How to Grow Business Revenue - the Key Steps

 

Nurturing Entrepreneurship - Is this a major contradiction in terms ?

I read with some amusement recently that a Minister of State, in a recent interview with Channel News Asia,  made comments that Singapore(ans) should start youth on entrepreneurship earlier.

The optics of this is hilarious. Its as if you have a General who all throughout his career, has risen through the ranks to reach the pinnacle (on paper) in rank. He is probably an expert in  engaging war strategy, best practises, soldier discipline, equipment specifications and availabilty etc etc. 

Everything on paper to protect his country, and its interests.

He then goes to tell the many youth out there to go and 'Chiong' where he has never engaged in firefight, dogfight or skirmish, let alone engage with the enemy in the battlefield.

When we look from the sidelines, we see the Government leaders telling people go. Its yours to win, I read it all in books, we have the means to support you !  This is typical of our leaders in Government, they are good cheerleaders, provide grants yet in their past resumes, no one (with very few exceptions) has literally 'walked the talk' as far as starting, managing and growing a business from scratch to (say) S$ 10 million revenue in size.

Fact of the matter in entrepreneurship, 70% of businesses fail in the year, 90 - 95% fail within 3 years and only a tiny fraction (0.01%) make it to $10 Million within say 10 years upon startup.

Entrepreneurs for the most part are born not made. Their stories are filled with grit, failure, lots of late nights, tough decisions and heartbreak time and again. They need to have the stomach to take sizeable risks and go 'all in' or sell the house type of risk to achieve the ultimate reward.

Olivia Lum was a successful businesswoman at the listed company Hyflux. She started here entrepreneurial jpurney when she was in Primary school selling eggs from her hometown in Ipon to her classmates to make some pocket money.

Sim Wong Hoo (Creative Tech Chairman) did the near impossible. He realised that the Singapore market was too small a market to scale up on his flagship Soundcard, so he ventured to the US market in the late 1980s and took a good 5 years to establish a foothold, gain loyal following and develop his brand, and then and only then, the fastidious Singapore market was broken into.

His Chinese PC was ahead of its time, and failed.

His Zen Patent Music Organizer, was in contention with Apple's own version, and they fought a costly lawsuit which Creative subsequently won for USD 100 million.

Who Dares Wins. For a small fraction, this is a handsome payout, and to my recollection, only the 2 companies above, Creative Tech and Hyflux have come from private sector without any big Government money at key stages in their growth. 

Who Loses will lose his house, and shirt on this back big time. 

So Mr. Minister, standing from the sidelines, you have the spectators, you have the running shoes, maybe even provide the coaching.... (I believe and I may be wrong)...but there are strings attached.  

I have had my share of grants disbursed from the Enterprise SG and boy its full of bureaucratic rigmarole designed at 'helping SMEs' but at the end of the day, its essentially an extra administration burden required with endless submissions, approvals and assessments to get the money. 

It was really not worth the effort and time to get the grants, in my opinion. 

The best runners will be running barefeet, training with their own parents' money and slowly working their way up. Many will fail, will suffer breakdowns and injuries. Heartache and mental duress is all part of the athletes game.

When they do suceed.

And boy they will one day.

The scent and taste of success will be so sweet.  

 

Parties with Cousins in the 1970s at our Parents' place.

 

Wynne Leong and Johnathon Mun

My mother is the eldest sister amongst 4 sisters and 2 brothers (one half). The 2nd sister Aunty Dona married a doctor Dr. Leong Chai Mun and they have 2 children.

> Winston Leong Ah Pan

> Wynne Leong Chee Whye

Papa with Angela Lau

The third sister Mina Lau married Mr. Lau - a police man, later he became an inspector.

They have 4 children, namely :

May Lay

Clifford Lau

Wendy Lau 

Angela Lau 

May Lau wedding with my Mum and her colleagues 

There are 2 more sister and brothers, who children I will name here :

The youngest sister (Mona) was married to a school teacher, Mr. Phoon He later became a school principal and the President of the Orchid Society. I recall spending many days at the Phoon family residence as we (my Mum and Aunty Mona) were especially close and our families were both members of the Singapore Swimming Club.

Back in the day, after our morning swim, we had to proceed to school However, every Sunday was a treat as all the swimmers (the boys at least) went to the open area (Cabana is now built here).

The Boys would then proceed to play football with a soft ball replicating Star Soccer. 

I was famously known as Stiff Legs. I firmly believed my legs were metallic just like the 6 Million Dollar Man - Steve Austin/

I recall once when we were playing and my shoes, gave way. I continued to play barefeet and had made a swipe of the ball aimed at the goal.

I missed it pathetically, and my meet grazed the 100 year old tree and the bark actually flew out.

I was a terrible ruffian and could take and give punishment. LOL. 

True Story.

 

One Last Video of the 1960s

 

Childhood Video1968 Family and Parties

 

This Video uploaded by me is probably taken in 1968. My father had a Cine Camera and probably had the maid or my Mum to take the film.

I was 6 and Johnny was 3 years old. In the video, we had a swing at the side of the house.

The lady in the video wearing a saree was probably my father's mother, or grandmother. 

The black dog in the video is Trixie, a mixed Cocker Spaniel. 

Dec 21 - 22 1976 Triangular Swim Meet Sanya Samaki Manila Post 2

Swimmers doing the March Past at Manila Polo Club Dec 21 - 22 1976

The year was 1974, the month, December approaching Christmas. I had just turned 14 years of age. This trip was the reward for all the training we had the whole year, and to compete in a regional meet was the highlight for all of us teenagers.

We were all decked out in the nice tracksuits of our Singapore Swimming Club. I had just been nominated as the Boys Swimming Captain, by our Head Manager, Mr. Henry Chan.

Those days we felt invincible, and we wanted to see how we ranked regionally. I believe this was the first time many of us had taken a flight overseas (I was fortunate to travel I believe 2 times before to Europe (June 1974) and (possibly) Hong Kong (June 1975).   

All in all, when I was a Club Swimmer, we had taken part in 4 regional Sanya Samaki tournaments to (if my memory serves me correctly) : 

a) Penang - 1974

b) Bangkok - 1975

c) Manila - 1976

d) Jakarta - 1977

 

                                   From left : Kelvin Wee, Carl Chan, Yours Truly, Boatman 

The cammaderie amongst us swimmers and non-swimmers was great. We had loads of fun, and these memories I will take all the way to the end of my days.

There was the competition, then the evening dinners, the friendships made, (we exchanged addresses, and promised to write to our new found Filipino friends) and all the wonderful memories singing campfire songs and just being boisterous kids out of the country creating all kinds of havoc.

Our generous hosts were the Manila Polo Club (Swim Section), so we handily beat them as we were and still are the premier Swim Club in Singapore. 

Bangkok Story 2  (1975)

I was just 13, and a playful teenager. We had travelled by bus to Bangkok all the way from Singapore to swim against the Bangkok Sports Club. The bus ride from Singapore to Bangkok took 2 full days, and we had an overnight stop at Hat Yai.

At the Hat Yai Hotel, once we finished our dinner, we headed back into our rooms to play and chat with our swim mates. 

All of a sudden, we heard what sounded like huge metal cabinets falling over 

"Bam Bam Bam"

We were all frightened and stayed in our rooms while my Mum the chaperon went down to investigate.

She came up ashen faced, and said there had been a gun fight, and one businessman pulled out his revolver and fired at somebody.

The next day, down at the lobby we saw 3 bullet holes.

Till this day, I do not know if any one had been killed or injured from those shots.

It just goes to show, we had no idea how 'cowboy' other countries were in the 1970s.

Carpe Diem 

Dec 21 - 22 1976 Triangular Swim Meet Sanya Samaki Manila Post 1

 

Malik Addressing the Swimmers, or is it singing ?  

Sanya Samaki Bangkok Story (Part 1)

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In Dec 1973, we had travelled to Bangkok for the meet with the Royal Bangkok Sports Club.My Mum was chaperone to a number of girls and boys, and she asked her colleague Maria to join us. I was a cheeky 13 year old then. Maria was a pretty 20 something Malay or Boyanese lady and she was a real sport.

During our arrival, I noticed a Thai man, our driver I think had taken a liking to Maria. He was always smiling at her and would make eye contact with us and especially her.

Me, Kelvin Wee, Wong Ken Tuin and Felix Cheong 

So, one day, after we had finished the swim competition for the day, I casually told Maria that there was a visitor at the door of our room (we were bunking in and just monkeying around at that time). Maria was curious and said "who would want to see me ? I am just a tourist on a group tour with Anna and the boys ? ".

She went to the door, and there was the driver smiling at her sheepishly. Earlier I had gone down to tell him, she wanted to meet him at the room, and then I bolted upstairs. When Maria opened the door, she literally jumped out of her skin "Aaaaah !", there was a lot of awkward blushing and I literally ran and hid myself and rolled around the floor with so much laughter.

Bee Khim, Me, Front : Gary Wee and Gan Yan Piao 

At the end, they discovered it was me who had pulled the prank and the ladies had to tell the confused man to go away and then they proceeded to give me a good telling off.

I just wanted to look at the expression on Maria's face.

It was priceless. 

Carpe Diem.