My first Business Experience!

Subject: My first Business Experience! Mon Apr 20, 2009 7:27 pm

Back in the day, secondary three.

A friend and I sold trial exam papers in school. My friend did the marketing. I was the accountant and finance chief. We made $9 in total profit, split 50/50. I got $4.50, for a months work.

I went to buy chicken rice, and my $4.50 dissappeared.

Business died of natural death, because friend and I were to lazy to do the whole process the next exam season.

Though small, that was my first try at entrepreneurship.

Hope to hear yours.

Cheers.

Subject: Re: My first Business Experience! Sun Apr 26, 2009 1:03 am

I tried selling chicken rice. I supplied my stall with chicken and rice. And i earned only $4.50 from some little dude who told me he sold some exam papers in school or something. LOL! Cheers. afro

Subject: Re: My first Business Experience! Mon Apr 27, 2009 1:31 am

KFC Colonel Sanders did not succeed at his first attempt to burrow money to start his KFC business. It was countless times.... finally.... the rest is history.

You need determination and perseverance to succeed.

The power that signals success is the power of your mind.

Subject: Re: My first Business Experience! Mon Apr 27, 2009 11:51 pm

I agree with you "Sifu". But i believe that you need something innovative or special too, like a secret recipe or exceptionally good quality like high end wrist-watches.

Subject: Re: My first Business Experience! Thu May 28, 2009 2:32 am

Oh? My first business experience was in primary school! I used to trade erasers. We used erasers to play games. So if your eraser kept winning at the games, you could sell it for a higher price.

Subject: Re: My first Business Experience! Wed Jun 03, 2009 4:10 pm

I started with buying things during my travel trips and selling them at my friend's pasar malam store. ===> hard work.

After that I tried to rent my own stall and sell them ===> harder work.

I gave physical store and started to explore online store. Yahoo auction was my next stop. 6 months to take pictures, write description and the item.

Yahoo auction closed down and I spend another 3 months to move all my products to ebay auction. Now I am still on ebay.

I still buy things from my business trip, or buy online from overseas and sell them in ebay.

Now, I am thinking of selling a course on ' How to start a ebay store?' ...............

I breakeven most of the time, as freight cost is not calculated into my sale price ---- remember it is only my travel trips.

I still work a 9 to 5 job.

in case you are interested, here's link to my ebay store :
http://stores.ebay.com.sg/ES-BoutiQue

Smile

Subject: Re: My first Business Experience! Thu Jun 04, 2009 1:34 am

esthersoh wrote:: I started with buying things during my travel trips and selling them at my friend's pasar malam store. ===> hard work.

After that I tried to rent my own stall and sell them ===> harder work.

I gave physical store and started to explore online store. Yahoo auction was my next stop. 6 months to take pictures, write description and the item.

Yahoo auction closed down and I spend another 3 months to move all my products to ebay auction. Now I am still on ebay.

I still buy things from my business trip, or buy online from overseas and sell them in ebay.

Now, I am thinking of selling a course on ' How to start a ebay store?' ...............

I breakeven most of the time, as freight cost is not calculated into my sale price ---- remember it is only my travel trips.

I still work a 9 to 5 job.

in case you are interested, here's link to my ebay store :
http://stores.ebay.com.sg/ES-BoutiQue

Not bad Esther.

You are saying you bought these costume jewelery from elsewhere? Did you know that such things can be handmade by crafting hobbyists in Singapore?

I would also recommend you try using Esty to sell your goods. Esty is like ebay, but is a marketplace for crafts only. Do take a look.

Subject: Re: My first Business Experience! Thu Jun 04, 2009 3:30 pm

Thanks for sharing. No I don't made them. But I think Esty is a good website to sell handmade stuff. Or stuff for people to do handicraft.

I do have friends who handmade stuff and want me to help sell in my ebay store...... maybe Esty is a good place to start.

Subject: Re: My first Business Experience! Thu Jun 04, 2009 9:41 pm

Hey, checked out Esty and i found some of the crafts pretty good. Whadayaknow, i might get 1 or 2 from the website and the plus point is, they are handmade and that means they are unique!

Subject: Re: My first Business Experience! Sat Jun 06, 2009 2:57 pm

esthersoh wrote:: I still buy things from my business trip, or buy online from overseas and sell them in ebay.

Now, I am thinking of selling a course on ' How to start a ebay store?' ...............

in case you are interested, here's link to my ebay store :
http://stores.ebay.com.sg/ES-BoutiQue

You can create an eBook although I believe such a market is pretty saturated with such books. Maybe you can try how to start an "Etsy" store.

P.S. Esther, you don't have to give a reason when you edit your posts.

Subject: Re: My first Business Experience! Wed Jul 01, 2009 1:38 pm

my very 1st exp,
in sec school, selling my artworks to my peers..
earn ard $20-30 for 2-3 days effort...

older..
involved in pioneering a project management coy..
learnt very hard lessons..
1. you will need a BIZ & MKTING plan..
2. you will need to know SPECIFICALLY the ROLES/RESPONSIBILITIES of individual partners in the team..
3. you will need to select & recognise the DECISION MAKER..

we r making $ within a few mths, due to our low cost of operations & a injection of a major project but..
I withdrew in the end, due to conflicts within the partnership..

I am tougher & wiser now, as a result..

Subject: Re: My first Business Experience! Wed Jul 01, 2009 10:41 pm

I made handicraft and sell them to bookshops. Make about $30 to $40 a month at the age of 13.

Now I handling 3 IT companies with different partnerships arrangements. Challenging and tiring, yet fulfilling.

Lesson learn: anything can be a business, it starts from survival and grows into passion... Only thing you need is TIME.

Subject: Re: My first Business Experience! Fri Jul 03, 2009 7:01 pm

Why do you start by selling handicraft and artworks? Who bought the artwork and why did they want to buy. Or both your art skills must be fantastic.

Subject: Re: My first Business Experience! Sat Jul 04, 2009 1:29 am

Someone taught me a simple skill, and after learning it, I mass produce and pack it nicely. I sold to book stores as bookmarks. Guess it is more value for money that some students bought it. Therefore there is a simple theory in business. Everything has its market demand. Just how to position it such that people sees it as a value. Another concept that I learn, there is no lousy product, but there are lousy salesman.

Subject: Re: My first Business Experience! Sat Jul 04, 2009 1:21 pm

Not a bad formula.

Learn how to do it. Do it and pack it nicely. Sell it.