Stocks picks for 2009

Stocks picked for 2009 include IOI, Tan Chong, AirAsia, PPB Group, Petronas Dagangan, Fraser & Neave, Resorts, Petronas Gas and Public Bank.

IOI Corp Bhd

For exposure to one of the best managed conglomerates in Malaysia and a proxy to a recovery in crude palm oil (CPO) prices, there are few better stocks than IOI Corp Bhd.

The catalysts for a recovery in this include CPO prices increasing to a more reasonable range of between RM2,000 to RM2,500 per tonne, and the launch of its Sentosa Cove projects.

IOI was the worst casualty during the recent sell-off in the plantation sector due to its high level of foreign shareholding, recent foreign exchange losses and departure of key management personnel. It is trading some 20% lower than early 2007 but given the estimates that this plantation heavyweight is due to earn 25.2 sen, it is trading above the forecast price/earnings ratio for Bursa Malaysia in 2009 but that could be pinned to the premium the stock has commanded of late.

Tan Chong

Motor Bhd

Tan Chong’s nine months to September 2008 net profit of RM217.6mil beat the market’s estimates and its performance among motor firms is to be admired.

Its third-quarter revenue also hit the RM1bil mark for the first time in a single quarter, or a 69% increase to RM1bil, thanks to higher car sales driven by more launches of new models.

Despite a more challenging year, Tan Chong is expected to guard its margins in the range of 8% to 10% underpinned by higher efficiencies in production and yearly increase in autoparts localisation (from 20% now to a targeted 50% by 2012).

This will lead to further improvement in costs which will also be the company’s competitive edge to hedge against the strengthening of yen against the ringgit moving forward.

Tan Chong will continue to launch three new models every year for the next three to four years given its strategy to garner more market share going forward. And while its profit for 2009 is projected to be lower – it is expected to earn 26.2 sen a share – Tan Chong’s valuations will be at a deep, and somewhat unwarranted, discount.

AirAsia Bhd

Airline shares have had a rough few years as one woe after another has hit this sector. From sky-high oil prices to cut-throat competition, airlines have had to manoeuvre to stay aflot during these trying times.

AirAsia has not been spared as it, too, took a financial hit in 2008 but clearer skies might be just over the horizon for this counter.

A merger between Qantas Airways Ltd’s Jetstar and AirAsia Bhd, if talks end up with the airlines having some form of cooperation, will be a positive for AirAsia.

The other benefit for AirAsia is that despite the economic slowdown, demand for short-haul services remains resilient and low-cost travel is benefiting from downtrading from full-service carriers.

Costs will also be much lower for AirAsia as fuel prices have collapsed. AirAsia will be paying spot prices – US$40 – from January.

The risk of a cash call has also dissipated with the successful financing for a further 37 aircraft, and the airline is projected to post a profit to the tune of 10.2 sen a share in 2009.

PPB Group Bhd

In times of uncertainty, it is always good to look at a company that goes back to basics and PPB Group, a diversified palm oil-based company, offers investors exposure to a number of industries that would benefit in this downturn. This is a steady consumer-oriented stock maybe well known for its exposure to plantation giant Wilmar International Ltd but its other less glamorous businesses will be pulling in the profits as crude palm oil prices remain depressed.

PPB has a sizeable operations in flour milling, sugar refining and feedmills to go with an increasingly profitable cinema operations. These commodity processing businesses will see margins improve as commodity prices remain low and would offset a decline in CPO-related earnings from associate company Wilmar.

Estimates have this stock earning 81.3 sen a share this year and the dividend is forecast to be a healthy 30.3 sen a share.

Petronas Dagangan Bhd

It’s not a sexy stock but its steady earnings and rock-solid business model is something investors might want to have a look at during a period of economic uncertainty.

Petronas Dagangan is the leading petrol station operator in the country and its margins, even though they fluctuate, and its nature of business give investors the security of investing in a profitable business.

Its gross profit may take a hit with the decline in pump prices but volume growth, from an ever growing number of petrol stations in the country and lower fuel prices, will offer stability of earnings.

For its 2010 financial year (its 2009 year ends in March), the company is forecast to post higher profit of 75 sen a share and dividend of 44 sen a share.

Petronas

Gas Bhd

This is another stock that has a boring label tattooed onto itself but its defensive nature will offer investors protection during times of market and economic volatility. Deriving earnings from the volume of gas sold, the risk to its earnings is small even though an economic slowdown may lead to lower a consumption of gas. That is because there is already a shortage of gas in the country.

The shuttering of petrochemical plants in the east coast may see lower demand for industrial gasses from its centralised utility facilities but the impact is expected to be small. Helping future earnings will be the company’s foray into the power generation business via its maiden power plant in Sabah.

The steady nature of Petronas Gas’s business is reflected in its forecast earnings, as estimates derived from Bloomberg has pegged the company earning 54.5 sen a share for its 2010 financial year and declaring a dividend of 47.7 sen a share.

Public Bank Bhd

It may be among the most expensive banking stocks in the world but that does not mean the stock should be ignored. The fact that it has attained such a status when banking stocks around the world are looked at with more suspicion means there is something worth looking out for in this bank. The high valuation is also a sign of confidence in this counter, signalling the market is putting a high degree of certainty that this bank will survive.

The strength of Public Bank makes it a stock worth watching out for. Its business is deeply consumer and small business centric and it has ridden the wave of lending activity in those two segments for nearly the past decade, chalking up strong double-digit growth rates and super low non-performing loans along the way.

Whether this will continue bears watching but it will be tough picking against the most defensive-natured banking stock heading into 2009. It has a forecast earnings of 72.2 sen a share for 2009 and a dividend of 69.5 sen a share.

Fraser & Neave Holdings Bhd

One look at the stock chart of this counter and it’s almost a no-brainer pick. This stock has gained year-on-year for the past five years and the company’s profits continued to rise during the time.

It has without much fanfare done the business of giving growth while maintaining the hallmarks of good management. Expansion into neighbouring countries plus the steady defensive nature of its business - the company is a major bottler of soft drinks in the country - augur well for shareholders of this company.

As one analyst remarked, the major shareholders of this company are long-term investors and for good reason. The company is forecast to post earnings of 51.6 sen a share for its 2009 financial year ending Sept 30 while dividends are strong at 50.8 sen a share.

Resorts

World Bhd

With a net cash per share of 78 sen, Resorts World Bhd will still be viewed by investors as a safe stock to own during troubled times.

Resorts’ image was recently blemished by related-party transaction issues when it acquired 10% of Walker Digital Gaming (WDG) and 100% of Digital Tree (which earns royalties from WDG) for RM250.5mil.

If investors are willing to see beyond this “dishonour”, Resorts actually offers a cheap exposure to the solid domestic gaming operations, which continue to do well even in trying times.

It is also for this reason, that during market upturns, the stock tends to outperform the broader market, rendering it a firm favourite among foreign investors.

One broker said Resorts’ net cash hoard of more than RM4.3bil could be used for more acquisitions and capital management initiatives.

A check showed that 66% of analysts polled by Bloomberg have a buy call on the stock and have forecast the company earning 22 sen a share and declaring a dividend of 7.2 sen a share.

Source: http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/1/3/business/2881919&sec=business

Happy learners

By WONG LI ZA

Learning can be made fun and effective for young children.

PARENTS tend to forget that learning to write or buttoning a shirt can be difficult for a young child.

“Sometimes we can be impatient with our young children. In this fast-paced life, speed is everything. We want our children to walk, eat, dress, learn and grow up faster,” said Dr Goh Chee Leong, dean of the Behavioural Sciences Faculty at HELP University College.

Last Friday, Dutch Lady Malaysia launched World of Effective Learning, a 12-day exhibition aimed at educating parents on the challenges that children aged one to six face. The experiential learning event is organised in association with HELP University College’s Child Psychology Department.

“Empathy is an important part of being an effective parent. It is being able to see things from your child’s perspective and understand how your child feels, particularly the problems, struggles and difficulties they face in performing the simplest tasks,” said Goh.

The exhibition features activities like the “Unsteady Walk”, which allows parents to imagine how a child feels when taking her first steps. When adults try to write with the 4ft (1.2m) tall “Giant Pencil” at the exhibition, they will experience the difficulties their kids go through in the early stages of writing.

Children have different learning styles. Parents should try to find what works best for their child.

Goh said parents today faced a fair amount of pressure in terms of their children’s education, particularly urban parents.

“They are very conscious of their child’s performance and the competition from other students in class, their friends’ children or relatives’ kids. When their child performs poorly, it’s like a loss of face for them,” said Goh.

In the first 10 years of a child’s life, there are huge variations in her progress, added Goh.

“The pace of development is different in every child. Some are faster, some are slower but in most cases, the child arrives at the same time.

“Parents should think long-term and (be satisfied) as long as the child has had a good education by the time he is 17 or 18.’

Goh stressed that parents’ role is to encourage, not pressure, a child to learn. “I don’t think parents should be overly stressed or worried when their kids are not the top students in school,” he said. “However, parents should take an interest in their child’s education. Check their homework, help them prepare for exams and cover the syllabus.

“The key is to motivate children to learn but not pressure them until they hate school and homework, or do homework because they are afraid of their parents,” said Goh.

He added that effective learning involves opening a child’s mind, curiosity, interest and joy in learning.

“Most children have natural intellectual curiosity. It is important not to kill their joy of learning,” he said. Some danger signs of this include a child losing her love of reading, ceasing to ask questions like before or starting to dislike things she used to love, like drawing or doing homework.

The long-term consequence is that the child will lose her natural sense of curiosity and become an adult who does not learn new things unless forced to.

“Some adults lack interest in general issues such as politics, economics or culture, but people who are interested are usually more successful and well-rounded,” said Goh.

He also stressed that children have different styles of learning.

“Some children are more visual while others more verbal or action-orientated. Parents should try everything and find the best method for their child.”

Obtaining balanced learning and development is the key, said Goh, who highlighted two of the biggest mistakes parents make.

“Parents still tend to emphasise academic development rather than the creative, social, moral and emotional aspects. The work environment today requires well-rounded individuals.

“Secondly, parents do not spend enough time with their children. They need to spend at least an hour of quality interaction a day with their kids, talking, communicating or reading with them,” said Goh.

Parents should also make an effort to engage in fun learning activities with their children.

“Ask them what they want to learn today and if it’s animals, take them to the zoo or if it’s aeroplanes, go to the airport or buy a book. Make sure they have a balanced time-table, which is not just filled with (school work) or indoor entertainment like television or computer games.”

Goh said parents need to be firm yet encouraging and understand the developmental stage of their child.

“At each stage there are different behaviours. It is important to engage in their child’s learning, which is more than just the school curriculum,” he said.

The World of Effective Learning event is on until Dec 2 at the Exhibition Centre, 3rd Floor, MidValley Megamall, Kuala Lumpur. The exhibition is open from 10am to 9pm. Admission is free.

http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2008/11/26/lifeparenting/2594728&sec=lifeparenting

Doa Nabi-nabi Dalam al-Quran

Doa Nabi-nabi Dalam al-Quran

Oktober 27, 2008

Doa Nabi Adam AS

“Ya Tuhan Kami, Kami telah Menganiaya diri Kami sendiri, dan jika Engkau tidak mengampuni Kami dan memberi rahmat kepada Kami, niscaya pastilah Kami Termasuk orang-orang yang merugi.”
(Surah Al A’raaf :23)

Doa Nabi Nuh AS

“Ya Tuhanku, Sesungguhnya aku berlindung kepada Engkau dari memohon kepada Engkau sesuatu yang aku tiada mengetahui (hakekat)nya. dan Sekiranya Engkau tidak memberi ampun kepadaKu, dan (tidak) menaruh belas kasihan kepadaKu, niscaya aku akan Termasuk orang-orang yang merugi.”
(Surah Hud :47)

Doa Nabi Hud AS

”Sesungguhnya aku bertawakkal kepada Allah Tuhanku dan Tuhanmu. tidak ada suatu binatang melatapun melainkan Dia-lah yang memegang ubun-ubunnya. Sesungguhnya Tuhanku di atas jalan yang lurus.”
(Surah Hud :56)

Doa nabi Ibrahim AS

Wahai Tuhanku,jadikanlah aku dan anak cucuku orang-orng yang tetap mendirikan sholat.Wahai Tuhan kami,kabulkanlah doaku.Wahai tuhan Kami ,berilah keampunan kepadaku dan dua ibu bapaku dan sekalian orang orang mukmin pada hari berlangsungnya hisab(nanti)”.(SurahIbrahim :40-41)

Doa Nabi Yusuf AS

“Wahai Tuhanku! Sesungguhnya Engkau telah mengurniakan daku sebahagian dari kekuasaan (pemerintahan) dan mengajarku sebahagian dari ilmu tafsiran mimpi. Wahai Tuhan yang menciptakan langit dan bumi Engkau Penguasa dan Pelindungku di dunia dan di akhirat; sempurnakanlah ajalku (ketika mati) dalam keadaan Islam, dan hubungkanlah daku dengan orang-orang yang soleh”. ( Surah Yusuf : 101 )

Doa Nabi Ayub AS

“Wahai Tuhanku,sesunguhnya aku telah di timpa penyakit dan Engkau Yang Maha Penyayang di antara semua penyayang”.(Surah Al-Anbiyaa’:83)

Doa nabi Yunus AS

“Bahwasanya tiada Tuhan yang patut di sembah melainkan hanya Engkau,Maha Suci Engkau,sesungguhnya aku adalah termasuk orang-orang yang zalim(Surah Al-Anbiya’:87).

Doa Nabi Musa AS

Nabi Musa berdoa dengan berkata: “Wahai Tuhanku, lapangkanlah bagiku, dadaku; “Dan mudahkanlah bagiku, tugasku; “Dan lepaskanlah simpulan dari lidahku, “Supaya mereka faham perkataanku; ( Surah Taha : 25 -27 )

Doa nabi Sulaiman AS

“Wahai Tuhanku,berilah aku ilham untuk tetap mensyukuri nikmatmu yang telah Engkau anugerahkan kepadaku dan kepada kedua ibu bapakku dan untuk mengerjakan amal sholeh yang Engkau redhai dan masukkanlah aku dengan rahmatMu kedalam golongan hamba-hambaMu yang soleh”.( Surah,An-Namlu : 19 )

Doa Nabi Zakaria AS

Dia merayu dengan berkata: Wahai Tuhanku! Sesungguhnya telah lemahlah tulang -tulangku, dan telah putih melepaklah uban kepalaku; dan aku - wahai Tuhanku - tidak pernah merasa hampa dengan doa permohonanku kepadaMu. Dan sesungguhnya aku merasa bimbang akan kecuaian kaum kerabatku menyempurnakan tugas-tugas ugama sepeninggalanku; dan isteriku pula adalah seorang yang mandul; oleh itu, kurniakanlah daku dari sisiMu seorang anak lelaki. Yang layak mewarisi daku, juga mewarisi keluarga Nabi Yaakub; dan jadikanlah dia - wahai Tuhanku seorang yang diredhai serta disukai”.

( Surah Maryam : 4-6 )

Doa Nabi Isa AS

Nabi Isa ibni Maryam (pun berdoalah ke hadrat Allah dengan) berkata: Ya Allah, Tuhan kami! Turunkanlah kiranya kepada kami satu hidangan dari langit, untuk menjadi hari raya bagi kami, iaitu bagi kami yang ada hari ini dan bagi orang-orang kami yang datang kemudian, dan sebagai satu tanda (mukjizat) daripadamu (yang menunjukkan kebesaran dan kekuasaanMu); dan kurniakanlah rezeki kepada kami, kerana Engkau jualah sebaik-baik Pemberi rezeki”. ( Surah al-Maidah : 114 )

Doa Nabi Muhammad s.a.w

“Wahai Tuhan kami! Janganlah Engkau mengirakan kami salah jika kami lupa atau kami tersalah. Wahai Tuhan kami ! Janganlah Engkau bebankan kepada kami bebanan yang berat sebagaimana yang telah Engkau bebankan kepada orang-orang yang terdahulu daripada kami. Wahai Tuhan kami! Janganlah Engkau pikulkan kepada kami apa yang kami tidak terdaya memikulnya. Dan maafkanlah kesalahan kami, serta ampunkanlah dosa kami, dan berilah rahmat kepada kami. Engkaulah Penolong kami; oleh itu, tolonglah kami untuk mencapai kemenangan terhadap kaum-kaum yang kafir”.

( Surah al-Baqarah : 286 )

Sumber: http://aki2004.wordpress.com/2008/10/27/doa-nabi-nabi-dalam-al-quran/

Perspectives on change: A former chief of staff reflects

Leon Panetta discusses how to make change happen, public–private partnerships and their effect on policy, and the major management challenges confronting the new administration.

NOVEMBER 2008 • Lenny Mendonca and Allen Webb

In This Article

• About the authors
• Letters to the editor

A long-serving politician with a reputation for getting things done and telling it like it is, Leon Panetta has had a distinguished public-service career. A lawyer by training, he joined the US Army in 1964, entered politics two years later, and represented California’s 16th (now 17th) district in the US House of Representatives from 1977 to 1993. He is best known for having served as President Bill Clinton’s chief of staff from 1994 to 1997. Today, he is the director of the Leon & Sylvia Panetta Institute for Public Policy, a not-for-profit, nonpartisan center located on the central coast of California—his birthplace.

Recently, Panetta sat down with McKinsey’s Lenny Mendonca and Allen Webb to share his views on how to make things work in the public sector, how to develop strong leaders, the importance of private-sector involvement, and the challenges confronting the US government.

The Quarterly: What enabled you to get things done during your time in Washington?

Leon Panetta: I have often said that my Army experience was a great deal more important than any government experience. In the military, I saw that you need someone at the top who is capable of running a strong organization: establishing a chain of command, maintaining a list of priorities, and making sure that everyone is working toward the same goals. All managers have to be aware of their priorities—even the president of the United States. The bully pulpit isn’t worth much if you don’t have a clear sense of mission.

I used that principle of mission—of knowing your goals and collaborating to achieve them—when I became chief of staff. The situation was pretty confused; there was no organizational chart of the White House. If you had a meeting, 30 people would show up because nobody told anyone else that they didn’t belong. The result was chaos. My first task was to establish a clear chain of command, responsibility, and discipline.

The critical element I used on a daily basis was a series of staff meetings. One, held early in the morning, involved key people in top jobs at the White House. We looked at issues, discussed our mission for the day, and anticipated problems and crises. The exercise was to share advice and make sure every member of this group knew what was going on and where we were headed. Then I ran a larger staff meeting to involve everybody else. Those meetings were extremely important for getting input and spotting problems.

The Quarterly: How did you strike the right balance between responding to short-term challenges and tackling the administration’s longer-term priorities?

Leon Panetta: One of the decisions I made early on was that we could not be reactive. When I came into the White House, schedules were operating almost day to day—maybe a couple of weeks in advance at most. We established a six-week schedule to look ahead to everything that needed to get done and developed a focus for that schedule. Was education going to be a priority? Health care? Crime? Were there foreign-policy trips that needed to be planned? Basically, we wanted to handle all this ahead of time because we knew crises would always emerge that we would have to deal with. The idea was never to lose sight of the fundamental mission.

The Quarterly: How similar—or different—do you think management principles are between the public and private sectors?

Leon Panetta: I’m sure the sense is that these are two different worlds. But I think the fundamental principles—developing a strong organization, operating with a list of priorities, and creating a coordinated team effort—are very much the same. You see these basic principles much more in the private sector because in the public sector, the profit motive isn’t there driving people to figure out the most effective ways to get things done.

So in the public sector, the way these principles are implemented ends up depending an awful lot on who’s in charge. Too often, public-sector bosses let their people get into a grind where they do the same things day in and day out. They’re moving paper from the in-box to the out-box, without a larger sense of mission and priorities. Sometimes they prefer to operate in their particular program or area of expertise and just stay under the radar, because they know that the more they communicate, the more they will be subject to other people’s discipline and intervention.

One of the great temptations in government is to let everybody do their own thing and disappear into their own area and to think it’s all fine as long as nothing unfortunate happens or no scandal emerges. But the job of department heads and supervisors is to make sure nobody operates under the radar. You need very strong supervisors to keep people from losing their ability to relate to the larger mission.

The Quarterly: What can senior executives in government do to develop strong leaders and supervisors?

Leon Panetta: I think the most important way to inspire leadership, whether in government or in the corporate world, is to give people the opportunity to say what they want and then to pay attention to what they say. You have to reward people for being honest and talking straight. Too often, I have been part of leadership groups where nobody likes to tell the boss what’s really happening—especially if the boss is the president of the United States and the news is bad. But having people around who are willing to say what they believe is invaluable. Similarly, you have to support people willing to take measured risks. Finally, it’s important to lead by example and be willing to work hard. You won’t develop leadership if you just punch in and punch out.

The Quarterly: What role do you see for the private sector in addressing major societal challenges?

Leon Panetta: Business leaders underestimate their ability to influence policy. I know they feel they can affect policy by giving money and holding fund-raisers for people running in campaigns. But the effect is even more significant when a group of business leaders comes together and champions a particular cause. When I was chair of the budget committee, a group of executives came in and said that it was really important to discipline the federal budget in order to reduce the deficit. They came forward and presented some ideas, and it was apparent they really cared about the issue. That made a difference.

We also saw this level of engagement when ten major corporations, including BP, were concerned about establishing some control on carbon emissions. They felt that this was a really important issue and collaborated to present a strong case for it. That had more impact on policy on this issue in Washington than almost anything else. Policy makers pay attention when business leaders are willing to engage as a group.

You see a lot more going on today in the private sector with regard to these types of issues. The reality is that if companies aren’t on the cutting edge of dealing with challenges like global warming or education or the impact of energy issues, it’s going to affect their business. If government is not taking responsibility, the private sector should.

But the best approach, in our democracy, is to have strong public–private partnerships, because even if the private sector can make some gains, it still requires government support to implement broad policy changes. An example of a partnership would be providing incentives for R&D so that the private sector can engage in cutting-edge technology: the Internet, telecommunications, and so on.

The Quarterly: The United States is heading into a change of administrations. What are the big management issues that the new president will have to face?

Leon Panetta: The big challenge is going to be selecting a team of qualified people who are good managers as well. The president is going to be coming off a successful campaign, and so his natural instinct will be to rely on campaign people to assist during the transition. That’s probably the biggest mistake. Taking over the government involves operating in a completely different sphere.

The problem is that gearing up at the federal level takes six months to a year. No president has his entire team in place right after the inauguration. What’s imperative is to develop the key team of players who can assist the president with issues that he will have to deal with immediately, so things don’t fall apart. The responsibility then will be to backfill over the next year: organize the cabinet, find the right people to head departments and agencies, fill subcabinet positions, and so on.

The Quarterly: We’re also headed into another transition, a turnover of government personnel as the baby-boom generation retires. What’s your take on that?

Leon Panetta: It’s a very scary prospect, and I don’t think many people have really focused on this issue. One problem is that if you are operating at a higher level, you have to go through a horrendous nominating process that involves not only background checks but also a very difficult confirming process on Capitol Hill. Then there is the low level of pay, which has made it hard to attract qualified people. Also, there is a view that the public sector is a huge bureaucracy and that everybody is a cog in the machine.

When I came back from Washington, it became clear as I talked to students that they were turned off by politics. And that really concerned me, because my years in public life were inspired not only by my parents and two years in the Army but also by a president who said it was important to give something back to the country. For whatever reason, that message was not getting across to young people, and I felt it was important to establish an institute that would try to spark that interest. That’s the purpose of the Panetta Institute—to inspire young people to think about a public-service career—and I’m proud to say our programs are working. A lot of the students who have gone through our programs are in public life, either at the state or federal level.

The Quarterly: You’ve spoken a lot in public about the need for change in government. What do you think it will take to bring about real change?

Leon Panetta: There has to be honest conversation and dialogue, and a willingness to engage in a little give-and-take. Politicians on both sides of the aisle have to be open to compromise; their main objective should be to govern rather than to win. If you’re not willing to have that dialogue, if you’re not willing to put everything on the table, if winning is more important than governing, if getting your 30-second sound bite is more important than solving problems—then the government will not work.

One message I try to convey to my students all the time is that in our democracy, you can bring about change either through leadership or through crisis. If there is no leadership—if political leaders are not willing to take risks, have honest conversations, and make tough decisions—then crisis will drive policy. Unfortunately, that’s where we are today. Crisis is largely driving policy.

I think another missing ingredient these days is that nobody wants to talk about sacrifice. It’s a politically unpopular word, and yet it’s what success in this country comes down to. My brother and I would never have had the opportunity to go to college and become lawyers if my immigrant parents had not sacrificed. The greatest moments in our nation’s history have been when Americans pulled together and made sacrifices to get things done. It’s been a long time since we’ve resurrected the spirit of sacrifice in this country.

Source: http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Public_Sector/Management/Perspectives_on_change_a_former_chief_of_staff_reflects_2241

MBA: The devil's work for those starting a business

Something to think about ...

MBA: The devil's work for those starting a business

Newly-qualified MBA graduates tend to assume that their piece of paper automatically qualifies them to be a freelance consultant or to run their own business. Think again, says Robert Craven.

Running a business is about action, it is not about theory. What is great in the classroom (because it is intellectually attractive or academically rigorous) is not always relevant in the real world.

Business planning is a great way to make mistakes on paper; but you'll learn even more in the marketplace. The market is brutally honest and gives you real feedback. You will be successful if you provide something that people want - in a way that they want it. The best (and fastest) way to learn is by spending your own money and by paying for your own mistakes. I only learnt about the value of money when I started losing my own!

There is one basic question you need to ask yourself about your new business – why should people bother to buy your product? And why should they bother to buy from you, especially when there are so many other people selling similar products at similar prices? What will make you different?

Do not compete on price. The bigger organisations with bigger budgets and buying power will always beat the smaller player on price. You must compete on everything but the price. Be faster, smarter, slower, nicer, cleverer, more local, ruder - be different.

There are four main skills that every entrepreneur needs. The first is vision – the ability to see into the future, to imagine how things could be. The second is passion – a sheer belief and conviction in one's ideas and actions. Then there's determination – the willingness to persevere, often against the odds, to create something new where there was nothing. Communication/delegation skills are also vital – the ability to muster the skills and efforts of other people to help to create and deliver a dream, to take something from the imagination and turn it into an actual product or service that people will buy. If you possess these skills, you're already half way there.

So, what aspects do you need to consider to set up on your own?

The market: How good is your idea? Test it on friends and strangers. What problem are you solving? Who is going to buy your product? Why? Who are your competitors? How will you be different, better and smarter? How will you make the first/tenth/hundredth sale? You will make no sales if it is a lousy product, or because of your lousy marketing. So throw away Kotler [author of How to Create, Win, and Dominate Markets] and start listening to potential customers.

Objectives: What is the business trying to achieve? What is your motivation? What is your definition of success?

Resources: What do you own and what resources can you use (physical, human, intellectual and financial resources) to make the business idea come to fruition? What will you need in a year's time?

Financials: What do the projected cash-flow and profit and loss forecasts look like? How are prices set? What is the cost structure? The key issues are economic viability, price and profit. Is there someone in the business who actually understands how the finances work?

Ability: Have you got what it takes? How relevant is your knowledge, attitude, experience and character?

Starting your own business isn't easy. Fear is a perfectly natural emotion. What limits have you set for yourself subconsciously? If you believe that you cannot swim then you will not be able to swim. How do you limit yourself? If you aren't sailing close to the wind then you are probably not taking enough risks. Acknowledge the fear and make a calculated decision. Use the adrenaline and energy that the fear creates to work for you rather than against you. Cut the excuses and just do it.

Branding is absolutely crucial. You can't afford to not communicate your brand. Everything about your business communicates something, so ask yourself what it is that you want to be communicating? Less is more, so simplify everything.

Separate yourself from the competition. Make yourself different and sharpen your thinking by spending some time with people who come at things from a different angle. Remember: the best ideas will come from the strangest of places. You should never be afraid to ask stupid questions.

Finally, work on, not in your business. When Ray Kroc started McDonald's, he never intended to work in the business cooking beefburgers; he always intended to work on the business, creating the architecture, the empire.

Don't shy away from passion.

Robert Craven is the keynote speaker and author of the best-selling business book 'Bright Marketing - why should people bother to buy from you?'. As MD of The Directors' Centre, the consultancy for growing businesses, he works with ambitious directors to break through constraints on business growth. He can be contacted at rc@directorscentre.com or on +44 (0)1225 851044

Source: http://www.businesszone.co.uk/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=187114&d=1095&h=1097&f=1096

Meet Arsenal's real dream team

Premier League - Meet Arsenal's real dream team

Eurosport - Wed, 12 Nov 13:09:00 2008

Those who watched Arsenal's kids outclass a full-strength Wigan side in the Carling Cup on Tuesday night were again left wondering just where Arsenal keep finding all these players?

Arsenal's ability to unearth gems from around the world is now legendary but still little is known about the people who actually find all these amazing talents.

Eurosport.yahoo.co.uk takes a look at Arsenal's real dream team - their scouting network - a collection of individuals who save the club a fortune in transfer fees.

Manager - Arsene Wenger

We have to start at the top, and manager Wenger really is the brains behind the whole operation. From his first day in charge he set about bringing a global vision to the club. Only after studying an extensive dossier and video footage of a player will Wenger even consider making a move for him. He is always the ultimate judge when it is decided whether a player is good enough for Arsenal.

Chief scout - Steve Rowley

The leader of a scouting operation that includes seven English scouts and 16 more abroad, Rowley will always travel to watch a player before he is recommended to Wenger. Rowley has been at Arsenal for 30 years and discovered the likes of Tony Adams and Ray Parlour, but before Wenger arrived he had never been on a working assignment outside of Britain. Since then he has travelled all over the planet and is held in such high esteem that clubs have constantly tried to poach him. He recently turned down a big money move to Zenit St Petersburg.

Spanish scout - Francis Cagigao

Cagigao is a former youth player at Arsenal and Barcelona but while he never quite made it as a first-teamer he has become a valuable asset as a scout. Cagigao is the man who identified Cesc Fabregas as a player worth chasing and he recommended Lionel Messi to Arsenal with work permit issues preventing a move for the Argentine at the time. Recently he discovered Fran Merida - tipped as the 'new Fabregas' - who starred against Wigan.

South American scout - Sandro Orlandelli

Based in Brazil, Orlandelli immediately called Rowley when he saw Carlos Vela playing at the World Youth Championships in Peru. Orlandelli also became friends with Vela's father, which helped seal the deal. Denilson was another Orlandelli discovery, while he also first spotted young left-sided player Pedro Botelho who is currently on loan at Salamanca in Spain. He scouted Sao Paulo striker Diogo, for whom Arsenal have had two recent bids rejected.

The close friend - Jean-Marc Guillou

Not directly on the Arsenal payroll - Guillou has still been a key player in the Arsenal success story. His football schools in Africa helped unearth Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Eboue, and his close relationship with Wenger made sure that the Arsenal boss found out first. Guillou was also manager of Belgian club Beveren during the co-operation agreement between the clubs which ran from 2001until 2006.

French scout - Gilles Grimandi

Wenger has an in-depth knowledge of the French game, but when he hears about a top prospect in his homeland he instructs former player Grimandi to keep a keen eye on the player. Positive reports from Grimandi on the likes of Abou Diaby, Bacary Sagna, Alex Song, and Mathieu Flamini persuaded Wenger to sign the players.

The international partnerships performance supervisor - Steve Morrow

Most famous for scoring the winning goal in the 1993 League Cup final before breaking his arm in the post-match celebrations - Morrow recently started managing Arsenal's international partnerships, which currently includes the Colorado Rapids of the MLS, BEC Tero of Thailand and Hoang Anh Gia Lai of Vietnam. Morrow also assists Arsenal's academies in countries such as Egypt and Ghana.

Scandinavian scout - Bobby Bennett

Bennett has been working for Arsenal in Scandinavia for seven years and helped to persuade Nicklas Bendtner to join the club by presenting him with a signed shirt from his favourite player - Robert Pires. Bennett also scouted Havard Nordtveit, a 17-year-old Norwegian centre-half who is considered one of Arsenal's top prospects and who is currently on loan with Botelho at Salamanca.

Germany scout - Thomas Kost

It didn't 'Kost' much for Arsenal to get either Philippe Senderos or Lukasz Fabianski because both were spotted by Kost early in their careers.

Italian scout - Tony Banfield

Banfield is the son of reserve team coach Neil. His big recent discovery was Johan Djourou who came up on his radar after he overheard two agents talking about the Swiss centre-half at a youth tournament in Croatia.

The ex-Players - Peter Clarke and Danny Karbassiyoon

Two more former Arsenal youth players are part of the Arsenal scouting network, with Clarke based in Holland and Karbassiyoon covering North America and Mexico.

The head of youth development - Liam Brady

The Arsenal and Ireland legend oversees the development of the young players once they arrive at Arsenal, ensuring they can play Wenger's unique brand of football He has been at the club since just before Wenger arrived in 1996. Former Arsenal great Steve Bould is also involved with the youngsters as head coach of the Under-18 Academy side.

Seán Fay / Eurosport
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/12112008/58/premier-league-meet-arsenal-s-real-dream-team.html

Ustaz Hasrizal - 2 baca

Re: [ummiku-sayang] Ustaz Hasrizal talk last Saturday

Salam,

Agree with sis Shazreen. A lot of tips received. Eventhough we have attended many talks and read many parenting books, but what Ustaz shared were all with reference to the Quran and Hadith.

Some of the points I can share:

- Parents have to go BACK TO BASIC - It is us PARENTS who are responsible to shape our children. Not the teachers, schools, grandparents... US. Why? Because parents have something extra i.e "Kasih Sayang". When you show your love to your children and they give you their unconditional love, then it is easier to ask them to obey you. Otherwise, it will be seen as a burden to them. He showed a video of Petronas' Raya ad 2007 to illustrate the point.

- Kasih Sayang also equates to ATTENTION. Not material gifts. He gave an example of how a poor family who have a close family bond is better than a rich family where the children and parents are hardly together due to their busy schedules.

Apakah keperluan anak-anak?

(1) Fizikal - makan, minum, rumah etc. This one, all parents of most species do. So, kalau parents tu ingat tugas dia cuma nak bagi rumah, makan, minum & pakaian sahaja, he is the same as other animals.

(2) Akal - education, ilmu. This is either through formal or informal ways. School or life skills that provide knowledge to them.

(3) Emosi - kasih sayang, perhatian... Now this is where some parents start to "slack". Maybe the first two needs are fulfilled prefectly, but due to their busy schedules or whatever, they fail to tend to the emotional needs of their children.

(4) Hati - perlu kepada IMAN dan AGAMA. Here pun lagi ramai yang fail. Some equate the education that they provide via schools as the same as providing the IMAN. But it is not so. It doesn't mean sending the child to the best Islamic schools will be the same as giving them iman. And again, it is us as parents who are responsible to plant this seed in our children.

How? It is important to tell the children of "TUJUAN HIDUP". What is the purpose of our life? Without this understanding, we will be living our life like a soccer player playing in a field without the goal posts. Allah Mentions in the Quran " Tidak Aku jadikan manusia & jin, kecuali untuk beribadah kepadaKu". Manusia and Jin have the same roles here but manusia is given an extra role which is to be a KHALIFAH on this earth. What is the role of a Khalifah? Simply put - Make ourselves good, help others be good and take care of our surroundings (environment, society etc). "Good" here of course refers to being a good Muslim, following the rules of the Quran and Sunnah.

- Don't focus on the "presenting problem". We tend to look at issues of one not wearing the hijab, not praying, not fasting etc and react to the problem directly. But the more serious issue is the problem that relates to understanding one's dependency to Allah (perlukah saya kepada Allah?). Example - if you were invited to receive a Datukship at the Istana and the dress code requires you to wear black baju melayu, samping, shoes etc, would you disobey it? Most likely no. Why? Because you see that your Datukship is dependent on that ruling. If you refuse, you won't get the award.

It is the same here. We need to understand our dependence to Allah. We are all but His servants. Therefore, we should obey the rules that has been stated for us in the Quran and Sunnah. So, the problems that we see really has to be solved by understanding this concept, which Ustaz called "Asas Aqidah".

For children, we need to "suburkan" their love to Allah. Let them see the wonders and the blessings of Allah upon them. We need to make them understand that there is a reward for following the rules of Allah. We need to show them how dependent we are to Allah.

Banyak lagi yang dia share, yang tak dapat nak ditulis disini. Maybe others can share as well.

Do check out his website SaifulIslam.com. To check out our photos, click here:

http://www.slide.com/r/9xsvVmAi6j89BXd9qxPdxNe0sRluIZsa?previous_view=mscd_embedded_url&view=original

Wassalam,

Lily

On 11/10/08, shazreen zakaria <shaz_r33n@...> wrote:

Salam

Memang a lot of tips that we received. The best part was knowing that anak seorang ustaz pun boleh buat perangai cam anak i yg ibu dia masih banyak lagi kena belajar..I'm not alone after all, phew!...It was an eye opener esp to my hubby coz i selalu gak pokpek pasal being at home but not being together. selalunya bebudak kat depan infront of the tv, i kt dapur n he in the room either w the hp, or newspaper..Sekali sekala appear bila ada yg nangis..So bila ustaz yang cakap terkesan la jugak..The next day, we tried to puji them esp when they were acting good and alhamdulillah wat a blissful weekend i had! Now to maintain and enhance the good behaviour..The biggest challenge i feel in educating and raising my kids is myself: kurang sabar and kurang ilmu. So to ummikusayang Kudos to ur team for bringing this workshop close to all of us..InsyaAllah with all the ilmu that we received we will become Supermums and Cooldads!

Wasslam

--- On Sun, 11/9/08, Norhasnitatini <norhasnitatini@...> wrote:

From: Norhasnitatini <norhasnitatini@...>
Subject: Re: [ummiku-sayang] Ustaz Hasrizal talk last Saturday
To: ummiku-sayang@yahoogroups.com
Date: Sunday, November 9, 2008, 8:09 PM

Salaam--

ALhamdulillah managed to attend the talk last saturday.

So true... mmg tak cukup masa, rasa macam byk lagi tak cover, alih2 dah time!

The following day, a few times i reminded my hubby to go mingle with my kids whenever

they were on their own.. nak praktikkan saranan ustaz supaya hadirkan diri untuk anak2

bila mereka behave, bukan hanya bila mereka naughty.

Lucky hubby was at the talk too :-) .. sebabnya my husband mmg selalu akan appear bila mereka

nakal/bergaduh/ menangis sahaja. Bila anak2 behave, i.e reading books, coloring, main among themselves

dgn aman - we all pun akan buat kerja sendiri, if hubby mmg ngadap laptop je lah.

So lepas balik dr talk ustaz, we all try untuk 'appear' bila anak2 behave.. and tell them how good they are..

puji2 lebih sikit, join them for a while.. before we go back to our work.

In short, soooo many things that we as parents need to change.

Dan SIBUK adalah musuh utama :-(

Nita