Tag Archives: entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurs, Is Defense the Best Offense?

📕 |

|

A football coach was looking for a new player for their team. Along with his assistant, they went to scout for the perfect footballer for their team. After several sessions the assistant had his eye set on a player that jumped back unto his feet the moment he was knocked down – even after 3 times. “That’s the player we need”, he exclaimed. The coach simply replied “Get the player that knocked him down 3 times”.
– Anonymous

This short story came as a great and timely reminder for me. Preservation is important for entrepreneurs but the continuos spirit to overcome hurdles is vital. Often you hear stories of how entrepreneurs persevered and obtained success but what’s more important is to learn how did they break through challenges after challenges without getting tired.

Which player are you? Or rather, which entrepreneur are you?

One that is on the defense or one on the offense?

Brand Focus #3: The One Thing That Should NOT Happen on #SocialMedia for Your Business

📕 |

|

We all know how social media spreads both the good and bad and your business should be careful on what and how you’re responding to your customers. A couple of weeks ago I shared on how just one dissatisfied customer can lead to 10,000 dissatisfactions and you will most definitely want to pay attention to the below screenshot of a conversation on Facebook below:

social media mishaps in malaysiaAre You Listening Attentively?

Clearly the company above isn’t. Sure they are responding quickly to the complain but addressing the customer wrongly takes away the merit – especially calling him / her “shameful”. Good thing the company spotted the error and apologized not too long after but that has remained as a joke in Malaysia for days.

What Can You Learn Out Of This?

#1: Double and triple check before posting. I know most companies have a standard template reply and have grown to use them a bit too much resulting in simple errors such as inconsistency in addressing the customer’s name or in situations such as the above.

#2: Train your staff / social media manager. This may sound like common sense but from what happened above, there IS a possibility that the person you’ve put in-charge may not know their way around the tool (in this case, Facebook) well.

#3: Know your language. I’ve to admit that not everyone may be excellent in English, especially when it comes to writing but know this – if your audience is proficient in English, make sure your employees are proficient in English;likewise for any other languages be it Chinese, French, Spanish or Arabic.

#4: Don’t respond for the sake of responding. Are you sure that post / comment / feedback meant what you think it is saying? Are you making assumptions? Responding on social media platforms have a major advantage – time. Unlike over the phone where conversations become awkward if you take too long to reply, you can afford to take some time to read, re-read AND re-read to make sure you’re getting it right before responding.

#5: Admit your mistake and make up for it. Although it has already become a joke, it is important for you to own up to your mistakes and not to sweep them under the mat. NEVER delete them to cover your tracks. Accept it, respond to it positively and do not let the jokes bother you too much. Lesson learnt!

What is the one thing you think should not happen in businesses on social media? Do share them below :)

Big Corporations Do Not Need #SocialMedia. True or False?

📕 |

|

university students perception towards social media

Just last week I had the opportunity to sit down with a number of university students to talk about branding strategies in general. We explored the current campaigns, both successful and those that are not, whether it is through social media or conventional media – it was an interesting discussion and here are their 4 perceptions on social media:

Perception #1: Big Companies Do Not Need Social Media

Interestingly all of them think that social media isn’t necessary for big companies, simply because they are already well known. However, they do see social media as a necessity for small businesses to establish a wider presence among the consumer market and the reason they say so is because they see that…

Perception #2: Social Media is All About Promotion

The students felt that social media is their world – for them to connect, stay in touch and have fun. Brands come on simply to advertise and to promote their products.

Perception #3: It’s Not Necessary to Have Social Media if You’ve Good Customer Service

Upon bringing up social media tools as a customer service platform, they thought it can indeed be a great addition but follows to indicate that there is no need for it if your business already have good customer service through phone calls or e-mails.

Perception #4: Viral Videos Can Be ‘IT’ But May Not Convert

They love viral videos and they will share them without a doubt. Will they buy the product? Not necessarily. This goes the same for any other social media promotional campaigns e.g. contests, apps and etc.

Having Seen the Perceptions Above, Could Marketers Be Wrong?

Being a believer of social media myself, I was shocked to hear their thoughts but at the same time, they made perfect sense simply because there has to be a reason why the perception towards social media is as such.

Are brands / businesses doing it wrong on social media?
What could be the cause of such perception towards social media?
What do you think?

 

Why Do People Forget the Basics and the Essence of #SocialMedia?

📕 |

|

In my previous post, I mentioned how keeping the basics right can actually bring about success in business or even in life for an individual. Right before I clicked on the “Publish” button – it got me thinking:

If being successful is as simple as just getting the basics right, why do people still fail to grasp the basics? What is it that is stopping them from succeeding in what they do – in business, on social media networks and in life?

It is not the techniques. It is not the skills. It is not that you do not know how. It is not the unavailability of guides or mentors. Sometimes, it is not even because you’re inexperienced (or very experienced). It is your MINDSET. That’s the component with the problem.

Here are 3 mindsets that may be holding you back from achieving success:

#1: Ignorance

Do you remember picking up that new piece of gadget, chucking the manual aside and begin fiddling with it immediately? That’s ignorance. You know that there is help somewhere (like, by searching Google) but it is somehow too bothersome. You prefer to have it hands-on to get working on something immediately, to learn from experience, but ended up taking more time than you should or missing out on a ‘killer feature’ on your gadget – and that could cost you.

#2: Common Sense / Know-it-all

The commonly known common sense isn’t really that common. Remember the times where you told yourself “Ah, I’ll never forget that. It’s common sense.” and you forget it when you need it the most? That happens because you’ve told your brain to put that aside and if you label all your findings and knowledge as ‘common sense’, you’ll never find them when you need them the most. I usually compile all useful resources into Microsoft OneNote. It isn’t the best software around, but it does what I need it to do – taking down notes and organizing them into separate categories.

#3: Complacent

When it comes to social media, learning happens everyday. You stop making progress the moment you decide to stop learning. Some businesses tend to relax when they’ve achieved what they set out to do thinking that the success stays with them. The truth is, your fans and followers can feel it when you’re laid back and eventually lose interest in you. It is important to keep your game up consistently and never remain too comfortable.

What do you think? What are the other thoughts that can derail one from being successful on social media?

How to: Be Successful in Business? Back to Basics

📕 |

|

Startup Weekend MalaysiaRecently I have been invited to the Startup Weekend Malaysia to experience the program and mingle around with people with great ideas. If you’re wondering, the Startup Weekend is a global initiative to assist aspiring (serious) entrepreneurs in making their first step to realize their business ideas. Each participant is given the opportunity to pitch their ideas to the room in 1-minute and the top 10 ideas (based on votes) will be selected and that’s where the real work begins – from forming teams, brainstorming, market research to prototype development.

The beauty of this program? Everyone leaves with a developed business idea. Cool, huh?

As I was listening to the individual pitches, observing and talking to these entrepreneurs, it made me once again realize the secret ingredient for success – whether it is in business, social media campaigns or even in life – and they really are the basics, nothing fancy or extraordinary.

One of the plenary sessions at the Startup Weekend Malaysia

Here are the 7 basic attributes to be successful:

#1: Dream

Every participant that came to the program had a dream – an idea, a business plan waiting to be fulfilled. They’ve probably been sleeping on it ever since it popped into their heads and they are just waiting for the opportunity to get it started.

What About You?: Do you have a dream? Do not be afraid to dream. Ideas only stop coming because you allowed it to. A rule – don’t set boundaries to your dream. Dream big!

Further reading: It’s time to dream!

#2: Passion

Even though the participants were only given 1-minute to pitch, their passion and enthusiasm is unmistakable. They are eager to see their business idea come to live and they obviously do not care if the rest thinks it is a silly / inviable idea. It’s theirs and they are proud that they own it.

What About You?: Do you have an idea but am afraid of what others might think? Stop yourself from thinking that way and let your passion take over. Sometimes, a silly idea turns great through passion – simply because you never stopped believing.

#3: Action

Passion is put to test when the participants are required to form teams to actually work on their ideas. This is where the participants had to really do something about it – to make the idea work, beyond just talking and sharing.

What About You?: Maybe it is time for you to take action and put that passion of yours to good use. Sitting on it won’t do any good. Action makes things happen.

Further reading: Passion without Action is dead!

#4: Determination

Let’s take a step back – even before the participants had to form teams, they had to gather votes from everyone present as only 10 ideas with the highest votes will be given the opportunity to form teams to drive the idea further. I particularly remember this participant, Aaron, that came up to me saying “Sir, will you give me an opportunity to share my idea with you?”. His idea wasn’t extraordinary but his passion and determination (and preliminary idea research) won my vote.

What About You?: How determined are you to make your idea a reality? Remember, it is always easier to give up but being successful in most cases, is like running a marathon. It’s a long journey but the reward is great.

#5: Team Work

It is interesting to see how the teams were formed at the Startup Weekend. Almost every team were looking for a developer, marketer and finance person simply because they understood that they cannot do it alone.

What About You?: No man is an island. You’ll definitely need a team to make up for your weaknesses. Get your team together and you’ll find that that’s the best decision you’ve ever made! It also helps you focus on what you need to do – managing and keeping the vision intact.

#6: Focus

From time to time again the participants were reminded to build a MVP – Most Viable Product, forgoing fancy features and functions and focusing on the must-haves, the actual benefits that the consumer wants.

What About You?: It is easy to get caught up with the cool features and add-ons of your plans but if you do not have anything to begin with, your ideas are nothing to begin with. Focus on getting the core benefits right THEN the add-ons. Remember, build a MVP!

Further reading: The 2 Secret Ingredients for a Successful Product

#7: Anticipation

People say that when Apple is building the very first iPhone, they already have the iPhone 4 and the iPad in mind, just waiting for the right time to roll them out. Build with the future in mind! Anticipate opportunities for expansion and problems that may occur.

What About You?: It is all about preparation. A scalable product will definitely have a larger potential and you may just capture the attention of investors are venture capitalists. Always be on your toes – you’ll never know when you’ll need to sprint forward ;)

Do you remember the time when you were just starting out? What drove / motivated you? I would love to hear your experience :)

 

Setting the Temperature: How Hot Are You?

📕 |

|

Have you heard of the term, party pooper? These guys are no fun. They step in and very often than not, kills the mood of the entire environment. How about people filled with enthusiasm and zeal? Are they contagious?

Believe it or not, people have the ability to change the temperature of the room, from hot to cold and vice versa and how hot (or cold) it can go depends on that particular someone – in most cases, the leader.

The leader sets the temperature of the team and the environment he / she is working in. The leader’s goals and beliefs will be transferred to the environment, affecting the performance and the mindset of the surrounding people and will eventually evolve into what it is called ‘culture’.

“In other words, the leader can be liken to a termostat where he / she sets the temperature of the room.”

Having the right temperature

Many books on leadership often talk about how leaders should be always a step ahead and how they should lead by example. What they really meant is that by being a step ahead, they are constantly ‘heating’ up the room temperature through action for others to ‘warm up’ to it – an environment that allows one to feel uncomfortable just staying put and has to keep up / adapt to become comfortable again.

Notice how authors do not talk about being too far ahead of their team? Heating up the temperature too much kills whatever that is inside it. I’m not against goal setting and vision casting, but sometimes a vision too big can become insignificant, impersonal and unreachable (e.g. we want to have a profit of 10 million within the first year for a start up company).

It is important for leaders to know how to control the temperature in the room. Personal conversations, corporate visions, individual goals, support, your mind set and etc are all part of setting the temperature right.

“The trick is really to have a vision that your team can see for themselves and to take ownership, a goal that is challenging yet attainable – and be there to make it happen with them!”

a leader sets the room temperature

Let’s heat things up

What is the level on your termostat? Are you hot? cold? Or just at room temperature? Effective leaders changes the climate of things when they are around and you can definitely do that too! It starts with yourself!

Have you been into a ‘hot’, ‘cold’ or ‘room temperature’ situation before? I’d like to hear your experience :)

How to: Manage Your Time on Social Media?

📕 |

|

How to: Manage Your Time on Social Media?

Let’s face it – as many benefits we can draw from social media, social media can also be very distracting. Never mind the plenitude of Facebook games – just spending time on researching, content creation and engaging (i.e. replying) across social media networks can cost one the entire day!

“How much time should I spend on social media? Am I spending too much time on social media?”

Do you ask those questions?

Many do. Small and big companies, groups and individuals alike – you’re not alone. Truth be told, there is never enough time on social media as there are always time for something on it. The trick is to know how much or how little is enough for your business – yes, time management even for social media.

Understanding the Components of Social Media

Social media in general consists of 3 important aspects that both businesses and individuals cannot overlook:

1. Listening

Perhaps one of the most powerful attribute of social media networks as it enabled businesses to find out what the consumer is talking about, their complains and suggestions – something unachievable back then.

I personally prefer to do this at the start of the day. It can comprise of looking at what your competitors are doing, looking up what your fans and followers are talking about, catching up with the latest news in the industry on various sites and etc.

2. Communicating / Engaging

communication and engagement on social media

Ah, the essence of social media networks – being social. What good it is if you’re part of a huge community (e.g. Facebook fan page) that does not communicate? This is where you take genuine interest in your followers and fans by talking NOT pitching to them.

This should take the bulk of your time on social media networks. This includes commenting on blogs, replying to messages and also content sharing. Remember, its not just about sharing your content but to share other quality content that you may find – tweet and retweet them, stumble them, like and share them on Facebook! Not only it grants you exposure, it opens up opportunities for you to expand your network within your industry.

I usually do this on the move with my phone – while waiting for the escalator, waiting for food to be served, at a long queue, waiting for a parking bay (some times this alone takes up to 30 mins!) and etc.

3. Content Creation

Creating content has never been easier with the help of blogging tools such as WordPress, Blogger, Tumblr and more. What’s great about creating your own content is that you’re able to position yourself as an industry expert, granting your brand more credibility compared to your competitors.

If writing isn’t exactly up your sleeves, try creating video clips, screen casts, infographics, podcasts or even post pictures of your work (especially for photographers) on networks such as YouTube, Vimeo, Flickr, Deviant Art and etc. Every content you create can be powerful when positioned using the right medium, even greater when combined with the first 2 aspects above!

What Determines the Amount of Time Spent?

how much time do i need to spend on social mediaNow, now.. I wished there was some kind of a success formula to social media: X hours x Y medium = AwesomeResults but there really isn’t. Having that said, I believe what determines the time spent for your social media network truly depends on your GOALS.

Yes, your GOALS – what do you want to achieve out of social media.

From there, you should be able to identify how much time should you spend on Listening, Communicating and Creating Content. For me, I spend about 2-3 hours daily on my networks on a busy day and here’s how I do it on a daily basis:

50% for Communicating and Engaging
25% for Listening
25% for Creating new Content

What do I achieve out of it? I know that as long I stick to my plan, I’ve covered the important aspects of social media, allowing me to achieve my goals AND YET have plenty of time for me to work on my projects with my clients. You can do that too!

Where Can We Go From Here?

1. Find out how much time are you spending on social media
2. Ask yourself: are what you’re doing in line with your goals?
3. Which of the 3 aspects are most important to you?
4. Establish a plan that you can follow on a daily basis encompassing all 3 aspects
5. Evaluate whether the plan works for you from time to time

Do you have a social media plan? I would love to hear what worked (and what did not) for you!

Are Customers A Source or Destination?

📕 |

|

Every business loves customers. They want customers to come back again and again using various promotional campaigns, customer relationship management tools, loyalty programs and more but it just won’t seem to work for some.

Ever wondered why?

Ask yourself: Are your customers a source or destination?

Customers: As a Destination

Traditionally, customers are treated as the destination. It is where businesses want their products / services to land up with – in the hands of their customers, destination. It is where businesses want their brand message to hit – in the minds of their customers, destination. It is where business want response for their campaigns – the participation of their customers, destination.. you get the point.

Businesses that see customers as a destination usually develops a one-way relationship with them, in spite of wanting to build a (two-way) relationship with them.

Customers: As a Source

So, what about treating customers as the source instead? It makes all the difference. It is where businesses take time to listen to their customers – their source of feedback. It is where businesses takes into consideration their customers’ requirements – their source of ideas and innovation. It is where businesses respond to their customers positively – because they know they are the source for their business.

Businesses that see customers as a source creates a two-way relationship with them. A relationship that allows co-creation and co-promotion to take place, allows the growth of fan base and ultimately, the growth of the business itself.

Are your customers a source or destination to your business? You can make the difference!

Next: How to treat customers as a destination, not a source!

An Interesting Beginning to 2011: Positioning for Opportunities

📕 |

|

In case you’re wondering – this site also reveals part of my happenings in life, injecting a little bit more flavour to the site as a whole; something lighter than the usual information dosage :)

I know it has only been a month into the new year but 2011 has been great (and really busy) for me. There are tons of exciting projects lined up this year including online consultancy projects, branding events and more!

Openminds Resources have also recently secured a consultancy project with one of Malaysia’s largest chocolate retailers / manufacturers which is really exciting to the team as it also allows us to get an exclusive insight to the chocolate industry in Malaysia and not to forget, delicious chocolate tours. I will also be sharing updates on this project, granting you – awesome readers insight as we take on this project on online positioning, marketing and social media.

Interestingly, I was also offered an opportunity to be a part time lecturer at one of Malaysia’s top IT universities – Asia Pacific University College of Technology & Innovation (APIIT / UCTI). This is definitely an interesting experience as I too, graduated from the very same university.

Standing and sharing in front of the students is an humbling experience and yet another learning curve! I actually look forward to the classes as this will also give me the opportunity to connect with the students and to hopefully inspire them to be future entrepreneurs and leaders as they inspire me to take on new heights.

What About You?

I hope it has been an awesome beginning for you! If you’re on the look out for a start-out point, here are 3 simple ways you can create your own beginnings!

#1: Position Yourself for Opportunities!

They often say “be at the right place at the right time”. Easier said than done, but you can always position yourself in situations that opportunities can come. It may be taking on a leadership role, participating in networking sessions, attending conferences, taking up new responsibilities or even standing in for your colleague at work – opportunities often come in ways we don’t expect it to. The trick is to POSITION ourselves to run into those opportunities.

#2: Talk Opportunities!

Do you have something that you’re absolutely passionate about? Whether it is keeping up with the latest technology updates or getting a promotion at work, you need to talk about it. Not just talk, but talk to the right people – the more the merrier. Make yourself available to these opportunities. Some people create blogs so that they can talk and share about their passion and blogs are a powerful way to express yourself and get noticed… even by your boss!

#3: Push Your Limits!

I’m sure there are times where you simply feel powerless or already at your limit. Your creative juices stopped flowing and you’re stagnant at where you’re at. At times like these comes BIG opportunity! Instead of focusing on your limitations, identify what exactly is putting a cap on your limits and work towards removing them! When this happens, new opportunities are opened to you and you’re ready for greater heights!

Moving Forward

Opportunities come and go and it is often up to us on how we make the most out of them. For those of you that are celebrating the Lunar New Year, this site is now in red in conjunction with this joyous celebration!

May 2011 be filled with great opportunities, good health and endless blessings!

How to: Create a Winning Strategy!

📕 |

|

how to create a winning strategy

One common mistake marketing leaders, entrepreneurs and business owners make is to consistently look for winning strategies outside of your own four walls. True, there are times where ‘thinking outside of the box / walls’ comes in handy but often than not, there is a high possibility that you already HAVE that winning touch and you just do not realize it.

The question to ask yourself is really just this: What is your unique selling proposition? By answering this question truthfully, chances are, that is the key to outperform your competitors – simply by leveraging on the resources, skills, knowledge, tools, systems and talents you ALREADY have!

#1: Identify your strengths first before strategizing

Look inwards – put on paper what you do best. What makes you stand out – Is it customer service? Or a unique product? What talents or resources do you have at hand – Web designers? Programmers? Sales teams?

Once you have these down, work on a strategy that leverage on your strengths. Use them wisely and you may have already won half the battle!

#2: Look at your competitors’ strengths

Look outwards – see what your competitors do best. It is crucial that you acknowledge their strengths and identify how are they different from you so that you can have a strategy that stands out in the industry, and that they cannot copy (at least not that easy).

#3: Make provision for GROWTH

Many people strategize for the now. You need to have a strategy for the tomorrow. Have a strategy that lasts and is able to adapt to changes – simply because things change – especially when it comes to technology. You may have the world’s most advanced software to manage a storefront but your competitors may have an improved version the year after. It happens.

Here’s to greater victories in 2011!