Busy is good
It has been long since the last update on this blog. I have been really busy for past 2 months. Things got exciting when our Astro deals comes in. Previously I was emotionally unstable due to unforeseen future and I got really stress up with the lagging in my business. But now since Astro deal hits the first strike in developing 20 episodes of 2 minutes animation for channel TVIQ, I start to love the stress. And I love being Busy now.
CameraTradeZone
Way before we hit on with the project in Astro , I was too free, so I plan to utilized my rotten programming skills by creating 2 websites for fun to learn about SEO and hope it will grow into a secondary business of mine. From the inspiration of AsiaPartTime.com, I started a camera trading site called cameratradezone.com. The idea sparkles me when I found that the camera market started booming up as out of every group of people that i known of at least 1 person has a DSLR camera. It was amazed that within only 2 months the site had a good response 37,000 page views, and now has an average of 400 pageviews daily, with average 160 unique visits daily.
By knowing such a good results, a friend then approach me to developed a property website (propertytradezone.com) with him. Although these market has been dominated by iproperty.com, but i felt that there are still chances. With the mindset of “JUST DO IT and F the Competitors”. So I take up the challenge, and do it without second thought.
PropertyTradeZone
Both sites are still in a very preliminary stage. Although I have drafted a business model for both sites for me to earn some passive income, however, I don’t have time to improve and move forward as the project with Astro has consume most of my time. Now I put myself into a super busy mode, but I am happy with it although my financial status still not in a positive cash flow. I had a positive feeling that both of this site will slowly grow but now time is the main concern.
BUSY is good.
CTZ Stats
CTZ stat2
Amber Chia – the role model for faulty startups
Malaysian Top model Amber Chia has now became the role model for all Malaysian startups. A lesson that should be learnt when dealing with businesses. According to the news in the recent papers (see: news 1, news 2), Amber ran into a business partnership with a friend that claim to possess a Franchising Agreement from Ford Model, an international model search franchise, to run a show based on Ford Supermodel of the World. Winners of the show would win US$50,000 (RM173,250) each, coupled with modelling contracts and stand a chance to compete in the Ford Supermodel of the World contest. The saddest thing is the business started off with a verbal agreement and Amber have no doubts on the Franchising agreement that her friend claimed to own. And these are the real facts that do always happens in the real world.
We humans tends to be over sentimental than rational when dealing with business. The moral that amber has taught everyone that no matter how close you are with your business partner, you will still need to take in consideration of self protection. Self protection is not meant by profiting only yourself, but is just to be un-harm, where risk are fairly shared and profits are fairly distribute. Coming back to the reality of life, Yes, the business world is cruel and complicated. Even blood brothers, relatives, siblings can betray each other, there is no doubt that your best friend will turn you over. Amber mistakes was not getting a confirmation from Ford Model from the very beginning before running into business and over trust a friend. Sometimes these kind of "sentimental relation risk" is needed to take, but we still can minimize the risk and to be extra cautious. I envied that Amber has the heart and ability to encourage, to train and nourish new young talented models from Malaysia, however, I guess, to protect and benefit others, first you will have to be strong enough to protect oneself.
The No Turning Back Point
It’s almost end of our funding period. Prototype has completed, and hence we were struggling to get Letter of Interest from various parties. Had been months meeting various audiences and potential clients and we were given good feedbacks from both sides. However, although feedbacks are good, now the only problem lies on our product price. The price mentioned by the clients didn’t manage to cover our product cost. And this is the most difficult challenges for us that we need to revamped our business model again. The cost of animations could be very high. 1 episode in 1 series can cost around RM40-60k. Given the feedbacks from clients and audiences, we knew that our product works. It just that how we can sell at a reasonable price and cover our cost and on top of that earn some money. So, we were now heading for MOSTI for a larger amount of fund for the upcoming months, however, MOSTI funds are ending this year. We are in progress developing a preview for pitching, and this only could be complete by end of October. and to get Letter of Interest within November, and hopefully submit my application on end of Nov. By then, I do not think that there will be any funding left over for us. I am frustrated now for not being able to help to built the preview but to do nothing until it is completed. Waiting, is mentally torturing me.
Although we were given good feedbacks from clients, but we knew the road in front is tough, we are left out with no more capital to spent, hanging in between. Looking at your friends and ex-colleague getting promoted with income raise, I have wonder why did I put myself in such situation, but I never regretted. I feel glad that I had a team that runs with me until now, and thankful for the support from my family from the beginning. Hence these only made me no choice but to continue to move forward even you knew the road is tough. I love pressure~!
Recommending HowStuffWorks.com (Must Read: for grant applicants)
Tech geek like me have not when for business schools, marketing nor finance classes. However, such information could be found over the Internet. There is this site called "HowStuffWorks" has started to become my favourite, introduced by my colleague, KC (it was his all time favourite), and I am now eagerly to introduced to all of you who are reading my blog. "HowStuffWorks" has almost everything on how something works, although it is not written in very detail, but it does benefits me in certain ways. for example, when someone proposed me an online Business, I will definitely look into this site for information, such as "How Creating an Online Business Works", crack into the online business giant such as ebay on "How eBay Works", learning the ebay way. Or, being the CEO of the company, I shall learnt the responsibility of CEO, then I read "How CEO Works". Hence, for business starters like you and me, we should read "Starting Business" in HowStuffWorks. The following list of links is essential for start ups and grant applicants to read:
- How Business Ideas Work – Grant applicant must read.
- How Business Plan Work – Grant applicant must read.
- How Start Up Capital Work
- How Does Venture Capital Work
- 10 Ways to Finance A New Business
- 10 Common Problems for New Businesses
- How Business Legal Structure Work
- How Marketing Plans Work
For those who are reading the my blog post on "Basic Tips and Guidelines for applying ICT Funding in Malaysia", the links above is a must read, specially the How Business Plan and Business Ideas Work.
Malaysia – From Pride to Shame. We need more competitive awareness.
Read this article “From Hare Speed to Tortoise Pace“, from theStar Deputy Executive Editor Wong, telling his story in the golden days to the darkest night of Malaysia Broadband services. 10 years ago, Malaysia is proud with its broadband services where we have the most advance technology in the broadband industry compared to some of the countries in Europe, such as France where they have only dial-ups. With that moment, we definitely feel the pride and joy of being a Malaysian. However, with only one decade away, today France had a far more better and faster broadband service than Malaysia. and where we are now? Our broadband services has not improve at all for the past 10 years. I guess is either we fail to learnt the moral from the story of “The Tortoise and the Hare.”, or we are just too satisfied with the current situation. We are the Hare, we are sitting under the Tree, and we are still asleep.
Malaysia needs more competitive awareness, and I personally still feels that Malaysia has not awaken from its comfort zone. The best example that the recent abolishment on implementing English in Maths and Science has raised a critical issue in the region where the authorities are over protecting the inability of rural areas and the insufficient knowledge of the poor educators and has forgotten of who we wanted to be in the global position. In my personal opinion, applying sufficient pressure in the education system is the only way to improve our competitive advantages in the global industry. Stop protecting and stop giving excuses to yourself for not improving. Its only a matter of whether you want to be improved or not. I came from a Chinese independent school, and I remember the horror in learning English, Chinese and BM in both Science and Maths. Get over it, Malaysian~!
Zoo Negara is a Non-Governmental Organization
I was reading on theStar online that a frustrated visitor urge to saved our Country Zoo, claiming the animals are not well treated, looked under-fed, dirty and unhappy, surrounded by untrimmed bushes and uncut grass, incomplete renovation and expansion work, filthy walls and drains and other unsightly scenery (details read here.) . Yes, indeed the Zoo “Negara” needs our help. Is sad to say, Zoo NEGARA is an NGO, Non-Governmental Organization. I was surprised too when I first known this off when I tried to approach Zoo Negara as our potential advertising clients weeks off before the news came out from the paper.
Holding the word Zoo “NEGARA”, a Country Zoo, I bet everyone thinks that the Zoo, is supported and funded by the country government. And is very sad to hear that, our country government is not doing anything with it, and the Zoo is not listed as a tourism spot in Malaysia. The management for Zoo “Negara” are looking for sponsors for to feed the animals in the Zoo, sponsors for their advertising campaign, and sponsors to renovate the zoo. and I was wondering, why in the first place it is called ZOO “NEGARA“.
Why is Singapore Zoo so crowded with tourist, Jurong Bird Park is so pack with visitors? and our Zoo, you don’t even need to queue to get your tickets. First of all, the location of the Zoo is Not strategic (don’t expect someone going up to Genting will drop by the Zoo), secondly, there are no special performance that will attract the visitors (I prefer to go Genting to watch the White Tigers that performs Magic), and the Zoo is barely surviving itself.
Someone and Some department under the government has to do something about it, or find someone to put his head in the tiger as a key attraction to the zoo. Instead of spending such a huge amount of money in promoting Malaysia Tourism via EPL, why can’t that amount be used to improve the countries properties! Malaysia has lots of attractive tourism spots, jungle tracking, water fall that needs to be well maintained, and yet you see rubbish stacking up everywhere. Tourism Malaysia has over focused on foreign markets, and have neglected the local markets that will also indirectly steer the economy in within the country itself. If our own nation does not even support the local tourism, why do you expect the foreigners will?
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About
Life is interesting, its all about experimenting, trial and errors and self improvments. This blog is all about my personal experience. I am full with ideas, and i will achieve every one of them step by step.
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