, Accuracy, Accuracy.

There are of course many other stuff too about TV research. I leave it you to find out when you get into it.

Message me if you keen to do freelance research. Happy Twenty Ten.

Have a great business week!

We all have been there: not sure where to go, what to do or stuck with a problem. Sometimes, all it needs is to redirect that same problem by asking the right people. Sharing will lower the pressure points. Asking the RIGHT people will increase the chances of it being solved.

Go ask.

In episode 2, I highlighted the benefit of differentiating your personal spending and that of your Company. Its very important for entrepreneurs to do just that. I have seen many businesses fail due to lack of discipline in spending.

Have a good business week everyone!

This is a simple production – no frills and TV effects that you see in my TV productions. Its a one-man show!!

Ep 1 talks about how doing your own sales is key to building a company.

Do give me feedback, queries or share your experience here.

I read in the papers (quite awhile ago) some businesses even trade services for food! That’s wonderful. I wonder whether my lawyers will accept such barter! I have some excess food in my office pantry.

I was hunting for projects and found couple of people with excess work so I offered our services. It was almost like a perfect match. They had many projects and we have the capabilities to assist. They welcome the additional manpower and assistance. I felt really good to be able to collaborate because you learn new things from others.

We have collaborated with many companies for various projects and I noticed collaboration will work when both sides stick to the principles of collaboration.

Once agreed, look beyond the contract to add value to the project.

Don’t be too calculative in your contributions as it will hinder growth. Look beyond profits.

I am still on a lookout for new collaborations especially in TV production, content, digital media, internet or even ideas. Lets comb the market together. Let me know if you have something that we can do together.

Make it work.

Ever since I got kids, I was trying to get more quality time – for my kids, my family and for myself. In the beginning, it was not easy to juggle I tell you. But over time you begin to find ways to maximize your 24 hours daily.

This is how my schedule looks like on a weekday:

3am: I wake up to clear my emails and proposals. Do my prayers and ponder how I can make the best of my day. How can I do this everyday? Well, I sleep really early around 9am. That’s when I make my kids sleep too. So I have good 6 hours (well, depending how often my baby wakes up for milk).

6am: After morning prayers I will sleep till 8am. So my total sleep time is 8 hours.

8am: Attend to my kids when they wake up. Look at their homework and catch up on what they need. Will do this till around 10 am.

10am: Head to office.

10am to 5pm: Usually for meetings, clients and my team. Sometimes I will squeeze in reading time and watch movies with my wife or friends.

5 – 6pm: Head home to freshen up.

6.30pm: Fetch my daughter from School.

7pm: Fetch my other kids from my in-laws.

8 – 9pm: Laze around with my kids either reading or simply monkeying around.

9pm: Get everybody to bed so I can work later in the morning.

I realize that I get to do a lot with my existing schedule just by changing my sleeping pattern. I get to be with the people I love and get to do the thing I love most.

I think when my kids are older, I will change my sleeping pattern again. Some asked me how I get use to this pattern… Well, we are creatures of habit – sure can do.

Make it work.

Then I asked myself, do I want to be the creative guy in the company or do I want to run my business?

It was a constant struggle. After deciding to take the lead in truly running my business, I finally let go of some work processes slowly and carefully. Letting go to people I trust and monitoring them closely, always.

Then strange thing happened.

Once I let go processes that can be handled by staff who are dedicated to see it through diligently, I now have the time to be more creative in the company! It was great! I found extra time to develop the business and be creative at the same time. What a great outcome!

So if you are constantly pressed for time, I recommend you to assess your situation and plan to let others take over some of your detail work. Breath. And then look at your business again and now plan to run it before it runs you down.

Make it work.

I call it Break Out because at the end of your garage period you will get a project that will set you free from the garage operating ways. Let me stress that YOU WILL get out of garage period if you keep meeting clients and introduce your services. I will explain later why “meeting” is important. Not just cold calls, fax or email.

These are signs of you getting a Break Out:

- You suddenly get a project with profit margin that helps you buy hardware or office equipment. This project is substantial and usually from a big client.

- You cannot breath normally. Relax.. I mean you don’t have time for yourself, because you instantly feel you need additional manpower. You start hiring. Weekends are usually, well, burn.

- Your project is giving you the visibility you need. Somehow everyone in your industry know you have a hand in the much-talked about project.

- You smiling more in the morning. Understandably so, because you got a big downpayment. Woohoo!

- You feel more confident meeting the next client because you have a big portfolio to show them.

- Your mind is completely overwhelmed with planning how to complete the project.

- Big companies or companies with big projects are calling you to enquire what you can do for them. It’s a great feeling.

However, it is not by chance that you get this Break Out period. Consistency and tenacity are needed to get into the Break out phase. How do you Break Out then?

- You systematically target your client by industries. Meeting client after client. You keep improving your sales pitch/presentation for every client that you’ve met. You keep doing this till you are ready to meet the big players for that big presentation. Meeting clients is really important. Nothing feels better than meeting face-to-face. You can’t fax a handshake. Don’t be too consumed communicating via online only. Meeting offline is the only way to build REAL trust & relationship.

- You truly know your client. When you get a chance to meet a big client, you research them thoroughly. The company, their competitors, their suppliers, their customers, their families etc. This is just so that you can give them a wholesome proposal that they can’t refuse.

- If you are not in the circuit that enables you to get that Break Out opportunity – i.e. you have no access to big client – ride on another who has that connection. Offer your services to someone else you already know who is currently servicing a big client. This way, you will learn how they do it and soon you will be in the much-sort-after circuit. 

But BEWARE:

The Break Out period is truly make or break. You get that chance only once. Don’t stinge or cut back on any resources to get the job done. Don’t try to make a big margin from your first big project because you need to summon every resource, help and strength to achieve a big finish. You have to go all out as your outcome will determine whether you will get repeated business. Do it well and words will get around well. Do it bad, and words will get around too.

So all the best! Go get that Break Out.

Make it work.