Pengurusan Perniagaan – Adakah Anda Sudah Bersedia?

Memulakan sesuatu perniagaan bukanlah satu perkara yang sukar. Bagaimana pun anda mesti bertanyakan diri anda samada anda sudah betul-betul bersedia untuk mengharungi liku-liku hidup seorang peniaga?

membagun sesuatu perniagaan bergantung kepada anda dan bukannya orang lain. Kalau anda berjaya, ianya adalah atas usaha anda dan jika anda gagal, maka kegagalan itu adalah berpunca dari anda sendiri. Jangan salahkan orang lain, atau kroni atau ekonomi dan sebagainya. Jadi anda haruslah mempunyai ide yang baik untuk berniaga secara solo pada peringkat awalannya. Bila anda sudah mula nampak kejayaan anda bolehlah anda mencari pembantu. Lainlah jika dari mula lagi anda mempunyai wang yang banyak!

Jadi lihatlah kekuatan dan kelemahan anda. Anda perlu jujur dengan diri anda dan anda haruslah menerima kelemahan anda. Tetapi janganlah memandang ringan kekuatan anda.

Jika anda tidak punya skill dalam bidang perakaunan, perundangan dan pembiayaan, anda haruslah berjumpa dengan pakar-pakar dalam bidang ini. Begitu juga jika anda memerlukan lesen-lesen untuk menggerakkan perniagaan anda. Jumpa lah dengan orang-orang yang tahu selok-belok mendapatkannya kerana kerja anda akan lebih mudah. Barangkali anda perlu mengeluarkan sedikit atau banyak wang untuk khidmat sebegini tetapi ia membantu anda dari terkila-kial dalam menghadapi prosedur-prosedur yang anda sendiri kurang arif. Perbelanjaan sebegini selalunya one-off  iaitu sekali sahaja. Jadi jangan lah kedekut sangat.

Untuk memulakan perniagaan secara solo ini anda juga haruslah mendapat restu dari keluarga. Dengan merestui usaha anda, keluarga anda barangkali dapat memberi sokongan penuh jika anda menghadapi apa-apa kesulitan. Satu perkara yang penting ialah kesihatan. Jika anda mempnyai penyakit seperti darah tinggi atau sakit jantung atau apa-apa penyakit yang mana anda akan sakit untuk beberapa minggu, saya rasa janganlah berniaga kerana selalunya ia akan memburuk lagi keadaan kesihatan anda jika anda menghadapi masalah untuk sekurang-kurannya maintain perniagaan anda. Mesti diingat, kerja sendiri jauh dari makan gaji kerana kita perlu bekerja lebih kuat dan masa bekerja kita kadangkala tidak sama dengan orang lain terutama sekali bila kita mula-mula hendak memajukan perniagaan kita.

Aspek yang sangat penting yang anda perlu bertanyakan diri anda ialah bolekah anda bukan sahaja menjual produk atau perkhidmatan yang anda hendak tawarkan, tetapi diri anda juga. Adakah anda mahir dengan pasaran? Apakah anda juga mahir untuk solve permasalahan yang anda bakal hadapi? Adakah anda yakin anda boleh menerima rejection? Mesti diingat bahawa apabila kita bekerja sendiri, pelanggan lah yang sangat penting bagi kita. Kadangkala kita harus berfikir bagaimana hendak convince pelanggan yang produk atau perkhidmatan atau solution yang anda hendak jual kepada mereka menepati apa yang mereka mahu. Di sinilah ujian getir yang harus kita hadapi kerana kadangkala pelanggan mahukan sesuatu diluar jangkaan kita.

Jika penilaian kepada diri anda akan perkara-perkara diatas ini tidak menepati diri anda, saya syorkan supaya anda terus sahaja makan gaji jika anda masih makan gaji. Tetapi jika anda tidak mempunyai pilihan lain, maka anda haruslah bersedia membangun diri anda menjadi bakal peniaga yang akan berusaha bersungguh-sungguh dan sanggup menghadapi apa sahaja risiko yang melanda anda. Jangan give-up dan janganlah ambil jalan mudah dengan pendekatan-pendekatan negatif. Jika kita menilai ramai peniaga-peniaga yang berjaya pada hari ini, boleh dikatakan kebanyakkan dari mereka mula berjaya dengan semangat gigih apabila mereka jatuh dahulu. Ada yang bertahun hidup susah sebelum mereka merasai kesenangan.

Sampai disini sahajalah siri pengurusan perniagaan buat kali ini. Bila-bila senang kita sambung lagi, insyaallah.

Selamat Berpuasa.

How to write successful loan papers

I have come about many clients who wanted to apply loans from financial institutions but short the skill to write a working paper or in my perspective a Business Plan that would give them good chance to acquire the funds they require.

I have written many successful Business Plans to both domestic and overseas companies and thus far alhamdulillah all of them has successfully enjoyed the facilities they wanted. There are no tricks in doing that. It is not about how good can you write but how good your company are to the eyes of the lenders. The rule is simple, you must have good product(s), good market, able managers and excellent cash flow management. A great business is not always being judged by its profitability but almost always lenders will be looking at your cash flow before they can decide to give you the loans as they want to see how you could pay them back.

Seeing the above, many people would say the reason I need the loan because I do not have the money. No! you are wrong! Anyone be it banks or individual will only want to lend you money if you are in the position to pay them back. Your projections are just promises. So you need to guarantee that you have the capacity to payback. That is why lenders would all the time ask for collaterals to back the money you borrowed. For smaller loans a guarantor will be required as this will be the people who will have to pay your loans if it becomes delinquent. This will at least help the lenders cash out your pledged assets to cover the amount(s) you failed to payback. That is why some business with good products, good markets, still failed in their bid to obtain loans from financial institutions when their cash flow management is bad. I really pity them but these are facts they have to face.

To put it simply, if you are required to write loan papers, the followings are to be considered:-

1. Your products must be that in good demand. Best if you could prove you have strong customer base or customers with good reputation who will always pay after they buy your products or use your services. Having one single customer who you always depend on, is risk to you as far as the lenders are concern. If your customer is the government and you have secured a contract with, you have even greater chance to get the loan.

2. You have able managers to manage your business.

3. You have a very good marketing plan to show your lenders that your products is in demand. This must be supported by market analysis, not just story telling.

4. A good cash flow. Bear in mind, your historical figures play a very important role as well. Lenders will see how you have managed your cash flow previously. Having qualified managers does not guarantee you can get the loans unless you have displayed that you have been managing your funds appropriately. While your Profit and Loss account would help you show your business have a good margin, your Balance Sheet will be used as the acid test to see how strong is your financial position at the end of the financial year, as well as looking at he ability to at least cover our short term liabilities.

5. If you want to borrow, some financial institution will also look at your paid up capital. If you are a RM2.00 company, it will be very difficult for you to get the loan. Many of them will question your commitment in doing the business.

6. You must also state the purpose of the loan and how you want to utilize the funds.

Enuff said, the above are some of the important aspects for you to write a loan paper or an investment paper to raise funds for your business.

Good luck!

Cheers…