Searching for Perfect Business Partners

I think most people starting their own business collaborating with their old – time friends or ex – colleagues, including me. I have a few notes needed to be share with you all regarding this issue. It’s very critical to choose the perfect business partners, from the start, because it will affect your overall business plans.

A Good Idea or Good Planning is not an issue at all. Everybody can come up with spectacular ideas or plans. The most important issue here is WHO is your future business partners? When I mean WHO here, it means you should know them inside and outside of that LUCKY PERSON who will become your future business partner.

No, I’m not talking about how’s their relationships with families or friends, I’m talking about their personality, visions, what he can do and cannot do, and how’s their attitudes towards work.

But on top of the criteria I mentioned, the most important is their visions, how can they see about an idea or plan, and where can they take it into future? Analyze if their visions are visible, and how far can their vision be? After that, match their visions with yours, is the gap too far? And can you guys rediscuss it?

A lot of business which is falling apart because of the partners are not sharing a same vision of where they can take their ideas / plans to.

I’m not saying that you should not do business with your old – time friends, it’s just you have to review if he/she eligible for the position. My point here is BUSINESS IS BUSINESS, AND FRIENDSHIP IS FRIENDSHIP. You and your future business partners should be able to differentiate this term very well, as I saw lots of old – time buddies are too easy to skip over / react to the other party if they make mistakes.

An old – time buddy can be a great business partner if they are aware of the term mentioned above, and be careful, an old – time buddy can be a NOBODY by the time they realise they don’t share a same vision with you in business.

So, guys, reviews on your friends are important if you want to ask them to become your future business partners.

Impact of Internet for Traditional Business

This morning when I chatted with one of my subagents, she complained to me about one of the famous hotel in Kuala Lumpur sell their rooms on internet with PRICES LOTS BELOW our current rates. Like I mentioned in my last blog regarding technologies, that Internet is becoming the best alternative way of communicating, pay bills online, and EVEN getting rid of middlemen.











Well, last time I expect the impacts of internet will only take effect on traditional business in another 3 to 5 years time, and the truth is internet is jeoparding traditional business NOW, at this moment I write about this blog. Especially in travel industry. I mean my hometown is the third largest city in Indonesia, and most of the people here still are not so familiar in Internet, due to the news of the highest fraud is in Indonesia, and most of them are not familiar with foreign languages.

But, still, the truth is that the minor users for internet are growing, and most of them helping those who are afraid or don't know what to do, to do online transactions.









My advice is, BEWARE of the internet impact's on your business, but the most important is ADAPT with the technology, because sooner or later, all business will be based on INTERNET, or, at least make use of INTERNET.

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 ...

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.