My Experience in Business

Assalamualaikum, everyone! Greetings. 

I believe by indulging yourself in business, you will be happy.

After you have read this blog, you guys might be wondering why am I interested to create a blog entitled Entrepreneurship, at the first place, right? Well, maybe some of you are curious. Let me end your curiosity. I created a blog entitled Entrepreneurship and talked about all sorts of entrepreneurial knowledge because obviously I love Entrepreneurship! I love business. I'm actually a business woman, myself.  In this post, I will tell you about my experiences, my wonderful experiences being a business woman or a business girl.

I've started indulging in the biz world ever since I was in semester 3, still studying in KPM Indera Mahkota in Diploma in English Communication (DEC). The funny thing was, when I was semester 1, I sent my application to be a PSN (Persatuan Siswa Niaga) member. But then, throughout the whole semester, I did not even go to any of the meetings. Opps, my bad! Well, I was quite lazy at the time. Semester 1 was somewhat hectic because I was new and everything seemed difficult for me to handle. I didn't even know why I wanted to joined the PSN at that time.

An advertisement I made and spread all over the girl hostels in KPMIM and via WeChat.

When I was in semester 3, Allah sent me his Hidayah (guide). I started to realize that money is important when you are a student. I started to cut down the FAMA (Father Mother Allowance) and started to gain my own money. I went to Instagram and searched for things that can be sold. At the time, wideshawls were totally in the market. I went ahead and bought a bundle of wideshawls from an instashop. First, I bought the pattern ones, only. When you buy something in a wholesale form, you will get a wholesale price, much lower than the price of a piece. I started my business without my parents knowing. I did it secretly. At the time, my financial was getting more stable, alhamdulillah. After about three times re-buying wideshalws from the same supplier, I wanted to try something new. I went on Instagram and bought boxes of Obuse lip tints. I'm sure if you're a girl, you know what they are. They're these little lip tints that are very convenient and compact from travelling and all. The colours are all sheer and natural. It's like adding a glow on your face. 

Throughout the whole semester, I was in a lot of pressure with studies and friends. My business didn't interfere my studies. But, I had some misunderstandings with my friends and a lot of back-talkings. I was indeed stressful when I was in semester 3. I think semester 3 is by far the worst semester that I've ever had. Despite all that, my business had gotten better and I gained a lot more customers and profit. I started to gain many loyal customers. They keep on repeating orders from me. So, I started making promotions and discounts. A lot more people came to me! I was the happiest person at the time and the best thing was I had no problems financially and my mother didn't know that I was doing very well with my financial, because I'm actually a shopaholic. I tend to waste money on things. But, after I have indulged myself in business, I started to shop less and sell more. It felt amazing!

The happiness continued with the real deal when my mother found out that I have been doing business over the past months. I was scared at first. But, my mother was into wideshawls at the time. Therefore, there was this one time that my mother, my sisters and I went to Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman (TAR) and we bought bundles and bundles of wideshalws, mostly are plain, glitter and crumpled. It was a lot of fun, going shopping with your mom and sisters and asking for lower prices from the sellers. It's an amazing feeling when you bargain with the seller to lower the price of something that you want to buy and you win the bargain. As the malays say, "Untung gila bapak". Hahaha! It's true though. It is profitable to sell things that you bought via wholesale. Then, I went back to Kuantan and continued selling the same thing, just more. My sales finished early. I wasn't expected that actually. All of the girls were crazy over wideshawls at that time (2014). So, I had a wonderful experience in business when I was in semester 3, despite my tension towards studies and friends. The highlight of the semester would be, I got a lot of profit and in terms of studies, I managed to achieved a 4.00 of GPA. Alhamdulillah. At the end of the day, it turned out that semester 3 was one of the unforgettable semesters I've ever had. Wink!

The logo of Daisy Hijab (Bawal Crepe 45") created by me

When I was in semester 4, bawal crepe was totally admirable by most girls. Who wouldn't want a perfectly shaped scarves (tudung)? I sold bawal crepe especially for my college mates as we are not allowed to wear any other tudung except bawal crepe and instant scarfs (tudung sarung/tudung awning). Well, of course I grabbed the opportunity to sell what the girls want! Bawal crepe or the commercial name that I used was Daisy Hijab, is a 45" one. It is perfectly shaped and very comfortable. I had tons of customers back in semester 4 and I kept on repeating hundreds of orders from my supplier, until the end of the semester. Overall, everyone was happy wearing the bawal crepe. I saw my customers' happy faces when the bawal crepe hijab arrived. I love seeing that. That's why I love doing business. I want to make people happy, and I want to always see smiles on their faces. It's an undescribable feeling that I want to feel, always.

In semester 5, which is this semester, I sold POCO caramel popcorns. They're very sweet! I love it so much. In TSK (Terminal Sentral Kuantan), the popcorn was sold at the price of RM 8. It was rather expensive. I went to Instagram and searched for wholesalers for that particular popcorn and fortunately I found a dropshipper who lives in Kuantan. I bought 2 boxes and she sent me the boxes herself via delivery. So I didn't have to bank in any money in any accounts, so that was a plus point. Again, for the popcorn, I gained a lot of customers because I sold the popcorn at an affordable price and a lot of them sent good feedbacks to me, they said they loved the popcorn and they're very delicious and all. I was very happy. I'm very happy. I'm a happy bussiness girl. He he he!

All in all, I love business and I'd love to be an entrepreneur one day. I want to have my own busienss, create my own products and I want to make people happy and satisfied with the things they'd buy from me, inshaAllah.

Entrepreneurship in Media

Assalamualaikum, dear readers!

As you can know, there are intermediaries for everything, including Entrepreneurship/business. Media plays an important role in spreading entrepreneurial knowledge and skills. If you want to know more about something, where do you turn to? The internet! Right. Me too. Television and magazines are also great knowledge providers. There are about so many resources that a business man and an entrepreneur can look up to for references. Not just for them, but also for beginners. 

Newlands (2014) said, "Inspiration for running a business can come from anywhere. Wisdom is found in kernels throughout life, and you can find quite a bit in the media you choose to engage in during your off time. Even shows seemingly unrelated to business can provide great ideas about running you business, so long as you know what to look for,". [a(ii)]

Magazines

Magazines like Entrepreneur and Forbes are great resources of business and entrepreneurial knowledge! These are great readings even for regular people. These are not just wasted magazines full of gossips and celebrity's dishes. Entrepreneur and Forbes are prestigious magazine companies.

Television Shows

The Apprentice

Based on Newlands (2014)'s claim, "Even though reality television is mostly geared at entertainment, it does do a good job of showing some group dynamics (albeit slightly dramatized). The Apprentice is a great example of this, where even though entrepreneurs are put on the same team in the beginning, they are still primarily concerned with their own success. You can learn from their explosive conflicts on how to avoid similar ones in your business,".

Keeping Up With The Kardashians

According to Newlands (2014), "Yes, even this show has something to teach you! The Kardashians may not be everybody's style, you cannot deny the fact that their branding is impeccable. You can use the same tricks to get to the top of your industry just by watching their show. As long as you know how to adapt them for your business, you can build a better brand one day at a time,".

Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares

Newlands (2014) said, "Forget the US version of this show; it is far too dramatized for any solid takeaways. However, the UK version does an excellent job of analyzing why the restaurants are failing and gives pragmatic solutions to turn things around. This well articulated business advice is something you can take with you,".

The Bachelor

Newlands (2014) quoted, "You may find yourself asking how a show about dating can help you run a business, but The Bachelor teaches a lot of lessons--how to deal with different types of communication, how to play the game, and how to get along with your competitors. Cooperation and a healthy sense of competition are what drives businesses to innovate and continue to grow, so to better your business, make friends with them, but also learn when to let go,".

Reference:

Newlands, M. (2014, October 27). 10 TV Shows Entrepreneurs Can Learn From. Inc.com. Retrieved August 27, 2015 from http://www.inc.com/murray-newlands/10-tv-shows-entrepreneurs-can-learn-from.html [a(ii)]

Ways to Make a Business Successful

Assalamualaikum. We meet again! 

Well, now we’re halfway to the end. So, by now, I’m sure some of you have already intended to start your own business, right? When you have your own business, you must have wanted to make it becomes successful, right? I mean, who wouldn’t that? Everyone does. Now, let’s look at the ways on how to make a business becomes successful. 

Todrin (2012) quoted, “Entrepreneurs -- whether they're an unemployed person striking out on their own or a seasoned veteran trying to get the mojo back again -- must do things differently in order to survive. Everyone must change, especially small-business owners,”. [a(i)]

1. Determination

In whatever that you do, you have to have determination in yourself. Believe that you can, you must and you will! Have a strong heart, have a strong will! You can do it! Take gradual steps, little by little. But, don’t worry. If you are determined in doing something, you will reach the finish line, soon. Yes, life is not a race. But, race with yourself! Challenge yourself! After all, who wouldn’t want to work and strive hard in something that they love doing? You have passion in Entrepreneurship, strive for it! Never ever give up. Strong will is important. Remember!

2. Have a written plan

If you want to succeed as an entrepreneur, you have to start from scratch. Start with what? An idea. You have to write them down, and plan your visions wisely. According to Todrin (2012), “Without a plan, it is merely a dream. It doesn't have to be a book, but you need a few pages outlining specific objectives, strategies, financing, a sales and marketing plan, and a determination of the cash you need to get things done. Writing it all down is a crucial first step,”.

3. Keep your ego in check and listen to others

Todrin (2012) quoted, “Advisors are crucial because you need people to bounce ideas off, inspect what you're doing, and push you to greater accomplishments, holding you accountable for what you are committing to do. Always be good to your word and follow through on commitments, even when difficult and challenging. This isn't about you; it's about the business. Don't take things personally and stay out of emotion. Do not let your ego control,”. Easily said, throw the ego away, far far away. You don’t need it here, in the biz world.

4. Keep track of everything, and manage by the numbers

According to Todrin (2012), to make a business become successful is to, “Create written systems for everything, because you will reap benefits from them later on. This is how you train your employees and retain consistency. Know your numbers and check them daily and make all decisions based on what they tell you. One of the most important calculations is cash flow pro forma. Determine how much cash you need to do the business, and do not start without the required cash on hand,”.

5. Reinvent your business

You have a business, it’s not working out too well, you’re not gaining much profit. What to do? Reinvent your business! According to Todrin (2012), “It is net profit, not gross revenue, that you want to focus on. Separate yourself from your history and create a new competitive advantage, be it a focused niche or super service, but not by discounting,”. 

Reference:

Todrin, D. (2012, April 20). 7 Ways to Help Ensure Your Business Succeeds. Entrepreneur. Retrieved August 27, 2015 from http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/223390 [a(i)]