RAFA e-nergy pendant

While coming up to my office one day, like some of the days, there’ll be company which are mainly insurance company promoting their products in our lobby but for today it was a bit unusual. Stepping through the front door, there was someone handing over a brochure, not one but 3, one of it had an unusual pendant on the front image, the next one was something asking if you wanted to be a millionaire and the third one was something to do with a health drink.

For the pendant, eventually it was an energy pendant, something to do with magnetic and ion. The brand is RAFA e-nergy pendant. The usual retail price was RM499 and for promotion it was priced at RM400. A good price to sell a product that could improve your health and was the size of a coaster. Maybe for women but definitely not guys.

For the millionaire brochure, they are attracting new agents to sell the pendant and said that nowadays it takes about 2 to 5 years to be a millionaire unlike before where it took at about 20 years or more and being in a very complicated industry.

Business Networking

We could see that most of the dinners or events that relates to business would highlight that it’ll be a great platform for business networking. There are a number of different crowds where some favours this and some doesn’t. I myself have been to numerous, social gathering, dinner, luncheon and even breakfast networking and business delegations networking and I still find it useful and certain extent and not to some.

I personally feel that some business networking could be useful if you are at the right event and with the right crowd. It would beat the purpose if you are a restaurateur or in food services but in an ICT event with IT professionals. Either or, it is still a great platform to build and develop your social skills, just make sure to not make your fake laughs at the dinner table too obvious.

If you were a company, exhibitions would be a good start to build new and existing network. Many government and private agencies does fund for effort like this, do approach SME Bank, MARA and other agencies and organisation. You can ask anyone that after the exhibit their products in exhibition, there'll definitely be a lot of follow up...only if you're at the right exhibition that is!

Franchise Walk Hunt 2008

The Malaysia Franchise Association (MFA) will be holding their annual/occasional MFA Walk Hunt on the 28th of June 2008 starting from the Berjaya Times Square. I wasn’t paid to promote this event but I see this event as a good platform for entrepreneurs, business seekers and owners to meet each other and do networking. MFA receive a lot of coverage in the business world, not only for franchising but also for businesses.

The MFA website became a big hit for their MFA forum where a lot of business seekers would post enquiries to gain information on a specific business topic and we’ve seen a lot of franchisor or business owners responding to it and eventually hooked up to establish a business together.

I would assume that the same crowd will turn up for this Walk Hunt and just like last year, I’m convinced that they will also hold a carnival where everyone would gather and this is would be a good start to establish some new networks. I would post another entre on my opinions on business networking.

Worm Business (Business Cacing)

In this post, I’d like to share a very interesting business that is becoming bigger and bigger in Malaysia. Before we’ve heard of goat and corn farming, cows and kettle, bees and many more but now the latest one I just came across is worm farming. They are making it an opportunity and having seminars to promote the business. One of the key players in Malaysia is currently on organisation called AZR Agro.

The seminar that they are conducting is to introduce entrepreneurs on worm farming and to be in the worm business. The seminar will be conducted at Hotel Grand Blue Wave, Shah Alam and the fees are RM 450 per person.

Eventually the capital to start this business is very small. 1 kilogram of worms is priced at RM450. With one kilogram of worm you can get about 2,000 to 3,000 worms. They can breed up to 10 times the amount of worms in 6 months and each worm can breed about 18 times. To handle the worms and keep it breeding is not exactly really hard, all we have to do is to keep them cool and out of the sun. Make sure they get enough water and to build a small breeding area for them.

The waste of worms can be sold as organic fertilizer and the worm itself can be sold as cosmetic content. The market price of these worms can reach up to RM 600 per kilogram. My opinion is that this business is able to grow, for those who love farming, I would recommend it :)

Fishing My Way To Made Of Honor

I'm sorry guys for suddenly putting this entry without any description after not having any post posted for so long. I've been really tied up with a lot of work, that's a life of SAP consultant for you and I've got this email saying to put up this screenshot so I can win free tickets to watch a new movie, Made of Honour. you guys can do it too, just fish away with Hong Leong Bank:






I'll catch up on my post soon ok...hang in there!

Car Wash Business

Now everywhere we turn, whether it’s in the city, suburbs or even in the secluded villages we’ll definitely come across a car wash operator. In the city it can come up to hundreds of ringgit giving wash and polishes and other areas can be as cheap as RM 5 or RM 6 for wash and vacuum. Some are better than others, giving extra services for free such as tyre polishing, engine wash and even dashboard polish.

A few years back, local council has made it compulsory to register and get a license to open and operate a car wash; this is to make sure that car wash operator follows guidelines including providing a proper operating place, the chemical used and how to dispose the cleaning materials. Now car washes are available in condos, apartments, shopping mall parking, office parking and even drive thru ones.

My personal opinion is that, car wash business is lucrative. Given the right promotion and having the right location, it’ll definitely be a right business to be in. Not much capital is needed and you can earn hard earned cash. If you offer top notch quality services, customers will come again the next time, that is a definitely. People living in apartments and condos don’t have the right facility to wash their car so you’re the main place. Even people living in landed houses are lack of time. The main points which they key to business success still apply which are;

Having the right promotion

The right location

Good presentation

Good and quality service.

TM Business Programme

One of the popular spams or topic on business forums in Malaysia are on a business seminar invitation to a business opportunity to be a business partner of TM (Telekom Malaysia) where they would resell TM technology and solutions, such as Streamyx and talk packages. In return they would gain commissions from what they sell. How TM control their interest is to limit the geographical coverage of each business partners. This would be a rough brief on the seminar which was posted on their website:

In fulfilling our vision in producing successful entrepreneurs in Technology and Telecommunication sector in Malaysia, Techteleca is pleased to forward you an exclusive invitation to TMBP Seminar.

TMBP Seminar Objectives

1. To expose entrepreneurs to diversify business opportunities in Malaysia involving Technology and Telecommunication products and services

2. To foster entrepreneurs in understanding the Information, Communication and Technology market and help explore business and development opportunities

3. To create platforms for sharing of experience and knowledge exchange

Successful participant will be given an accreditation, product distribution rights, facilities and trainings.

Prepaid Business

Most of us may have come across email spam promoting a lot business in Malaysia. Today I’ll discuss on the often spammed and the ones that I can see on the any business forum, they are the top up business. Promoting people to be the agent and getting down line for the mobile phone prepaid business. With only around 1-5% profit margin from every prepaid top up that we sell. Thinking about it is really de-motivating but there are thousand of people in the business because they see the potential of it.

This is how I see it; the only way for you to excel in the business is through three methods, Buying, selling and most importantly is to expand your business network. To get as many agents under your so you’ll be passive income. Their commission is your commission. Just remember that in this business, initial capital is needed. You are basically buying stocks and selling it back.

What you don’t know

You are actually making the pioneer richer, if you’re really thinking of going into the business for the long run, you can definitely start your own prepaid busienss. It’s not exactly really technical, just make a partnership with the telco company, (maxis, celcom and digi), establish a SMS networking, buy SMS modems and automation devices and you’re set. Still seem too technical? Then ask me for further advice..good luck!!

Secret Recipe

Many would be asking questions why I do write a lot on the Food industry, it’s not only because I once was involved in this line and not because I’m hungry either but the food industry in Malaysia is highly expandable and I could say 50% of the franchise community are from this line. From today I would like to share about one of the most successful franchise since 1997 which is Secret Recipe.

Secret Recipe was established in 1997 during the economy crisis and the team of husband and wife managed to make it into a big success, and I must say one of the most successful franchise Malaysia have seen. They first opened a small deli café, where it grew since then up until making a name in the international scene. Now Secret Recipe has made an appearance in more than 5 countries. They have managed to keep a very high quality on their food and a very controlled cash flow for all the franchisee.

This is why Secret Recipe is a very successful franchise and very difficult franchise to obtain franchise rights from them. The screening and interview of the Secret Recipe franchise covers a very thorough and vigorous process. But I would say that such screening is necessary to filter and get the creams of the cream to pursue such opportunity.

Laundry drop off agent

We’ve seen lots of articles that evolve around the laundry business. There are numerous entries in business forums asking advice or partnership to open laundry business. There are people going for bigger capacity such as industrial laundry services hotels and factories, those who are opening laundries in condos and local areas and those who take smaller capacities such as being a drop off agent and this is exactly what I’ll be touching on in this post.

The franchise and stand alone laundry business is rising, we can see laundries every where we turn to. Is this a good thing? Yes and no, yes if we are consumers and no if we have to start competing with laundry shops nearby after spending years planning and executing our business plan to open a laundry shop. One of the ways to start is to be smart, turn your idea to compete into building alliances. We have laundry shops in the internet such as Laundryroom and Smart Wash offering programmes to allure people being their drop off agent. All you have to do is to do a bit of marketing in your area or your contacts. Have them drop off their laundries, regardless it’s an individual or industrial clients, send it to them and they’ll clean and you’ll have it back for your customers to pick up or delivered. You’ll get commissions for that. Easy right?

You can ally with them or even with laundry centres near you. Be smart and compete smartly and you’ll profit from it.

Health Products Marketing

There are an increasing number of health products in the market and some are known to have implemented business marketing strategies. Be it as a Multi Level Marketing, direct marketing or even affiliate programme. The most popular ones are obviously using the Multi Level Marketing or MLM. They are using the power of the internet to promote the MLM system for health products and it’s easier for the members or agent to track and interact with the manufacturer.

We would have seen or receive spam emails on health products such as Xango health drinks or Vemma which uses fruits extract. Melilea, Herbalife which claims to be organics vegetables. They are recruiting the public to join their scheme and surprisingly there are numerous people joining them. Although initial capital is needed and for you to really excel in the business is to get agents under you (following the pyramid structure), this industry is really booming as well.

Are they a viable business? These companies claim that the world is really health cautious nowadays. Yes, they are totally right but some of their products are over priced and we also have to think of the people who are cautious on taking health products outside the hospital. What do we expect? It is called alternative medicine or health supplements. Most of these products do have certification from the health ministry. So my say is that if you have a good and proven and also known product with good support from that company, go for it.

Baby sells

In the recent years, the market for baby and maternity stuffs has boomed up. I guess it's such as a baby boom. The babies who were born years ago are making a come back by making more babies. We’ve seen a lot of new baby and maternity shopping opening up, websites that links articles on babies and pregnancies, and selling baby stuffs, from apparels to equipments both new and sold.

A website called Baiboo which is a Malaysia Young Family network offers articles, buy and sell section, info centre and a lot more. You also can join and receive a Mummy Tummy Box free! For the business community, you have the buy and sell section where you can put up advertisement if you are trading in the line of baby and maternity items. Probably this website could also assist you if you want to pursue this line of business. Do check it out!

Guy Kawasaki at Netbash @ WCIT08

Guy Kawasaki will be in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on the 19th of May 2008 inconjunction of Netbash @ WCIT.

NetBash is an event for technopreneurs joinly organized by NEF and TeAM with the help of MiRC, Youth Malaysia and ideapreneur.net in association with PIKOM.

SpeakersGuy Kawasaki of Garage.com.

Terry Thoren of Roket Fish Studio.

Mahmoud Bouneb of Al Jazeera.C

olin Wong of Prosperati.

Program

1.45pm - 2.00pm Registration

2.00pm - 2.10pm Opening Remarks by NEF President

2.10pm - 3.25pm How To Change the World with Creative Content

3.30pm - 4.45pm How To Change the World with Web 2.0

4.45pm - 5.30pm Tea Break

5.30pm - 6.30pm How To Change the World - An evening with Guy Kawasaki

6.30pm - 7.30pm Networking Session

For registration : Logon to http://online.ticket2u.biz/consumer/EventDetails.aspx?Shows=23
Entry fees: RM 350 on that day.

If you register before 12 of May 2008, and get a discount of RM 150, thus paying only RM 200

This event will be held at Nikko Hotel in Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur. Close to KLCC.

Channel Marketing

Seeking exclusivity in business is one of the main advantages being in business. Maybe if we were to stream through the internet and were to stumble upon a product that we would find interesting, we’d maybe send an enquiry seeking more information on the product with interest to have it as our own product to sell. You can view websites such as Cool Business Ideas at http://coolbusinessideas.com/. You can find not only cool products but are highly marketable. Just look at the products, go to their own website and contact them.

After contacting them, you’ll find that most of the products are from the manufacturers themselves. Most probably they are looking for distributors, resellers or affiliates. What am I talking about? this is what we call channel marketing. Manufacturers don’t market the product themselves but go through other channels to get more coverage.

Exclusive Distributors



These are parties that purchase a bulk quantity from the manufacturer and controls or monopoly the marketing of the product in a specific region depending on the geographical site. As long as they meet the minimum quota set in the agreement between them and the manufacturer or the parent company, they will have the exclusivity in that region. The manufacturers are also binding not give exclusive distributorship to any other parties.

Sole Distributors

Sole distributors are distributors have the right to market the products in a specific country. They usual obtain the bulk orders from the manufacturers or if they are appointed by exclusive distributor then they will obtain the bulk orders from the exclusive distributor.

Resellers

Resellers are often retailers where they obtain orders from distributors. Their margins are not as high as the distributors as their orders are usually are lower in quantity. They would usually sell direct to the customers through retail shop, online and others.

Affiliates

Affiliates are parties that don’t hold stocks. They usually own a demo product but don’t hold stocks. They are usually marketers. The would advertise the products directly to customers and obtain stock from resellers or distributors depending on the quantity.

Illustration of being an insurance agent

This is how protected you are if you’re aggressive and driven enough to be in the insurance industry. With a minimum quota of 12 cases you’d be already earning a minimum of RM 420 per month and this is only a minimum insurance package of RM 100. Not bad for something that would last you a year as long as you make sure your clients pay their monthly instalment. The illustrations of basic commission are as follows:

12*RM100 (minimum basic insurance package) = RM 1200
RM1200/35% (1st year commission) = RM 420

The illustration is only with a minimum quota of 12 cases annually. You can achieve more with hard work and in the scenario of approaching a household, you’d be grabbing at least 3 clients in one shot. Insurance industry gives a lot of flexibility and room for growth. There are agents in the takaful and conventional insurance line. You have investment trust arm and many more. Proceed being financial consultant or even insurance consultant.

For me this is an opportunity for a lot of people out there. Regardless they are school leavers (minimum requirement is SPM), students, unemployed, full time workers and self employed, there are opportunities for everyone.

Insurance agent – Part-time or full-time career

The insurance industry in Malaysia is currently booming, we’ve seen the rise of many new players in the insurance industry and new strategies adapted to those who are veteran in the industry such as Prudential, Takaful Ikhlas, Allianz, AIA and many more. These companies are trying to tap the untouched market of Malaysia population which are still without life or medical insurance, estimated about 70% of the Malaysian population.

As the insurance industry is very rewarding, insurance companies are compensating and rewarding their agents with high commissions. Bank Negara have made it compulsory for these agents to obtain license through the Malaysian Institute of Insurance and the minimum quota of 12 cases per year which are needed to renew their license. The government are making sure that the agents have the right qualities in servicing the public.

The commission given can even be up to 35% which would be reduced annual, they also have more than one type of bonuses and even incentive such as overseas trips when you meet certain quota. My say is that it’s worth the effort to venture in this…more to come

Part Timers and Freelancers

The perception of people doing business, doing part time and freelancers work has changed along the years. A few years back it was a taboo in Malaysia to do part time or freelance work, it was considered as a waste of time by doing something where the income wasn’t certain and stable. Now things have changed and the public have realised that the income comes from hard work, so it’s not the work that distinguish the stability of their success but the person who carry their own destiny.

There is more than one reason why the public would be involved in part time work or freelancing, amongst the reason are that:

Finding extra money

Most of the part timers and freelancers are the people who have such drive to gain stability other than being in a full time work. On top of their full time and day job, they are involved in part time or freelancing. In my experience I’ve seen a numerous number of people who would work at nights and weekends, doing work such as web designing, data entry, photography, printing jobs and many more as a supplement of their other jobs. These supplementary jobs mean extra money for them.

Baby steps to business

There are people doing part time work and freelancing to gain experience and taking baby steps before starting their own venture. On top of trying to get initial capital to start their businesses, they are also learning the experience of day to day involvement in that particular business before really going deeply into that business. We’ve seen photographers, web designers, printers and even insurance agents doing it part time before going full time in the business

Filling up spare time

We have housewives, house husbands, students and job seekers that are currently open to do part time and freelancing jobs. They have ample time to be involved in doing multiple tasks and they are prone to be involved in part time and freelancing jobs. It is also a trend that if a group starts such trend to do part time and freelancing others in the group will follow.

These are amongst the reasons why people are involved in part time or freelancing. It is a personal experience where it is proven that doing part time and freelancing pays more than other jobs regardless it’s supplementary of their other jobs or them doing it as a full time business itself. Have a kickstart in the arena of part time and freelancing, we have websites that supports such initiatives such as Asia Part Time @ http://asiaparttime.com/ that allows advertisers to advertise part time and freelancing jobs to the public. Support the effort and not the negativity that is around you; strive to reach your dreams.

Zuhri Yusof
http://businessisbusiness.blogspot.com/

Capital – Where Capital and Business Meets

In the effort of trying to find new business opportunities and ideas to assist entrepreneurs, I’ve stumbled upon a website where it focuses on advertising business which is currently looking for capital. Most of the business people which are starting to venture in business, they are either the group that have the idea or have the money. So I would assume putting their ideas in this website would be a good idea @ http://www.capital.com.my/maincenter/index.php

Finding capital for business is the main obstacle for an entrepreneur to go through. Please avoid all the Ah Longs and try your luck with the banks and venture capitalist. A few years back, Mavcap use to open their channel for entrepreneurs to submit their ideas in return for a screening to obtain capital from them. Now, Cradle Invesment Programme are coming into their 47th Batch. They've raised from seeding of RM50,000 to RM150,000. Who actually benefits from this? they hardly update their posts and we hardly hear new coming entrepreneurs benefitting fully from this. Maybe we'll just wait from clarifications.

Discussing about business ideas is like discussing your biggest and most exciting idea that you have. You’d be scared people would run off with your ideas. Talk to the people you trust and believe in yourself. You have the ideas and the knowledge so please don’t be scared. When talking to outside parties, ask them to sign NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) if you don’t trust them. After all Business is business but Money is still Money

Naza and Tan Sri SM Nasimuddin SM Amin

This post is a tribute to the passing away of the founder of Naza Group of Companies, the late Tan Sri SM Nasimuddin SM Amin. In 2004 was the first time I met Tan Sri personally. We were following the PM trade delegate to Europe and he was one of the delegates. At that time I was the youngest and most unknown delegates but thanks to Nik Nazman, the executive director of Puncak Niaga, who brought me to hang around with Tan Sri Dato Dr Rozali, the Chairman of Puncak Niaga, I got the chance to meet a lot of important people. At that time, it was after the briefing in London where we hanged out in the lobby of the Hilton Park Lane, London. Tan Sri Nasimuddin came humbly and started talking to us all and we had a small chit chat about business and the weather in London. He was asking us where we spent the night, and most of us were staying in some hotels and obviously himself at his own place. He was a very humble and down to earth person I must say.

Through my personal finding when dealing with Naza, Naza does help people in businesses. If you were to ask for sponsorship from Naza, Tan Sri would eventually fork out his own money, you’d have some problem if having to go through the whole company though. If you were to ask him to come to your function, he would definitely do so. His humbleness came from a very tough journey in the business world. He endured through the hardest times. He made his millions at a very young age and since then the momentum builds on to continue his venture.

He has a loyal secretary which is his secretary when he first started business up until the last day of his passing away. This is probably due to the openness that Tan Sri offered to the people around him. He is a giving person, he’d fly on Airlines with his family and staff on business class without corporate rates. He loves to meet people and appreciate and recognise the things people do for him.

I am writing this, not based on articles I’ve read but the things that I know personally. I won’t write the things people know such as the franchise holder or businesses he is in but I hope that we treasure his effort along the years he’d service the business world in Malaysia and remember him for his kindness. Al Fatihah

Cineleisure Flea Market – Mutiara Damansara

During labour I got the chance to walk around and take some air and decided to walk around The Curve. It was packed with people who were obviously enjoying their one day off from work. It came to my attention that on the other end of The Curve, on Cineleisure’s footstep, the flea-market was available on that day. It wasn’t a weekend but eventually they also are open during public holidays.

Briefly, for those who have been thinking where to kick off your business, maybe this would be good. The organizers have divided the stalls into 4 category; Coporate, Corner, Intermediate and Standard. The prices are RN 300, RM 200, RM 150 and RM 130 respectively. My personal opinion the place is quite strategic and packed but only if you’re selling a sellable product.

We can see that the corporate stalls would occupy the main entrance of the Cineleisure, they have 6 of the corporate ones and I did see Maxis, banks occupy those areas, so it must be good. The have 4 corner stalls are very strategic. People going in and out of Cineleisure into The Curve, would not miss these stalls. I can see they are people selling handbags and sort. The intermediate and Standard are the ones going towards the end.

The availability if first comes first basis where you have to make a booking by paying a deposit of at least 40% of the price. It is my opinion that if you were to have at least a margin of more than RM15 for each item, you’re in the right place. This is because, to cope with the stall rental and a limited selling time of around of about 4-6 hours, you really have to get customers and yes the stall are open from 10am to 10pm but who would come so early and leave so late to look the items in the dark regardless of the lights around.

Just go to the organizer’s desk there and enquire who knows it’ll benefit you…

The organizer are Sugoi Eevent & Management Sdn Bhd, you can contact their office @ +60342529958 for more info…good luck!!