Good physical security

Learned from newspaper today that a good physical security comprises 3 key components:

1. Access Control
2. Surveillance system
3. Intrusion Detection

Easy to remember I.S.A.

Investment wisdom

"Due diligence and streetwiseness are

the only two ways to prevent being

cheated. Regulation is to prevent

systematic failure and no amount 

of regulation can prevent fraud."

- An investment manager

Singapore got farms?

I'm surprised to know that there're indeed quite a no of farms in Singapore.. Now, we got more places to explore over weekend.. and fresh vegetables to go with some more.. ;-)

Singapore Brands

i wonder how many successful Singapore companies there are.. but some of the more recognised Singapore brands are captured here.. on this list.. do add to it if u know.. just click on 'Contribute to this'.

What i like about Christmas

3 Habits of Stephen Convey

Come to think of it.. i've been practicing three habits of Stephen Convey to the fullest.

They are:

1. Begin with the end in mind. This habit comes more often of late since i started my own businesses. But i must add that we all must have options in our strategic planning. Long gone the days when we spend great effort to come up with one strategy. Scenario planning is of utmost importance. And always have exit plan though most hate to think about that. 

2. First thing first. These days i woke up asking myself "what's the most important 3 things i must do and complete today." And i set myself to do them immediately. At nites, i think about next day, next week & even next few months ahead.. i feel satisfied whenever a task is completed and look forward to a new task..

3. Think Win-win. To succeed in this world and more importantly, to be happy, we need to think win-win all the time. It has become a habit and spiritual guidance for me. It works! If u set your mind to this habit. And u will win friends. Greed & selfish thinking is not going to bring u friends and happiness on your life journey.

A great phenomenon

It's a great phenomenon! A great discovery.. i realized it last year and reaffirm it today! When i'm resting i'm working.. and working i'm resting..  ;P

Funny but true!

When i'm lying on bed resting, my mind starts working in the background and many a times it just 'wake me up' and then i came up with solutions to problems! 

The opposite is true too.. when i'm working, i cant seem to think of a solutions and cant remember things.. i just do what i planned..  but i cant plan effectively while working.. However, when i'm resting, my mind is most efficient and effective.. 

No wonder i find meditation invaluable these days.. i meditate even when on bus or waiting for train.. 

i believe it's the workings of foreground conscious mind and background unconscious mind (or maybe known as subconscious mind otherwise).

Long time ago i wrote about the use of conscious and unconscious mind. check it out! click here

Tips on Energy Savings at Home

Add to this list

Chocolate Research Facility

Was surprised to find a new store at Millenia Walk.. The shop looks like a research centre of something..  only after a cheerful store 'Moderator' explained to us did we realise that it's actually selling chocolate in very innovative packaging! 

Interesting idea on presentation.. 

Check it out! click here

Singapore Botanical Garden

just went for a stroll at Singapore Botanical Garden.. a nice place for evening walks..  ;-)

check it out. 

Your darkest secrets - i'm sure you have..

Do you have dark secrets? i'm sure everyone has at least one.. 

Share your secret too - click here to add to this list.

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thru hard times..

Funny, it's thru hard, tough times we realise what's most important in our life.. and usually it's our love ones, our friends,.. and not our wealth, our possessions,..

And thru these trying times, we see who are our true friends.. learned about ugly side of mankind..

so sometimes it's good to go thru bad times or recessions.. so we learn & grow wiser and a better person..

Opportunity Fund

Today's newspaper writes about having spare cash for investment opportunity. Below i captured key pointers & thoughts for myself..

1. Against conventional wisdom that tells us to be 100% invested, we should instead have spare cash for investment when there's an opportunity as well as selling our shares when the time is right - staying invested may not be the right thing to do.

2. During a downturn, all stocks will go down.. some to below their intrinsic value. That's when opportunity aplenty.

3. Create an Opportunity Fund or Investment Fund. Set aside 10 - 30% of your total finance for this.

4. Diversify. Never put all your eggs in one basket.

5. Learn risk management. Know your risk appetite. Spread out between high and low risk investment.

6. Be patient. Investment is not staring at the computer screen watching the stock value goes up and down. It's for mid and longer term..

7. Imagine if you are 100% invested now you wont have any spare cash to invest anymore..

Answers

Answers will come only 

if the right questions are asked.

Shenton Way

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Yishun MRT

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20 more melamine tainted products fr Malaysia

Universal Law, Natural Law, Nature

I've learned thru observation and meditation that this world exist universal laws.

And everything goes thru the cycle of birth, life and death.

Matters expand and contract. This can be observed from materials - with heat it expands and contract in cold weather, and life as well..

These laws also applies to business - we see the stock markets goes up and goes down over the years. Companies centralized and then de-centralized.. and then centralized again.. in a cyclic fashion.. there's no end to this..

Since there're always changes taking place everywhere, it's better for us to understand nature in order to benefit from them.. and of course for the greater good at the end of day.

Make a list. Vote a list. Win a Prize!

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Channel Management

Today i read a reallly good article on Channel Management. So i captured the juice here for myself..

1. Even with Internet - direct selling made easy, many companies still sell thru intermediaries such as distributors, resellers - commonly known as channels. In certain ways, channels provide an efficient route to market.

2. Channel often provide "total solutions" to the customers - thru both products and services.

3. Must look into channel synergy, channel loyalty and win-win proposition for both parties.

4. Usually channel salesman meet resellers, the focus tend to be sales target and latest products & features. These are important but it does not foster business synergy. Other factors such as strategic value to the channel will separate you from other competing products trying to sell to the channels.

5. It's not just about revenue/sales. That's a common mistake. Instead, focus on showing how to grow sales thru planning, co-marketing and various support such as marketing & advertising in their selling efforts. Help them win more new customers and get more sales from existing customers.

6. Help channels in their financial management such as cash flow, inventory mgmt,.. offering to help them in sustaining their revenue stream. Help them manage risk.

7. Focus on Return on Capital. ROC should exceed the cost of capital.

8. Hybrid approach has been adopted in many firms. They let resellers sell to most customers except their key & large customers. these need to make clear otherwise, resellers may be wasting resources chasing the same customers.

9. Know the channels' operational needs. And help them improve and be efficient. Help them lower cost. Leverage on IT & Internet.

10. Make it easy for your channels to do business with you. Leverage on IT & Internet. Focus on processes. Create web ordering, simple & easy warranty system, streamline after-sales support.

11. Know that channels is not there just to make revenue & profits. They are selling your products because it adds value to their business.

Likes and dislikes of iPhone 3G

It's hard not to like iPhone 3G.. simply love its physical design, software interface & fantastic humanistic touchscreen.. but with Google's G-phone on its way in collision path.. Apple had better improve its future iPhone.. 

Contribute to this list.

What makes me smile

What can brings down a man?

Mmm... what else? anyone?

fine for sleeping at a park

I was shocked to read from newspaper that a man sleeping on a bench at a public park was fined $200 by the park officer. He paid his fine as he didnt want further problem with the authority.

i was sad that we are really a 'fine' city. Perhaps the officers could have wake him up and let him know that it's 'illegal' to sleep at public park.. which most people are unaware.. including me.. Unless he's not cooperative, officers can give him an official warning before dishing out a fine.. 

On further thought, why is sleeping at public park illegal? If the weather is good, why cant i relax and sleep at the park? dont make sense at all.. understand some people may feel uncomfortable or unsafe with people lying around.. But surely not everyone lying in the park are 'bad' people rite?.. 

A sad case..   ;-(

my first Buddhist study

i've never attended any Buddhist study before. Yesterday was my first! And it was a wonderful experience!!   ;-)

The class was organised by Soka at a member's home. It was cozy and the people were friendly.

I learned about how and the reasons to prolong one's life the Buddhist way.

Below's my understanding.. so my opinion.. not Buddha's..

Life is precious and valuable. And not just about humans.. all living things are precious. To live a long life is not the objective. However, to live long so that you can help more of others should be the objective. Having the right motive is most important. Always think about the three good - good for yourself, good for others & serve a greater good. 

Not easy to achieve but can be done. And to treasure one's life is also to take care of our own body - our health. i must admit i'm not too good at that.. really must disciple myself to eat well and exercise enough..

looking forward for my next Buddhist class..  ;-)

Connected movie

One of the best Chinese movie in recent years! And the best adapted movie ever seen! The story is better than the original Cellular movie. I simply love it.  ;-)

Countries i've been to..

The road to entrepreneur

It is really not easy to be an entrepreneur. i will never fully understand it till i become one.. and one i became.. recently.. 

One word. It was tough. a few more words..  a lonely journey. painful at times. sometime feel lost.. sometime not sure.. sometime depressed.. feel disconnected to the world at times..

Well.. on the bright side.. i feel empowered to do anything i want.. freedom of choice.. steer my own destiny.. manage my own time.. sip coffee whenever i want.. rest as i wish.. realise my dream.. experience life like any before..

So, do i regret coming out on my own? No. Whenever i ask myself this question, i find the answer always the same. i think i will regret if i dont come out to try my own biz.. at least i try even if i fail.. 

This will be the best days of my life.. since my resources will last me a year or so.. it makes me treasure every day of my life much more.. coz i know once this period is finished or spent and i dont succeed, i will have to go back working for people and these will become only memories.. 

Everyday now is a blessed day! i will treasure each day of my life.. and i certainly wish i could help others live their dreams and pay forward one day..  ;-)

Decision Making Process

After years of observing management and being a manager myself, i've learned that many of the complaints towards poor management ties to poor decision making.. slow decision making, or a lack of it..

The solution is simple. Define a decision making process that the management endorse, and then adhere to it. It's important to define and agree on such a process before any other decisions are to be made..  otherwise, it will be politically motivated and steered in the wrong direction. The challenge now becomes defining a good decision making process rather than the decision itself.

Feeding fishes for good karma

A few days ago, a Buddhist friend upon hearing my story and how i was feeling bit down lately suggested that i go to feed fishes with a loaf of bread at Rochor Road opposite OG nearer to DBS bank where there's a bridge over a canal.

We (my wife & me) found it a weird suggestion as how can feeding fishes improve or increase my good karma? Nevertheless, we decided to give it a try since there's no other important activities to attend to on Sunday.   ;-)

So we bought a loaf of bread and got MRT to Bugis before walking towards Rochor Road.. oh just before we had lunch at Rochor Centre i think.. The food court Kopitiam there has a stall that sells delicious BaKuTeh soup and stew dark pork leg. Simply wonderful!  ;-)

And to our surprise, the canal is filled with thousands of fishes!!! Mostly small ones.. not sure what species they were.. but from the picture you can see thousands were 'attacking' the single white slice of bread floating on the water.. 

We observed the fishes and found it quite interesting and relaxing.. i felt kind of funny or a little embarrassed throwing white bread into the canal.. hope i'm not breaking law.. few other people were fishing there too..  ;P

We also saw a bird trying to prey on the hungry fishes feasting on the bread.. It was quite a sight in the busy roads of Rochor, which is very near the city..

So, will feeding fishes with bread improves my karma? Mmm,.. at least it helps me relax, makes me feel good, recharged and in touch with a little nature and fishes.. Life's simple side.. 

Change Management

Change Management - Focus on TCS: Teamwork, Communication & Strategy.

8 Steps:

1. Define present state
2. Define future state
3. Communicate need to change
4. Plan change
5. Motivate change
6. Implement change
7. Assess change
8. Maintain change

IT Change Management:

1. Requesting change
2. Assessing change
3. Authorizing change
4. Implementing change

notes: 

• Prevent unauthorized change, minimize disruption, coordinate build, test & implementation.
  
• Fair Process. Not just focus on outcome.
• Fair process is not consensus. But gives ideas a fair chance - is what drives decisions making.

3 Es Principles:

1. Engagement - involve individuals in decisions that affect them.
2. Explanation - explain to everyone why certain decisions were made, and to gain trust.
3. Expectation - once a decision made, managers state clearly the new rules, targets or instructions. Focus that they understood.

Communication Cycle:

• Awareness, Understanding, Buy-in & Ownership
• Channels, website, newsletter, change agents, roles, commitment curve, target audience, key stakeholders, set & manage expectations.

Cause and Effects, and Conditions

i was and am still reading the book "The Universe in Single Atom" by Dalai Lama. Rather deep for me.. but beginning to see some light..  ;P

i like page 146 as it says "the Buddha himself argued that if one wishes to avoid certain types of results, one needs to change the conditions that give rise to them. So if one changes the conditions of one's state of mind, one can change the traits of one's consciousness and the resulting attitudes and emotions".

So, if i want to break free from my present problems and situation, i need to alter my thoughts first.. which will change my behavior and speech and affect the environment around me.. and likely it would bring a change to the overall results of my life.. 

Strategic Management

A. External Environment Scanning

• General Environment - PEST Analysis
• Industrial Environment - 5 Forces Analysis

B. Internal Environment Scanning

• Strengths - Identify Resources, Capabilities & Core Competencies
• Value Creation - Value Chain Analysis

C. Overall

• SWOT Analysis

D. Strategy Formulation/Development

• Define Strategic Options/Choices followed by Evaluation. Finally, put the selected options into Strategic Themes/Thrusts.

E. Strategy Execution/Implementation

• Develop Strategic Map with objectives, indicators & targets set.
• Use Balanced Scorecard.
  

Are your plastic bottle safe?

see video.

Randy Pausch Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams

Really inspiring! Must watch! ;-)

a nice plate of Chee Cheong Fun

A simple breakfast dish of Chee Cheong Fun (with Chai Siew embedded) always make me feel good & refreshed. And of course, not forgetting a cup of hot Coffee-C.   ;-)

Dream on

it's great to know there are people out there who still dreams.. many of us have stopped.. which is a sad thing.. 

Let's dream on.. 

Helping others to help yourself

"You can get everything you want in life 

if you just help enough other people to get what they want."

- American author & motivation speaker Zig Ziglar.

2 approaches to strategic management

Two common approaches to strategic management.

1. Opportunity based. Study the business environment. Identify gaps or opportunities. Acquire resources and capabilities needed to accomplish the tasks. Execute.

2. Capability based. Study the internal capabilities. Identify internal strength. Find opportunities in the external business environment that requires the strengths. Execute.

In both the above approaches, the company must think about sustainability and defensive strategies in the face of existing and new competitors.

Beijing Olympics Medals Score

Michael Phelps, Olympics 2008 swimmer - An Inspiration

Having read his story from a local newspaper i was and still am inspired.

Michael Phelps reminded me of the struggles many of us have and will go thru.. when it seems no one cares or bother to help, we have to be strong and stand tall.. yes, talent is important but if no one realise u are talented? Like the Phelps, people may think he's a goner in those early days.. just a 'hyperactive child' who cant sit still for a minute.. but later they realised he can swim! and extremely well.. ;-)

It takes a lot of hardwork too.. talent is only 1%, the rest is perspiration.. yup, he can sit still for hours to wait for his turn to swim when he cant sit still any other times.. Also, i do think that the right person to help uncover your talent and provide support will go a long long way.. in this case, his mother and few others who believe in him.

i will want to remember Michael for inspiring us all. Blessings! ;-)

Force and reaction

Every push you made,
there will be an equal opposite force.

HortPark - Really a great place for morning/afternoon walk

Great for friends and family outings.. take a walk at HortPark..

i went there last weekend and found it refreshing.. the bridge was a little scary as it was quite high up above the road.. but the park was fantastic! Just love the tress, flowers, bees, kids, beautiful environment.. ;-)

Ugly Faces ;P

Talent Management

i believe people management.. talent management is the greatest challenge in today's businesses.

really must learn to be careful, wiser and calm in handling people issues, conflicts,..

May Buddha wisdom be with me..

Life's hard but found some peace & happiness

To be frank, i found life's quite hard.. with inflation, looking for more biz, finding funding,.. it's tiring.. but somehow i feel better than before.. perhaps i found freedom to do what i want to do.. guess i must treasure what i have today.. ;-)

With my wife and supportive friends, i believe we can achieve whatever we want to achieve. Just do our best! ;-)

a sad case for the whole world

i'm sad to learn that the China Olypmics opening ceremony sweet little child singer lip-sync.. ;-(
And the real less-than-pretty child singer was backstage..

She was never openly acknowledged for her wonderful, tear-inducible singing.. So the organiser felt that 'ugly' child shouldnt be on stage.. It's funny cause i remembered i saw a older man signing on stage as well.. he aint good looking at all!

This is a step backward for China.. as mighty as they may in their economy success.. sad as they loose their basic human values..

Where does that lead us to? human extinction?

SPARE customer - conversion route

this morning i read something interesting on customer buying pattern - conversion route.. here i tried to capture some essence plus my own interpretation.. the concept is encapsulated in the acronym S.P.A.R.E.

S - Suspecting customer. The market segments you may be interested in but you have not decide yet.

P - Prospecting customer. Your target market segments. Marketing efforts will be pumped into here.

A - Actual customer. Converted paying customers. Actual brand/product/service is being experienced here by the customers.

R - Regular customer. If they like it, they become your regular customers with repeat buys.

E - Excellent customer. They like it so much that they started telling others their experience with the brand/product/service as well.

Beautiful voice.. Touching songs.. pretty child

Branding - an overused and often misunderstood

Years ago, it was innovation - all the hype. In more recent years, it was branding. Today, many companies thought they understood branding and were jumping into it. Almost everyone wants to do branding or claim to have a brand. Do they?

Many thought a name and/or logo is considered a brand. Fortunately a recent article on Singapore Airline helped to clarify that branding is not just skin deep. It's the internal processes and great people running the show daily that exhibit the brand experience customers wanted. Maybe this is branding at the next or highest level.

Certainly, as more companies matured and understood branding, the standard will be raised. And will branding fade away like many management fad? I think not. At worst, it will be another hygiene factor businesses have to consider no matter what. Marketing, including branding, and innovation are still relevant in today's businesss context.

So, what's the recent or future mgmt fad? The Long Tail concept?

Miss and Love

Just finished watching the movie The Leap Years on DVD.. It reminded me of Samantha, a friend of mine.. and at the same time i remembered the movie's actress said something about all love literatures/writings most used words is not love but miss.

Yes, i miss my friends. Wonder how they are living.. are they happy? We are all so busy with making a living or enjoying life tat we tend to forget about our friends.. maybe we think there's always a tomorrow to catch up.. i was a culprit too.

i will make an effort to meet up my good old friends somehow.. ;-)

Love holds no bound - including animals like lion..

The lion's video is really touching..

Singapore Taxi Telephone Numbers

Taxi is so expensive in Singapore these days.. Since we are going to pay good money for taxi, we might as well know which taxi companies provide the best service.

A sad day

Today is a sad day for me. Coz at first i thought i found a good 'brother'. But over time i realised that despite the fact that we have similar goals, our value system and working style are vastly different. So sad that we had to part ways.. However, i wish him well and i'm sure he will attain his goals. 

As for me, i will probably take a short break.. work on my mulist.com and then move on..

Blessings!

Listening to yourself

Andrew Matthews wrote " If you dont know what you like doing, maybe you stopped listening to yourself years ago".

He was so right! Perhaps i have stopped listening to myself...  ;-(

Time to make the right choice! Nothing is more important than happiness, health and family.  ;-)

Money is essential for survival. But it's not everything.

Success & Probability

"Success has no precedence.

It has only probability."

- Kenneth Woo

humbled by knowledge

been reading almost one book every two days.. mainly for work though it's my personal interest too.. has but humbled me in many ways..  There're so much to learn.. and every book taught me something new.. This is better than gold! And i realised i know so little.. compared to the vast ocean of knowledge yet to be read & uncovered.. ;-)

How technology changed us

This is funny

DA VINCI CODE - Chinese Version... PRESS Ctrl+a, you should see something
different in the picture...  ha ha.. ;-)

if it doesnt work, u probably have to download to your PC.. and Ctrl+a

Buddha was here - song & video

This song was written & released on Youtube in Jan 2007. So more one half years later, it had gathered over 1,600 views. I am happy! Like Buddha was here with me. Blessings! ;-)

Nice Cute Paintings

i love cute paintings! saw these paintings by Splatter at Marina Square. must say i'm impressed. I think they have been able to make a business out of such paintings.. with quality, vibrant colors and cool/nice/cute designs tat fit the current consumers. it's relevant to the working professionals here.. i believe.

What is Concept, Theory & Model

Concept

Simply, a concept is an abstract notion or idea, something that isn’t concrete.

"A word or set of words that expresses a general idea concerning the nature of something or the relations between things, often providing a category for the classification of phenomena."

Theodorson & Theodorson 1969

In other words a concept is an abstract summary of characteristics that we see as having something in common. Concepts are created by people for the purpose of communication and efficiency.

A concept has no set meaning and it is up to us to define what we mean by the concept. But if concepts have no set meaning then anyone can define a concept in any way that they wish. But if everyone can define the concept in any way they like the concept becomes worthless; unless there is agreement on the meaning communication is impossible. A concept therefore has to be defined, but in such a way that it has a degree of acceptance. Experts in the field usually propose such definitions.

Theory

A very loose meaning of the word is:

That part of the study of a subject which is not practical.

For example, teaching theory is often contrasted with teaching practice.

More substantial definitions of a theory are:

"A theory is a set of interrelated principles and definitions that present a systematic view of phenomena by specifying relationships among variables with the purpose of explaining natural phenomena."

Kerlinger 1986

"Any set of hypotheses or principles linked by logical or mathematical arguments which is advanced to explain an area of empirical reality of type of phenomenon."

Jary & Jary 1995

In effect a theory includes a set of basic assumptions and axioms as the foundation and the body of the theory is composed of logically interrelated, empirically verifiable propositions.

Concepts are generally regarded as being at a lower level of abstraction than a theory but a necessary part of any theory, since theories are formed from concepts.

Model

Lucey (1991) defines a model of "any simplified abstract of reality ".

For example we are all familiar with scale models of aircraft, cars, ships, housing estates, etc. These simplified versions of the real thing are called physical or iconic models. They are based directly on the representation of the phenomenon being studied and look like the object.

An extension of the physical model is the analogue model. These models are physical in form but do not have the same appearance as the object being investigated. The circular movement of the hands of a wristwatch is an analogue of the behaviour of time.

Models may be very simple or very complex. Since the world we observe cannot be observed in totality, each model reflects only a limited aspect of the total world. No single model, or combination of models, reveals the truth of the structure of reality. Each model reveals and orders reality from a particular perspective.

In practice concepts and especially theories are often referred to as models.

goto Reference site.

Fuchsia Lane - Re-engineered Tees

I got to know this creative & interesting lady who re-engineered tees with chinese flair.. dont know how to explain.. but i think it's cool.. never see such combination ever before..  And i'm happy to know her as a friend now.. ;-)

U can see more designs at www.fuchsialane.com 

Raising Money from Angel Investors

Protecting your IP overseas

What is brand & product relevance?

Learned from book 'Brand Portfolio Strategy' by David A. Aaker page 103, relevance for a brand has two conditions. (not in exact words though..)

1. Perceived need or desire by customer for product category or subcategory defined by combination of attributes, application, user group, distinguishing characteristic
2. The brand is among the set considered by customer to be relevant for the product category or subcategory

Value vs Relationship

Peter F. Drucker "The Five Most Important Questions" book page 33 states that "Recognise that today's customers are increasingly buying on value, not on relationship. Your success ultimately depends on what you have contributed to the success of your customers."

This is all so true! We must recognise the shift in customer's behavior, needs, wants and aspiration.

Magic Cube

I actually wish for the Magic Cube for my birthday present. Think Shini searching high and low for it now.. ;-)

Come to think of it, i was never interested in it since my childhood days.. thought it was boring till now.. Now i think it's interesting - keeps my mind working.. training my brain to be more alert and analytical.. Well,.. that's what i think today.. until i get my hands on it again..

Relaxing at Bottle Tree @Yishun

Investment approaches

Method 1:
Lump-sum investing.

• How - Buy when stock at its lowest; Sell when its highest
  
• Pro - higher returns
• Con - higher risk; timing the market

Method 2:
Dollar-cost averaging.

• How - Invest same amount of money on a regular basis
• Pro - spread risk
  
• Con - averaging returns

Method 3:
Value-averaging.

• How - Investing more when market is low and less when market is high; on the basis of a fixed amount of value portfolio u wish to attain. For example, u wish to maintain a value of $1000 each month. Some months market is low, say your portfolio value down by $250, u will invest $1,250 to purchase more stock to maintain $1,000. While some months market is high, say your portfolio value is up $400, u will only need to invest $600 more for that month.
• Pro - more market sensitive and sensible in investment approach
• Con - cant think of any now.. perhaps doesn't provide the highest returns
  

Summary: For good net results, i believe value-averaging make a lot of sense.

disclaimer: author isn't giving any professional advise. just storing info he gotten from some other smarter author.

Branding & Marketing, Advertising

Studies show companies that market their products or services without first establishing their brand identities are not likely to achieve return on investment. "If you're spending money to advertise and market without being connected to a brand position, you might as well pile the money up and burn it," Guge says.

Rob Frankel, a branding expert and author in Los Angeles, calls branding the most misunderstood concept in all of marketing, even among professionals. Branding, he says, "is not advertising and it's not marketing or PR. Branding happens before all of those: First you create the brand, then you raise awareness of it."

extracted from businessweek.

Rich & Poor Attitude

There's a big difference 

between a poor person's attitude - 

wishing you had it -

and wealthy person's approach -

believing you'll get it.

from Andrew Matthews

Marketing concepts

4 Ps / 4 Cs - Tactical

1. Product. Customer value

2. Price. Customer cost

3. Place. Customer convenience

4. Promotion. Communication

STP - Strategic

1. Segmentation

2. Targeting

3. Positioning

note: Above marketing concepts from Philip Kotler.

How small companies can build big brands

The birth of mulist.com

This is the fruit of a few folks who are passionate about creating something from nothing.. It's a dream i cooked up inspired by my beloved wife.. those times when i wish i could put together a list of movies we've watched.. and finally i have my own Internet list! ;-)

So far, we have watched 65 movies on last count.. will have a lot to key into my mulist..

Anyone interested please give it a try at www.mulist.com. We're working on a facebook version now.. ;P

PR during Crisis Management

In an emergency event, you should do the following:

1. Be upfront & honest
2. Be quick to respond
3. Be empathetic
4. Detail the steps to aviod repeat mistakes
5. Detail the actions to resolve current situation
6. Give specific steps for customers to take if necessary
7. Deliver any message by the CEO or President

If you see a company didnt do a good job in handling the situation, it usually boils down to 3 things:

1. They dont have a plan to handle crisis
2. They have a plan but didnt rehearse
3. They become defensive rather than showing empathy

Remember, that consumers do accept mistakes and tragedies if they are handled well.

note: extracted points from Brand Asset Management by Scott M. Davis page 167-168.

Facts about watermelon

Surprise surprise.. i only realised that watermelon is a vegetable and not a fruit! It belongs to the same botanical family as cucumbers, pumpkins & squash.

First harvested in Egypt abt 5,000 years ago. Now grown in over 100 countries.

More than 50 varieties; most are red flesh. But there are orange and yellow flesh ones too.

Watermelon is rich in vitamins A, C and B6, potassium, extremely low in sodium, contains fibre, and no fat.

92% water and 8% sugar. Every part is edible, even the seeds and rinds.

Plan or not to plan

The most important thing about planning is not the plan.

As Eisenhower observed: "In preparing for battle i have always found that plans are useless but planning is indispensable".

Planning forces you to think deeply and futuristically in a more systematic manner.

Extracted from FAQs Marketing by Philip Kotler book page 97.

So, in my own words, i think that since it's not the plan that matters most, it's the process of planning which forces you to think deeply and critically that matters most. ;-)

Marketing, PR & Branding pointers

Adapted from Philip Kotler and plus my own understanding, the 5 dimensions of a brand:

1. Attribute - function, feature, style
2. Benefits - solving a problem, serving a need, or fulfilling a want
3. Personality - like human characteristics people can identify with
4. Values - if it's corporate brand, it's the corporate values
5. Image - the look and feel.. aesthetics. the physical appearance.

• The art of marketing is the art of branding.
  
• Brand price premium you can charge is 10-20% today.. unlike early days of up to 50% were gone.
• Customer's attitude towards a brand can range from dislike, indifferent, slight preference to strong preference, to devotion.
• There was a book written on the fall of advertising and the rise of PR.

PENCILS for PR:

P - Publications

E - Events

N - News

C - Community Involvement

I - Identity tools

L - Lobbying

S - Social Investments

Will there be heaven when i die - Song

will there be heaven when i die

will there be angels by my side

and lift me off my feet

and take me to your solemn side

will there be heaven when i die

if there isnt where will i be

be the food for the trees

so the song that they sing to remind

will there be heaven when i die

will you lay by my side

cause that would be nice

i call it heaven if i should die

i just wanna lay by your side

that's heaven if i die...

notes: This song is written on 16 Apr 1999. It's a defining song for me as i was at a cross-road in my life; just before i knew Buddhism. There's some cheekiness in the song as well - the first portion of the song talks about if there's heaven.. as the song moves on, it's actually singing about love.. about a girl.. Ultimately, it's love or the girl that i care about.. not whether there's heaven or not..  ;P

Anti virus software that doesnt need updating

A new anti-virus software Rudra doesnt need updating.. coz it uses advanced form of heuristics-centric protection, that's proactive form of intelligent threat scanning that seeks to understand the behavior and patterns of viruses in order to thwart unknown threats.

Local S'pore startup Rudra Technologies developed it, and retails it at S$75 for single licence; works for Windows 2000 and XP.

Customer Equity

from HBR May 2008 pg 118, Customer Equity is the present value of the anticipated lifetime revenue the company's customers will generate, minus their acquisition & retention costs

3 measurable components of Customer Equity: (i) customer acquisition, (ii) customer retention, (iii) share of wallet.

Brand Equity? probably similar in nature with Customer Equity. It consider the (i) brand creation/acquisition, (ii) brand sustainability/growth & (iii) brand performance/revenue.

From another source:

Brand Value = Brand Equity + Price + Product Features.

You will find - song

It's okay if u wanna cry

Let your tears flow Rain drops autumn nite

It's alright u can let it go

There's still light ahead of your life

It's time now to walk the green

Breath the air that's freedom fresh as spring

Dont look back those crazy times

it's the future that matters most this time

Just dont give it up

Keep on moving on somehow you will find

note: This song is inspired by my friend Ferlin. In fact, she asked me to write her a song since i wrote one for JW.. So, I promised. I delivered. I think this is a beautiful song. Hope she will like it. Even Shini thinks is a nice one.  ;-)

Brands and Branding by The Economist

Brands and Branding put together by The Economist is really a fantastic read! 

One important process that i learned is the brand positioning process: 

1. Understanding all stakeholders needs & desires
2. Opportunity modeling - include elements of Relevance, Credibility, Differentiation & Stretch
3. Brand Platform
4. Brand Identity
5. Brand Architecture
6. Continuous evaluation and development

I'm still reading other branding books.. so no comment on which is the best model to use.. i think i will likely end up with a set of tools for various scenarios..

baby Joash.. happy mother Sarah

more friends pictures