Do You Need A Perfect Product?

When you are in business, potentially you can create jobs for people. That's how jobs are created. To many entrepreneurs, job creation is one of the best thing a successful business can offer back to the society. It fuels the economy too. When job ownership goes up, more people will have income which they can spend, hence do good to the economy.

You can choose to start a business on your own or partnership. In fact, there are many ways for you to start a business. You can buy a franchise, take over an existing viable business, network marketing, trading and etc. No matter what business you do, you know you are doing this for good. You truly see the good values of your product and services will benefit others. But do you need to have a product or service that is perfect before you can do business? I don't think so.

Does Microsoft's products have unidentified software bugs? I'm a Windows OS user. I know that this OS can do wonders but yet still have its limitations. Is it a perfect product? I would say no. But is it a good product in general? I would say yes. Did Bill Gates wait for a 100% perfect product before Microsoft start selling? The answer is no. Microsoft will address those limitations of its software in an on-going process. Software patches and updates are released as time goes.

Now, what message am I trying to deliver? What I'm trying to say is that you should not throw the white towel and call it quit if you realize that you have an imperfect product. If you quit just months after starting your business, then it speaks a lot of your limit. You can't handle adversity. As the big boss, you need to stay focus, set your expectation realistically, be patient and find ways to improve your products and services. Remember that you have a team of people working for you. You can't let them down. So the next time if you feel lousy because of such reason, think of the Microsoft's example which I quoted in here and choose to make a difference!

Why Do People Give Up Their Dreams?

This is a beautiful article that I chance upon.

Fear is the number one reason that people do not live their dreams. Fear holds us back, sometimes paralyzing us, and prevents us from moving forward.But, when you look back at your life, what do you want it to be about? Do you want to say, "I could have" or "I did"? The choice is yours, what words do you want to come out of your mouth?

So how do you move past your fears and live your dreams? Follow these easy steps:

1. Acknowledge that you have dreams. I meet so many people who say that they don't have dreams or they can't remember what they are. You know what your dreams are, you really do. You've just pushed them down so deep that it might take some time to bring them to the surface again. Let them out, you are worth it.

2. Write down your dreams. How can you live your dreams if you can't see what they are? Write them down. Don't judge your dreams or wonder "how?" Just do it!

3. Break your dreams into small steps. All accomplishments in life happen when you take the first step. It doesn't have to be large one. It just has to get you moving. Small steps will get you to your dreams. Until one day, you realize that you are there.

4. Face the barriers that are keeping you from living your dreams. What's keeping you from living your dreams? Not enough money or time? Too many responsibilities? Look for ways to overcome this. There will always be a reason not to do something. It's up to you if you want to give into these reasons or not.

5. Find people who will support you. They should be people who love you and will cheer you on as you move towards your dreams. Tell them how much you love and appreciate them. You do not want to live your dreams by yourself.

6. Pat yourself on the back for your successes. You deserve it! The fun part of living your dreams is the journey. It's the piece that builds character and the piece that you will remember the most.

7. Recognize that fear will not go away. There are times when you will wonder if you have what it takes to fulfill your dreams or if you deserve to live them. Fear is a normal part of human nature. If you can accept that fear will occur during this process then you don't have to spend time worrying what you will do if you do get afraid because you will have this part handled. The only way past fear is through it and not around it. You can do it!

So feel the fear and live your dreams anyway! There are no guarantees, but the rewards are plentiful if you believe in yourself. No one is going to live your dreams for you. It's up to you to create your own life. Why not have that life filled with dreams.

Investment guru says GIC, Temasek will lose money on US banks

INVESTMENT guru Jim Rogers believes that US bank stocks could fall further and predicts that Singapore's state investors will lose money on their multi-billion dollar investments in Citigroup and Merrill Lynch. 'I'm shorting investment banks on Wall Street,' the long-time commodities bull told reporters on Wednesday at a launch event for ABN AMRO certificates linked to commodities.

'It grieves me to see what Singapore is doing. They are going to lose money,' he added, referring to investments by Government of Singapore Investment Corp and Temasek in Citigroup, Switzerland's UBS and Merrill Lynch.

Mr Rogers, an American who co-founded the Quantum Fund with billionaire George Soros in the 1970s, now lives in Singapore as he wants to raise his four-year-old daughter in an environment where she can learn Mandarin Chinese.

Mr Rogers, who also writes investment books, said Wall Street had to work off 10 years of excesses and predicted that losses linked to risky mortgages will eventually spread to credit card bills, student loans and other debt. -- REUTERS

Warren Buffett says US economy in recession

Billionaire US investor Warren Buffett said Monday that the American economy was already in a recession, but he also expressed optimism that the economy would rebound strongly in time.

Asked in an interview with the CNBC business television network whether he thought the economy was in a recession, Buffett responded: "I think it's clear. What isn't clear, is how far it goes."

"I see what's going on in terms of the wealth of Americans and how they feel about their houses, I see purchasing power decline, obviously when someone forecloses on a home, the purchasing power of that family is not going to be very much. I see unemployment increasing a little bit," Buffett said.

Be Willing To Do What's Hard

There are bound to be challenges, discomfort and hardship when you venture into your new business. But if you persist, do the right thing and stay focus, this Universe will reward you abundantly. You will taste the fruit of success, which is indeed very sweet.

With this, I draw your attention to this man who has a never-say-die attitude.

As a boy, he collected garbage and sold rice snacks to put himself through night school. He often went hungry, when even the beggars who were his neighbours had food to eat. He was also shy with girls. When he sold his snacks outside a girls’ school, he would cover his face with a straw hat whenever students walked past.

But he persevered, and won a place at the prestigious Korea University. After graduation, he joined a small firm – Hyundai Construction – as a clerk. His rise up the ranks was meteoric for his time, and he was the firm’s CEO when he was only 36. In the next two decades, he transformed Hyundai Construction into a global company, undertaking building projects in a number of countries. His rags-to-riches story is the stuff of TV soap operas, and indeed Mr Lee Myung Bak’s life was the subject of two Korean television dramas in 1990. he has now become part of Korean folklore.

And last Monday, 25 Feb 2008, he ascended to the highest office in South Korea. He is 66 years old. When he delivered his inaugural speech, he reminded Koreans that dreams do come true.
“A country boy who could not even eat regular meals… became the President of the Republic of Korea,” he said.

Dear friends, don’t let your complacency and comfort zones become your worst foes in life. You only live once.