A New Thing called "Lifelock"

Well, I think many of you haven't heard of Lifelock before. Well, I only manage to read about it today. After some browsing to some blogs, I notice there is an article about Lifelock, well, out of my curiousity, I checked on the site.



Lifelock is a website that offer the most advanced Identity Theft Protection to people. I think many of us have heard of our friend's ID has been hijacked to forge a new credit card, and in the end, it's being used by the hijacker to withdraw money or swapping your credit card for purchasing products. It is even more dangerous than hacking your credit card details through web. I mean if some people manage to steal your identity, and apply for a new credit card using your identity, then that person may have a "PHYSICAL CARD" under your name, and in the end they are just using your money to buy things.



Well, I would say the advertisement of the site is very interesting, in which the CEO of the company itself, exposing his own social numbers, to challenge anybody that can use his identity to forge a new credit cards. And they even offer a massive insurance if you sign up and become a member of this company. They are willing to pay you US$ 1 million to whoever identity being breached after they signed up with the company.



Well, although stealing identity has not been an issue in South East Asia (as the cracker still like to crack credit card details), but I would say careful to you all.. because this may be a new crime coming soon. So BEWARE and be PREPARED !!!



Find out how Lifelock can save your identity from being forged at http://www.lifelock.com/
Guys, aren't you guys thinking of applying this technology to Asia as well?

Finance Genius

While doing my work, I browse a little and I found this interesting website. Well, the website has a special programme to calculate your mortgage loans, study loans of your children, auto payment, and even the impact if we pay only the minimum payment for our credit card billing. But it also offers a great solution for all your financial problems. The site is called http://www.financegenius.com/ and I hope it can help you in managing your financial life.

A lot of middle class today ignore intentionally or unintentionally if we ask them about how is their financial life. Lots of them keep working just to pay debts (whether they realise it or not). So, please FACE YOUR OWN FINANCIAL PROBLEM and deal with it... I guarantee you can take a good nap after it ...

Leaving for China in mid April

Just like any busy day (although the peak season has already been behind us), it's still a busy days for me, since I have to prepare everything to be delegated and submitted to my other partner, since I'm leaving for Guangzhou on mid April (Thank GOD I have partner in this business, so that I can leave all the workloads to him and just fly to China) But don't be too excited, I still have to do something in China. My main idea to visit China is not on leisure purpose, but to helping my dad to do his business online, meaning setting up his online banking and asking all his suppliers to go for emailing and all other online stuffs, so it doesn't necessary for him to keep flying over to China. Besides that, I have to keep my eyes open of what can I do in China as well, either to expand my existing business or open a new business field.

Nowadays, we should take advantage of internet. Not only because of the speed, it also make all our works become efficient, and it's COST SAVING. Well, I think the last reason is what all businessman want to hear. But I'm more interested in the COVERAGE AREA it able to cover, I mean it can reach almost the whole planet. If you can do business using Internet, then it's a huge market waiting for you out there. Well, I m thinking of starting one soon.....

Will keep you guys posted what happen in China ...

www.rumah123.com

This morning, while checking my email, I found one interesting website in the ads by Google, well.... the site is called http://www.rumah123.com/, and apparently it turned to be a property site that can help those who don't have time to go over tons of property site just to choose ONE. I will say it is a breakthrough for property industry, in which, those property agents have to think over again, in which nowadays, people have no time to shop and look around for properties, because even Women insist of squeezing their time for shopping rather than do households activities.







Well, back to the site again, it can help future customers to do comparison, minimize their scale of search which fit their budget and location of the property. But the most interesting is that it charge so DAMN cheap for the listing.








The main idea of the site is that they are helping the properties' agents to market their properties, and which they claim that they didn't get a penny of the commission of helping those property agents to sell. Well, I would say this is WHAT a property agents need, despite from the connections that the agents have been developed so many years, but then.... a way to reach a massive potential markets is also important for those agents to find new customers.

My opinion said the effect of listing property in this site is that it just look like the property agents having property exhibition in one of the shopping mall, in which there are lots of people come to look and compare the property. WHAT A NICE CONCEPT...

Coconut Peeling Show

Well, I've been missing these few days, because I got an assignment to escorting a group of people visiting Malaysia and Singapore. Something interesting I want to share during the travelling.

Well, I found this guy during our stopover from Singapore back to Kuala Lumpur

Starting a New Online Business

Recently, I just sit down with some of my friends, and we came up with an idea to help those students/people who study/work at other bigger cities, in term of help them to find places to live, information, school information, their necessities and other type of help. And it all will go through web.

Any idea of what should I put inside as well??

Funny Skeleton

This morning, a friend of me drop me an email that shows something funny...

What an creative idea? Haha....

Save your Money: Guideline

After all, either we do business or we are still working, the main purpose is to have a better life. For that we have to SAVE MONEY. Well, I saw a lot of working societies are working to pay their 'last-month' debts, which occured from the spending of their credit cards. I felt pity for them.



Well, I have a few guidelines I got from the seminar I attended 2 years ago. The topic of the seminar is Financial Revolution by Tung Desem Waringin. If you're Indonesian, you will heard of this name before.



Every month, after you received your salary/ commission, divide them into three parts (the portion are up to your own judgement):



First Portion: Money to be spent.
In this portion, you HAVE TO spend all the money here, no matter what happen. It will make you appreciate your life and remind you of the purpose you have been working so hard.

Second Portion: Money for Emergency
For this second portion, you can use it in term of EMERGENCY. So, if it's not emergency, don't try it.

Third Portion: Money to be SAVED
You CANNOT use this portion AT ALL, no matter what is your reason. It will remind you of your hardworking job and how you have manage to have MONEY throughout your life.

Lazy Sunday

Well, it's quite an interesting Sunday for me. Woke Up Late (almost afternoon), Eat My Brunch and then drive to office to check some emails. Well, if you are a boss on your own, you hardly can leave your office.

I mean everytime you have spare time, you should think of "How to Optimize your Company's Profit?" Well, It is a bad habit. Will think to avoid such idea in future. I was told not good to my Health. Sigh.... even my girlfriend has been mad about this.

Probably it's better for me to take a long day vacation. Throughout these 3 years, I just took about 10 days vacation (altogether). This year I'm thinking of visiting Bangkok. I've never been there though. Although I'm in travel line, there are still lots of interesting places I've never been. The sad thing about this is I just have a chance to look at those interesting pictures.

A friend of mine asking me along to take a "Bagpackers" style holiday to Australia. Well, I've dreamed of doing this for a long long time ago. But HOW ABOUT MY BUSINESS?

Employer Point of View: Salary

Last month, I still rememberred one of my staff was arguing with me regarding why I never add his/her salary after 1 year he/she has been working with us. Well, I just said it's company policy and I cannot add another explanation.

I still believe that most of businessman or managers around the world didn't or even never told the exact explanation of the above condition. Well, I would like to share some experience of us (employer) and those who work under us ( employees).

For employers, all employees are the same. But we do take more attention to employees whose heart is in the company, meaning they willing to work harder, and contribute much to company, you are very sure they will get extra from the company. Anyway, just for guidelines, here is how my company manage to judge the performance of the staffs.

The Standard:

The profit you manage to bring into the company = 3 x your current Salary

then you can ask for higher salary, but boss-es still have to think of other aspects, like are you do according to all the rules and regulations set by the company?

If only you manage to bring into the company = 2 x your salary, then according to your employer, you are just doing so - so and not doing extremely good.

But if you manage to bring in 5 x your salary (or above), then you will be taken care by your company, or else your boss is blind or ...... (there are other factors), but anyway, just leave the company. Y ou are worthy somewhere else.

Seems a little bit unfair? I mean, that's how employers measuring salary. Our main idea in starting business is to MAKE MONEY / PROFIT. If our company cannot produce any profit, we better close down our business and find other profitable business. Besides the salary, we still have to think of other type of costs that occured, including telephone bills, electricity bills, tax bills, and other types of bills.

As employers, we also want our employees to have a fine life, well spended with the salary given to him/her, and BE HAPPY with their own life. Although there are still some employers that want to cheat on their employees (there still will be..... we are HUMANS, remember?)

So, in future, everytime you want to ask for higher salary, make sure you count your performance first. How much profit you have been bring to the company? Have you do according to the rules and regulations set up by the company, even it's just regarding the working time? It doesn't necessary for you to please your boss by talking sweet and good stuff to your boss, but aside, your working attitude is lousy and all your work got problems.

After you checked on your performance, PLEASE.... REMIND US!! I mean, we are not GOD, that manage to know everyone's needs and wish. We are still normal human that have an ability to forgetting something (although we don't want to forget).

I often heard of my friends/ relatives that keeps moaning about how their boss didn't appreciate of their 5 to 10 years of contribution towards their company . Have they checked with their own performance lately? How are they doing compare to other staffs? Or the worst part is are their boss unintentionally miss to measure their performance for 5 to 10 years? (Well, sadly it do happen)

I hope that my sharing experience can help employers to give explanations to their employees; and for employees to further appreciate their employers. After all, Employers and Employees are unseparatable. So rather than fighting each other, it's better to understand each other.

Busy Saturday

Still a busy day for me, as we are only half day today, and the workload is still like hell. Well, after the business trip, there's lots of stuff need to be followed up. This morning I just called one of my supplier to clarify all the rules and conditions. In dealing in business (no matter whether it's small or big company), get used to do everything based on black and white.

It's better like this rather than have to lose some of the money that supposedly we can save, just because of we miss or misinterpret some points in the contracts. It's a MUST to read each contract carefully, and if you don't understand, ASK them. It's better you looked dumb today, with no money lost from your side, rather than looked dumb in future, plus lots of money lost because you misinterpret the contract.

My Business Trip going smooth

Thank God today is a holiday for me .... last 2 days was a stressful day, as I just got back from overseas and the workload is like hell. Anyway, today I m still proceed to office, although there is no one here, just to go on with my workload. So I don't have to be so stressful again on Saturday.

Well, the results for my overseas trip are quite smooth. Indeed, I manage to convince some of my suppliers to extend the rates only to me for my hometown market. Well, last time, I feel not easy to convince people for extending the exclusive contract only to our company. But, along with the time, I found out that there are certain point to make people convinced.

1. Never lie to your Suppliers
They will definitely know what's wrong with your speech and presentation. Be humble to them. Many of them also begin from small company, and they know it's pretty difficult to convince "THE BIG BOYS". Many of them want to give chances, as they know small players can grow into BIG BOYS as well.

2. Ask for a period of time to prove your performance
Asking for a period of time so that they can see what you are doing to push your sales, even although sometimes things are not as expected, but when they see your effort in pushing the sales, the next contract will still be extended to your company.

3. Keep posting with your suppliers every effort you make to push for your sales
Keeping them posted also means let them see your effort.

4. Give commitment on your words
Some contracts are cut-off in the middle, is simply because of suppliers saw that you have lost your commitment, you didn't do what you are expected to do, or in other words, you don't put enough effort on your business.

I cannot tell that the idea described above will guarantee your contract to be approve, but I can say that as guideline for negotiating with your suppliers. It works for me. Some of my suppliers even extend a better point inside the contract, beside what I have already asked for, for example, a good credit facility.

My Travel Agent Business World

In a travel line industry, we usually have so much trips abroad, including sales trips, meeting suppliers overseas, inspection trips and so on. Just like now I'm in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This is already my second day here in Kuala Lumpur. The main reason for my business trip here is to tie up with a new wholesaler who can support us and act as our back office to sell new products to our market in my hometown. Well, Thank GOD the discussion going smooth, as we are given a chance to become their only affiliates in our hometown.

Travel line is all about networking. It's impossible for one company to cover up the whole world, and different company has different strengths and core competency.

For the first 2 years, I do travel a lot to neighbouring countries to set up and strengthen our network affiliates, which also means the budget for my travelling cost is quite high, but I think it's still worth it. During our first year, we are just doing so - so, but beginning on our second year, we come up with an agreesive plan, and I will say that it's the toughest year during our business process. One thing I learn from year 2 - year 3 is that it's not that difficult to start business, but to bring up the baby, we need to put a lot of efforts and focus into the business. And those are the time to see how strong are we in business world. Most of the people falls on this category. But once you have passed this phase, you will understand a lot of things regarding business world.

Besides discussing about the partnership, I also inspect some of the hotels in Kuala Lumpur. Well, I would say that Hotels in Kuala Lumpur really maintain their standards and qualities that can match up their pricing strategy. For example, when I visit Seri Cempaka Suites, I'm really surprised that the hotel is beyond our expactation. The price is 3 star pricing, but the facility is a 5 star category. Thumbs up for this hotel. I really recommend travellers to stay in this hotel. Details about the hotel can be accessed via www.cempakasb.com.my .

My Starting Point

Hi All,

I start this blog to write down my life as a businessman. My name is Rudy Wijaya and I'm only 25 years old by 2008. Actually this is already my third year as a businessman, in a travel agent line. That means I m starting my first business when I was 22 years old, who indeed was lucky because I was just graduated from my Degree. The funny thing is that I was attending my graduation ceremony after my business ran for 5 months.

Well, to tell you the truth is I'm inspired for running business after reading my first copy of "Rich Dad Poor Dad" by Robert Kiyosaki. Luckily, during my study, I was selling insurance as well, so I can say that from the insurance field, I learn a lot about selling "pieces of papers" that can cost about Millions of Rupiah to people who think they do not need any insurance at all. Well, in other words, the insurance field help me a lot on my first 2 years of doing business. It form my selling skills, which is the most important skills when you want to do business. O yeah, I forgot to mention that I am Indonesian, lived at the third largest city in Indonesia, Medan.

I cannot say that I'm already succesful in doing my business. The road is still long for me and my business to grow. But I would like to share the process of taking my business to an advanced level with you all, including the mistakes I have made, the knowledge and experiences I collected and the achievements I manage to get during the growing process of my business.

Using this blog, I would like to encourage young people to have the courage to start any business that they might prefer. Be dare to think different. Trust Me!!! It's a different world when you do business, compare to when you are working.