All Business is about Selling

Do you agree that business is about selling? It’s logical to think it is true, since you can only generate income if you sell something, be it a product or service.

How to build a successful business? First of all, you need to sell, and be very good at it. Then, you need to have a team of people to help you sell. Not only that, you need to teach them how to sell even more. So it’s all about selling and teaches people how to sell for us.



What if I am not good at selling? Am I doomed to start a business?

If I try to sell Credit Card, Insurance, Unit Trust or MLM Plan, then I would need to be an awesome salesman in order to succeed as I deal directly with the consumer. If I am the master franchisee for a particular product such as Soft Drink or Soap, then I would need to sell my product to dealers, distributors and shop owners, so that they would sell my product. If I sell classified space like Star Classifieds or JobStreet, people actually call me up to buy my things, given that people know and trust my brand.

In terms of selling, I actually have 3 choices

1. Sell the things to the customer directly
2. Appoint dealers and distributors to sell my things
3. Create enough advertising and awareness so that people would actually knock on my door and buy from me

What is Entrepreneur?

Having been an entrepreneur wannabe for the past 10 years or more (I still considered myself self-employed as of now), what do I know about entrepreneur? Who are they and what they are supposed to do?

I try to Google around and found too many un-inspirational official definitions, which are not what I am looking for. I am looking for something with more Ommmph, straight to the heart and make me stand up and say, “Nicely said”.

1. Entrepreneur sees the opportunity to create new values. The most common things that we walk pass everyday could be the source of wealth.
2. Entrepreneur dashes into hope, dashing into future and hoping tomorrow would be better.
3. Entrepreneur is the creative force of economics. Without them, the economy is dead.
4. Entrepreneur is a risk taker, and could loose it all, and they would do it over and over again.
5. The first farmer is an Entrepreneur, as he makes city, commerce and civilization possible.
6. Entrepreneur is determined and never gives up.
7. Entrepreneur may be poor in money, but they are not poor in ideas and passion.
8. Entrepreneur is thinker, innovator and doer.

Can you be an entrepreneur? YES. What is stopping you? Money? Opportunity? Risk? Idea? Or Yourself?

Entrepreneuring One More Time

I know that I wanted to be an entrepreneur, because I believe I could do better than the person who employs me. When I enter the world of business, I realized that I am not good in a few things: taking risk and doing sales. I started a zero cost freelance business and didn’t take the initiative to look for more business. I manage to gather a handful of customers, but the business didn’t flourish due to obvious reasons. As time passed by, I realized freelance software development is just a temporary solution. To gain long term financial freedom, I have 2 options: to develop a software product or web media.

I realized there is a lot which I need to learn. Though I had left employment for almost 3 years, but I had fallen into another comfort zone. I had managed to create a decent amount of income, but not enough to gain financial freedom (just like employment, but with more freedom); which means I need to breakthrough to the next level.


Whenever I know I had some weakness or problem, I can choose either to go around the problem or face the problem directly. I know I am not good in sales, so I choose to become a passive freelance software developer; waiting for people to knock on my door, and I don’t advertise or do cold call (which is really bad, some to think of it). Somehow I managed to live by in this delusion, probably people know that I am providing such services and I got repetitive business as well. It’s okay, but not great. Then I thought of another brilliant idea which does not require sales effort, which is web media: to develop a useful and informative website and collect advertising dollar from Google Adsense. I just need to focus on creating the web platform and content, and Google Adsense will help me look for advertiser. It took quite a few mistakes and a few year to make it work (and some money), but it just started to pay off in a small manner. Basically, I avoided doing things I am not good at.

Lately I engaged a few people and realized how a few of them actually become an entrepreneur. Software people like me always start with zero cost, and we provide our services (much like a house contractor). Most people out there are traders, where they bring in products with potential and try to sell it out in the competitive market as fast as possible (high risk high return). How do they succeed? They probably need to be familiar with the industry, so that they know who to sell it and how to sell it. They can try selling cheaper or at lost, just to penetrate the market and get people to start using it. They need to appoint as many dealers and distributors, thus mass email or faxing is required. What ever products you try to sell, there are already existing competitors in the market. The key is how are going to get people interested in your product, most probably by similar capabilities (or better if possible) and a cheaper price. Let’s say a Shell Lubricant is RM 100 per liter, what if I can offer you a lubricant made in Singapore for RM 90? There will always be people looking for similar product with a cheaper price. Once you can penetrate yourself into the market, then you would need to develop your brand name and appoint more reseller to strengthen your position and increase exposure. For most business, you don't need something exceptional and unique, just something useful and affordable. To tell the truth, most people would fail in their business; but, you will never succeed if you didn't do anything.

I realize in order to succeed in business; I need to take risk and do sales (or talk to more people about my idea, product or services). I need a marketing strategy on how to penetrate the market, or even be number one. I start talking to an old friend lately, and he makes an effort to introduce some business to me. Even though I don’t do much of sales, but at least I should talk to more people to increase my exposure (better start calling my old contacts for a drink).

For long term prosperity, I would need to focus more on a flagship software product and web media, and be more aggressive in terms of promotion and sales (telling more people about it). Age of 30 might be a bit too late to relook into the idea of entrepreneurship, as more commitments shall be coming in the next 5 years. Hopefully I had learned all the lessons required, and it’s time put my mind into full swing action one more time.

How to make the number one product?

Everyone knows it sucks to be No. 2, as not only No. 1 is at least 100% better than No. 2, no one remember No. 2.


How to create a number one product? According to a pretty "boring" presentation by Joel Spolsky at Business of Software 2008 on being number one:

1. How to make people happy
2. Obsess over aesthetics
3. The Culture Code (or Emotion attachment)

How to make people happy? Rather than the computer or software telling the user what to do, the user should have control on what they want to do. Don’t force them to install updates or restart computer, or go through a wizard of 10 steps. The user needs to feel in control and do exactly what they intend to do. Don't bother them with technical and administrative details.

Obsess over aesthetics. Basically things need to look super cool and nice. Decoration might be non-functional, but people like it. People don’t pay top dollar for a powerful and ugly car. Your product need to looks much prettier and cooler than the competition.

The Culture Code. Why is OS X cooler than Windows? Why Ruby had more passion than Python? Why do you feel safer in a truck vs. a sedan, while the truck is higher (less stable, more prone to rollover) and heavier (higher impact and less control)? The product needs to portray a certain feelings, be it simplicity, power or safety.

How do we compete in the market which is already crowded with hundreds or even thousands of similar products? Does the product with the cheapest price or best functionality wins? How do we know which one is actually better? Besides words of mouth, probably the product which looks pretty, simple and happy would win.

I have an idea why most people will not be rich

What do you need in order to be rich? Money? Network? Opportunity? Idea? Hard work? Determination?


How poor are we? I think most of us are poor in mindset. We think of ways to be poor, and don’t dare to do anything to be rich. A friend might ask, “This is a good business idea. Let’s invest xxx dollar into this business and work together.” Most of time the answer will be “I am afraid to loose my money. There are this problem and that problem, and what if there is an earthquake? What if we don’t have sales?” So let’s scrap the business idea and continue working our job. What does that prove? We have all the courage in this world to remain poor, and we don’t have the courage to be rich.

There is no single business idea which is 100% solid. Almost every business would require some investment, is whether we can fork out the money and can we afford to take the risk. Is Old town Kopitiam a solid franchise, and can we fork out RM 500,000 for it? If I take out RM 20,000 of investment, how much can I earned back and how long would it take? Is the brand name reputable, or is the product in demand? Does our product provide value, and do people actually need it? All these are valid questions and concerns, where everyone should ask before venturing into the business.

What if you are satisfied with most the answers and let’s say, and you believe the idea is pretty good and the returns are attractive. What happens now? Will you start the business?

Will you start the business? I think 90% of the people still would not join. Why? Refuse to take risk to start a business, or have no confident that they really can do it. Sales and Marketing, we have to admit most business requires good sales and marketing. What if you do not like to do Sales and Marketing? Does it mean it is very unlikely you will start a business? Even a techie like Bill Gates still have to strike deals with IBM and other partners to make the business a success.

What are the main reasons why we refuse to participate in business? Because we want 99.99% security and refuse to do sales related stuff, and have no confident in ourselves. What does that tell us? We do not have the mindset of a business man; we have been trained and conditioned to take a salary and continue running in the rat race. We don’t know how to operate if we don’t work for others.

Since most people won’t start a business outside their rat race, thus most people have a lesser chance to be rich. Is it a problem of money, network, opportunity, idea, hard work or determination? Not yet. We kill ourselves within our own mind. You fail to give yourself an opportunity to be rich; to live your dream and take control of your life, and to gain freedom. You choose instead to whine against the job, bosses and colleagues.

Who will actually stop you from being rich? You?

Another Turning Point in Life

The past one month is the most hectic and anxious transition time that I could recall, because I had made a life changing decision to move out of my comfort zone and try something new again.


There had been so many cycles of changes in my life, from part-time working in college to starting a business with partners, and to fulltime freelancing. There had been definitely a lot of challenges and worries, at the same time proud of painting such a colorful experience. It might be difficult during the transition of change, but looking back it’s not that bad after all.

I thought I had gone through a lot and achieved quite a bit, and again I had realized I am still a frog within a well lately. I might have explored a bigger area within the well, and I though the well is the world which I could have; at least I didn’t dream of jumping out of the well.

Change (or revolution) is never easy, but it’s required for progress. If we didn’t make a change, that means we are not improving. We might work for the past 10 years, or are we repeating the same year 10 times. What did we learned or what did we achieved? Does the past 10 years looks and feels the same, or it’s a new and memorable every year?

I realized again that I am too relaxed in my comfort zone, which makes me happy and worries at the same time. I realized I am progressing too slowly, and the world around me is walking to fast. No matter how bad I think I am, there will always be people who are worst than me; no matter how good I think I am, there will always be someone better. Why compare? I am not trying to beat Bill Gates or Warren Buffets, but to achieve and be someone I am happy with: someone with freedom and dream.

Once the frog realized and felt the world beyond the well, then it is not easy to remain within the well anymore. I realized that is so much I can do which I didn’t try or refuse to do; and so much of my life which could be better, once I change my mindset, perception and methods.

The goal and dream of life never changed, just that I found the path to achieve it. I can choose to take the chicken exit, or take the challenge and reach the top. In life and as in hiking, it’s just a mind game. As long as I continue walking no matter how tired I am, I know I’ll reach my destination one way or another, sooner or later.

In the meanwhile, I need to learn and get all the support I can get. Once I realised the speed and achievement other are making, I realised that I can't afford to be comfortable anymore; else I could not be comfortable in the future.

We still have our dream, but we might have lost the courage

I like TED a lot, with a lot of speakers in different subjects, sometime thought provoking, and sometimes just pure fun, and sometimes boring as well. These talks are usually by westerners with a lot of western culture and influence in it, which I am used to due to the Internet. Recently I bumped into a speech by a chinese Malaysian Entrepreneur, though motivational in nature, but the feelings and impact does dwell deep into my heart.

Basically everyone have a dream, a lot might want to be millionaire, and others might want to do what they like most. But is the dream lost among the business of life and financial stress? Did we lost the dream, or we lost the courage to chase for the dream? Will we ever lose our dream? I think we will always have our dream. Those who didn’t try to fulfill it will keep the dream deep inside their heart, and the dream will surface deep in the night when no one is around, with tears flowing down while we hug our pillow. Those who fulfilled their dream will be proud of who they are with no regrets.


To fulfill a dream, we need courage. If you are penniless, can you have a dream? If a waiter say she want to be a millionaire or famous musician, will you laugh at her? There is nothing which makes her incapable of fulfilling her dreams. You can laugh at her, but you can’t stop her; only she can stop herself. I know a girl who once dislike running, but now a Iron Woman, and god knows swim, run and cycle for how many kilometers, and still continue to run until today and be happy about it. Who can stop her? Only herself. Can you be a Iron Man? Only if you put your mind to be one.


The journey to fulfill a dream is accumulative and full of failures. A millionaire today might need years of work, athletes will need years of training. There is no instance success, but there is a way to success which we could decide to take. Why am I not successful today? Because I didn’t do anything to be successful yesterday and the days before. Inaction is our default nature, not doing anything is better as there is assumed to be no risk. When you stop, people overtake you. When we didn’t do anything, we lose out all the opportunity to build the foundation to fulfill our dream. I give up any opportunity for a chance, for a hope. What are we doing? Waiting for something good to fall from sky? Even though good stuff fall from sky, you might not be capable of catching it or even recognize it. Opportunities await those who are ready. What we do today will decide the outcome in the future. No seed no fruit.


Failure is the obstacle to our success. The KFC uncle failed his business pitch for 1009 times and succeeds on the 1010th times at the age of 66. We are sure to fall, but can we stand up and try again is the real question. I started a business venture with a friend and fail miserably because I am not prepared. I try freelance and get back to employment again. I continue my freelance and quit my job for another business idea. That didn’t pick up and I partners with friend to start a company, and that didn’t work as well. Now I am freelancing and building my own web business, which I started to see some light finally, after 8 years of struggle. I realize I didn’t give up (because I don't want to be haunted deep in the night), though there are up and down. I have feelings and I do get sad and demoralized, but I just have to get over it and keep pushing. I can’t say I had succeeded, but it sure is getting better.

God will only help you if you help yourself. Though there are many factors which might contribute to our future success, but the most important thing is to have the courage to do it, and never give up. There will be up and down, just make sure you continue the journey until the end.

At the end, I can only succeed if I believe I can. No one can stop you besides yourself. I need courage in order to find my dream.

Dream and Despair

The fact that half of us do not have a dream, and another half can’t fulfill their dream. I think it is a privilege for us to try to fulfill our dream, as many do not even have such opportunity.

I do believe we are the maker of our own fate. Though we can’t control the outcome, and most of the time we can still choose what to do. Yes, there will be difficulty and obstacle, but we can choose to overcome the obstacle or give up before trying. We are not guaranteed success, but we can choose to have that chance or not. We can choose to change, or stay put.

And again, nothing comes easy. After deciding what to do, we need to overcome despair and frustration. We will be tried again and again, fail again and again; to test our will and determination on what we really want to achieve. Some people think this is so hard that they don’t even want to try. To others, as long as there is such opportunity and I can afford to try, I will.

Sometimes we just have these wakes up call and ask ourselves, what we are actually doing besides making a living and earning money. What motivates us to continue? What is waiting for us at the end? What are we looking forward to? What to do when we wake up in the morning, does it feel hopeful or dreaded? It can be difficult and worrisome, but there must be hope that we can overcome it someway or somehow.

I think dream is about what we hope to find at the end, something to look forward to. There must be something in tomorrow besides emptiness.

Despair is the measure of distance from that dream. You feel hopeful when it’s near, and despair when it is far. Despair is the compass to our dream, as you need to overcome them in order to get nearer.

Human are not powered by status and money. We wanted love and satisfaction, to whom and to what we do. Humanity need hope, and it’s good that we do not know when is dooms day; unless we have a way to stop it.

To have a dream, despair will follow, maybe finding love and peace along the way.

Sometimes in life, we just need a bit of inspiration and fun! The Gurren Lagann Way.

• "Go Beyond The Impossible, and kick reason to the curb! That's the Team Gurren way!"
• "Don't believe in yourself! Believe in me, who believes in you!"
• "Who the hell do you think we are?"
• "My drill is the drill that pierces the heaven!"
• "If there's a wall in our way, we'll destroy it! If there's no road, we'll pave it with our own hands!"

Basically we worry too much of "if", and got put off by it

• what if I fail
• what if I lost all my money
• what if they don't like it
• what if tomorrow never comes

What if tommorrow is your day and you will succeed? Isn't that scary, hahaha. The fear of loss is greater than gain, but the thought of I actually made it tomorrow is pretty scary too.

To Achieve a Dream: No magic word or formula, just try many ways to keep the spirit up, expect many failures and numerous tries, and keep moving forward in various speed necessary. As long as we keep doing something and willing to change and adapt. What I fear most is inaction.