Does the thought of hearing “no thank you” one too many times slow you down? Getting your products and services into the hands of future customers has its challenges, but when we add a fear of rejection to the mix, the challenge becomes monumental. What if you could see no as the magic word that gets you closer to the sale instead of letting it knock the wind out of your sails?

It’s entirely possible. Let’s begin by understanding why we take rejection so personally in the first place.

If you represent a product, you probably use it yourself and believe in it with all your heart, And those of you who are inventors have poured blood, sweat, and tears into developing your products, not to mention tons of money! For service providers the thought of rejection is especially daunting because your knowledge and talent are literally a part of who you are, making it feel truly personal. All of these scenarios make it only natural to embrace your business as an extension of your very being. Hearing no can feel like a very personal rejection.

But to realize your dream of success, a separation of self from your product or service is absolutely necessary. A simple shift in mindset will give you the courage and commitment to step boldly into the world of sales and move your product or service into the lives of the many customers who await them! Begin by taking on these simple mindset shifts and you may just become a sales machine!

It’s not all about the sale.

Sometimes we put the pressure on by thinking that our cold calls should result in sales. Remember the true purpose of cold calling: of course it’s always about relationship building in the end, but in most cases the goal is to end up with one of the following outcomes:

Permission to add the person to your database for periodic updates
A plan to contact them at a later date when they may be in need of your service or product
A request to take them off the list altogether
Simple, right? Understanding the purpose gives you permission to accept that not everyone is the perfect candidate. Those who wish to be removed from your list aren’t saying that they don’t like you or your product; it simply means that it’s not right for them at this time.

It’s not personal.

Remember that you are speaking to a human being who has feelings, moods, and concerns, just like you. If you do encounter someone who is rude or unpleasant, consider that it is not all about you. Do not take it personally! Most likely, this person’s mood has been pre-determined by all sorts of other circumstances. Allow them their space and get on with your day.

I’m already successful.

Too often we base our success on the final outcome. Take on the attitude that the phone call or initial meeting is the success. You have taken a huge step! And the more you get out there, the higher your odds of success. Take the heat off by visualizing an outcome that is best for all concerned. Sometimes, a “no” is the perfect answer because the circumstances aren’t just right. It’s best to know this so you don’t get into something that is doomed from the beginning. No matter what answer you get from your prospect, celebrate the fact that you actually made contact and are one step closer to your ideal customer.

It’s all about the numbers.

Try to remove the emotion by seeing your phone calls and meetings as statistics. If you make twenty-five phone calls, odds are good that you will find one person who will want to learn more. If you effectively attend four or five networking events per month instead of per year you will build more relationships and increase awareness of your brand. Everyone hears the dreaded “no,” but not everyone keeps plugging away at it. It’s like working up to 100 sit ups instead of staying at 20; the end result will be so much better. Get those numbers up there; love the “no” because it only means that you are getting closer to the yes!

I am not alone.

Did you know that 44 percent of salespeople quit trying after the first “no?” Considering that 40 percent of all solid prospects say no at least once before buying, this is a sad statistic. You are not alone in your fear and frustration, but if you can buck up and be persistent you will succeed! Again, the proof is in the numbers!

No matter how emotionally connected you are to your product or service, they are only as good as your efforts to promote them. Respect the hard work and dedication that went into your company by transferring the same determination to your sales efforts. You can do it!

If you get decent value from making to-do lists, you’ll get huge returns–in productivity, in improved relationships, and in your personal well-being–from adding these items to your not to-do list:

Every day, make the commitment not to:

1. Check my phone while I’m talking to someone.
You’ve done it. You’ve played the, “Is that your phone? Oh, it must be mine,” game. You’ve tried the you-think-sly-but-actually-really-obvious downwards glance. You’ve done the, “Wait, let me answer this text…” thing.
Maybe you didn’t even say, “Wait.” You just stopped talking, stopped paying attention, and did it.
Want to stand out? Want to be that person everyone loves because they make you feel, when they’re talking to you, like you’re the most important person in the world?
Stop checking your phone. It doesn’t notice when you aren’t paying attention.
Other people? They notice.
And they care.

2. Multitask during a meeting.
The easiest way to be the smartest person in the room is to be the person who pays the most attention to the room.
You’ll be amazed by what you can learn, both about the topic of the meeting and about the people in the meeting if you stop multitasking and start paying close attention. You’ll flush out and understand hidden agendas, you’ll spot opportunities to build bridges, and you’ll find ways to make yourself indispensable to the people who matter.
It’s easy, because you’ll be the only one trying.
And you’ll be the only one succeeding on multiple levels.

3. Think about people who don’t make any difference in my life.
Trust me: The inhabitants of planet Kardashian are okay without you.
But your family, your friends, your employees–all the people that really matter to you–are not. Give them your time and attention.
They’re the ones who deserve it.

4. Use multiple notifications.
You don’t need to know the instant you get an email. Or a text. Or a tweet. Or anything else that pops up on your phone or computer.
If something is important enough for you to do, it’s important enough for you to do without interruptions. Focus totally on what you’re doing. Then, on a schedule you set–instead of a schedule you let everyone else set–play prairie dog and pop your head up to see what’s happening.
And then get right back to work. Focusing on what you are doing is a lot more important than focusing on other people might be doing.
They can wait. You, and what is truly important to you, cannot.

5. Let the past dictate the future.
Mistakes are valuable. Learn from them.
Then let them go.
Easier said than done? It all depends on your perspective. When something goes wrong, turn it into an opportunity to learn something you didn’t know–especially about yourself.
When something goes wrong for someone else, turn it into an opportunity to be gracious, forgiving, and understanding.
The past is just training. The past should definitely inform but in no way define you–unless you let it.

6. Wait until I’m sure I will succeed.
You can never feel sure you will succeed at something new, but you can always feel sure you are committed to giving something your best.
And you can always feel sure you will try again if you fail.
Stop waiting. You have a lot less to lose than you think, and everything to gain.

7. Talk behind someone’s back.
If only because being the focus of gossip sucks. (And so do the people who gossip.)
If you’ve talked to more than one person about something Joe is doing, wouldn’t everyone be better off if you stepped up and actually talked to Joe about it? And if it’s “not your place” to talk to Joe, it’s probably not your place to talk about Joe.
Spend your time on productive conversations. You’ll get a lot more done–and you’ll gain a lot more respect.

8. Say “yes” when I really mean “no.”
Refusing a request from colleagues, customers, or even friends is really hard. But rarely does saying no go as badly as you expect. Most people will understand, and if they don’t, should you care too much about what they think?
When you say no, at least you’ll only feel bad for a few moments. When you say yes to something you really don’t want to do you might feel bad for a long time–or at least as long as it takes you to do what you didn’t want to do in the first place.

vSpace caters to businesses and entrepreneurs whom requires flexible working space. You no longer need to hang out at Starbucks and other adhoc locations competing for space and internet access just for meeting or working on that project.

vSpace plans and solutions are not only limited to Virtual Office subscribers. Clients who have subscribed to our other business solutions and even non-existing clients are also eligible to subscribe to this package to experience the elegance and/or trendiness of our facilities, our remarkable privileges and with of course, our genuine customer experience.

Existing clients have the option to dramatically increase the number of hours on office usage, meeting room and even conference room depending on the plan that you want to choose. You will also get to maximize other privileges that will surely benefit your company!

Being part of our vOffice network, you are entitled for the vOffice Combo Deal rate to acquire the plan that you want. We have two (2) packages that you can choose from, vSpace Private and vSpace Co-working. For the vSpace Private, you can get a maximum of 2 guests to work with in the office suite. However for vSpace Co-working, it is meant for individual usage only. Free WIFI access, refreshments and stationeries, a fully furnished office and receptionists who are always ready to assist are sure to guarantee you comfort and ease.

More info on vSpace Solutions and Plans can be found here

The full list, as featured on job networking site LinkedIn, quizzed more than 50 influential people to find out just what made them tick and what it was they had to have on them at all times.

1. First off the bat is Virgin king pin Richard Branson who might seem on the go and on the ball, but admits he’d be hopelessly lost without his personal assistant Helen.
He says: “I couldn’t get through the workday without my assistant, Helen. While gadgets like smartphones and tablets certainly do have a huge positive impact upon my working life, it is the people around me who really make the difference.”
The Virgin founder insists having an assistant who is on the ball 24/7 is one of the main ways he stays on top of business.

2.Meg Whitman may be the most powerful person at Hewlett-Packard, but when it comes to the things she always carries it’s clear cut: her laptop, swimsuit and country music are a must.
The HP CEO says spending more than 60 per cent of her time on the road means she needs to focus, tune out and stay flexible.
“When traveling, I always carry a swimsuit and try to stay at a location near a pool so I can get in a morning swim regardless of time zone,” she says.
And in terms of staying flexible she says she can’t travel without her HP Envy x2, which allows her to do business around the clock while her music lets her to tune out.

3. Indian-born American physician Deepak Chopra has these things he says he just can’t travel or work without: “Mybasis, Dream Weaver, and my iPhone and iPad in my toolkit.”
He says travelling around so much means it’s vital he has all these with him.
His mybasis acts as his online personal dashboard recording information about his body, while his Dream Weaver helps him relax and his iPad keep him connected to family, office and friends, something he says is important to him.

4. For Peter Guber, CEO of Mandalay Entertainment and owner of Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Dodgers, it’s simple – he can’t function without his smartphone which he admits he’s addicted to.
“I have become habituated, if not addicted to my mobile and all of its benefits.” The author also reveals he’s gone back home to get his phone if he’s forgotten it but not his wallet.

5. Then there’s Vivian Schiller Chief Digital Officer, at America’s NBC News who admits to carrying almost nothing.
Having gone from carrying over-sized bags filled with makeup, multiple pens and notebooks, snacks, shoes etc in the past, she admits she’s cut right back on what’s essential.
“When I travel, which is now two or three times a week, the goal is to carry nothing with me – or as close to nothing as possible. No laptops, just an iPad; no printouts, no books, they’re all on my Kindle,” she says.

6. Neil Weinberg, Editor-in-Chief at American Banker, used to be hooked to be hooked to his smart phones and laptops until he realised it was raising his blood pressure and stress so he changed tack and stepped back.
“That’s when I decided to start packing a non-volatile, random access analog device whose origins hark back to 2400 BC. It’s called a book,” he says.

7.Clara Shih, CEO of Hearsay Social & Author of The Facebook Era, says being on the go as head of a fast-growing tech company means she can’t be without her Droid 4 (phone), her Tory Burch ballet flats and one business card with an important reminder: to slow down and take a deep breath.

8.RedBalloon founder Naomi Simson says she never gets by without a smile.
“It’s far easier to get things accomplished with a smile on your dial,” she says.

9. Jennifer Dulski, President and COO at Change.Org simply can’t live without her calligraphy pens because “I find that a handwritten personal note can be especially precious.”

10. Finally Craigslist.com founder Craig Newmark says he can’t function without his Samsung Galaxy Note II which he uses 80 per cent of the time. Having also worn a watch most of his life he says he also depends on a Martian Watches Passport, which “functions as a little speakerphone with caller ID”

The average business professional has 30 to 100 projects on their plate. Modern workers are interrupted seven times an hour and distracted up to 2.1 hours a day. And four out of 10 people working at large companies are experiencing a major corporate restructuring, and therefore facing uncertainly about their futures. This may be why more than 40% of adults say they lie awake at night plagued by the stressful events of the day.

“People are asking me for answers,” says Sharon Melnick, Ph.D., a business psychologist and author of just released Success Under Stress. “Everyone feels overwhelmed and overly busy.”

Is there a way to maintain steady focus throughout the day? Is it possible to do everything that needs to get done and still have energy left over after work? How do you keep cool under so many demands? Informed by 10 years of Harvard research and field-tested by more than 6,000 clients and trainees, Melnick offers the following strategies to take your work stress down a peg, before it takes over your life.

Act Rather Than React

“We experience stress when we feel that situations are out of our control,” says Melnick. It activates the stress hormone and, if chronic, wears down confidence, concentration and well-being. She advises that you identify the aspects of the situation you can control and aspects you can’t. Typically, you’re in control of your actions and responses, but not in control of macro forces or someone else’s tone, for example. “Be impeccable for your 50%,” she advises. And try to let go of the rest.

Take A Deep Breath

If you’re feeling overwhelmed or are coming out of a tense meeting and need to clear your head, a few minutes of deep breathing will restore balance, says Melnick. Simply inhale for five seconds, hold and exhale in equal counts through the nose. “It’s like getting the calm and focus of a 90-minute yoga class in three minutes or less at your desk,” she says.

Eliminate Interruptions

“Most of us are bombarded during the day,” says Melnick. Emails, phone calls, pop ins, instant messages and sudden, urgent deadlines conspire to make today’s workers more distracted than ever. While you may not have control over the interrupters, you can control your response. Melnick advises responding in one of three ways: Accept the interruption, cut it off, or diagnosis its importance and make a plan. Many interruptions are recurring and can be anticipated. “You want to have preset criteria for which response you want to make,” she says. You can also train those around you by answering email during certain windows, setting up office hours to talk in person or closing the door when you need to focus.

Schedule Your Day For Energy And Focus

Most of us go through the day using a “push, push, push” approach, thinking if we work the full eight to 10 hours, we’ll get more done. Instead, productivity goes down, stress levels go up and you have very little energy left over for your family, Melnick says. She advises scheduling breaks throughout the day to walk, stretch at your desk or do a breathing exercise. “Tony Schwartz of the Energy Project has shown that if we have intense concentration for about 90 minutes, followed by a brief period of recovery, we can clear the buildup of stress and rejuvenate ourselves,” she says.

Eat Right And Sleep Well

“Eating badly will stress your system,” says Melnick, who advises eating a low-sugar, high-protein diet. “And when you’re not sleeping well, you’re not getting the rejuvenating effects.” According to the CDC, an estimated 60 million Americans do not get sufficient sleep, which is a critical recovery period for the body. If racing thoughts keep you from falling asleep or you wake up in the night and can’t get back to sleep, Melnick suggests a simple breathing trick that will knock you out fast: Cover your right nostril and breathe through your left for three to five minutes.

Change Your Story

Your perspective of stressful office events is typically a subjective interpretation of the facts, often seen through the filter of your own self-doubt, says Melnick. However, if you can step back and take a more objective view, you’ll be more effective and less likely to take things personally. She recalls one client who sent a request to human resources for more people on an important project. When she was denied, she immediately got angry and defensive, thinking they didn’t trust her to know what she needed. Yet she never stopped to even consider there might be budgetary issues on their end. Once she was able to remove herself from the situation, she called the HR director and said: Tell me where you’re coming from, I’ll tell you where I’m coming from and then let’s see if we can find a solution. Ultimately, it worked

Cool Down Quickly

“When you feel frustrated or angry, it’s a heated feeling in your body that can cause you to react,” says Melnick. Instead of immediately reacting—and likely overreacting—she suggests trying a “cooling breath” technique: Breathe in through your mouth as if you are sipping through a straw, and then breathe out normally through your nose. Done right, you’ll feel a cooling, drying sensation over the top of your tongue. It’s like hitting the “pause” button, giving you time to think about your response. She says, “It’s so powerful it will even calm the other person down.”

Identify Self-Imposed Stress

“Learn to stop self imposing stress by building your own self-confidence rather than seeking other’s approval,” says Melnick. If you’re too caught up in others’ perceptions of you, which you can’t control, you become stressed out by the minutia or participate in avoidance behaviors like procrastination. Ironically, once you shift your focus from others’ perception of your work to the work itself, you’re more likely to impress them.

Prioritize Your Priorities

With competing deadlines and fast-changing priorities, it’s critical to define what’s truly important and why. That requires clarity, says Melnick. It’s important to understand your role in the organization, the company’s strategic priorities, and your personal goals and strengths. Cull your to-do list by focusing on those projects that will have the most impact and are best aligned with your goals.

Reset The Panic Button

For those who become panic-y and short of breath before a presentation, Melnick says you can quickly reduce your anxiety with the right acupressure point. Positioning your thumb on the side of your middle finger and applying pressure instantly helps regulate your blood pressure.

Influence Others

Even if you’re responsible for your behavior and outlook, you’re still left dealing with other people’s stressful behavior, Melnick notes. She advises confronting a problem coworker or employee by stating the bad behavior in a respectful tone, describing the impact on the team and the individual, and requesting a change. For example, constant negativity might be addressed in this way: “When you speak in a critical tone, it makes others uncomfortable and less likely to see you as a leader. I understand your frustration but request that you bring concerns directly to me, so we can talk them through.” By transferring the ownership of the problem, you’re more likely to resolve it.

Be Your Own Best Critic

Some 60,000 thoughts stream through your mind each day, Melnick says, and internal negativity is just as likely to stress you out as an external event. The fix? Instead of being harsh and critical of yourself, try pumping yourself up. Encouraging thoughts will help motivate you to achieve and ultimately train you to inspire others.

There may be a lot of economic uncertainty, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad time to launch a business. For a few business ideas, take a spin through this list of eight online industries expected to see healthy U.S. revenue growth in 2013 that are hot for startups, according to industry research firm IBISWorld.

Social network game development – People are spending more time on social networks like Facebook and they are also spending an ever increasing number of hours online, thanks to the rapid adoption of mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. Consumers are spending more time playing games that are embedded into their social network: The industry has grown by an astonishing 184 percent per year on average for the past five years, IBIS reports. By the end of 2013, U.S. sales in the industry are expected to grow another 32 percent and hit $6 billion.

Online shoe sales – What woman can’t find an excuse for why she absolutely needs another pair of shoes? Couple that with a surge in ecommerce, and U.S. online shoe sales have grown by more than 16 percent per year on average over the past five years and the industry is predicted to near $9 billion in U.S. revenue in 2013. While there are already some big players in the market, Amazon.com which owns Zappos.com and FootLocker.com make up only 16 percent of the industry. Without a juggernaut in the industry, there is room for startups, IBISWorld says, but make sure to have your own special spin on shoes.

TV and home theater installation services – Americans spend a lot of time in front of the tube. Approximately 98 percent of U.S. households have a TV and 25 percent of Americans have a home theater system. At the same time, there is no market leader in the installation services industry, leaving ample space for startups to come in and make room for themselves. Revenue in the industry has been climbing by more than 4 percent per year on average in the past five years and by the end of this year should exceed $12 billion, the report says. If you are going to break into the market, you are going to have to stay on top of ever-changing technology in the space.

Virtual data rooms – Where there once were rooms stuffed to the brim with file cabinets, there are now virtual data rooms, online holding chambers for documents that a select group of parties can access. Since 2008, the virtual data room industry in the U.S. has been growing by almost 16 percent per year on average, IBISWorld reports, and is expected to reach almost $730 million in 2013. A side benefit of running a virtual data room company is that you won’t need a physical space to share your documents with investors and overall, the costs of entering the market are relatively low, IBISWorld says. Over the next five years, sales in the industry are forecast to grow at an annual rate of more than 14 percent.

Online travel agencies – In 2009, the travel agency industry took a hard hit as consumers pinched pennies and took “staycations” in their time off from work. But since 2010, the industry has been on the rebound and revenues are expected to jump by 6.1 percent to $20.7 billion in 2013. The era of storefront travel agencies is largely over and being gradually replaced by the online marketplace. From 2013 to 2018, IBISWorld predicts online travel agencies will see an increase in sales of 2.2 percent to $23 billion.

Translation services – In an increasingly global business environment with more and more non English speaking people living in the U.S., the demand for translation services has been on the rise. Also, as online businesses look to gain customers in other countries, they need translators to help make marketing materials and websites accessible in another language. While automated translation services offer some competition, a computer program will never be able to translate nuance and cultural expectations. In the past five years, sales in the industry grew at an annual average rate of 2.4 percent to top $3 billion. In 2013, IBISWorld expects sales to grow by 3.4 percent.

IT security consulting – When places like the The New York Times Co. get hacked, the IT security industry gets a bit of a boost. Coupled with the increasing popularity of ecommerce and the need to protect online shoppers, the IT security consulting industry has been growing by almost 10 percent per year on average over the past five years, during which time Sony, Zappos and LinkedIn have all been victims of cyber attacks. In 2013, sales should grow 8.8 percent and surpass $5 billion, IBISWorld estimates.

Digital forensic services – Digital forensic services sounds like it could be the newest iteration of the “CSI” TV series. In reality, it involves the verifying and recovering of lost, deleted or corrupted content. As more and more consumers spend time online, they are also storing more information online. Unfortunately, that translates into more information getting lost online. In the past five years, the digital forensic industry has increased at almost 12 percent per year on average to just shy of $1 billion in revenue. In 2013, IBISWorld predicts the industry will grow another 11 percent. One positive to starting up a digital forensic services business is that there are relatively few governmental regulatory barriers, according to IBISWorld. At the same time, it takes a significant outlay of capital to get into the industry and you will have to constantly keep on top of the rapidly changing technology market. In the coming five years, the industry should maintain growth of 9 percent per year on average.

2) Sunshine Empire – This licensed and legal Company has an impressive office at the ground level of KUB building along Jalan Yap Kwan Seng, near Menara Public Bank and AmBank Building. They also have a showroom office at the ground level in the next building. 2 or 3 months ago, Singapore’s Straits Times and The Paper published big news reminding their people to be careful and NOT to believe in them. Hope someone can put up the link or google for it.(As expected, they STOPPED paying back members now and all investors LOST their money).

Someone below has put a link to the Singapore news. In fact there are more to it. Although Singapore is investigating them, they did not stop their business as the business is legal and so far, no Singaporean have failed to receive their commissions as promised. Thus, the government cannot stop them yet.

The news published that the founder, director and group president is someone named James Phang but he is NOT the owner. Isn’t this quite strange ? At the end of the game, James Phang can just disappear from the Company easily and claimed that he was just “employed”. Such trick always happened in scam businesses.

Now, the Company has STOPPED paying commissions and interests to members with the excuse that the Singapore government has freezed their bank account while under investigation. Do you think their boss will be so stupid to keep much monies in the bank to be freezed ? They are all transfered away. It’s just an excuses not to pay back to members and members are only paid “e-bonus-points” which is cashless. If they wish to convert to cash, they have to recruit new members to pay them cash and the recruiter less out trom the amount. So victims act like Vampires and “forced” to victimise other victims if they wish to get their monies back. And their victims will later transform to vampires and the scam carries on…..

3) MOBILWALLET – This Company owned by 2 young men, Stanley & Rey Gan, office in Queens Avenue Park has collect multi-millions the last 2 years. Claimed that they tied up with Telekoms, Utility Board payment like Water & Electricity bills, even Maybank got fooled by them. Advertisement Billboards everywhere. They STOPPED paying back their members few months ago and the members cannot do anything because they are made to sign an agreement unaware that they have to claims if the company stopped paying them by CHANGING terms and policies.

4) Water businesses – Oxygenated and alkaline water products – Some of these are bottled water and some are filters or equipment that claimed the trick. One of the better known Company that sold “oxygen” water is SITO(supposed to stand for Selangor International Trading Organiszation and claimed Selangor State Government owned some share in it). The key person and founder is a Dato Robert Ong from Rawang but his name is no longer in the business now. Their products are sold for RM2 to RM3 for a 350ml bottle and now concentrating mostly in the Indian market. Their Chinese and Malays market are long gone since a year or 2 ago. Their customers are made to believe that their water has more oxygen and able to give miraculous effects for the body. Water is H2O, how to put more O into it ? Anyone knows how much oxygen do we breathe into our body everyday at FOC ? Latest news is that this SITO Company is going to create new label to market under a new Company since the SITO name has already gone bad. Someone informed that this Company is owing alot of money(due to refunds) to ex-stockists but just refuse to pay them.
(Latest news, SITO shifted to another place and their MLM business has closed but planning to start again with a different name, beware !!)
Alkaline Products – Can anyone explain how it can work for the body ? The stomach’s gastric liquid is so acidic that water of any pH that goes through it will not make any difference.

5) Car Fuel Booster – K-Link, the famous scam MLM Company that sold the footpatch TAKARA, later the “cock-ring” and energy-card launched the patrol-saving pills last year. Got so hot that even grocery shops are selling for them. Recently many of these cars that used the pills are rushing to the workshops to clean the residual. Few months ago, another MLM Company launched a fuel booster gadget, claimed that saves up to 20% fuel, that is attached to the cigarette lighter. Started off well using binary plan but businese begin to fade now and most users find it NOT effective.

6) Perfumery Products(eg. Lampe Berger & Bel Air)(more details later). Lampe Berger is not so hot now in the neighbouring countries but there are still new victims every month in Malaysia. Must thanks to those who have contributed and kept the thread alive here in Kopitiam. Bel-Air have closed in Malaysia. LB is almost zero in Singapore. This perfumery product from France with over 100 years history are just bottles and fragrances(check the factory’s website) but the Company marketing them in Asia claimed “aromatheraphy” products. Hong Kong TVB aired a program that exposed their scam but their members claimed that HK’s TVB already apologised to them(no evidence, of course). Note that the biggest strenght in a MLM Scam is their members will go all the way to lie in order to defend for their Company. The reason is simple; these members fear that they will not be able to make their money back if the Company collapsed. Knowing that the Lampe Berger products are moving slow, they add a line of skincare products named Estebel, also claime to have over 100 years history in France.(Hardly anymore Chinese newcomers, they are now tapping the Malays in Malaysia). Mostly only Bumis active members now but their top earner Steven Yeam have already left and started a new MLM Company(see No. 21 below).

http://www.lampebergertruth.blogspot.com/

7) Energy Products(eg. stone pendants, bracelets, mattress and pillows). They use all sorts of gimmicks and demonstration to make you into believing them. They will do some tricks and demo to prove that these products really produce energy BUT is there any tricks in their demo ? So what if there really produce energy; is it good or strong enough to help the body ? Are those simple products made of some simple materials worth RM300 to up to RM3000 each ? The effect is actually PLACEBO which I will elaborate in a new thread soon.(more details later)

8) Hi-Tech products(names like bio-tech, nano-tech that claimed millions of dollars of research involved, eg Bio-Young and XKL few years ago). Most of these will claimed a professor behind them(even with name and picture of a person) or used words like “U.S.A. formula”, “German Technology” or “Nanotechnology” but with no further details. If you ask for more details like the professor or factory’s address, the answer will be “trade secrets”.

9) Investment Schemes – SWISSCASH is the King of all. Swisscash is nearly over now but there are many similar and smaller ones that are still on.(Now, it’s closed or stopped paying back members)

10) GoldQuest – This Company that claimed to be HK-based started with some non-value gold-plated coins that are sold for over RM2,000 have several names and changed products several times. QuestVacation, QuestNet, etc. They have several offices in Amcorp Mall, PJ and their key person(in fact, the owner), a Malaysian Indian was arrested last year in Indonesia for having involved in a very big Phillipines scam. Most of their overseas offices are closed or inactive but their Malaysia business is still hot, with some “energy” products.(Can someone please provide a link which showed the news that their boss was involved in a big scam in Philippines and was arrested last year ?)

11) Numerology & Fortune telling – A Company named Visiber is using MLM to sell fortune telling classes using your birthday based on Numerology fortune telling. Prpspects will be told that they need to buy a certain “number” between 1 to 9 in the form of pendants or bracelets made of silver with stainless steel or platinum plated, and sold from RM600 to RM20,000. Customers, or rather victims are mostly females from rural areas. Very hot in Penang now and a number of spin-off Companies have started.

12) MJ-Life – This Company boost of a very big background with many many years of history which is NOT true. Their people or associates may be long in business but nothing to do with their MLM launched recently. Why do I consider it a scam or bad ? New members are told to pay a sum of money(up to RM1000) and you get NOTHING for it. You only get a membership can entitle you to enjoy all sorts of special price and discounts when you have medical check-ups in their centres. They will claim all those check-ups cost more if done elsewhere. It’s not true. Only the naive and those new to medical check-ups will fall victims to them. Most members who paid the money ended up with nothing.

13) Seaweed Venture Scams – 1 such Company is located in Taman Maluri, Cheras. They will ask you to invest a few thousands ringgits for their venture of growing seaweeds in East Malaysia and you are guaranteed returns. To gain your confidence further, they will tell you your investment money is secured by “insurance” or “unit trusts” & “trustees”. When you ask for further documents to prove, they will give all sorts of excuses or just ignore you because they know they cannot get you. These Seaweed scam is one of the hottest now, warn all your friends about it before they are victimised.

14) MXM(previously MGM) – This is a master scam owned by a Dato Kam(Pathlab) tapping the younger group, very successful 2 or 3 years ago but since they moved to their big 10-storey office at Phileo Damansara and changed name to MXM, their business dropped. They collect members RM3,000 to RM4,000 with credit card monthly easy payment and in return you get a hospital benefits insurance from Pacific Insurance worth only a few hundred RMs together with some you-don’t-need medical check-ups from their associate Company Pathlab. Also talk about fitness, lifestyles bullshit that is all worthless.

15) Gano Excel/I-Touch Life/GEW2u – This company from the north, a copycat of DXN selling Lingzhi capsules created a new Company called Gano iTouch to cash-in on the internet like e-Cosway after their Company went down the drain since the last 2 years, selling Linzhi and some no-value energy pendants and alkaline water gadgets. They provide free transport every weekend from KL to visit their Alor Star office. It did not work well and recently in mid-2009 changed name to GEW.

16) NuLife(HK) – This Company started by some HK people has been in Malaysia for more than 10 years but they have flopped in HK and Malaysia due to bad management and a product scam making use of a prosecuted American named Dr Jeffrey Bland, found guilty of false products claim. Since this case in the US leaked out and many Malaysians found out that the real boss in HK is a Steven Tang(he cheated many Malaysians in another scheme about 20 years ago) their business went down all the way. Now they claim Malaysian partners cheated them and start a new Company in Malaysia. Watch out, this new Company will come out with some investment scheme idea that will get many to lose their money.

17) Arowana Fish Breeding, Oora from Germany, Biofuel(Kompleks Maluri) etc – These are some newer scams. Arowana fish venture ask you to invest some money and give you fixed return. Biofuel will tell you their Indonesia connections(just like Sunshine Empire before using Taiwan) & Oora from Germany(I never trust those cruel Germans) that market some bio-chips and a gadget that claims to give energy and therapeutic effects of accupunture, tai-chi, yoga, etc depending how you set the toy-like gadget, wear it on your body and you get the effect later. They could not explain or provide any demonstration to prove their effectiveness. Only doctors and papers claim that I will never trust. The health effect is actually PLACEBO, which I will elaborate in a different thread.

18) Easy-Pharmax !! – How could I missed this out earlier. I thought I mentioned this until I got e-mails asking me about it. This is easily in the TOP 3 during the last 2 years. Owned by a Dato Yeap(another Dato !!) Members are tricked to invest up to RM40,000 with the false promise that the Company will use e-commerce and online selling to dispose their goods and recover their monies. It won’t happen, of course.

19) Gold Investment Scheme – This is an old trick but back again by several Companies promising a GURANTEE FIXED RETURN income like many other schemes. Try to ask for a copy of their fixed return agreement and consult your lawyer. Common sense tell you any business that promises a fixed return to UNLIMITED numbers of investors, higher than bank interests must be a scam.

20) Score-A or Skor-A: This Company sells you an online program of past Malaysian examinations papers for primary and secondary school students for self-testing for up to a few hundred RMs per membership. It actually cost them nothing. Members are told to invest in a few units, again using MLM with the promise of getting rich. The same program can be purchased from Utusan for just a fraction of their price and you can get better programs.

21) NEW SCAMS :

a) GRI(Global Royal International) – The boss behind this scheme is multi-billionaire James Pang(the big scammer waiting for trial in Singapore because of Sunshine Empire). Before Sunshine Empire, he operated NOP and SwissCash. This time, he is using a lot of representatives and MLM leaders since his passport is held by Singapore government and he cannot come to Malaysia. I am told that anyone who is bold enough to call himself a MLM leader in Malaysia can visit his rep in Malaysia or Singapre and they will be given at least RM5,000 as some expenses subdsidy if you are willing to market for them.

b) One Community Worldwide – Tapping a mostly Bumi market and owned by Steven Yeam(SYN) and Willie Lim of Lampe Berger previously(the Chinese no longer trust them). They are selling a negative ion mattress for RM25,000 !! The same modal, I have seen before for RM2000 from Korea. If you cannot afford RM25K ??? You can buy therapy package for RM300. Don’t believe in such product ? You can go for some chlorostrum(virgin cow’s milk from nowhere)

c) English-Learning Program Online – ESL(an online English learning program) You are asked to pay RM100 for one or 2 years usage of online learning. Started by a Malaysian Indian man by the name of Dr. Edward, this program has changed names at least 2 or 3 times since the last one year due to poor response and a lot of “technical problems”. I consider it a scam because you are paying money for nothing tangible to direct-selling company through MLM and their program has been very “unstable” as my source put it.

from attending college to getting a job to parenting — having a role model can be hugely valuable.

Not only is it helpful to follow their footsteps and avoid their missteps, these entrepreneurial icons are always good for a healthy dose of inspiration.

With this in mind, we culled 10 of the most inspiring entrepreneurship quotes around. They also happen to be our favorites:

Steve Jobs:
Co-Founder of Apple
“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” ~ from his 2005 Stanford commencement address.

Walter Elias a.k.a. ‘Walt Disney:’
Co-Founder of Walt Disney Productions
“All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” ~ from the 2004 book How to Be Like Walt: Capturing the Disney Magic Every Day of Your Life.

Richard Branson:
Chairman of the Virgin Group
“My biggest motivation? Just to keep challenging myself. I see life almost like one long University education that I never had — everyday I’m learning something new.”

Oprah Winfrey:
Media mogul
“Every time you state what you want or believe, you’re the first to hear it. It’s a message to both you and others about what you think is possible. Don’t put a ceiling on yourself.”

Bill Gates:
Chairman of Microsoft
“It’s fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.”

Henry Ford:
Founder of the Ford Motor Company
“Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently… A business absolutely devoted to service will have only one worry about profits. They will be embarrassingly large.”

Larry Page:
Co-Founder of Google
“You don’t need to have a 100-person company to develop that idea” ~ from a 2001 BusinessWeek article.

Warren Buffett:
Chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway
“It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.” ~ from a 2011 story in The Guardian.

Russell Simmons:
Founder of Def Jam Records
“I’ve been blessed to find people who are smarter than I am, and they help me to execute the vision I have.” ~ from a 2010 article in Brandmaker News.

Jeff Bezos:
Chairman and CEO of Amazon
“One of the huge mistakes people make is that they try to force an interest on themselves. You don’t choose your passions; your passions choose you.” ~ from the 2013 book Shortcut to Prosperity: 10 Entrepreneurial Habits and a Roadmap for an Exceptional Career.

In anticipation of President Barack Obama’s fourth State of the Union address this evening, I’m pondering the power of huge, if seemingly unattainable, goals.

Before both chambers of Congress, the President is expected to renew his calls for increased gun control, immigration reforms and making a solid deal on deficit reduction. He’s also planning to offer proposals for job creation, reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil and promoting education. And though some of these ideas may have bipartisan support, many of them will also sound a bit like pie in the sky or too far-fetched to ever really win support.

But that’s OK. Just as the President wants to inspire Congress and Americans in general to tackle the tough tasks that confront us, it’s also up to young entrepreneurs and start up founders to project equally ambitious ideals. After all, who knows what we can achieve if we set our sights high enough, right?

To put this plan in motion, here are five ways to both set and achieve outsize goals:

1. Establish big and small goals. Actualizing your vision is all about setting goals. Obviously, you need a routine of daily goals that correspond to larger weekly goals that relate to your even larger monthly goals, and so on. Setting easily achievable, realistic goals is great, but they should be set in conjunction with immense aspirations — a.k.a. goals that seem impossible but challenge and inspire you.

2. Be practical. A big goal doesn’t have to mean achieving energy independence. Obviously, as a young entrepreneur you don’t have the resources of an entire nation behind you. A big goal should be big for you. Maybe something just a little out of reach. The big goal functions as an inspirational tool. By striving to hit a target that is very far away, you’ll be forced to come up with a variety of creative ideas and inventive tactics.

3. Aim for simplicity. A big goal shouldn’t be needlessly complex. Your mission to become an industry leader, for instance, should be summed up in as few as a single sentence. Sure, the execution may be complicated, but your idea should be lucid and simple enough to continually encourage you and your team. But don’t confuse clarity with lack of risk. Being an entrepreneur is all about risk-taking. If you’re not comfortable with living on the edge, it’s not the path for you. Think big, imagine grand possibilities and take those risks with excitement and dedication.

4. Divide and conquer. Mange your huge goals by breaking them down into smaller parts. Every action you take should be contributing in some way to these larger ideas. To this end, communicate often about how to start taking these baby steps, and provide ample resources to you and your team. Though everyone may have a separate role to play, you should all be aiming for the same target.

5. Identify weaknesses and strengths. Another reason for setting huge goals is you’ll begin to locate areas in need of improvement. You’ll be forced to move fast, not look back and strive toward success. When you’re working this hard, your weaknesses will be revealed and you can jump on them immediately. You’ll also notice in which areas you’re particularly strong. By clarifying your strengths and weaknesses, you can become a more effective entrepreneur.

So what’s your outsize goal? Let us know what it is and how you hope to achieve it in the comments.