Is This The One?

Every one of us has that “aha” moment once in a while. You know, when you get so excited over an idea that you feel like that lightbulb above your head is about to explode!

   Your heart is pumping hard, you can’t even focus, and all you can think of is that idea. But, how do we know that this is the one?

   How do we know if this is the one that will work? The one that will give us the financial rewards? The one that gives us the personal satisfaction? That it is not, in fact, the one that’ll wipe out your saving, that will break a marriage and give you a heart attack?

   Before we start jumping into the great idea journey, check if your idea passes the checklist below:

It Refuses To Die

   Before you start, list out all the things that may make your idea seem like a bad one and then run through them one by one to see if it will survive the test. The more challenges and questions you put your ideas through, the more resilient it will become.

   If the idea manages to stand tall after this test, congratulations!

   You are potentially staring at a billion dollar idea in your hand. Also, share it with your friends and families and get as much feedback as possible to make the idea stronger.

Passion

   If you are pursuing this idea solely for money, please stop right now. Of course, you might make a good start of it, but let me tell you this: It won’t last.

   You need to be passionate about it. You must believe in it so much so that you are even willing to work for free to see the idea take wings. You need it to pass through the dark times in the journey of entrepreneurship.

Simplicity

   Every great idea starts with something simple. It addresses one problem, with one product for one type of customer.

   Mark Zuckerberg started Facebook to help his college-mates to keep in touch with each other. He had no idea how big his idea would grow to be. The simplicity and clarity of the idea made millions of people use it every day.

Original Secret Sauce

   The idea must be original and better than the existing solution. At least it must be new to the market that you are entering.

   Customers can smell a fake or “wannabe” from far away, and they would absolutely hate it. This is how Coca-Cola has managed to stand tall through the years. Pepsi has been trying to overtake Coca-Cola with its lavish marketing spending but has not really succeeded. To this day, the complete ingredients for Coca-Cola remains intact, a secret.

Meet Your Customers’ Need

   The single most important reason your business exists is that it is able to address the customers’ needs. Think about the one single reason your business exists.

   If you don’t have one, you are merely shooting in the dark hoping to hit the target. This directionless effort will drain your resources, and you might be heading for failure. This holds true even if your goal is just flipping burgers. It will drain your resources, and you will be heading towards failure.

   Kaw-Kaw Burger, for example, has a great understanding of their customers’ wants. They found the sweet spot of local palatte that makes their customers line up for hours for their burgers.

Sufficiently Large Market

   Whether you’re making sales worth RM1mil or RM10,000, you expand a similar amount of effort and resources.

   You still need to advertise your service, call for appointment, meet up with your client, negotiate the deal and secure the sales. If the market you are providing the solution for is too small, create this solution in the first place. Your journey to the top would be a long and painful one.

One Revenue Stream

   You just need one great idea, at least in the infant stage. It allows the team to focus and take full advantage of its potentials.

   It is a huge challenge for a startup to prioritise its resources when the resources available is meagre. French bakers know this concept very well. They only bake a few types of bread but they make sure to do it very well. People say that there are no bad ideas, just bad decisions. I’d say that’s true – it’s the combination of great ideas and good decisions that makes it work.

How To Get Your Colleagues To Respect You

 

R-E-S-P-E-C-T: It's something that we all aim to earn in our workplace. Sure, it's nice to be liked and to be able to make lots of friends. But when it comes to your career, being respected will help you to progress and develop professionally.

Here's how to gain respect from your colleagues:

1. Do Your Job and Do It Well
   

   This might sound obvious, but turning up every day to your job and doing great work will get you noticed for your professional abilities quicker than any other social technique you can employ. There will always be personality clashes in any workplace, but even if your co-workers don't like you on a personal level, they won't be able to fault you for your work ethic and and skills if you make sure your work is delivered at a consistently high standard.
   

2. Positive Attitude
   

   No matter what the task is that you're being asked to complete, never respond with "that's not my job" or refuse to help someone (unless they're doing something dangerous or illegal, of course). Always appear happy to do whatever assignment you're given, with a positive demeanour. This will show that you're happy and willing to work as hard as anyone else in the business.
   

3. Reliability
   

   If your colleagues know they can rely on you, they're more likely to trust you with special projects, promotions or more responsibility. You can demonstrate how reliable you are by always being on time for meetings and never making people wait for you. Don't leave work every day at 5pm on-the-dot, and if you're going to be late or if you need an extension on a deadline, be honest and transparent with your colleagues. Help manage their expectations by telling them when and why you need more time to complete something – it happens to everyone.
   

4. Listen
   

   On top of getting a better understanding of concepts that others might know better than you, this will also help you get to know people better. It will help you to find common ground to build relationships upon, and also to identify when others are calm and can be called on for support, or stressed and needing help.
   

5. Help Others
   

   Offering to help other people will definitely show that you are a respectable person. Plus if you're willing to do some favours for your colleagues, they might be inclined to reciprocate and help you in return when you need it. Rather than always vaguely asking if people would like some help, try anticipating their needs by suggesting specific ways that you can assist – this will show that you're intuitive of the needs of people around you and that you have an understanding of your broader team's purpose and importance within the business.
   

6. Avoid Office Drama and Gossip
   

       This one is simple. Don't get involved in any unnecessary bickering or gossip in your workplace. It rarely ends well, so side-step all of the hoopla and focus on building a great reputation for your skill and productivity rather than choosing sides in gossip stories.
   

7. Be Inclusive
   

   You can show that you have real leadership potential if you can encourage a group of people to participate in a team activity. Showing that you can make everyone feel included and comfortable in a group environment will help you display a real understanding of empathy and interpersonal communication skills. So invite everyone to have lunch together sometime, or lead a brain-storming session and show that you make sure everyone feels involved.
   

8. Say "Thank You"
   

   This one is so easy you can start doing it right now. Say "thank you". It's simple. If people feel as though you appreciate them, they will respect you more. Don't limit your gratitude to times when a workmate helps you out with a project – let them know you appreciate the small things they do that make your day more pleasant.
   

9. Never Gloat
   

   There's nothing less graceful than a person who wanders the office floor loudly singing their own praises. If you've achieved something that you're really proud of, let people know about it by including them in the experience. Try thanking the team that helped you reach your goal, and the compliments and congratulations will undoubtedly start flowing. But if you take to a loudspeaker to tell everyone how great you are, we can't guarantee that they'll celebrate you as much as you're celebrating yourself. – www.thenakedceo.com
   

 

 

 

 

Top 10 Things To Look Out For In A Condo

extracted from “The Star” dated 3rd January 2015

With property prices going sky high in recent years, many people are struggling to buy their first property.

   Gen-Y who is currently the generation looking to purchase their first property are often seen in showrooms around the Klang Valley over the weekends. However, not many know what determines a good buy. While there are books available, the knowledge given is often too general and perhaps, not applicable locally. A lack of knowledge and misleading information can lead to painful mistakes.

  As MCT group of companies executive director Datuk Danny Goh says, “Any property development – good or bad, can be sold. It is the property buyer who suffers at the end of the day.”

   As landed properties are out of reach for most young adults, condominiums are the way to go. This is evident with the number of studios and integrated developments comprising high-rise buildings mushrooming around the Klang Valley.

   What are the specific criteria that truly determine a good condominium? As properties don’t come cheap, homework is important so that you avoid a painful lesson.

   “I am familiar with all property developments in the Klang Valley,” says Goh. “Property is my passion and I have spent years analysing property and I know what makes good property. It is all merely logic.”

   Indeed, many people depend on guesswork and a hunch when buying a condominium. Few know what is truly a good buy these days. Here are the criteria you need to look out for to ensure a solid investment.

1. Attractive facade

   Just like first impressions count in people, so does property. You must be impressed at first glance. An attractive facade with elements of luxury and a classy design gives an immediate positive feeling. If you have to convince yourself when looking at a facade for the first time, imagine how a future buyer will feel when you wish to sell it off one day. In property, good looks count.

2. A grand entrance and lobby

   Good looks must follow through. High-end condominiums are not the only ones today that come with a grand entrance and lobby. These days, everyone wants to live well. A grand entrance and lobby add tremendous intrinsic and extrinsic value to a condominium and gives residents a sense that the developer cares and respects their buyers.

3.   Excellent parking space design

   Are cars a hassle to park? Are corners too narrow and are the walls filled with bumps from accidents? Parking spots must be properly designed for the convenience of residents. Some older condos use a multi-storey or a spiral multi-storey carpark. This is not the best choice, simply because it is a daily discomfort for the driver. A basement carpark is more preferable, and the parking space has to be designed to allow for wide turning.

   Each car park should measure 3.5m(height) and 2.5m by 5m for comfortable parking. With this size, even a small lorry can park.

   But all the ease in parking won’t matter if the parking area is not brightly lit. The parking area must look and feel safe enough for residents to walk about at night. An eerie parking space eats into the safety factor and pulls down investment value.

4.   Sunny and luxurious elevators and lobby

   If you feel afraid riding in an elevator, chances are you won’t be keen to live there. That’s why elevators must be designed with care. While some developers take on the standard design, a well-designed elevator with a more expensive look, perhaps even a hotel design, will go a long way in giving comfort to the resident. The elevator must be spacious so many can enter at a go and it has to be well maintained.

   A see-through elevator is preferable, as this means added security, especially for the lone person riding it at night. There is no sense of being alone as the outside can see inside. Even if the ride is long, the resident is able to enjoy views rather than look at the steely walls of an old lift.

   The lobby in which the resident waits for the elevator is of equal importance. If the lobby is dim and lonely in design, even a minute’s wait feels like a long time. However, with a nice and bright lobby, residents won’t have issues waiting even for five minutes.

5.   Wide and comfortable corridors

   Dark corridors, narrow stretches and a lonely feel are no-nos. Today’s condominium corridors must be wide, preferably with plenty of lighting and ventilation. There mustn’t be a dark and dank feel. Residents must be comfortable walking through it whatever the time of day.

6.   Practical layout design

    You may not notice it, but the best condominiums in town do not stinge on land. Tower to tower distance must be at least 120 ft apart. Towers which are too close to give a feeling of high density and claustrophobia. It also looks slightly more barrack-like and less prestigious. Look out also for the air-conditioning compressor. A well thought-out condominium will keep unsightly contraptions out of sight.

7.   Practical facilities and big open spaces

   When a condominium development has big open spaces, value is enhanced. Condominium land is typically small, and to enhance space, a basement car park is a must. However, the cost of building a basement carpark is high and often developers shy away from it.

   “The footprint of the building versus the land should be about 30%,” says Goh. “The open spaces should be reserved for jogging and cycling tracks. Open spaces are a contrast to the tall buildings and this gives far more enjoyment to residents. If the footprint percentage is too high, it becomes too dense and it’s hard for the resident to relax and enjoy.”

   Look at the master floorplan of the whole development to gauge the percentage.

8.   Sufficient parking ratio

   The next time you go on a showroom or visit a property exhibition, ask the salesperson how many parking bays the property has. There must be enough parking space for the residents. Take the assumption that every resident has two cars and do the math. If a condominium has 800 units – it must have more than 1,600 parking bays as visitors have to be catered to as well. Assuming it has 1,300 (and that is very likely) that’s not a good sign.

   Residents are unaware that once parking availability is inadequate, problems arise. A look around some existing condominiums is proof. Residents will be forced to park outside – often far away, and jam up the entrance. This equates to bad traffic and poorer  security once the number of residents increases.

9.   Reasonable maintenance fees and the promise of continuous good maintenance well into the future

   When most people buy a condominium, they often hope the number of units is low and equally the maintenance fees. However, this is not the best scenario.

   “Maintenance fees are very important because maintaining a condominium is very costly,” says Goh. “If the fees are too low and the number of units is low, there won’t be sufficient funds to maintain the development. A condominium which isn’t well-maintained clearly goes down in value. Wth low maintenance fees, you need the economies-of-scale to back it up. I recommend looking at a development with a minimum of 1000 units.”

10.   Unit must be semi-furnished upon vacant possession (VP)

   When a resident moves in, he must be able to switch on the lights and move in immediately. The developer should build a condominium where the main fixtures like lighting, cabinetry and kitchen appliances are all ready.

   “For condominiums to sell today, they must be semi-furnished,” says Goh. “From my research, a condominium takes about two to five years before it becomes well-inhibited. This is too long and discouraging for those who want to stay in a thriving development. Often the long process is caused by the renovation works and looking for a designer and contractor. Busy people don’t have the time, and that is why units remain vacant for a long time.”

   It’s also common for people to exceed their renovation budget. RM40,000 can become RM100,000 and the result is more stress. When the developer takes away this headache by including the main fixtures, it benefits both developer and resident greatly.

   If a condominium is not semi-furnished, residents will have to put up with renovation works by others every few months. Dusty, noisy and unsafe.

   When a condominium is semi-furnished, people move in faster and majority of renovation works are cut down.

Top 10 Christmas Tradition Origins

extracted from The Star – 13 December 2014

1. Christmas Trees

Decorating evergreen trees during the winter solstice pre-dates Christianity in Europe, but the modern Christmas tree is widely believed to have originated from 16th century Germany. Early trees were decorated with edibles such as apples, nuts and pastries, but these were replaced with glass baubles and tinsel garlands over time.

   Martin Luther, a theologian and Catholic priest from 16th-century Germany, is widely believed to have been the first person to put lit candles on a Christmas tree – a  predecessor to modern Christmas tree lights.

2. Santa Claus

The figure of Santa Claus is largely inspired by the legend of Saint Nicholas. Saint Nicholas was a 4th century Greek bishop of Myra (modern-day Demre, Turkey), known for secretly giving gifts of coins to the poor.

   However, the modern image of Santa Claus as a jolly man clad in red is largely influenced by the famous 1823 poem A Visit From St Nicholas (“T’was The Night Before Christmas”) by American professor Clement Clarke Moore.

3. Christmas Stockings

There are no written records on how the tradition of leaving small gifts in sock-shaped bags started, but some attribute this to one of the legends of Saint Nicholas.

   Saint Nicholas was passing through a village where lived an old man who did not have enough money to get his three daughters married.

   Deciding to help in secret, Saint Nicholas came at night and three three bags of gold through an open window, one of which landed in a stocking that was hung over a fire place to dry.

4. Christmas Presents

Nobody knows exactly how the exchanging gifts came to be associated with Christmas, but historians have proposed several theories.

   Some believe this could be a leftover tradition from the ancient Roman festival of Saturnalia that was celebrated on Dec 25 prior to the founding of Christianity.

   Others have associated the tradition of gift-giving to the Three Wise Men who brought gifts to the newborn Jesus in the nativity story.

   However, it is also believed that Moore’s famous poem may have encouraged this tradition in modern times.

 

5. Christmas Meals

When it comes to Christmas dinners, a whole roasted turkey is one dish most highly associated with the holiday.

   Eating the turkey as a Christmas staple only became trendy in England from the 16th century onwards.

   A traditional Christmas dinner in different parts of the world would have dishes that reflect each individual culture, so it is perfectly acceptable to serve your roast turkey or shepherd’s pie in addition to devil’s curry or chicken murtabak in Malaysia.

6. Carolling

Like in many religions and cultures, music is intrinsic to Christianity, and Christmas carols are regularly sung in church and for worship when the season comes around.

   However, the act of door-to-door carolling may have originated from an ancient Anglo-Saxon winter solstice tradition known as “wassailing” in which people visited homes and orchards to sing songs to convey wishes of good health and good harvest to the owner.

7. Candy Canes

Folklore in Germany tells the tale of the choirmaster of Cologne Cathedral who, in 1670, sought the help of a local candy maker to make sweet sticks to be handed out to children in order to keep them quiet while the nativity play was performed on Christmas Eve.

   The sweet sticks were made to resemble a shepherd’s crook, just like that used by the shepherds in the nativity story.

   There is no historical evidence to suggest this was how candy canes started, but they are strikingly similar to a Swedish straight candy cane known as polkagris.

8. Twelve Days of Christmas

More than just a popular 18th century English Christmas carol, the 12 days of Christmas hold actual religious significance as Christmas is celebrated over 12 days until Jan 6 (Jan 5 in some places), which is the Christian Feast of The Epiphany.

   Epiphany celebrates the visit of the Three Wise Men to the infant Jesus, signifying the revelation of Jesus as a divine figure.

   Some cultures observe the practice of the 12th day being the last day to take down Christmas decorations. 

9. Yuletide

Often we hear the word “yuletide” being mentioned in a few secular Christmas carols, but only a few know that it is a pre-Christian pagan religious festival celebrated during the winter solstice.

   Originally observed by the Germanic people of central and northern Europe, a few of its customs persisted over time and were later absorbed into Christian tradition as it became the dominant religion; the most notable being carolling and the serving of cured or smoked ham.

10. The Spirit of Christmas

Christmas was not always known as a time for family and goodwill. Early Christmas celebrations, especially in England, were a time of excessive eating, drunkenness and all forms of adult merriment.

   The situation got so bad that religious extremists outright banned the celebration for a few years, following their victory in the English Civil War in the mid-17th century.

   The idea of “the spirit of Christmas” as a positive sentiment was later revived and partly influenced by the famous Charles Dickens novel,  A Christmas Carol in 1843.

How to Work Smarter

Extracted from “The Star” dated 5th August 2014

Minimise Checking Email

Nearly everyone is addicted to email and most business people barely spend more than 30 minutes away from their mailbox. The challenge lies in what’s waiting for you when you read your emails, including trying to solve everyone’s difficulties. Your most pressing tasks are forced to take a back seat when you do this. I recommend looking through your task list in the morning and resolving to tackle one key task before looking into your emails.

Even if you do check your mailbox, limit it to two or three times a day to ensure that you spend most of your time executing instead of scanning through emails, Facebook and Twitter, which take up a chunk of your time.

 

Isolate Yourself Regularly

As an entrepreneur, you are constantly surrounded by people, be they your colleagues, your business partners or even clients, which means you barely have time to reflect and analyse situations.

Reflection time is extremely important because it can determine if you can bring the business to the next level or keep running in that hamster wheel and fighting fires every day.

Every two weeks, take time to be quiet and without any disturbance to focus on growing your business to the next level through reflection.

 

Surround Yourself With Smarter People

The reality is you will never have all the answers. Also, there is someone out there who has all the answers that you are seeking. Therefore, it is important to surround yourself with an assortment of people who are smarter and wiser than you to inspire and provide new perspectives on your current situations and challenges.

If you are the smartest person in that room, then it is time to change rooms.

Try New Experiences

Creativity is a core element of success in business because every company is so similar in their deliverables and promises. Hence, every company should focus on differentiating itself from the rest by injecting one or two unique elements into its offerings.

How does one cultivate creativity in order to conceptualise this? By constantly putting oneself through new experiences that force the mind to learn different types of knowledge and form new connections that help us view reality a bit differently.

Embrace Failure

Innovation and failure are often closely related because not all experiments will turn out to be successful and innovations only occurs with frequent trials. In Asia, failure is often discouraged, hence many business owners end up maintaining their current business for many years because they fear entering a new market, expanding a line or changing their current clientele.

However, big achievements are seldom attained with low risk, hence to move ahead faster, failure should be part of the equation to encourage multiple experiments into the unknown. However, the possible repercussion (or loss) should always allow the business owner to regain his footing if it does not take off. The risk should be manageable in the worst case scenario.

Every business owner should attempt to work smarter because everyone has the same hours in their day and the goal is to evolve faster than your competitors. With these five steps, you will be able to leapfrog your competitors by competing against them in unexpected ways.

 

Etiquette Rules

Extracted from “The Star” dated 8th July 2014

Here are some tips on social and business etiquette

DO’s

1. Always five proper handshake, because it shows confidence. It should be a firm grip – not too weak, but not too strong either. You gotta get it just right.
2. When you walk into an interview, introduce yourself with your first and last name. Don’t ever just say “hi”.
3. Prepare for the “three weaknesses and strengths” question because most of the time, people are only prepared to talk about their strengths.
4. At a social event, always hold your drink in your left hand – even if you’re a left-hander – because you don’t want to have a wet palm during a handshake.
5. If you’re an introvert at a party, approach a group of four to five people. That way, you wouldn’t have as much pressure to contribute to the conversation.

DON’Ts

1. At a lunch interview (or any other event, for that matter), do not add seasoning to your food before tasting it, because that shows you’re someone who makes rash decisions before trying things out.
2. Always practice common courtesy in a work environment. If you’re in an office elevator, for example, don’t just fiddle with your phone or ignore someone yelling for you to hold the door. He/she just might be the interviewer or future boss!
3. If you receive a call from an unknown number, again, don’t just say “hi”. Answer by mentioning your first and last name because you’d never know if it’s for a phone interview.
4. Do not ask about your salary package at an interview, because it shows you’re unprepared. Market rates are available online, so do your research. Wait until they show they’re interested in hiring, then you can negotiate your pay if you want.
5. Avoid wearing red for interviews because it shows power and strength. That intimidates interviewers, who might subconsciously become reluctant to hire you in case you end up being competition for them. Go with neutral colours like blue or grey. And girls – no sky-high heels. One to three inches is fine, and they must be closed-toe shoes.

 

5 WAYS TO LOVE YOUR CO-WORKERS

Extracted from The Star – 26th July 2014

In a survey by benchmark recruit 2013, it was found that 19.35% of employees leave their company due to feeling unappreciated. This in itself is a great signal to every one of us in the office.

Appreciation is an important part of work life, and a key characteristic of every good leader is the ability to appreciate his or her colleagues.

In their book The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace, Gary Chapman and Paul White talk about the five basic ways to express appreciation:

1. WORDS OF AFFIRMATION

2. ACTS OF SERVICE

3. RECEIVING GIFTS

4. QUALITY TIME

5. PHYSICAL TOUCH

There are many lessons that we can bring to our relationships with our colleagues. As everyone speaks a different “language”, it may be difficult to identify who speaks what lingo.

Taking an online test together as a team can not only help you understand each other, but it also serves as a fun team activity.

However, as it is understandably difficult to do so if you are in a large team, here are a few ways to identify the love languages of your colleagues, and how to speak it.

1. WORDS OF AFFIRMATION

Usually appreciated by extroverts, complimenting and acknowledging the hard working employees in the office can really give them a much needed motivation boost.

In the workplace, words of affirmation are best given in groups. Praising your colleague in front of others make them feel important, as their work would be recognised by others as well.

2. ACTS OF SERVICE

Work mates who speak this language tend to be the ones who slave away at their table, trying to finish as much work as possible to help. Most of the time, these are the employees who never seem to not be working.

Late night at the office for one of your team mates? Appreciate them by asking if you can help take on some of their tasks. If you are already full on your workload, offering to buy dinner for them can go a long way as well.

3. GIFTS

This is the colleague who leaves presents at your table to surprise you every once in a while. Chocolates, sweets, or even little notes, their appreciation for you shines through that cocoa covered almond waiting on your desk.

Take heed of the saying, “do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” and in return, shower them with appreciation by doing the same! Buy them a cup of coffee on long days, or even a snack in the middle of their work.

4. QUALITY TIME

There is always one person in the office who wants to bring everyone out for lunch, and is willing to wait for others to finish their work first.

To this group of people, show appreciation by stopping by their desks every once in a while to spend a few minutes catching up with them. Going out of your way to speak to them shows that your care and are thoughtful.

5. PHYSICAL TOUCH

Saving this as the last, in this context, also the least, physical touch is not normally used as a form of appreciation in the workplace.

The reason is obvious, as there are certain limits in our workplace relationships, and crossing such limits is inappropriate for professional settings.

Nonetheless, certain actions such as high fives and pats on the back can still be a great form of recognition towards your colleagues.

 

If you are familiar with Chapman’s book, The 5 Love Languages, this article may ring a bell. However, it is also mentioned to not mistake the two “dialects”, as our primary love language in our personal relationships is usually not the same as our language of appreciation in the workplace.

Keeping all of the above in mind, let’s show appreciation in our workplace, and go the extra mile by speaking it in the language of those around us. As you appreciate your colleagues, you will be in turn appreciated!