Thursday, July 2, 2009

The Sky Is The Limit!

While disassemble the collection tracks of my Sunday School song, I found a song "Little Lamb". This song is my favourite and I remembered I often sing it for my child, even when he still in the womb.

Here is the lyric:
Little lamb, little lamb
Lost on the mountain
Come, Shepherd
Taking the little lamb

Little lamb get lost because he lost guidance when he is on the top of the mountain. Indeed, in the top of the mountain, it is so quiet, not many are able to reach to the top.

After climbing the mountain to find grass mountains (see posting on the mountain pasture / start new business), now when we have it in the top of the mountain. Find the grass is truly fresh. New business that do not have competitors and produce a very large profit. But what should be done after the mountain peak is in the triumph of our business.

Proverbs says, "The wealth evaporate quickly and crown prince does not always become the property of their families. Therefore, keep the interests of your effort thoroughly. Note the circumstances of your flock; "
Look carefully your business interest, meaning the full attention, carefully and thoroughly.

One of the strategies outlined for them in the strategy "blue ocean".
The core strategy is ignoring the competition, set in the heart that there will always have empty space in which we do not need to do in competitions. In other words, find the customers that have not yet been touched / affordable - a broad ocean (ocean blue), but the open market without competitors in it.

There are 5 steps that need to be done:
1. Find opportunities in the market that has not been.
2. Ignore the competition - focus attention on the market
3. Give 'new value' / added value to the customer
4. Separate 'value' page, the price cut strategy
4. Sharpen strategy that is focused on the "differentiation and a low cost prices.

This strategy is done properly and accurately by the "Nokia", one of the leading mobile phone producer. At the time of start hp 'booming', common people also want to use the phone. And in fact there is no handset that is easy to use. This is the market is really wide and almost have no one step into this market.

By doing the right survey, conducted R & D to produce a handset that can be used by anyone, even children can use them. Then company issued Nokia 5110, hp which is very simple, cheap and easy to use. Nokia even this type well be knows as "Handphone a million people", because almost all people use this handset at the time.

One is the mountain again ... been conquered. As the expression on the "The Sky Is The Limit!" There are still many mountains that have not been conquered, many have not been forded the sea, the sky is limit. (OBS)

One Hare, Three Holes

Regret to hear one of my colleagues go down in business. Worst than that he does not want to restart in business again and plan to work in another city. Indeed, Proverbs says, "Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds; for riches do not endure forever, and a crown is not secure for all generations." We are taught to protect the interests of our business carefully, thoroughly and carefully. Feng huan an advisory from the Chinese prime minister once said, "a loopy hare has three holes to survive." Feng huan idea is people should prepare for the difficult period when the luck is being aligned to them. Proverbs version says it like this, " "Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise:……. Coney are creatures of little power, yet they make their home in the crags;” Coney or hare does not have only one hole for escaping from their predator, but it has another two holes for him to survive.

Business development should follow this rule. Make three holes to survive in the difficult period. Trends business is tend to be flooded all the resources to promote the core business, without ever thinking about diversification (development of new business lines). Indeed, for the first time starting a business, all capabilities has to be use for developing our core business (main business). But after the business has grown, it's time to do diversification. This is usually related to the core business that has been developed. For example for a business instant noodles plant, the development is to build a factory of raw material, namely wheat plant. As is often said by stock broker, "Never put all eggs in one basket." Indeed, the development of business will not be liked in a high way compare than doing diversification, in part because of resources directed to other areas, but this will make the bumper when business slowdown .

Competition in business at this time is more strict. The opening of mini market in every housing complex in the near future, make the traders have to be diligent and engaged in business. My father also have this strict competition. But because he is focusing of goods sold is a specific fish that is salted, he does not feel competed by the mini market. Also my Mother-in-Law, keep standing in front of them, as she knew that there is no use to compete with mini market, he focuses on cake ingredient, free consultation and how to make a cake. Imagine all Wonorejo village buys to make a cake from her, it is a good business.

In fact there is no competition in the business, (see my post, "The Sky Is The Limit" - Blue Ocean Strategy), there is a way to improve our service we have offered. Make customers feel being served well. Dr. Deming taught how to improve the quality of the service that we provided. Four steps Deming conducted continuously in a round, will improve the quality of our services. Here is Deming Four Steps:
1. PLAN: plan, what should be done, when, and who should do, how it should be done and using what?
2. DO: do, implement what they have planned.
3. CHECK: Make the assessment, whether the activity has achieved the expected results.
4. ACT: Improve planning based on information obtained in the checks.
Repeat the four steps above, until it has achieved service standard that we expected.


Just like a wise hares,we started our first secure hole with the company I work for in IT Outsourcing. Then we began to dig the second secure hole by establishing Happy Holy Kids Kindergarten in Graha Raya. Third hole, we tried to dig store "BJM Jaya" but it has been closed because the owner needs to use it. So now we're preparing to dig a new secure hole
Okay, happy struggling in the business and be a wise hare. (OBS)

Friday, June 5, 2009

Buying a House or Starting a Business First?

Questions that often arise in the heart and sometimes can not be disclosed is about "Buying a House or Starting a Business First?"

Appeared in the book of Proverbs, there is an explanation of this problem:
"[Put first things first.] Prepare your work outside and get it ready for yourself in the field; and afterward build your house and establish a home. "

Unfortunately, I learned this quiet expensive enough.
In 1997, after well-established enough, I bought a house in the area of Tangerang.
And in 1998, the monetary crisis occurred and the bank guarantee liquidated.
Finally, I lose my house.
But that time my friend working in another private bank, and he offers to invest in U.S. dollars. (Imagine my total money while 15 thousand for a dollars from only 2 thousands)

God explains to develop your business first, not the building the house.
I finally married without having a house alias contractors (leasing a home).
But since then, I learned to develop my business.
What needs to be developed first before starting the business?
Develop your self .... Develop your strength.
There are 5 strenghts that I learned before starting the business:
1. Position strength
2. The strength of knowledge
3. Strength Duty
4. Strength of Relationships
5. Personality Strengths

For the strength of knowledge, I take English courses, because I feel I lack in communicating in English. For anything else, I learned in the most organized in the church. (such as Leadership Training from John Maxwell, etc).

Finally I succeeded in entering foreign companies listed in the Fortune 500.

Stories about our business, starting at home, my wife started a cosmetics business in the home by opening a kiosk in Indomaret and Omi. This ability to grow business.
After the successful and the time that we had to move house, our business is to provide our adjuvant.

Then in the new house, we start the KB and TK Happy Holy Kids in Graha Raya.
Okay first up here, please join ProverbsClub@yahoogroups.com. (OBS)

If You Must Choose .......

Life is choices. If you must choose ... Choose a good name rather than great wealth.

Pastor from Taiwan declared his wonder regarding my friend who
is working in Taiwan, "You give your ATM (debit card) to Budi, don’t you?", the ATM
he mentioned about is all salary my friend has received when he is working there. "Do you handed all your money to him?"

My friend said, "For him, the money is not comparable with good name he has."

Choose a good name rather than the great wealth, unfortunately, tendency of the human heart is to choose a great wealth rather than a good name.

Living in wisdom is prefer choosing the good name.
In a meeting in which I became the speaker, I challenged to choose between a long age, wealth, or health.

There are some people select long age, I replied, but living in poverty and illness
Select a prosperity, but only live until thirties? So which must be selected?
Choose GOOD NAME, and those will come automatically.
If you have chosen the good name but have not gotten it all,
let's discuss this in ProverbClub@yahoogroups.com.

I remembered when I was 17, I knew the book of Proverbs, and since then, I fell in love with this book, every day I read the book in accordance with the date of that day (there is 31 chapters in Proverbs). Indeed, when I started, I was not getting all the promised, but after diging in depth with it, it appeared that there are
many tips and tricks that are interconnected with each other in this book that need to be practiced to obtain the results.
So, I wait for you at the Proverbs Club.

Wise Regards,
Ong Budi Setiawan

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proverbsclub
Subscribe: proverbsclub-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Welcome Message

In fact,the most needed in life is wisdom - to know and do what is right - and ingenuity. I call it Life and Business Wisdom. Come join me to learn how to live through the most famous and the most wealthy and the wisest, King Solomon.

Wisdom Bible has been used by the Jews as a reference in their lives. And we have known, that the most powerful person in the world is from the Jews. Because they have been taught since their young age to learn the book of Proverbs.

Let us dig in depth with the book of Proverbs and gain successful life and business.

Warm regards,
Ong Budi Setiawan