Sophie Paris Membership Submission

RM15 For Lifetime Membership of Sophie Paris Malaysia

Kindly Transfer Amount to below Maybank Account

1513 4202 6285

Name:
IC / Passport No:
Date Of Birth:
Address
Contact No:
Paste online banking transaction here:
Email Address:

This HTML form was created by Freedback.

10 Things Every Entrepreneur Should Know

This post is written with the assumption that you are already an entrepreneur, already have a business plan, financing, etc. If not, make that happen!

 
Be willing to tell someone about what you’re doing

Yes, shy people can be entrepreneurs, but if you struggle to ask someone to help spread the word or have difficulty sharing information about your business then how will people know you’ve got a new business in the first place?

Never let your youth hold you back from telling people about your company when appropriate. Remember that your age is both an asset and (can be) a hindrance so if you screw up at first just learn from your mistakes. We all gotta start somewhere!

Listen to what people say

Ask potential clients/customers questions about themselves and be sincere. The key to any industry is about relationships with your end consumer. People need to know that you care and they’ll remember you and your business. I am not in a traditional sales business but one of my favorite books is Jeffery Gitomer’s Little Red Book of Selling because it teaches you how to do just that- listen and build relationships.

Never bombard people with your business

This can be extremely difficult if you’re really excited about what you do, but see #2 above. You will learn so much more about your target market if you let them open up to you and then address their needs with your product or service. As guru Jeffrey Gitomer says, “People hate to be sold but they love to buy.” (especially if they like you!) Again- pick up any of Jeffrey Gitomer’s “Little book of” books. These are all extremely helpful and he actually answers his personal email! (but save yourself some cash and get them at Amazon or Half.com of course!)

Get used to hearing “no thanks” and “not interested”

No matter how perfect your service or product is there are really some people out there who have no interest in your company or what you offer and that’s okay-no amount of salesmanship will change their mind. You will hear no more than once. Thank them and move on because if you offer something amazing there will be other people who realize it and they will want to buy from you.

Dress professionally when on the job or looking for new business

This may seem like a no-brainer but trust me, last week I saw young women being interviewed to get into pharmacy school who were wearing leggings and men who were sporting that popular half-shaven look. First impression is huge for young entrepreneurs like you and me because we want to be taken seriously… So don’t give anyone any reason discredit you because of your outfit. TomJames.com has very tasteful collections that will give you a guideline of what looks professional, regardless of your age.

Learn how to speak more effectively without the “ums and uhs”

Talk to your cat. Give a pretend presentation to the mirror. Whatever it takes to get comfortable with your business, do it. Toastmasters is an excellent cost effective organization that will help you stop speaking ineffectively. They welcome younger guests, too- locate your nearest chapter and ask if you can sit in on a meeting. They last about an hour and will give you a great idea of how to speak effectively and maturely.

For those of you in high school consider joining a business related service group. Ask your counselor or teachers for more details.

Realize success will not happen overnight

It probably will not happen for the first 4-5 months. But stick with it – if you quit then it will never happen for you. Famous Failures-all of these people ended up making lasting impressions on their field and our world- did you know they are famous “failures”? They all failed miserably and some were even told they’d never make it- yet they did and we know recognize each of their names. If you’re on to something never ever quit.

Be creative to get your name and company out there

Start a blog. Do some posts about your business. Join a local community service group. Volunteer under your company’s name, etc. The Social Tee offers custom social media shirts (like follow me on twitter, etc) I haven’t gotten a price quote yet but I’ve heard they offer competitive pricing.Read anything you can get your hands along the lines of marketing, success strategies, and how to effectively use social media. Again, some of my favorites are anything by Jeffrey Gitomer and Mashable’s small business section.

Ask for their business

This can be difficult for even the most outgoing people to do, but an effective salesperson will ask for the customer’s business (Did you realize you are salesperson since you’re promoting your company?). I still find it difficult to remember to ask for business-especially if the chemistry is great between someone I’m talking to. Just because you click with them doesn’t mean they’ll be your customer. Here’s a great article on Microsoft’s forums about how to ask for a customer’s business, for referrals, and for return business.

It is all about networking

Everyone knows someone who knows someone who can use your services-just ask Feel like you’re too young to talk to adult professionals? Ask your parents or your friend’s parents if they know anyone who is looking for your services. It is about who you know, and who they know. So get out there and shake some hands and talk to the right people-(the ones who can be future clients or can refer future clients).

If you have a game plan and can effectively express yourself and what your company does adult professionals will stop seeing your young age and start treating you as a peer because you will have demonstrated that you are on the same level with them.

Chicken, Ducks and Hamsters – 2 Lessons

2 lessons learnt from going for dinner to a Chinese food court with my wife..

I took her for dinner to a new place recommended by my Chinese friend from Kuala Lumpur. He is a master guide of best food places in KL.

Lesson 1: Create synergy of unique value

The owner of the food square is a very demanding man. Instead of renting the place as fast as possible just to get his rent, he decided to set a higher standard and he allowed only stall owners who produce famous and finger licking food. This way he created a very special place that is frequently visited by many people. I have been there twice and I know I will visit it many times again (still around 40 stalls left to try). Also I am adding this place to must visit food places list for my friends visiting Kuala Lumpur. From what I am aware there is only 1 place like that in the whole KL.

Lesson 1: set higher standard, surround yourself with quality producing people to create something exceptional and memorable. 

Lesson 2: One wheel and four hamsters

After eating Taiwanese sausages, satays, kuey teow, black eggs with ginger we did not feel like going home straight away, so we went to a neighbouring shop selling pets. We went to see fish tanks, rabbits, dogs, guinea pigs and hamsters.

When we saw hamsters, I just could not resist from recording them, they were hilarious. See for yourself what actually happens when you have one wheel and 4 hamsters trying to reach the career ladder. What an amazing life metaphor of a rat (hamster) race. Do they go faster? Do they help each other? Actually it was real fun to watch it.

Lesson 2 is self-evident.

The Role of the Environment in Nurturing Entrepreneurship

A standard question that entrepreneurs are asked is, when did they start becoming an entrepreneur? There will be some who will reply that they used to experiment when they were at an early age, some who took entrepreneurial steps when they were working and some who started only after retirement. These answers show that such a mindset can be changed and developed at any stage and that people are not born with such talent, but it is nurtured and discovered depending on the environment around.

Unless there is a belief that entrepreneurship can be developed and nurtured, there is no possibility of any country or society succeeding in creating an entrepreneurial economy, particularly for societies that have been used to the scholar system or to a system that was driven primarily by a corporate-based economy consisting of large multinationals corporations or large government-linked companies.

This has been proven after the dot com era and it has developed now in the second wave, where many incubators and accelerators have popped up in the market. Entrepreneurship education has also popped up in schools, where kids are being encouraged to think more creatively and entrepreneurially. The funny thing is that this change came from the people and not from governments or bureaucratic bodies. The communities started from people getting together and helping each other out. They realized that entrepreneurship could be nurtured in others and that with more people thinking entrepreneurially or differently, that they could bring about many great changes to the world.

It was after the movement gained traction that governments started to take notice and they started giving their support to such thinking. They understood the impact that entrepreneurial learning brought to society and they also have contributed to this movement.

In countries like Singapore, the government has put in a lot of support through various agencies to encourage entrepreneurial thinking and growth. They understand that innovation and such drive will help keep the company in line with the current times and will help take the economy to the next level.

 

Entrepreneurial thinking can bring about a lot of change in the world, there have been many innovations that have made improvements in many lives and have given many people freedom. This shows that all you require is a change in mindset. A change in mindset, which is needed at the government level as well as at the societal level, is the conviction that entrepreneurship can be nurtured and developed, and that the government and society can at least play a part in aiding the process.