2010 is fast approaching as the end of 2009 draws near. Has the year been a good one or bad for us? For me, I am saying “Alhamdulillah” (meaning “Praise be to Allah” or “Thank to God”). All this possible in my conventional business is due to the Qudrat of Allah (the help of Allah). The first half of 2009 saw our business generally went down by 30-40%. Fortunately, we saw recovery in Q3 and Q4 where majority of the businesses managed to recover about half the losses we suffered in the first half of the year. Due to a Strategic Alliance, which is a formal relationship between two or more parties to pursue a set of agreed upon goals or to meet a critical business need while remaining independent organizations, we manage to pull ourselves through in this current economic situation.

For small business or company like us, strategic alliances is a way to work together with others towards a common goal while not losing their individuality. Alliances are a way of reaping the rewards of team effort - and the gains from forming strategic alliances appear to be substantial. Companies participating in alliances report that at much as 18 percent of their revenues comes from their alliances. This is so true because we are there.

Why I choose a Strategic Alliance? not outsourcing, merges or acquisitions? Because A strategic alliance is essentially a partnership in which you combine efforts in projects ranging from getting a better price for supplies by buying in bulk together to building a product together with each of us providing part of its production. The goal of alliances is to minimize risk while maximizing your leverage and profit.

An alliance is simply a business-to-business collaboration. Another term that is frequently used in conjunction with alliances is establishing a business network. Alliances are formed for joint marketing, joint sales or distribution, joint production, design collaboration, technology licensing, and research and development. Relationships can be vertical between a vendor and a customer, horizontal between vendors, local, or global.

All these are possible not because we are genius or not because we are great businessmen but we follow the guidance of Quran and the Sunnah of Nabi s.a.w. How do we get aid from Allah? The answer is in the Quran.

“Indeed, Allah will aid those who aid His cause. Indeed Allah is all-Powerful, all-Mighty.” [ch22:v40]

In this noble Verse Allah has promised to help and give victory to those who help His cause. And it is known that the help and victory of Allah comes by following what He has prescribed, obeying His command, avoiding His prohibitions, helping His Messengers, and their followers, aiding His Religion and fighting against His enemies until the word of Allah is made uppermost and the word of His enemies is debased.

In another verse the Quran says:

“O you who Believe. If you help Allah, Allah will help you; and establish your feet firmly. [ch47:v7]

Believers are given here a pledge that Allah will be on their side and will favour them with victory if and when they help and aid His cause.

However, this divine intervention and support are not granted to those who sit and wait, nor are they ever won by those who neglect the duty of preparing their own defences and making the plans necessary to achieve victory.

So we not only seek Strategic Alliance with people or companies but we also seek a Strategic Alliance with the creator and I found out this is the most successful formula for you and me to succeed and gain victory in this world and also in the hereafter.

I personally is very bullish about 2010. I expect the economy to recover fully in 2010. The recently tabled Budget 2010 is prudent spending, good in general and should make the market more interesting. The World Cup 2010 and Commonwealth Games shall drive worldwide business activities and at the end more power supplies are needed to backup all those activities. I am sure that the industry shall not be worse off if compared to the year 2009 and that leaves only one direction, which is north.

But we shall never forget to what had happened in 2009 as our reference. 2009 have so far been a glorious and exciting year despite the economic turmoils. From the inauguration of US’ first black president to the appointment of a new Prime Minister in Malaysia, it’s a year restless and eventful year.

Dear friends and readers, no matter what your do, you need to have focus and be with positive thinking people and also remember that to succeed you need to get the help from Allah. Why? Because He is the creator.

“Allah is He, than Whom there is no other deity. He knows (all things) both secret and open; He, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. Allah is He, than Whom there is no other deity; the Sovereign, the Holy One, the Source of Peace (and Perfection), the Guardian of Faith, the Preserver of Safety, the Exalted in Might, the Irresistible, the Supreme: Glory to Allah! (High is He) above the partners they attribute to Him. He is Allah the Creator, the Evolver, the Bestower of Forms (and Colors). To Him belong the Most Beautiful Names: Whatever is the heavens and on earth, do declare His Praise and Glory; and He is exalted in Might, the Wise.” (59:22-24)

“He has created man: He has imparted unto him articulate thought and speech. [At His behest] the sun and the moon run their appointed courses; the stars and the trees prostrate themselves [before Him]. And the skies has He raised high, and has devised [for all things] a measure, so that you [too, O men,] might never transgress the measure [of what is right]: weigh, therefore, [your deeds] with equity, and cut not the measure short!” (55:3-9)

“Everything We have created and prescribed for its measure, its character and destiny…No creature creeps on earth but Allah provides for it its sustenance. He knows its purpose and destiny. For it is He Who prescribed them in His eternal order…The sun rises and sets traversing its orbit exactly as the Almighty, the All Knowing has ordained. And the moon passes regularly through its phases, returning to its original thin crescent form. Neither sun nor moon overtakes the other; neither night nor day deviates from their preordained courses. Each moves in the orbit Allah has ordained for it. (54:49, 11:6, 36:38-40)

So my dear friends and readers, apart from your knowledge and strength, we as human being, we do need the divine help from Allah to succeed. There is no doubt about it. So I take this opportunity to wish all of you, all the best for 2010 and also upgrade your Iman (faith) daily which is the advice of the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. Remember not only a Strategic Alliance with human being or companies but also with the Creator.

Popularity: 29% [?]

Many of my Malaysian friends asked me this one good question, “Why you did not write in Bahasa Malaysia (my mother tongue) ?” Not that I do not want to but I feel it is a lot easier for me to interact in English not only with my Malaysian friends or Malaysian readers but also from elsewhere too. Moreover all Malaysians do speak English, am I right?

Here is what being revealed by JobStreet.com who conducted this survey and here are the details.

The importance of the English language in the workplace continues to be a top concern among employers in the country.According to the results of this study, a staggering 91% of employers said that English is the language of business communication. By contrast, only 6% of them used the Chinese language while 2% used Bahasa Malaysia instead.

We also asked employers if the quality of the English language amongst new hires has improved over the last one year. More than half (54%) stated that there was no change while 16% say that it has dropped. Still, a notable 30% maintained that it has improved, though this may be due to an influx of foreign university graduates returning to the country.

To every business entity, productivity is of utmost importance. A landslide majority of 95% of employers believed that better English would improve the productivity of employees, as opposed to the 5% who don’t. It was not surprising then to find that 66% of employers have turned down applicants due to a bad command of English while a further 26% would do so if necessary.

But how do employers screen through new hires on their command of the English language? Screening via phone interviews and resume slips come in at 36% and 53% respectively. The most popular method by far however is to screen a new hire’s English through a face-to-face interview (84%).

Still, despite these various methods to filter applicants, about 61% of employers surveyed said they were looking for the right tools to gauge a job seeker’s command of the English language. Also, 78% of employers were keen on using an English test to help in the hiring process. In line with these numbers, 63% of employers preferred to hire new people with already a good command of English, while 30% would give on-the-job training to new hires.

The emphasis for the employers at large lies mainly in the competency of new hires when it comes to conversational English. The JobStreet.com study revealed in terms of importance, 92% of employers felt that conversational English was the most important with 65% choosing grammar, 55% indicated comprehension and 47% saying vocabulary.

This study on the importance of the English language in the workplace was conducted by JobStreet.com in August 2009. With the participation by 1001 employers, the study was a follow-up research on an earlier survey in July 2009 on reasons why employers felt fresh graduates remained unemployed.

*Note1: Curious to see where you stand amongst your peers in English? Take the JobStreet.com ELA today.

*Note2: Update Facebook, Twitter, Wordpress and Blogger with 1 SMS Only! http://www.roslihanip.com/loves/malaysianSMS.html

Popularity: 35% [?]

Guys, I have been wondering what you will do if someone gives you RM10,000 today? If this RM10,000 is a windfall, what will you do with it? Let me start and I would like you to share your thoughts here.

In this current economy situation, I think I will save the RM10,000. Why? It will surely boost my savings. At a yearly return of 4%, RM10,000 will become RM18,000 in 15 years! Not much but it surely helps. I could use this for my daughter’s education plan in the National Education Savings Scheme (SSPN). Savings of up to RM3,000 in SSPN are also tax-exempted and deposits are guaranteed by the government.

Now I wanna know about your RM10,000. What will you do?

Popularity: 16% [?]

Hey, hope you get my point yesterday on how to become a full-time freelancer and today I would like to share with you how to become rich! Actually saving is the best way to become rich. According to several surveys in the US, most millionaires are not made by winning the lottery, a brilliant business idea or through inheritance. Most do it the steady way via disciplined savings and investing. But how hard it is to achieve a million this way?

Let’s say you start with nothing in the bank and put away RM1,000 a month. With income increases and bonuses, let’s assume you add to the savings at the rate of 5% a year. After one year, you would be putting away an average of RM1,050 a month. With an average return of 8% per annum, you would hit TM1 million mark in a little under 22 years.

But then, here’s the bad news. In 22 years, your million would be worth about RM340,000, given an inflation rate of 5% per year.

The good news is, given that the assumptions are right, your second million will be much easier to achieve. If the rate of savings remains, the second million would be made in another seven years. The third million, you would make in another  four years. Even if you stop contributing after you reach the first million, the second million would be made in nine years, less than half the time it took to accumulate the first million.

If you had put away RM1,000 a month without increasing your savings, you would go from zero to RM1 million in 26 years and to RM 2 million in 35 years.

So, most of the effort is spent in accumulating that first million. Once you get to that level, the magic of compounding, and the opportunities that will open up to you, will help you get to that second million and third million. They say the rich get richer, and that is really true.

Popularity: 10% [?]

It has been awhile I did not write about business. Okay today I would like to share this topic to you. It is about freelancing.

What is freelance? Freelancing? or Freelancer? From wikipedia, A freelancer, freelance worker, or freelance is a self-employed person who pursues a profession without a long-term commitment to any particular employer. The term was first used by Sir Walter Scott (1771–1832) in Ivanhoe to describe a “medieval mercenary warrior” or “free-lance“.

Freelancing is the new black. More and more people are braving it alone. It might seem a little strange for one to think about going into freelancing when the economy is bad but it is for this very reason that freelancing is fast expanding. In bad times, many businesses might not have the budget to hire full-time staff, but they are able to hire freelancers to work on projects.

I notice that more prople are going out on their own, whether solo or with a small team. And business knowledge sites like Yahoo! Small Business and Microsoft Small Business have sprung up to offer solutions to freelancers and small businesses. New freelancers, especially those who are fresh out of school or university, need to remember that they are starting a business. Getting work might not be difficult, but running a successful long-term business is a daunting task. Here are a few pointers:

• Know a little about a lot

Or better yet, know a lot about a lot. First, you need to understand the generalities of running a business, from bookkeeping to taxes, to the laws relating to your industry as well as basic business laws. You need to decide on whether to be a sole proprietor or make your business a partnership or an incorporated entity. This decision directly affects all components of your business, from how you present yourself to your cash flow and taxes. So visit the Companies Commission of Malaysia’s website (Suruhanjaya Syarikat Malaysia) www.ssm.com.my to learn more about the business structures available.

• Money

I cannot stress enough why you need to get your accounting system straight from the get-go. When I began my company 10 years ago, I filed my receipts according to size. Your accounts need to be in order so that you are able to keep track of how well your business is doing, show (potential) investors how well your business is doing, show the taxman how much you don’t owe him and so on.

The first simple rule here is that there must be documented evidence of all monies going in and out of your business. Keep your receipts filed according to date. Second, ensure that you keep good records of the ins and outs, and do keep tab of recalcitrant or stubborn clients. These are the type of clients or customers who are happy to hire or to buy but are not happy to pay - all they need is one small excuse to avoid paying up.

• Make friends

Make proper use of them. Although the thought of having to socialize might put some of you off, you do need to have a network. And it is always good to cast your net far and wides; you never know whom or what you might need in the future.

You can network in many ways. Armed with a stack of business cards, attend your friend’s gallery, shop opening or go on outings with friends and friends of friends. You can also attend talks or seminars that related to your industry. Another option is network online, in a Yahoo! or Google groups, or social network sites like my space, Hi5, facebook, etc. Do remember, however, to look, listen and attend to others first.

• Technology

This is something you should master. Almost all businesses have online presence now, while most industries have their directories in digital format. Increasingly, information is being stored or delivered in digital formats. The tech tide will not turn.

While some of us are naturally more inclined or just plain interested in learning what technology has to offer, there are those whose skull tightens and throbs at the word “computer”. Unfortunately, they need to find a cure for this, fast.

On many levels, my business runs entirely from my laptop, with the help of many internet tools. As for my conventional business, we operate from Canada (the principal), our factory (in Skudai, Johore), customer’s plant (Tikam Batu, Kedah) and my marketing office in Subang Jaya, that is why online tools are very important to us. Tools like skype, acrobat reader, google apps, and the many other Web 2.0 applications that become available frequently, are very important. Same goes with my simple online business. The technology is really important and does help mey business to grow to the next level.

When you start harnessing technology, you will find that work becomes much easier. The problem arises at the inception, when you have to learn about what is out there, how they work and then incorporating your preferred solution into your business.

You would face teething problems but once you have got that covered, it’s worthwhile. Reporting to your customers, managing your project and file sharing will be at your fingertips, and usually will not cost you anything.

Popularity: 7% [?]

In this month of Ramadhan I would like to tune our mind and thoughts toward the deen of Allah, that is Islam. Even in doing business and getting rich one must observe in doing it in accordance to Islam. Islam does not forbid us from being rich and wealthy. In fact, enjoying what Allah has permitted in this world, is sanctioned in Al-Quran. In surah Al-‘Araf, ayat 32, Allah says:

Which means: Say (O Muhammad): “Who has forbidden the adoration with clothes given by Allah, which He has produced for his slaves, and all kinds of Halal things?” Say: “They are, in the life of this world, for those who believe, (and) exclusively for them (believers) on the Day of Resurrection.” Thus We explain the Ayat (Islamic laws) in detail for people who have knowledge.

That verse clearly states that Allah s.w.t does not forbid us from being wealthy and rich in this world. It is a misconception to view that Islam encourages its followers to be poor in this world with the hope of being rich in the Hereafter.

Muslims must be strong. And to be strong, we must be well off. Being poor will make us dependent on others, and as a result make us vulnerable.

Allah s.w.t gives the richness of this world for His righteous and pious servants. Because only the righteous and pious will not be easily deceived with it. In fact, this whole world is given to them. As mentioned in surah Al-Anbiya’, ayat 105:

Which means: “And indeed We have written in Zabur after (We have already written in) Al-Lauh Al-Mahfûz, that My righteous servants shall inherit the land”.

And so is Akhirat. Allah s.w.t will prepare for His righteous and pious servants luxuries and richness untold. In a hadith narrated by Imam Bukhari and Muslim, the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w said:

Which means: Allah the Most Exalted and High said: I have prepared for my righteous servants rewards that no eye has even seen, no ears has ever heard, and not even once came across to anybody. Exactly as being mentioned in Al-Quran:

No person knows what is kept hidden for them of joy as a reward for what they used to do.

My brothers in Islam,
If we scrutinize those Quranic verses and Hadith above, we can see that the real richness of this world is given only to Allah’s righteous servants. Not for those who are sinful, not those who do not believe in Allah.

But in reality we see that many non-Muslims are rich. And we see that many pious and righteous Muslims are not that well off. So how true are those verses?

Actually, if we observe with an open mind, we can see that only the righteous and pious will get the actual richness of this Earth, because they are not deceived by it.

They do not allow their wealth to overcome them, or to take control of their life. They view their wealth as a tool to achieve their main objective, and that is to gain Allah’s pleasure.

The Islamic history is full with examples of righteous and pious Muslims who knew how to manage their wealth the Islamic way.

For example, the great companions of Rasulullah s.a.w: Abu Bakar AS-Siddiq, Uthman bin Affan, and Abdul Rahman bin ‘Auf. All of them are among the ten companions who were given the good news of Jannah while still alive. And all of them were rich businessmen.

But they were not deceived by their wealth. They saw their wealth as a means to assist Islam, to help the poor, and to do good deeds. These are the examples of righteous and pious Muslims for us to emulate and follow their examples.

But for the unbelievers, those who allow themselves to commit sinful acts, they will not taste the actual wealth of this world, even though physically they are rich. This is because they will never feel enough. They will always feel that they are poor. And hence, they will strive day and night to increase their wealth, disregarding their health, the loved ones and most importantly their relationship with Allah.

In this regard, the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w narrated from Allah, a hadith Qudsi:

(Narrated by Al-Qudhai in Musnad Al-Firdaus)

Which means: “Allah the Most Exalted and High commands to this world: Go and serve those who serves Me. But make those who serve you tired and exhausted”.

What actually is the real wealth? Is it just money?

Actually, the real wealth of this world is not material wealth, dollars and cents because such wealth is not permanent. Such wealth comes and goes easily and sometimes when we are least expecting. Many factors may contribute to the sudden decline of such material wealth. The sudden drop of exchange rates, war and disasters. All these can make one poor immediately.

So what is actual wealth?

Someone is actually wealthy when he is rich with good morals, has lots of thawab, that is good rewards from Allah due to his good deeds, and rich with beneficial knowledge.

These three factors are among those that define actual wealth. They will benefit us in this world and the Hereafter. Good morals for example, will increase our thawab during Judgement Day. Rasulullah s.a.w said:

Which means: “There is nothing that will greatly increase the thawab during Judgement Day, then good morals”.

Knowledge on the other hand serves as our investment after our death. Because when we die, we will not be able to increase our thawab, except three things, as mentioned in the following hadith:

Which means: “When the son of Adam dies, all his deeds will be stopped, unless three things: charity, beneficial knowledge, and pious children who pray for him”.

My brothers in Islam,
We should give our attention to increase our knowledge, especially those concerning Islam. While we are doing so, it is important that we need to build our material strength especially the assets of the Muslim community.

Asset such as the waqaf, our madrasahs and our mosque are valuable assets for the Muslim community. These assets are the symbol for the community of excellence. These assets are the supporting pillars in achieving the actual wealth. We need to develop our assets. We need to fully utilize our asset and to manage it professionally.

Alhamdulillah, One of the most important assets of the Muslim Community is our mosque. Many of our mosques here in Malaysia have the infrastructure that offers us the chance to increase our knowledge. So do not miss this opportunity. Let us maximize our mosques. Let us support our mosques and their activities.

Mosques are built not to be proud off with their design and architecture. But mosques are built to serve us Muslims, to increase our actual wealth, our knowledge and thawab.

Popularity: 17% [?]

Wow! what a title huh!

I apologize for not posting much lately.  I have been traveling extensively during the school holidays and also the year-end thing for my conventional business.  We are finishing up a great year but I have to tell you that 2009 is set up to be the best year ever for our industry. (To me I mean both, i.e., my conventional business and my online business)

-  The worldwide economy is in a meltdown.
-  People are desperately seeking answers.
-  And Network marketing provides the best solution for the average person to create a profitable non-traditional business.

While all of this is true, that still means YOU are going to be YOUR best for 2009 to be all it can be for you and your family.

Let me brief why here.

Success in this sector of the business world is not based simply on luck. Success is based on following very basic principles and remembering this is a serious business for serious people. Some people make a great deal of money through their respective businesses, but only a small number at the very top have managed to pull a significant income. The financial benefit of those at the top have always been the result of their own dedication and efforts in building an organization that sells real products and services. Network marketing is not a get-rich-quick scheme, although some people do make a large amount of money very quickly. With network marketing you have the option of following a proven system, that the good companies provide, where the design, creation and expense of a simple and proven system is laid out for you.

By helping the people you personally sponsor to sponsor others, you duplicate yourself. As this process continues, you create a compounded growth that can lead to hundreds or even thousands of people coming into your business. You manage your time by helping others to become successful and earn an income from all their efforts. The majority of folks, called “Distributors”, who venture into “the Business” fail to achieve any measurable success. The reason for this failure is simply having an “employee mentality”, which is being of the mind to depend on someone other than yourself to make it through your working life. This position sets us up for failure from the beginning. Now, with what I like to call the “boss mentality”, things get a little more interesting and you had better show up for work because now you are calling your own shots! YOU ARE THE BOSS!

Believe it or not, with the economic world melting down, this is a perfect time to look at what makes you content. Our obsessive quest for bliss is all the more important in tumultuous times. It is now more realistic than ever to have a home business network marketing internet business. Whereas only a few years ago, most network marketers still had to rely on the old methods on doing things.

The question I hear most often is “What can a person do in economic times like we have today to make ends meet?” I know it is hard to know what to do to protect or preserve your Assets in face of the economic melt down. Stocks, Banks, jobs, retirement programs and Governments have all failed us. I am sure that each of you have seen and felt the economic crunch right in your own neighborhood. I want you to know that what you are seeing in your own neighborhood is being repeated over and over across the GLOBE. That’s right, the economic melt down is global. That is why, the opportunity for global cash gifting is at an all time high.

People are out of work and companies are either not hiring or they are closing their doors and going out of business. Over the next 2 years, it is predicted, that there here will be over 80 MILLION people being forced to enter into the Internet marketing arena to generate a second income, or in some case a full time income…

This presents a huge OPPORTUNITY for anyone that is “in place” ready, willing and able to help those people that are entering the internet looking for some way to become successful on the internet.

But the sad truth is only about 5% or less of this new wave of people hitting the Internet looking for shelter from the economical storm will make their first dime! That’s a very scary thought, wouldn’t you agree? Why do people fail? They don’t know what to do once they have joined an organization. They must find an opportunity that is fully automatic with someone that will help and guide them until they are successful. That is why what I will show you is perfect! Go to http://www.roslihanip.com/go/tour.html and sign in with your name and email address. I will send you all of the information you need to make an informed decision.

Experts predict that network marketing is ready to take off in what they call a hockey stick growth curve, and we are just arriving at the start of the handle. Think of the it, being at the right place, at the right time and opening the flood gates for your success.

When recession hits, those with any intelligence are going to scramble to find alternative sources of income. In their frantic searches, they are going to find that the best of all alternatives is network marketing.

If you do not believe me, read more here, WHEN RECESSION HITS THE ECONOMY, NETWORK MARKETING BOOMS

So guys, do not panic, do not live in fear, YOU need to change it. Think outside the box and be with me to get in for a free tour at http://www.roslihanip.com/go/tour.html

Popularity: 19% [?]

Hey! this is not about the current Olympic Medal Tally, but it is about Internet Users. I read it today at

 The Title catches my eyes instantly, China surpasses US in internet use. This is an except from the website,

“Overtaking the US, Chinas internet-users population has reached 253 million by the end of June, reflecting the explosive growth in the web-user market in the country, data showed. Latest government figures also showed that China also had the largest number of broadband subscribers at 214 million, more than 80 per cent of the total domestic internet population. The number of Internet users at 253 million marked a 56.2 per cent rise from 162 million reported in 2007, the China Internet Network Information Centre (CNNIC), a semi-official organisation, said in a report.”

Read the full news here, http://www.business-standard.com/ and for business owners this certainly a good and promising news to expand your online business. Opps! My question is does this is a good news or a bad news? Let us share some thoughts here.

Popularity: 9% [?]