Sunday, October 11, 2009

Marbellionaires!

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.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Rich love their work and Stick to it

by: Stephen W. Gibson (repost from Academy for Creating Enterprise website)

Have you ever thought about getting rich? I guess everyone has at least thought about it. But what is the difference between those who think about it and those who do it? According to Napoleon Hill, author of “Think and Grow Rich,” thinking about riches is an important part of the formula for wealth accumulation.

But there is another school of thought suggesting that the more you think about it, the less your chances of becoming rich.

In one of my favorite books, “Getting rich Your Own Way”, author Srully Blotnick disagrees with Hill, citing his own 20-year study of 1,057 people. Eighty-three of his subjects became millionaires, but they appeared to have become rich almost accidentally. Meanwhile, those who were most obsessed by the idea of accumulating wealth never did. Blotnick found that among those who know how but said they didn’t want to put themselves through the perceived pain, or they didn’t want to sacrifice “just to have money.”

Others among those he studied felt a person only becomes wealthy by doing hard things one doesn’t normally want to do. So they worked constantly and frenetically, often at jobs they hated, in hopes that they would inevitably become rich. In fact, just the opposite happened.

The harder they worked at something they didn’t enjoy, the less likely they were to become wealthy. Meanwhile, those who worked day after day in their own business doing something they loved eventually did become rich, but it almost surprised them.

According to Blotnick’s study, the key to getting rich is working hard at something you really like. Blotnick also points out five characteristics shared by the millionaires in his study.

1.They were persistent. They found a field and stuck with it. Unlike their less financially successful counterparts, the future wealthy workers picked a field and, through good and bad times, plodded forward.
2.They were patient. Impatience keeps many from success because they are not willing to pay the price of long-suffering. Money was the reward to those who just kept struggling it out year after year, and being patient.
3.They did the petty as well as the nobler aspects of the job. They realized that there are pesos in the details.
4.While competition played a part in their success, they were not obsessed by it. They seem to compete more with themselves than their co-workers or people in the same business.
5.Outside investment activities consumed a minimum of their time and attention. More often than not, they made little or no money investing outside their own business.

Those of us who are in business for ourselves and who just go to work everyday in our ongoing struggling for financial independence might be closer to real wealth than we think.

**Building a business is 90% Emotions and 10% Technicalities. It is better to know less then act upon the knowledge, than knowing more without any form of action. It is BEST to know more and act more.

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

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Next 2 Entrep Profiles Coming UP!

It has been awhile since new profiles of successful LDS Entreps have been uploaded here, but the final touch of articles to be featured here will soon be posted. Hope you are excited as I am.

These 2 fine individuals to be featured in the next few weeks have paid their 'dues' to the Spirit of Entrepreneurship and are faithful members of the LDS Church. One is based in the Visayas and the other is based in Mindanao. They are always on the GO and are keen in seeing business trends.

The purpose of these profiles are not to boast in any way or to create a popularity contest, but it is to provide 'role-models' and 'exemplars' of people who have started, persevered and are enjoying the journey. Setting up a business can be very challenging since MONEY is such a highly emotionally-charged subject that few are able to control it, tame it and use it for profit. In reading these true to life articles which have not been exaggerated in any way, one can create a deep realization within the self that taking on the creation of businesses as a challenge can be worthwhile and life-changing. It is the process that puts the profits in the coffers.

Happy Reading!

Saturday, May 30, 2009

Visayas Region Alumni Conference




50% DISCOUNT FOR THE FIRST 50 ONLINE REGISTRANTS ! CLICK HERE.

Monday, May 18, 2009

Some points to consider

While on a trip to Cebu, this author had a chance to drop by the ACE home in Banilad and share a few insights to students. If you think that speaking to a very diversified audience coming from all across the Philippines with different values and beliefs about money is easy, then I recommend you try it, it will be good for your health.

The precepts and principles that I presented were very challenging to the students that I found some of them wrestling with the precepts and others agreeing while a portion not knowing what they believe in.

Here are the principles that I was privileged enough to share;

a. It does not take money to take money
b. Money is just a Score card
c. Education (Financial) + Experience = Excessive Cash
d. You are your walking business venture

The greatest section that was met with much skepticism was the first principle that was shared. This led me to issue a challenge to the students that if I provided x no. of pesos to them that they should be able to double the money in less than a year. Everyone was silent except for one man who sheepishly told me that he could, I wish I could believe him. If he really knew what he was talking about then he would not be in a disposition where he had to borrow money to start his own venture in the first place.

Some admitted that they had already seen that the concept of money as something 'relative' and not as something that needed to be hungered for. Money just becomes a score card following the implementation of good management. Money follows Management.

Some also shared that they never realized that the accumulation of money was relative to their business experience and education. Something that the present school system does not teach.

And finally, one is but a mirror of one's business. If personally, one does not take care of personal finances then sadly, then chances are that individual will have a very difficult time running his own business.

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.