This was one of the posts I made when I was still learning html. It was hardcoded using notepad. It got lost last year when I encountered some hosting problems. (I have since learned to backup regularly.) Some details have been revised but the gist remains the same

There are three factors for success for the average Filipino:
Right Positive Attitude. Continuous Real Education. Principled Entrepreneurship.

Everything starts with the right positive attitude. There are many other terms for the right positive attitude: hope, positive thinking, optimism, bright outlook, etc. Simply put, it is the view that the world is always out to help me, to do me goodness. Having this mindset, a Filipino will see the challenges that he faces as opportunities. Each problem is an occasion to empower himself, each experience an instrument to enrich him. We must go beyond what we see and envision what we can become.

Efren “Bata” Reyes went through countless obstacles to his dream of becoming Billiards champion. When he was young, he could not even see the billiard table. Yet, he viewed this predicament as a challenge and found ways to overcome it. He got a case of beer to step and stand on so he can reach the table top. You could just imagine the ridicule and
laughter he had to endure. Now, several tours, championships and millions earned in the bank later, he is still called the “Magician” for his ability to sink the ball in the hardest of circumstances. His positive attitude that he can do it, that his height was just
not a hindrance but just a barrier to overcome to raise his game (pardon the pun) to the next level.

He had the right positive attitude.

Continuous Real-world Education. In his best-selling book, Rich Dad, Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki tells the story of his “two” fathers: His Dad number one was PhD holder and studied on full financial scholarships, breezing through his 4-year undergraduate studies in two years. Dad number two never finished 8th grade.

Who do you think was more successful?

When they passed away, Dad number two left millions of dollars while Dad number one, with his doctorate degree left unpaid bills.

So is education important? ABSOLUTELY!

We think of education as going to school and getting our diplomas or degrees. This view of education is very limiting and has held us back for generations. Don’t get me wrong. I AGREE THAT FORMAL SCHOOLING IS ESSENTIAL (I even have a Master’s degree from DLSU to prove this point). But I want to stress that education is more than having a BS or MBA or PhD added to your name.

For me, real education is learning not only the concepts but gaining wisdom from each experience, even in dire circumstances. It is a lifelong task and should not stop after college. Henry Ford, the creator of the Model T (the world’s first affordable car), had little formal schooling but had plenty of education. He tinkered, tried, experimented and believed that he could build his dream. Despite being limited schooling he got himself a continuous real education.

eLearning plays a key role in real-world education. Online courses like those offered by UP Opon University, free ebooks and audiobooks are some of the ways gain more knowledge.

The Principled Entrepreneur. In the United States, entrepreneurs’ small businesses make up 70% of all businesses. Can this be duplicated in the Phiippines? Former Sec. Cesar Purisima of the Department of Finance cited that the small businesses are the hope of this country. The Philippines need entrepreneurs to contribute to the development of the country. But we need them to have principles. They must have profitable ventures which take into account the social dimension of how they do business.

We need a new breed of entrepreneurs. Those who pay the right taxes, give the right wages and provide the best quality in their products and services. Principled entrepreneurs.

The strong entrepreneurial climate evidenced by the resurgence of franchises, home-based businesses and interest in local goods manufacturing is certainly a big push in the right direction. Organizations like Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI), with their recent Cebu Business Month celebrations, cultivate the atmosphere for small and home businesses. There is no better time to be an entrepreneur than right now.

Right Positive Attitude. Continuous Real Education. Principled Entrepreneurship. Tthese three things can lift us from where we are to where we want to be.

Are your ready to make the next step?

This story is something that all of us, especially entrepreneurs can learn form.
This is the Story of Kyle MacDonald and the Red Paper Clip.

Kyle’s quest to trade a paper clip for a house has successfully ended one year after he posted his entry in Craiglist, which actually is another story.
But the lessons still abound.

This is creativity at its best. It reminds me of the Alex Tew’s Million Dollar Homepage where he sold one million dollar’s worth of pixels! And he is still earning from all the attention the media has given him. I supose Kyle is also getting his fair share of fame - and interviews. And I think there will be a movie soon. And a book. Wow! Offshoots of a great idea. The power of creativity.

Remember:

There are still a lot of ideas which could make your dreams come true.

It doesn’t need a lot of money to make it big and realize your goal.

The internet is a powerful force that can help you attain your objectives.

You do not need to be a genius to succeed.

Creativity can take you anywhere you wish to go.

I am sure that there are a lot of stories like these, recent and ancient. Do you know any of them?

And the more important question: Do you have the creativity to succeed in business?

I love learning, especially if it’s free. Since I am a digital learner, my main source of learning is the internet - the treasure trove of free knowledge and information.

Next to website contents, e-books are my next best friend in the internet. Then came audio books. I also dabbled a bit with digital video which will gain more headway in two or three years.

Here are the link to free (e)Learning:

eBooks

Project Gutenberg - Public Domain Digital Library which contains text as well as recorded books and works.

Audiobooks:

Audiobooksforfree.com

Learnoutloud.com - Not everything is free but there are lots of free audio books that cannot be found elsewhere which ar available for free.

Academic

MIT Open CourseWare - MIT is making their courseware materials available to the public for free.

Other Open Coursware sites - Some other universities which are following MIT’s OpenCourseware initiative
UC Berkeley Webcast - Courses in audio format

Podcasts

StartupNation

Internet-based Business Mastery

Manager Tools

I’ll be adding more to the list.

How about you? Where do you get your free learning?

One of the things I am busy about at the moment is taking an online course from E-Myth Worldwide, a “prize” I awarded for responding to some questions they posed. In the course, as well as in the book E-Myth Revisited, Michael Gerber talks about the franchising approach to your business. According to him, whether a business is envisioned to be a franchise or not, its business approach should that of one. He says “It is a proprietary way of doing business that successfully and preferentially differentiates every extraordinary business from every one of its competitors.”

Last July 7 – 9, a franchising expo was held at the SM Megamall in Mandaluyong Philippines, featuring franchisors and small business from various industries. It is interesting to note that a majority if them were in the food business. There were quite a few about vending (which are not really looking for franchisees but for sales) and pre-paid/e-loading. Some exhibitors were there to help you in your business and possibly develop a franchise.

Easily recognizable names, as well as new brands, came out showing their wares and telling every soul who cared (or even those who don’t) that franchising works.

My observation is that, at the very least, the expo was successful in generating interest in franchises and small business in general.

Some lessons I’ve learned from Franchising:

• Streamline your business processes so that they will be easily replicable.
• Start small and grow fast.
• Make your product stand out.

Whether you want a franchise, or a business from scratch, take Michael Gerber’s advice:
“Build your business as you would a franchise.”