GENERAL ADVICE ON ENTERPRENEURSHIP

Wise inputs

All men are worthy and no one is useless.

We are apt to conclude that an employee is useless simply because he has performed unsatisfactorily in a certain job. But in truth, the fault is ours; we have failed to bring out the best in him. It is important to believe that all people are worthy and useful.

Shuchi (collective wisdom) will come naturally to a person who is always willing to listen to others.

Those who are inquisitive and value the opinions of others can easily obtain shuchi, and with shuchi they can impart their superior knowledge for the benefit of everyone. Those who think it is unnecessary to listen to others will never acquire shuchi and are doomed frequent errors.

Good business begins with good service.

An old proverb says that in business you must sow investment in order to reap gain. This means, where customers are concerned, that you must sow good service in order to reap loyalty. Customer service is the starting point of good business.

Look for the cause of failure in yourself, not in others.

When the management of a company does not go smoothly, the cause usually lies in the company itself, that is, in the manager or the employees of the company. Improvement will elude us as long as we attribute our failures to something outside of the company. The way to improvement will open only when we know where to look for the problem.

Encourage creativity and originality in your daily work.

Society is constantly changing, as are people’s ways of thinking. If we persist in doing things the same old way, we will fall behind the times. Therefore, we must constantly think up new ways and new ideas, regardless of the field we work in. Then and only then will we progress.

Effective management depends on creative thinking.

The size of a company’s resources or the number of its employees is not very important. Most important is whether or not its management is effective. In other words, any company – large of small, rich or poor – can do well if it has creative and resourceful management.

Whatever happens, stay calm and do your best.

Usually, the harder you try the better you do, but not always. Sometimes, no matter how hard you work, things do not go smoothly. In these instances, stay calm, be persistent, and do your best. In time, excellent results will be yours.

A man’s potential for growth is limitless.

A man’s potential has no limitations. However much a man may grow, he can still grow more. It is very important to allow room for more growth. If you keep this in mind, you will continue to grow forever.

You cannot be too careful in your work. Be as cautious and circumspect as possible until your work is completed.

Even though you may have finished 99 percent of a project, your efforts may still come to nothing is you fail to complete the last 1 percent properly. So be as careful, for you can never be too careful in your work.

The secret of good work cannot be taught; it must be learned through experience.

It is always important to gain as much knowledge as possible from others. But the trick to working more effectively cannot be learned by observation. It must be learned and understood through one’s own experiences.

Even more important than results is to do your best.

Needless to say, results are important. But even more important is to do your best regardless of the job. If you do your best, working patiently, and diligently, you will always get good results.

A good businessman always lives up to his promises.

Good business thrives on trust. Most people recognize basic business rules of behaviour, but few learn to put those rules into practice. It is the duty of a businessman to keep his promises. We should all strictly uphold this golden rule.

Self-reliance gets the job done.

Wisdom, creativeness and courage come from a self-reliant, decisive attitude. When attempting a difficult task, self-motivation and self assurance will bring the full extent of your capabilities into play and make the task seem that much easier.

Wisdom.

Wisdom is not born from an aimless, indolent life. If you are willing to learn from every person and every experience you encounter, wisdom will surely follow. It is your enthusiasm to learn and the wisdom gained thereby that invites prosperity

Do not neglect everyday affairs.

You should not neglect aspects of your work that seem to be commonplace or trifling. If we were to skip everyday meals, for example, we would not survive. The mundane, therefore, is often deceptive. Sometimes what we might call a trivial or tedious chore is actually a matter of extreme importance.

Good management comes from making the most of employees.

A manager must do many important things, but the single most important is managing people. The employees are any company’s best asset, and we must always nourish our strongest point.

Always strive to improve your work.

Ask yourself if there isn’t something you could be doing better. This question is a very important one; without it the progress and development we all desire could never be achieved in anything.

Be diligent at all times and seek pleasure only after others do.

Sharing concern and pleasures with others is important, but a responsible person does more than share. He applies himself before others do and seeks pleasure only after they have. Even in relaxation he is alert.

The basis of successful salesmanship is sincerity.

There is no foolproof way to sell. In the end, it simply comes down to satisfying clients. That is why it is always important to speak and act sincerely in business dealings.

Immerse yourself completely in your work, and everyone will prosper.

Business is a serious matter not to be taken lightly. It is detrimental to think that businesses always encounter both occasional loss and occasional gain. Even falling behind slightly in your work can be fatal to the company’s success. Ask yourself daily : “Am I doing all that I can in my work?”

A hundred arguments mean nothing without action.

Argument is important, but not without the decision and the action that follow. Any number of well-intentioned arguments will be useless if we do not act upon them.

Those who cannot find pleasure in their work will be unhappy in life.

You can find satisfaction in any kind of work if you try. An optimistic approach goes a long way in producing excellent results for both the individual and the company. People who work reluctantly will only impede the success of the company and hinder their chances for happiness.

Good judgment is useless without the courage to carry it out.

No matter how good your judgment may be, it will be fully effective without courage and action behind it. Only courageous action can bring sound results from even imperfect judgments.

Always be prudent in money matters.

Laxness in financial matters will lead to laxness in all things. Careless financial policies will undermine the management of your company. Be judicious and yet considerate in the payment and collection of money and your business will proper.

It is important to be aware that your actions influence others.

Be responsible in your everyday work and fulfill all of your duties, for what you say and do influences those around you. Those who recognize their power to influence others and who act responsibly will contribute to their company’s development.

Prepared, compiled and written by Roger Haw, Founding member of Ansted University