In conjunction with World Kidney Day 2011, we are organizing an event for families and kids at our hospital.
Including health forums, colouring contest and healthy food cooking demo. Do join us on the 19th of March !
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Friday, March 4, 2011
Looking to hire Delivery Boys
It's a Saturday morning and I've just done my morning ward rounds. A few business proposals to do .... interesting ones too!
Meanwhile, we will need to hire a few Delivery boys for our growing kopitiam business. Once we sort that one out, it will be an all out Delivery Service !
"Hot White coffee , anyone ...?"
Meanwhile, we will need to hire a few Delivery boys for our growing kopitiam business. Once we sort that one out, it will be an all out Delivery Service !
"Hot White coffee , anyone ...?"
Thursday, March 3, 2011
How does Facebook make money?
Have you ever wondered how Facebook makes money?
A mega huge social network like Facebook is so powerful because the 500 million users have many different likings, needs, interests and this generates a huge potential for online income generation from various industries.
One of the ways is using self-serve advertising. Not only the big companies can advertise in facebook through media such as banners or Youtube, even the average user like you and I can advertise our small businesses in Facebook. I know some of my friends who do exactly that. Recently, a girl told me she sells customised ladies' shoes through her Facebook account. And she is doing quite well.....Interesting !
Companies know that advertising in Facebook is like showing off your product to millions of people.
Read further on how Facebook earns money here.
A mega huge social network like Facebook is so powerful because the 500 million users have many different likings, needs, interests and this generates a huge potential for online income generation from various industries.
One of the ways is using self-serve advertising. Not only the big companies can advertise in facebook through media such as banners or Youtube, even the average user like you and I can advertise our small businesses in Facebook. I know some of my friends who do exactly that. Recently, a girl told me she sells customised ladies' shoes through her Facebook account. And she is doing quite well.....Interesting !
Companies know that advertising in Facebook is like showing off your product to millions of people.
Read further on how Facebook earns money here.
Learn from one of the Greatest
One of the world's best entrepreneurs I really admire is Sir Richard Branson.
He started the Virgin group from scratch and made it big. Really big.
Imagine those days, he had to compete with an established giant, British Airways. He believed that one doesn't need to be a pilot to have an Airline and one doesn't need to be a singer or artist to own a music record company. His Virgin Records survived the new era of online music downloads. I believe the same thing. One doesn't need to be a chef to open a restaurant.
He said "Business is all about the Details ..."
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Be bold enough to fire an employee
One of the challenges as an Entrepreneur and business owner is when faced with making a decision whether to keep or fire a staff.
When I started the kopitiam, one of the managerial staff under our payroll was lacking in punctuality at work. He kept reporting late for work. But that was not the main problem. The problem was that since he was the managerial staff whose presence is needed to open accounts for the business day, all the other staff will have to wait for him before starting work. Hence, this created a hurdle to the business. A kopitiam business needs to open very early in the morning to catch a breakfast crowd. No point opening it at 8am - everybody's already in their respective office starting work proper.
Warning after warning and yet he kept repeating it. This was already setting a bad example to the other workers. As directors, we had to speak to him, essentially asking him to buck up. Or shall I say "My way or the highway".
To cut the story short, he didn't show any effort to improve and we promptly showed him the door.
Another story is about me firing a dialysis nurse. She did a few blunders. Number 1, when there were no scheduled patients to come for dialysis in the afternoon, she closed the dialysis centre and went home at around 2pm. It was clearly stated in her contract that she had to work till 5pm. Her second mistake was that she did not report to her superiors when a refridgerator was out of order and not cold enough, hence spoiling all the erythropoeitin injections and immunisation injections. Obviously this was a serious blunder and not forgiveable to a staff nurse. She too was shown the door.
As an entrepreneur and business owner, although one would like to be popular and kind, but one must be bold enough to fire an errant staff, especially when policies are breached. Leniency in such cases may be viewed as a weakness by other managerial staff. Of course, humans make errors. But some errors are not forgiveable and some should not be repeated.
When I started the kopitiam, one of the managerial staff under our payroll was lacking in punctuality at work. He kept reporting late for work. But that was not the main problem. The problem was that since he was the managerial staff whose presence is needed to open accounts for the business day, all the other staff will have to wait for him before starting work. Hence, this created a hurdle to the business. A kopitiam business needs to open very early in the morning to catch a breakfast crowd. No point opening it at 8am - everybody's already in their respective office starting work proper.
Warning after warning and yet he kept repeating it. This was already setting a bad example to the other workers. As directors, we had to speak to him, essentially asking him to buck up. Or shall I say "My way or the highway".
To cut the story short, he didn't show any effort to improve and we promptly showed him the door.
Another story is about me firing a dialysis nurse. She did a few blunders. Number 1, when there were no scheduled patients to come for dialysis in the afternoon, she closed the dialysis centre and went home at around 2pm. It was clearly stated in her contract that she had to work till 5pm. Her second mistake was that she did not report to her superiors when a refridgerator was out of order and not cold enough, hence spoiling all the erythropoeitin injections and immunisation injections. Obviously this was a serious blunder and not forgiveable to a staff nurse. She too was shown the door.
As an entrepreneur and business owner, although one would like to be popular and kind, but one must be bold enough to fire an errant staff, especially when policies are breached. Leniency in such cases may be viewed as a weakness by other managerial staff. Of course, humans make errors. But some errors are not forgiveable and some should not be repeated.
Clinics done, off to Kopitiam
Going off to my kopitiam now .... just finished clinic and ward rounds.... and a business meeting about a new website. This new project is so exciting .... but time to go and meet my kopitiam employees now :)
A Thousand Employees
This is the very first day and the very first post of my blog.
I am a doctor, a kidney specialist by training, a Director of a Chain of Dialysis Centres, and a franchisee of a Famous Kopitiam chain locally. I am forever looking at ways to solve problems for others and always keeping an open eye on interesting business ideas.
In short, I am an Entrepreneur.
And my Ultimate Goal is to find a thousand employees.
I am a doctor, a kidney specialist by training, a Director of a Chain of Dialysis Centres, and a franchisee of a Famous Kopitiam chain locally. I am forever looking at ways to solve problems for others and always keeping an open eye on interesting business ideas.
In short, I am an Entrepreneur.
And my Ultimate Goal is to find a thousand employees.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)