Getting sound advice before making key decisions will help reduce losses. Most young entrepreneurs do not realise the importance of money until they run out of it. Money makes money!
AS a parent, I do miss my two boys when they are studying overseas.
Always worried whether they have sufficient money to spend and sufficient memory to store all the good advice given.
Whenever they do whatsApp me, it will most likely be on issues concerning money and occasionally seeking advice.
At
times asking for money to pay for tuition fees and sometimes giving me a
heads up on some supplementary credit card charges coming my way. When
it comes to money matters, my two boys are extremely polite and write
beautifully as if their livelihood depends on it.
Once in a
while, they ask for advice. Like choice of subjects, universities and
internship. Maybe just to make this old man feel needed. Well,
definitely no complaints from me as advice is free.
And it gives
me an opportunity to connect with them. Which means an excuse to Skype.
Having a face to face chat on anything and everything which inevitably
ends with me asking them whether they have enough money left in their
bank account.
Just a gentle reminder that they can always depend on their old man whenever they need advice. And money.
So when you are on your own, what do you really need at this juncture of your business cycle? Money or advice?
For
a new startup, my advice to you is to get proper advice from sincere
people with relevant and preferably substantial experience. The older
the person, the better.
Business people who have been cheated before and survived through business failures, partnership break ups and financial crisis.
Let
the devil's advocate honestly tear your business plan to shreds,
telling you all the possible pitfalls that you will encounter and watch
your beautifully crafted dream evaporate before your misty eyes.
If
you are able to take all these harsh and negative comments objectively,
revisit your business plan, discard the potential pitfalls and insert
positive corrective steps into your new business plan. You now have a
fighting chance that your new startup will survive its formative years.
Then you start worrying about money.
So
what happens when you have nobody to turn to for advice? Are you gungho
enough to still proceed and take the risk, gangnam style? Putting all
your energy and money into that one song and dance and hope for it to be
a big hit?
Should you dance by yourself or should you get back
up dancers? If you need partners, what do you want from your partners?
Money or advice? Or complementary skills?
My favourite example of a wildly successful partnership has got to be the Tony and Din duo act of Tune and
AirAsia fame.
One,
the consummate showman with charismatic leadership. The other, an
actuary, brilliant in crunching big numbers and an astute statistician.
Both
started with little money, lots of guts and a perfect blend of
complementary skills needed for the low cost airline business. Massive
capital expenditure to be paid for by massive sales of low cost tickets
which requires accurate forecasting and inspirational marketing to
convince the masses to fly. In this case, two big heads better than one.
There
will be instances when you need partners with money and easy access to
more money. Partners who can help you leverage for growth and have the
trust of bankers.
Are you prepared to give up a big chunk of your
business? Partners with skills and no money will not be demanding as
advice is cheap.
If you are involved in serious money talk, be
prepared to let your new partners have a bigger share of profits just as
you expect him to contribute a bigger share of financing.
A
smaller share of big profits is still better than 100% share of zero
profits. Just bury your big ego and get your business going.
Most
young entrepreneurs do not realise the importance of money... until
they run out of it. Money makes money. Small investments make small
money and big investments make big big money. Cash is king and Talk is
cheap. But absorbing relevant sound advice before making key decisions
will help you to reduce losses or hopefully make more money. So learn to
listen. Attentively.
There are no statistics available as to how
many new startups actually survive the initial years. And how many more
actually survive and win big at the finish line. My gut feel is one big
success story out of a thousand.
If all of them received solid
sound advice before they start, 500 of them will probably not start, the
499 stubborn startups will probably survive and there will still be
only one big winner at the end.
At least, there will be 500 less casualties of empty wallets and broken dreams.
Bringing
up your children to become productive and upright citizens involves
huge capital investment with a lifetime dosages of advice and love.
With
no monetary returns expected. All you can hope for are the occasional
moments of being needed when they need advice. Or money.
If they
shower you with love and kindness in your twilight years, consider
yourself blessed and your investment justified. May all parents be
blessed.
ON YOUR OWN By TAN THIAM HOCK
To access earlier articles of On Your Own, log on to www.thiamhock.com. Honest comments welcomed and approved