Weeee.....We Are Nominated For Spirit Of Enterprise 2006

Weeee.....we are nominated in this year's Spirit of Enterprise award.

Spirit of Enterprise (SOE) hope to promote and advances entrepreneurial spirit in Singapore by honouring local self-reliant entrepreneurs who operates small and medium-sized businesses. It also serve to inspire Singaporeans, especially the young, to become entrepreneurs by facilitating interaction, communication and knowledge dissemination between students, the entrepreneurs and the general public.

There are 200 nominees in this year's SOE award and only 41 winners. We are nominee no. 87 so do visit us and most importantly, vote for us. Here is a little section of our profile in SOE nominees homepage.

"Talentpreneur Hub is established by entrepreneurs for young entrepreneurs. We believe that every individual possesses unique talents which hold great potential to be realized and developed into viable businesses. Entrepreneurship is an essential life skill. At Talentpreneur Hub, young entrepreneurs receive training, networking and funding to learn, build contacts and gain support to start a business. Supported by Singapore Management University (SMU) and Spring Singapore, Talentpreneur Hub has a network of over 300 dynamic entrepreneurs who are building a career around their talents."

Visit us and view the full interview and most importantly vote for us!!

The Making Of Entrepreneurs

Recently I was reading an article from a section of the Business Times, Views From The Top where they gathered a few CEOs to talk about how Singapore could create more entrepreneurs, below are the excerpt of what their responses are:

“I feel that what is needed to make entrepreneurs is to make opportunities for youths to immerse themselves in business or create a mentor system for budding entrepreneurs.”

Tan Ser Giam
Chairman , Eastern Navigation Pte Ltd

“Every society needs entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurship is the propulsion mechanism of economic growth. Innovation and entrepreneurship go hand in hand. It was the entrepreneurial spirit of Thomas Edison, which brought his innovations to the world and created today’s General Electric.

Actually, entrepreneurship is a mindset, which can be inculcated and nurtured. Entrepreneurship can be encouraged at three levels: governments, society, and individual.”

Vikas Goel
Chairman & Managing Director, eSys Technologies, Singapore

“A conducive environment for risk-taking and entrepreneurship must be in place first before entrepreneurs can be created.

Singaporeans are too used to taking the ‘safety first’ route. They worry about the risk of failure and the social stigma of bankruptcy. Most importantly, society’s mindset has to change to a ‘noting ventured, nothing gained’ mentality.

And what better way to encourage entrepreneurship than to start with our youths? Our secondary schools can include stories and case studies of entrepreneurs that the youths can relate to. For example, Bill Gates, in their curriculum. They can also do projects like running a small business, etc. Schools can also invite local entrepreneurs to hold talks and discussions with the students.”

Wee Piew
CEO, HG Metal Manufacturing Ltd

“In Singapore, everybody aims for a formal education and looks forward to a good job in the civil service or in an MNC after graduating from university. From young, they do not strive to have their own business eventually. This is where we are quite different from Hong Kong and Taiwan. When I met the young engineers in the two places, I found that they are actually planning for their own business. The purpose of working for the company is basically to learn the skills of doing business and to build contacts.

Education is something we need to redesign the programme. The mindset of Singaporeans must change if we are to get out of our comfort zone.”

John Lee,
Executive Chairman, Dayen Enviromental Ltd

“Entrepreneurs are a rare breed. They sniff out opportunities and take risks to transform opportunities into successful business ventures. To me, entrepreneurs embody both inborn and nurtured qualities. Guts, determination, adaptability and having the entrepreneurial spirit are inborn qualities. Learning to take calculative risks, building teams and motivating fellow employees are nurtured qualities.”

Ong Yew Huat
Country Managing Partner, Ernst & Young

“If we want to boost Singapore’s success in creating new entrepreneurs, it has to start with education. We need to educate our current and future workforce that becoming an entrepreneur is a real option – all it needs is an idea and determination to pursue the vision. The education system itself should de-emphasize conformity, encourage innovative problem-solving, and send a clear message that it is ok to fail, as long as you learn and adapt.

Fear of failure is the greatest enemy of entrepreneurship. We need to give our youth ample opportunities to fail without de-motivating them, and this needs to become an integral part of the learning process to encourage entrepreneurs for the future.”

David J Nishball
Senior Vice-President, Asia Pacific Orange Business Services

“Entrepreneurship is a mindset – arising from a burning desire to change, to make money, and to be yourself. The success of an entrepreneur depends mainly on his vision, his timing and his opportunities and connections. He must take risk, compete and triumph.

First-generation entrepreneurs emerge mainly because of circumstances, bad times, lack of job opportunities, and a starving family. They are propelled by some opportunities, some connections and some family savings. And they succeed through hard work. Classroom training and degrees are unlikely to create the similar circumstances.”

Tan Kok Leong,
Principal, TKL Consulting

After reading the article, I felt that what we are doing is more than just building a better business person, its building a better person.

Three Things that Destroy a Person

How are we managing each of these three things within us?

How To Be Annoying

A little just for laughs for those who are feeling stress at work or with their business...Cheers!

• Write the surprise ending to a novel on its first page
• Repeat everything someone says as a question
• Leave your turn signal on for 50 km
• Name your dog “Dog”
• Ask people what gender they are
• Reply to everything someone says with, “That’s what you think”
• Invent nonsense computer jargon in conversations and see if people play along just so they won’t appear ignorant
• Sing along at the opera
• Holler random numbers while someone is counting.

T-hubber

Nine Things More Important Than Capital

When starting any enterprise or business, whether it is full-time or part-time, we all know the value of having plenty of capital (money). But I bet we both know or at least have heard of people who started with no capital who went on to make fortunes. How? You may ask.

Well, I believe there are actually some things that are more valuable than capital that can lead to your entrepreneurial success. Let me give you the list.

1. Time

Time is more valuable than capital. The time you set aside not to be wasted, not to be given away. Time you set aside to be invested in an enterprise that brings value to the marketplace with the hope of making a profit. Now we have capital time.

How valuable is time? Time properly invested is worth a fortune. Time wasted can be devastation. Time invested can perform miracles, so you invest your time.

2. Desperation

I have a friend Lydia, whose first major investment in her new enterprise was desperation. She said, "My kids are hungry, I gotta make this work. If this doesn't work, what will I do?" So she invested $1 in her enterprise selling a product she believed in. The $1 was to buy a few fliers so she could make a sale at retail, collect the money and then buy the product wholesale to deliver back to the customer.

My friend Bill Bailey went to Chicago as a teenager after he got out of high school. And the first job he got was as a night janitor. Someone said, "Bill, why would you settle for night janitor?" He said, "Malnutrition." You work at whatever you can possibly get when you get hungry. You go to work somewhere -- night janitor, it doesn't matter where it is. Years later, now Bill is a recipient of the Horatio Alger award, rich and powerful and one of the great examples of lifestyle that I know. But, his first job -- night janitor. Desperation can be a powerful incentive. When you say - I must.

3. Determination

Determination says I will. First Lydia said, "I must find a customer." Desperation. Second, she said, "I will find someone before this first day is over." Sure enough, she found someone. She said, "If it works once, it will work again." But then the next person said, "No." Now what must you invest?

4. Courage

Courage is more valuable than capital. If you've only got $1 and a lot of courage, I'm telling you, you've got a good future ahead of you. Courage in spite of the circumstances. Humans can do the most incredible things no matter what happens. Haven't we heard the stories? There are some recent ones from Kosovo that are some of the most classic, unbelievable stories of being in the depths of hell and finally making it out. It's humans. You can't sell humans short. Courage in spite of, not because of, but in spite of. Now once Lydia has made 3 or 4 sales and gotten going, here's what now takes over.

5. Ambition

"Wow! If I can sell 3, I can sell 33. If I can sell 33, I can sell 103." Wow. Lydia is now dazzled by her own dreams of the future.

6. Faith

Now she begins to believe she's got a good product. This is probably a good company. And she then starts to believe in herself. Lydia, single mother, 2 kids, no job. "My gosh, I'm going to pull it off!" Her self-esteem starts to soar. These are investments that are unmatched. Money can't touch it. What if you had a million dollars and no faith? You'd be poor. You wouldn't be rich. Now here is the next one, the reason why she's a millionaire today.

7. Ingenuity

Putting your brains to work. Probably up until now, you've put about 1/10 of your brainpower to work. What if you employed the other 9/10? You can't believe what can happen. Humans can come up with the most intriguing things to do. Ingenuity. What's ingenuity worth? A fortune. It is more valuable than money. All you need is a $1 and plenty of ingenuity. Figuring out a way to make it work, make it work, make it work.

8. Hearts and Soul

What is a substitute for heart and soul? It's not money. Money can't buy heart and soul. Heart and soul is more valuable than a million dollars. A million dollars without heart and soul, you have no life. You are ineffective. But, heart and soul is like the unseen magic that moves people, moves people to buy, moves people to make decisions, moves people to act, moves people to respond.

9. Personality

You've just got to spruce up and sharpen up your own personality. You've got plenty of personality. Just get it developed to where it is effective every day; it's effective no matter whom you talk to - whether it is a child or whether it is a businessperson - whether it is a rich person or a poor person. A unique personality that is at home anywhere. My mentor Bill Bailey taught me, "You've got to learn to be just as comfortable, Mr. Rohn, whether it is in a little shack in Kentucky having a beer and watching the fights with Winfred, my old friend or in a Georgian mansion in Washington, DC as the Senator's guest." Move with ease whether it is with the rich or whether it is with the poor. And it makes no difference to you who is rich or who is poor. A chance to have a unique relationship with whomever. The kind of personality that's comfortable. The kind of personality that's not bent out of shape.

And lastly, let's not forget charisma and sophistication. Charisma with a touch of humility. This entire list is more valuable than money. With one dollar and the list I just gave you, the world is yours. It belongs to you, whatever piece of it you desire whatever development you wish for your life. I've given you the secret. Capital. The kind of capital that is more valuable than money and that can secure your future and fortune. Remember that you lack not the resources.

To Your Success,
Jim Rohn

Brought to you by: T-Hubber

Failure List of The Famous

Einstein was 4 years old before he could speak.

Iassc Newton did poorly in grade school and was considered "unpromising."

When Thomas Edison was a youngster, his teacher told him he was too stupid to learn anything. He was counseled to go into a field where he might succeed by virtue of his pleasant personality.

F.W. Woolworth got a job in a dry goods store when he was 21, but his boss would not permit him to wait on customers because he "didn't have enough sense to close a sale."

Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team.
Bob Cousy suffered the same fate, but he too is a Hall of Famer.

A newspaper editor fired Walt Disney because he "lacked imagination and had no original ideas."

Winston Churchill failed the 6th grade and had to repeat it because he did not complete the tests that were required for promotion.

Babe Ruth struck out 1,300 times, a major league record.

Bill Gates failed twice while designing the first edition of windows OS.

A person may make mistakes, but is not a failure until he or she starts blaming someone else. We must believe in ourselves, and somewhere along the road of life we will meet someone who sees greatness in us and lets us know it.

T-Hubber

You Will Get Back What You Give, How True, How Very True

A child is lost in his neighborhood and while looking for a way home, came to a well decorated home. Feeling hungry he picked up his courage and knock on the door. A young lady opened the door and greeted the little boy.

The boy was embarrassed and instead of asking for a meal, he asked for a glass of water. The young lady went in and got him a glass of milk instead. After drinking the milk, the chubby young boy asked "How much do I owe you?" The young lady smiled and said, "My parents said not to accept gifts for kindness".

Several years later, a famous professor is researching on a vaccine of a terminal illness. A research team sent in a patient for observation. Upon hearing the name of the town she was from, the professor went to the bedside to take a look. It was the young lady who gave him the glass of milk.

The professor did all he could to save the lady, and he succeeded. When the bill came to the lady, she was anxious as to how much her medical bill could come to. She open up the bill and it stated:

"Paid in full, with a glass of milk"
Professor Howard Keller

T-Hubber

Never Lose Your Value

A speaker is speaking to a large crowd of about 1000 students. He looked at them and pulled out a $50 dollars bill. He asked the crowd, "who wants this $50 bill?". Almost everyone raise their hands.

He suddenly crush the bill and crumble it. He showed the untidy $50 bill and asked again "who wants the dollar bill?" Again, everyone raise their hands.

He then put it on the floor and step on it. In fact, he jumped on it creating a blank stare in the crowd. He picked up the bill and asked for the third time "who still wants the bill?"

Not surprised, everyone raised their hands. He then asked, "Why, dispite i crumble it and step on that bill do you still want that $50 bill?"

Someone in the crowd shouted "No matter what, $50 is still $50."

The speaker smiled and said " Yes, the bill will not lose its value dispite being crumbled and step on. You too, should not lose your value when you are down because your true value will always be your true value no matter what adversities you face."

He did give the $50 away to a student, but before he did, he said "Life will not give you what you want unless you take the effort to collect it yourself. Life can give you everything you asked for BUT will never come to you."

A student finally realize its meaning and rush down to the stage to collect his rewards.

When you asked someone if they want to be rich, they will raise their hands to signal the desire. But when asked what effort did he take to attain it, he just sit there looking at you.

T-Hubber

Appreciate Those Around You

Take this quiz:

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners
3. Name the last five winners of the miss America contenst
4. Name the ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Price
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Amard winners for best actor, actress
6. Name the last decade's worth of world series winners.
How did you do?

Here is another quiz:

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel, appreciated and special
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
6. Name half a dozen heroes whose stories have inspired you.
Easier?

The Lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care.

Start appreciating them and let them know you care too.

T-Hubber

A Lesson in Developing People

A journalist (I believe it was Napoleon Hill) was asked to interview one of the richest men in their time, Mr. Andrew Carnegie. A classic rag to riches legend who built his business empire around steel.

One question the journalist asked is this:

Journalist: I was told that you had 43 millionaires working for you, how did you hired so many millionaires and why are they willing to work for you?

Andrew Carnegie: Before I hired them, they are not millionaires. It was after working for me did they became millionaires.

J: Then what is your formula for turning so many of them into millionaires?

A.C: You see, developing people is just mining gold. You get one pound of dirt for every ounce of gold. Here is the thing, you don’t look for the dirt, you look for the gold.

One of the easiest ways to develop a person is to constantly catch him do the right thing and constantly praise him for it. Always try to look for the ‘good’ of the person.

T-Hubber

Introduction

Inspired by a late night sharing session with Ken and Rod, I decided to start an online journal that could impact youths in a very positive way. What you can find here is stories of how people whom, against all odds achieve what they set out to accomplish. What went into the mind of these people and how did they do it. Won’t you want to pick up some tips from these timeless stories?

You will also be able to read about the experiences the staff and members at T-Hub went through, their take on business, success and life itself. Events, which will be carrying out often will also be shared with everyone around the world of its learning value and the fun we all had.

To add spice to this online journal, I would love to invite those who have inspiring stories to share to write to me either via email or comment. If you believe great minds think alike, then this online journal will be your first step in meeting them.

T-Hubber