Thursday, March 31, 2011

We have the FREEDOM and RESPONSIBILITY to make a difference!

So Yes, March has been a terribly busy month, having to settle the final presentations and reports for the Minor in Entrepreneurship program with NTU.

Nonetheless, I would try to keep up with the reflections I have written on my little notebook, and transfer them to the blog as often as possible.

March 16, Grameen Creative Lab @ NUS

Mr Reitz the Founder and Executive Director of GLC was an inspirational speaker, who shared his life story of how he pulled himself and his family out of poverty through an entrepreneurial drive and spirit, which brought him huge successes and relative riches even at a time when the country was war torn and resources are scare for the entire community.

These are some of his sharings and the thoughts I have derived from them:

How to ignite Social Reform?

What inspired me most was the his strong respect for authority, and to ignite social change without the use of violence.

It is common for us to ride our strong emotions, self-righteousness and passion for social justice and demand that changes be made immediately, however in the area of igniting social reform, one has to be truly wise and strategic in doing it so to prevent unnecessary sacrifices from being made.
Especially, in the case where the government is involved, it is important that we employ the power of the people to influence the government, rather than recklessly challenging people of authority with violence/uncivilized/unethical means. Least we provide our adversaries reasons or rights to employ legal restrictions upon ourselves.

During the Q&A, he reinforced his point that to ignite Social Change, we ought not to do it ourselves.
There are numerous passionate and purposeful people out there. There really is!
All it takes, is for us to have the courage to take action against social injustice! And we will soon discover the people around us, who are equally or if not, even more passionate in the areas we wish to change.
To CHANGE the world, you do NOT have to do it alone!

In Entrepreneurship in general, Making money is not unethical or wrong

However, we have to ensure that:
1) Our enjoyment does not come in the expense of others
2) Know what is enough (Excess wealth does not bring excess happiness)
3) Make it your business to make your community and environment safer and better than it was.

It is wrong to see Social Injustice and DO NOTHING about it

Last but not least, another enlightening story he told......

After the holocaust, he went around asking his neighbours what did they do or know about it.
Most of the neighbours feint ignorance, as means of communication were not as efficient as it were back then.

However, at this present age of technological sophistication, we no longer have the excuse of
"I don't know".
For information have been made available on our finger tips, and the real reason for inaction is that we are just too busy making money.
We have the FREEDOM and RESPONSIBILITY to make a difference!

Monday, March 7, 2011

Power Corrupts (I hope not)

I can't believe it when I read it, but after I researched on it, it was discouraging to find it to be true. Do you know that our top politicians are getting 8 months bonuses!


I sincerely hope that they use the money wisely... Like give back to the citizens or disadvantage people of Singapore!!!!!

Friday, March 4, 2011

Some of the Seminars and Workshops I've attended in 2010

Hi guys

I'm just sharing here a reflection report of some of the seminars and workshops I've attended in 2010.
Enjoy... :)

To view: Click here

Sunday, February 27, 2011

ITE Entrepreneurship Forum

Through Sophee of SingYouth Hub, I was given the fortune to attend the ITE Entrepreneurship Forum.

There I met Mr Ong Tze Boon, MD of Ong & Ong Pte Ltd and Mr Clinton Ang, MD of Corner Stone and Hock Tong Bee Pte Ltd.

These are my key takeaways from the two charismatic, entrepreneurial, family business leaders.
1. Perceive and Be Aware
Change is right in front of you, you see it but most of us choose not to see or act on it.
- You think you know whats going on, but you were never quite aware of whats happening.
- Its easy to miss something you're not looking for

2. Entrepreneurship lessons
a. Business strategy -> Foresight & Awareness
b. Business scale -> (i) Increase competition, (ii) Competitive fees, (iii) Improve productivity and (iv) External offerings
c. Business structure -> (i) Reward performers, (2) Don't concession non-performers

3. Institutionalization of your business
The success of an entrepreneur is truly based on his ability to build an effective system that minimizes the need of investing personal attention to the business.

4. The key to success is to:
a. Admit your failure and cut losses
b. Maximize success, minimize failures

5. To ignite corporate change
It has to start from Bottom-up and Top-down
- Identify those who believes in you and plant them into each department to start the Bottom-up process

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Inflation, low fertility rate among issues raised at post-Budget dialogue

Channel News Asia Article:
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1113178/1/.html


SINGAPORE NEWS
Inflation, low fertility rate among issues raised at post-Budget dialogue
By Evelyn Choo | Posted: 26 February 2011 2142 hrs




SINGAPORE: Inflation, Singapore's low fertility rate, and entrepreneurship - these were some topics raised 
by youths at a post-Budget dialogue.

On the panel was Minister of State for Trade and Industry Lee Yi Shyan, who entertained the queries of a 

hundred PMETs, short for professionals, managers, executives and technicians, from Young NTUC and the 
Nanyang Business School.

Stanley Chia, Managing Director of Envisage and a student at Nanyang Business School, said: "Currently I'm 

on sabbatical, to start my own business. But I realised that during this process, where all my friends are seeking 
for internships, they're getting high-paying jobs. And it becomes a very conflicting thought in me, whether to 
continue my business or to look for a comfortable job."

The minister-in-charge of entrepreneurship said he hoped to see half of those present there start their own

enterprises.

But while there was government support, the onus is on them to stand out.

Mr Lee said: "As Singapore moves forward, we need our young people to come up with business 

models that can capture the imagination of the world."

On rising inflation, some asked if the one-off cash payouts would help them cope with the long-term 

effects of a rising Consumer Price Index.

Mr Lee responded: "The average family will get S$3,000. S$3,000 will cover many items that have

 their cost risen, if you are objective about it. And many food items, as I've seen for myself in FairPrice 
and Giant and so on, some food prices actually dropped."

Mr Lee added that the Singapore dollar was strong against the greenback.

"For all the commodities and food items we bought in US dollars, it has become cheaper or not as expensive.

 If you look at other countries, food prices have gone on to become quite high, five and six per cent and so on.
 So we are doing quite well."

Also raised at the dialogue, Singapore's low fertility rate.

Josephine Teo, Advisor to Young NTUC and Assistant Secretary-General of NTUC, said: "Although many of

 them are young, and either unmarried or not yet with children, they are concerned about Singapore's Total
 Fertility Rate. And there is a desire for the government to respond and to identity more effective measures
 that will help to reverse the trend. I think for me, this bodes well."

Those attending the dialogue were aged between 18 and 35 years old.

-CNA/ac