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.

There’s this period called “garage” period that all entrepreneurs will go through. I borrowed this “garage” term from a friend who described it aptly.

Like any garage, you would need to manage every single little thing: the cleaning, the tools, the maintenance, the fixtures – you get what I mean.

I just love this period because it is really the exciting part of setting up a business. The adrenaline is the highest here too!

You are simply trying things out. The garage period is really the do-it-yourself period. I remembered mine.

I operated my business from home “garage” for few months – actually it was from the corridors of my in-laws’ living room. I planned my business there and made few cold calls. Not bad returns. Because – very low overheads lah. It was just the two of us and a fax machine!

Then we decided to take it to the next level. Rented a small room at Pasir Panjang Building. It was a no-frills office then. No lifts. No outstanding fixtures but the office came with a very nice view of the port. I just loved the view there.

We did everything ourselves. Carried the sofa, fridge, table and computers up to 4th floor. Imagine no lifts. Very tiring but completely satisfied.

I was the salesman, debt collector, dispatch and office boy.

It was also very difficult to employ anyone. No one knew us or had any confidence in what we can do.

There were many other hurdles to overcome during garage period: cashflow, invoicing systems, facilities… you don’t have much to work with.

But why was the garage period the most exciting part?

Well, things were simple and YOU were the centre of your company’s growth. Everything revolves around what you do or what you didn’t do. You will celebrate every little success (like the successful telephone line installation!). You will also celebrate the simple pleasures of a business deal. Meeting and convincing clients – hoping hard they go with you.

Given another chance, I would go through the garage period again anytime in the week and twice on Sunday.

If you are going through the garage period, savour every moment. It is the beginning of a great journey.

Make it work.

Banyak kebenarannya. Dalam pengalaman saya, saya dapati setiap langkah yang kita ambil, samada kecil atau besar, akan membawa kesudahan yang sejajar dengan usaha kita.

Kalau kita ingin ramai pelanggan, mestilah jumpa ramai pelanggan dahulu. Kalau sedikit yang kita sasarkan, sedikitlah jadinya. Usually, if we want to get 20 customers, we have to meet 100. It’s roughly about 20% success rate.

Kalau kita inginkan banyak projek, tiada jalan lain. Banyak-banyaklah proposals yang harus kita hantar.

Itulah yang saya lakukan dahulu bila saya mula-mula berniaga. Dan itulah yang saya terus lakukan hari ini.

Kalau kita seorang pekerja dan ingin selalu naik pangkat (atau gaji) mestilah kita tingkatkan usaha untuk menjadi the Most Valuable Player (MVP) dalam organisasi kita.

If we worked real hard to be our department’s MVP, then we could rise to be the best in our department. Gaji boleh naik. Pangkat boleh naik.

But if we worked real hard across many departments (i.e. contributing to many units) in the organization, then we can rise beyond our department.

Dalam buku saya (10 perkara saya pelajari dari 10 jutawan Asia), ada saya ceritakan bagaimana Singapore TV12 sering menaikkan pangkat/gaji saya kerana saya menyumbang kepada hampir semua jabatan di sana.

Massive action equals massive outcome. Sama-sama kita usahakan.

What are your views? Saya hargai pandangan anda.

Make it work.