This past year has been awesome… Most importantly, I experience abundance of love and support. I have received tremendous love and support from my husband Joey, my parents (with their unconditional love), my business partners Jerome Tan and Sue Ng, my wonderful associates like Ken Chee, Clive Tan, Dennis Tan, Senze and of course my wonderful team Lori, Phyllis, Jessica, Lina, Jasmine, Florence, Siew Cheng and many many of my good friends as well as our program graduates whom have been an inspiration for us to continue with what we do. I would also like to thank my mentors like John Stamoulos, Sondra Ray, Dominique, Patrick Liew, Richard Tan and many others like Anthony Robbins whom have started me on this exciting journey of growth and contribution.

As we are getting toward the end of 2009, I would like to take the opportunity express my gratitude to all of you whom have been a part of my life. Life will never be the same without each of you as part of the component. Thank you for all the learnings, your sharing, your courage, your contribution and thanks for being you.

I would say that I have lived my life with no regrets. Everyday, the more blessings I count, the more blessings I receive. Life is truly amazing. And the best part is that it will only get better… Everything does happen for a reason and all is perfect the way it is.

I wish for you to experience the same love, support and blessings, always. Believe that life will only get better and you will experience it…

I wish you all the best for 2010.

Recently, I ran a breathwork process at the Girl’s Home and I’m glad to share that the breakthroughs they get are amazing. I realise that many people out there are suffering without knowing how to heal themselves mentally, emotionally and spiritually. The girls have been put in the girls’ home for various reasons. They have been there either for crimes , drug abuse, teenage pregnancies, been protected from physical/ emotional abusers etc. Some of them were simply abandoned or are from broken families.

As I did a breathwork session for them (a guided breathing technique) where they release blockages at a cellular level, I see how they start to heal emotionally. It is releasing all the painful experiences so they do not lead a misguided life. If one has been found guilty of crime, she may continue to punish herself or feel ashamed of who she is. If they have been abandoned before, they may become clingy and would sabotage future relationships so that she would not be the one feeling abandoned. People tend to get into a pattern of behavior when they have ever had bad experiences.

I’m glad some of the girls hugged me when I revisited them and consulted with me while there are some whom were afraid because it gets close to the wounded heart in order to heal.

I realised that many people continue to punish themselves and live in victim mindset after something traumatic happens. The key here is not to surpress your feelings or ‘try to forget’ what happened. It is about confronting it and letting it go at a deeper level. Its like when you have a deep cut on your hand, you can choose to leave it and you may get the ugly scar that you want to hide away from people forever, or use a small plaster on your own (which is inadequate) or get support from expert so the wound heals nicely. But for the experts to heal the wound nicely, you need them to first get close to you, clean up the wound before stitching up for proper healing. Some people are afraid of having the experts to help clean up the wound even though they know that is the best way to go.

It is my advise that anyone experiencing deep hurt, resentment, anger, guilt, feeling of abandonment, self-pity, financially/ emotionally stressed, to seek support and help, especially from certified breathworkers.

I have seen how breath work has helped people heal the negative thoughts and self-sabotaging behaviors.

-people whom have experienced loss of loved ones -feeling that life is unfair, love is painful, love hurts, losing a sense of who they are, guilt of not being about to help
-people whom have been abandoned /betrayed - feelings of unforgiveness, injustice, anger, jealous, mistrusting others, ‘I don’t need anyone’ mentality
-people whom have been bullied/ tyranised- feelings of not good enough, guilt (sinner), self-esteem issues
- parental disapproval - all of the above issues can arise depending on the types of disapprovals
-blockages about money - mindset that ‘money is hard earned’, ‘money is evil’, ‘there is always not enough’, always in debt, fear around money
- sexual abuse - fear, anger, deep guilt, self-doubt, judgemental about men or women. May get into relationships with people of same sex as they fear the hurt from opposite sex or decide not to feel anymore.
-people whom have committed crime - guilt, self-punishment or even be numbed with ‘I don’t care’ attitude
-people whom are suicidal - life is suffering, I don’t belong here, giving up is easier, there’s no other way out.

the list will go on and on…
the fact is that we are like onions, as we grow up, we accumulate layers and layers of self-doubt, guilt, fear, resentment, mistrust, hurt, feelings of not being good enough etc. And its time to let go.

Leonard Orr is the originater of breathwork and I have also learnt from Sondra Ray and John Stamoulos, both whom I considered as my mentors in Breathwork. I will be bringing Sondra Ray (www.sondraray.com) and John Stamoulos (www.johnstamoulos.com) to Singapore end November and hopefully, you can join us in the 2-Day Loving Relationship Training (LRT), a powerful self-discovery and inner healing journey .

The LRT program will be held on 30 November and 1 December 2009 (Mon - Tues) 9am - 6pm at International Plaza. Feel free to email me at wendy@exec-directions.com if you have further questions. Wishing you abundance of love, joy, happiness.

cheers,
wendy

es

Here are some pointers that I would like to summarised as lessons.

Our values shape our destiny. Each of us are driven by our values in the seven areas of life.
1) Spiritual
2) Mental Development
3) Vocation/ Career
4) Finance
5) Familial /Relationships
6) Social
7) Physical/ Wellbeing

The most important question is what is your area in your life that you tend to value most.

For example, if I value Financial Success, I will likely spend time reading, researching, studying, interviewing and taking action in the area that will likely get us ahead financially. Of course, the more time and energy you invest in each of these areas, the more learnings, growth and insights you have in these areas.

Question : Which are the top three areas that you value most. Which means you tend to spend most time and energy on. Please do not say that family is the most important if you feel that it is important but has not put in the time and energy to nurture the bonds.

Do most of us have certain areas in our life that we value most? Yes, and we tend to see the area that we value most as our spiritual quest. You tend to accept people who share similar mindset as you and may even judge people who don’t.

Ultimately, it is not about who is right or wrong, we just live our lives according to our values. To expect people to live according to your values is to have unrealistic expectations. Similarly, it is also unrealistic for people to expect us to live according to their values.

This is interesting as this have an impact on our relationships as well. Dr D Martini shared that we tend to attract people whom are opposite in us in our relationships! Is that true in your case? In fact, if two people are exactly alike, one of them is redundant! We learn the most and grow the most by being with people and loving people whom are least like us.

Also, in case you are feeling a certain void in your life, that void can automatically becomes your top value! For example, if you are financially broke, now your top value is to turn your financial results around. If you are feeling empty as you do not have the soul mate to share it with, you are likely going to find a way to fill that void. Similarly, if your health is suffering now, you will now put your wellbeing as your top priority. Whatever is your void is now your top value.

Having shared this, is it possible for us to have a balanced life in each of these area. The good news is yes! We will still have certain areas of our life that is more important, but if we should set meaningful goals in each of the area, we can develop ourselves as a multidimensional being.

I wish you luck and hope you find fulfillment in all areas of life!

Do you want to know what is the latest technology that has the ability to do what www.YOUTUBE.com cannot do?

As you may be aware, YOUTUBE is where you can upload and view videos and this is a platform that is a free site. So even if you have a winning clip that you want to upload, you cannot collect any money.

IMAGINE THIS! Now you can upload any e-format like your own articles, own books, own e-audio, video products on one common platform that can generate REAL INCOME to you!!

Check out this link https://www.youpublish.com/referredby/publications

I would like to share with you a revolutionary platform for publishing your own articles or sell any books, audio, music in any downloadable format. You get paid 50% for any downloadable products you sell and not only that, you can refer others and override 7.5% from all sales through your direct link!

YOUPUBLISH is going to be the next storm… be one of the first to register yourself!!

You can also download free articles and publications in the site if you do not wish to make any purchase.
At least, that’s what I did initially!

So, who created this! The key partners of this site are Mark Victor Hansen (Author of One Minute Millionaire), (Co-Creator of Chicken Soup for the Soul), James Skinner (Entrepreneur and Author of 9 Steps to Success) and Roice Krueger (Co-founder of Frankin Covey Training). All absolutely brilliant people…

Do browse and study more into this site for more information.

https://www.youpublish.com/referredby/publications

Wishing you all the best and I look forward to sharing more interesting developments soon!

I have received numerous calls, smses, emails from supporters and viewers. The response has been encouraging and I feel blessed. Thank you for your love and support.

Looking back when I started my journey of self-discovery and entrepreneurship, seven years ago, it is like at dream come true.

One of my life mission was to be able to inspire at least one million people’s lives and through the work we do and with The Million Makers reaching out to South East Asia and Middle East viewers. I know that mission has been achieved. Now I will up my mission being able to inspire at least 10 million people’s lives and I look forward to each and every one of your support in doing so.

My next mission is to build a real estate empire and also to be able to donate at least S$1million to charity.

We currently have stake in 18 properties…this is just the beginning…

As for charity, we currently sponsor children in 10 countries through World Vision and we are currently accumulating funds to build shelter homes in KL for less privileged children.

I know without a shadow of doubt that I would be immensely wealthy after discovering the success formula. I also know that I will ultimately give all my wealth and assets away…

The journey of wealth accumulation and leading a wealthy life is definitely fun…and giving away just makes it even more meaningful.

People ask me what I learn in the entrepreneurial process.

1) all businesses and all entrepreneurs start with no track record.
2) the more you develop your skills, knowledge and experience, the ‘luckier’ you get
3) credibility takes years to build - build a reputation of reliability and trust and you will go far
4) it is all about building relationship and network - things get done easily when you start to be involved in a community of like-minded people
5) you will never know if your first business is the right business. Start somewhere and you will be led to more opportunities
6) learn from highly successful people and mentors. They are the shortcut to our success journey.

Good luck and wish you great success!

Love,
Wendy

So, in view of this senario, I managed to get two investors to join me in the investment where they put in the 20% deposit and I take up the mortgage. During this time, I will be sourcing for tenants that will start once the project TOP. The monthly rental is projected to be at least 40%-50% higher than the month mortgage loans, so there should be positive cashflow!

So, effectively, I now co-own the property with none of my own money down! Not bad right?

I thought this is a good time to pick up undervalued properties and not chase up the ‘hot’ properties around the Integrated Resorts. Since Singapore has targeted to increase its population by another 2,000,000 within the next two to three years, I see there will be a real shortage of good office, commercial spaces. So, good luck in your search for opportunites that are coming up. Opportunities are everywhere…

When thinking about selling their company, usually the first question a businessperson asks is “How much is it worth?” Unfortunately there is no cut-and-dried answer to the question. Entire books have been written about valuation, and there are so many variables involved (and many of them are very subjective) that different experts looking at the same company could end up with different selling prices. There are some commonly accepted techniques and rules of thumb used, which are presented here.

Basically, there are two major ways to figure the price of a small business. One is the company’s ability to generate sales, cash flow and/or profits. The second method is to value the company based on its assets. Which method is used depends on the condition of the business and the industry it is in.

Valuing a business based on sales

In some industries, the norm is to determine value by using a multiplier times the firm’s annual sales. Consulting firms, radio stations, temp agencies, PR or ad agencies, professional practices, retailers and insurance brokers are often valued using a multiplier of annual sales. The multiplier depends on the exact type of business, the predictability of sales from year to year and many other factors. Generally, the industry multiplier is the starting point and is then adjusted based on specifics of the company. For example, the industry’s multiplier may be two times sales, but the firm has experienced strong, consistent growth in the past three years – that may boost the multiplier to 2.5 or higher. Or perhaps the firm has one client that makes up one-half of its billings – the higher perceived risk may drive the multiplier down to 1.5 or lower. If your business has low fixed costs, few assets and little retained earnings, the sales multiplier technique may be appropriate.

Valuing a company using cash flow or profits

We won’t split hairs here, even though there are some differences between cash flow and earnings the philosophy is the same. The price is based on the company’s ability to generate a stream of profit (which can be defined in different ways) or cash flow (sales less expenses). The seller then projects this stream of cash over five or more years to calculate the worth of the business. Often, discounted future earnings are used which takes into account the time value of money – cash received in year five is discounted based on projected interest rates.

In this method, disagreements can occur regarding calculation of cash flow and estimated sales projections. Many cash flow and EBITA (earnings before interest, taxes and amortization) projections use “recast” numbers to reflect the effect on profits of perks that a business owner takes from the business. This recasting is extremely important, and is discussed in a separate article directly below this one.

What factors affect the multiplier?

As you read this, you’re probably commenting to yourself that the multiplier is a subjective number that the buyer or seller pulls out of the air. There is plenty of room for judgment, but by and large, a profitable, reasonably healthy, small business will sell in the 2.0 to 6.0 times EBIT range, with most of those in the 2.5 to 4.5 range. So, if annual cash flow is $200,000, the selling price will likely be between $500,000 and $900,000. But there are many factors that affect the multiplier.

Examples of Positive factors (that raise multipliers) include:

• Proprietary products, with strong brand and/or patent or trademark
• Diversified customer base – no one customer more than 10% of sales
• Strong management team with few key personnel
• Weak competitors and a healthy market share for your company
• Products that are early in the Product Life Cycle
• Diversified products – no one product more than 15-20% of sales
• Ability of the company to meet some growth with current plant and equipment
• No pending legal or government action
• Financial ratios that are near or above industry averages

Examples of Negative factors (that lower multipliers) include:

• “Me-too” products that are just like competitors
• One or a few customers make up more than 25-30% of sales
• Strong competitors and a weak or declining market share for your company
• Products that are near the end of the Product Life Cycle
• One product makes up more than 20% of sales
• Major investment needed soon in plant and equipment
• Pending legal or government action
• Financial ratios that are below industry averages

Here is a very important point about the factors just listed: If your company has one, or even a few, of the negative factors, you are typical! There is no perfect business, but buyers will use these factors to negotiate the price down. You should make a mental note to work up a plan to convince buyers that the negatives can be overcome.

Valuing a company based on assets

Many businesses are sold under less-than-ideal conditions. What if there are no profits or cash flow? What if the owner passed away suddenly, and there is high financial risk for a new owner taking over? In these cases assets may be used to value the business. The value of the tangible assets usually sets a rock-bottom selling price for the business. Intangible assets may be worth money too – goodwill, customer lists, trademarks, patents, leases, permits and contracts are all intangible assets that can be factored into the price. Many buyers balk at paying a lot for intangibles, but for the seller it pays to evaluate each one for its worth. Hiring an appraiser is often a good idea when the price of a business will be based largely on assets rather than cash flow.

About the author: James Laabs is an experienced business seller and author of the book The Business Sale System: Insider Secrets To Selling Any Small Business (First American Publishing)

1) YOU NEED P.H.D.!!
I believe that everyone can be successful in business if you set your heart, mind and soul to becoming an accomplished entrepreneur. It takes PHD to succeed in business. That is Passion, Hunger and Drive! (sorry, I do not mean the academic PHD “doctorate”). So, ask yourself this question, do you have the passion to lead an exciting and rewarding life, do you have the hunger for success and do you have the drive and determination to conquer obstables that may come your way. Every time I look for business partners for the various businesses I am in, I look at the PHD level they have.

2) GAIN MASTERY IN BUSINESS
To me, business is like a sport. You can choose to pick up any sport and with practise and guidance from coaches, you can become an expert at what you do. Once you pick business as your sport, ask yourself if you are willing to achieve mastery in business. For sports professionals to win the Olympic or S.E.A games, they have to be willing to learn from their coach and put what they learn into practise. They have to practise, make corrections, practise again and make corrections until they achieve mastery. You can get an MBA in Entrepreneurship and yet not know how to run a business. The key is to learn from existing entrepreneurs and be willing to be an apprentice to perfect the game of business.

3) RESULTS-FOCUSED
In business, you and your team get paid through profits (not sales) that your business generate. It is important to be results-focused and to keep an eye on the performance of the business. Be prepared to let good performers lead the business and also be prepared to fire poor performers. You cannot let emotions run your business. If a team member is negative, possess poor attitude or consistently could not produce results, you will be killing your business if you are not willing let the person go. This is something that I found that many entrepreneurs lack as they have a soft spot and ultimately sink the business together with the ’sinkers’.

4) POSSESS GOOD PEOPLE SKILLS
You should also possess good people skills. There is a saying that your network is your networth. How much is your networth? It is likely to be the average of the six closest people whom you network with. Be willing to meet up with diverse group of people in business as you can learn from every interaction opportunities. I found friends, investors, business partners, alliances, customers and suppliers through networking. Business is all about
getting things done through people. So, you can ask yourself, are you good at getting things done through people? Please do not go to someone and say ‘I want to tap your brains’, ‘I need your help’. But always ask about how you can create win win relationships or support them. Example, ‘I would like to see how we can work together’, ‘I would like to see how I can support you in your business.’

5) STEP UP AND BE A LEADER
Are you generally a leader or a follower? If you are more of a follower by nature, how do you rip the rewards that only leaders have access to? Everyone of us are a leader in our own ways, we lead our own lives for one! So, make a choice and say ‘I am a leader’. Leaders have the great advantage of leveraging resources. Leaders are generally willing to influence, persuade, motivate, inspire, train, develop people. This, in turn, allow the leader to leverage on other peoples’ skills, knowledge, experience, time and expertise to achieve extraordinary results. Of course sometimes it is ok to be a follower. I believe that to lead, first I must be willing to follow others who are more successful and I must be willing to be of service to others.

6) BECOME A GREAT SALES AND MARKETING EXPERT
The reason why most business fail is because they do not have enough revenue, cashflow and profits!! If you start to learn more about sales and marketing, you can effectively multiply your revenue, your profits and create healthy cash flow for your business. How would you grade yourself in this category? I can share honestly that my expertise is in this area. Without ability to sell and market the services or products, my business would be stagnant. The good thing is that these are skills that you can learn and improve on. To me, sales and marketing is one of the highest form of leverage. You can even generate infinite returns of investment with these skills!! Yes, we have done it. We have created many projects and businesses with no money down and generate profits by apply sales and marketing skills. Once you gain expertise in this area, you are ready to write your own paycheck. You can create whatever you desire.

7) CREATE SYSTEMS
For business to run smoothly, systems has to be created and maintained to ensure that whoever is tasked to take charge of a particular function knows what to do. Even though I have seven businesses, I have plenty of time to network and expand businesses to other markets because of systems. There are businesses where I only meet the team once a week, once a month as there is a systems for them to follow or abide. Run your business, don’t let the business run you. Be working ‘on’ the business and not ‘in’ the business. That should be the ultimate aim of entrepreneurs. It is easier for you to sell part or whole of business if you have created systems.

All the best in your endeavors and know that Entrepreneurship is a Sport that you can choose to be an expert in…

By : Wendy Kwek, Master Trainer of Entrepreneur Action Program
and co-founder of 7 businesses.

Please feel free to leave your comment.

1) Eat healthy
2) Live simply
3) Give generously
4) Love deeply
5) Get wealthy
6) Expand globally
7) Invest wisely

It is amazing that even though it is simply stated, I felt that I can achieve the above with great clarity.

“Be patient with yourself. Self-growth is tender; it’s holy ground. There’s no greater investment.” –Stephen Covey

Wish you all the best in 2007! You have absolutely the power to create your destiny.

love,
Wendy

It is important that in any business, we work closely with publications to get publicity. Her World found me through the website and interviewed me. Within a month, Female magazine also interviewed me. I have made a commitment to contribute more articles for submission to various magazines and newspaper. Of course, the more that you contribute, the more coverage you are going to get. Remember that editors are always on a lookout for a story to cover or value add that they can provide to their readers.

Look out for Female Magazine Feb issue as I will also be credited in Female magazine. Last week, I have also contribute an article to Bold Leaps (a specialised magazines for SMEs), it would be out in Jan issue. So, no matter where you are at in business, start writing articles for submission, write your website, write your blog and you will start to see your profile and credibility increasing. I have attended a ‘book camp’ conducted by Dan Poynter, organised by Patrick Ang. He has also encouraged us to start writing no matter where you are at right now. You will improve your writing along the way. I had to remind myself that I should not be a perfectionist and seek to write perfect articles in perfect English… It would be tough for me because I got a C6 at GCE ‘O’ level and C6 at GCE ‘A’ level. Am I consistent or what?

Do not let your weakness be an obstacle. We are greater than any obstacle if we put our heart to it.

So, I do encourage you to start writing. You will increase your profile. To avoid feeling overwhelmed, start with your first sentence, your first paragraph, your first article or chapter and soon…you will complete a book and you will appear in many publications too!!

(You may click on the images below to read the full-sized article)

Love,
Wendy