By Sherry Koh
Mar 12, 2010
Be a property millionaire without investing large sums
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Property millionaires, Michael Tan, 34, and Juanita Chin, 39, have proven that “you don’t need large sums of capital to invest.” Both of them have achieved financial independence through property investments in just a few short years.
It is rather easy for one’s self-admiration to balloon out of proportion with a burgeoning bank balance, but Michael and Juanita remain firmly grounded and truly believe in paying it forward by sharing their strategies and success stories in their upcoming seminar.
Property millionaires, Michael Tan and Juanita Chin.
Tell us about your background and how you became involved in property investment.
Michael Tan (MT): My parents encouraged me to be a professional. You know, the likes of a doctor, engineer. I studied engineering and worked for a couple of years and then ventured into a few businesses. It took the loss of a job, two big failures and one near bankruptcy to realise that making money does not equal to keeping money.
I then decided to pursue property investment. Now, I have 12 properties valued at approximately RM2.9million.
Juanita Chin (JC): I was a bank teller earning RM400 per month. I have no degree and I only finished Form 5. But I had big dreams to be successful despite my lack of education. I first started investing in year 2003 because I wanted more time with my children. Working for long hours wasn’t getting our family anywhere. My husband, Ignatius, and I wanted a better life and not be stuck in the rat race.
After attending two life-changing seminars, we took action within a month. To date, we have 13 properties valued at RM5.6million. We now have the freedom of time, and my husband is able to pursue his passion in options trading.
How did you get to know each other?
MT: I attended a seminar that Juanita was co-sharing and spoke with her on the last day of the seminar. I consider her as my sifu (mentor) and I am very inspired by her story. Against all odds, she and Ignatius managed to be financially free.
So, is this the first collaboration between both of you?
MT: No. The first collaboration was in December 2009, for a charity event. I called Juanita to participate and she readily agreed. The second would be an upcoming seminar on 20th and 21st of March.
Tell us about your first investment.
JC: We attended a RM57 property preview and learned that we can invest with little money. So we decided to try the strategy and negotiated with a property developer. We signed the SPA (Sales & Purchase Agreement) for RM5,000 for a property in Gurney Drive. The property’s lease was priced at RM450,000 and it has appreciated to approximately RM570,000 to RM580,000.
It is rented for RM3,000, while the monthly installment is RM1,800. Minus the service charge (maintenance fee) of RM200, we get a passive rental income of RM1,000.
MT: Also, mind you, she has four kids.
JC: Yes, it is important to mention that I have four kids. When we started investing, we already had two kids. The worse thing that could happen is losing money, but at least we tried. We then bought two more units on the lower floors at the same block with the same method.
MT: Also, I would like to mention that the units are not prime units or the nicest ones.
Juanita, where are your other properties located?
JC: All in Penang.
Michael, which was your first investment?
MT: As a business person, I wanted to do different things. I took a more conservative approach. I paid RM6,000 for a low cost unit and made RM18,000 back. I shared my money-making skills with my staff as well. One of them (at his mortgage broking company) paid RM1,180 as downpayment and she made RM14,000 after three months.
JC: It is possible to start with not much and achieve great success despite limitations. Educate (yourself) and take actions. It is not always a breeze. There are obstacles but it is worth it.
So, it is safe to say that the biggest myth in property investment is that you need large sums of capital.
JC: Yes, that is the biggest myth.
Juanita, what are these obstacles?
JC: Some of them include raising cash. We have to convince the banks. If you are determined to reach your objectives, you won’t let it stop you. I live in Penang and travel to Kuala Lumpur very often. Not many people would take the trouble to travel.
MT: Tell them about your furniture shopping trip!
JC: Oh! Ignatius and I would drive all the way from Penang to KL to buy furniture. Pack it all up in our car, tie things to the roof and then drive all the way back, on the same day.
MT: I have known her for only two to three months, but I see her in KL very often. I am blessed to have met and known her.
Wow! Where do you find the energy and drive?
JC: It’s just like a mother loving a child. I don’t mind not resting. As a mother, the saddest thing is not having time for them, (or) providing more for them.
What are the essential traits or qualities to be a successful investor?
JC: The person must love property. (He/she) Must be literate about real estate or finance.
MT: Financing can be a headache. One must be able to balance financing well enough, to pay loans well. Bear in mind, our properties might be worth millions, but we also have millions in debt.
Juanita has written a book titled “Inspired To Change”. Michael, any plans to follow suit?
MT: Yes. I am planning to release my book in October this year. Soon… soon, I will start writing.
What are the key things to look out for when investing?
JC: Be practical. You need to decide on a particular location and who you are targeting. For example, if you are targeting expatriates, then buy (property) in the area where they usually are.
MT: You could identify a fixed area and buy in the same area over and over. For me, I focus on good deals in Kiara only and areas where I can attain a rental yield of 8%.
Some of the strategies include focusing on low and medium cost projects. For those who are younger and do not have much cash, start with that. There is still a demand for such units. Some people prefer commercial, so go with what works for you.
Any advice for aspiring property millionaires?
MT: Be real. Be yourself. Be grounded.
JC: Believe that it can be done. One of the other things that we hope to impart from the seminar is, “Who are you going to be when you reach your financial goals?” Success is not just about money. We take a holistic approach. We want to get there (be successful) in the right way.
Being rich is about who you have beside you at the end of the day. Surround yourself with good people.
MT: It is fulfilling as a person, to see the changes in people, to see how their lives have improved. I hope to share my knowledge and affect 10 million people. We also do charities from time to time and are currently supporting a home for the underprivileged, House of Joy, in Puchong.
Call Maggie at 03-2283 1740 or 019-279 9636 for more information about Michael and Juanita’s Property Millionaire Convention at Crystal Crown Hotel, PJ on March 20 – 21.
Readers of StarProperty.my are entitled to an early bird special rate of RM450 for bookings made by March 15, 2010.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Brains
The best leaders have healthy brains
SCIENCE OF BUILDING LEADERS
By ROSHAN THIRAN
“In essence, every organisation is a product of how its members think and interact.”
— Peter Senge
LAST week at IMD Switzerland, I met brain researcher Terry Small, who posed a very interesting question: “What is the most important part of your body with regards to leadership?”
I immediately answered, “The brain.” Our emotions, intellect, knowledge and expertise all reside in the brain.
“Absolutely,” he answered. And he asked a second question: “So, if your brain is critical to leadership success, how many books on the brain have you read?”
I had to pause for a second as I knew he was right. If the brain is so important to leadership, why aren’t leaders more interested in knowing how to develop and grow a healthy brain? Thus began my exploration of the brain and leadership.
The brain is involved in everything we do. In Primal Leadership: Realising the Power of Emotional Intelligence, Daniel Goleman, Richard E. Boyatzis and Annie McKee demonstrate that leaders appointed solely on the basis of IQ and technical ability, lack the necessary emotional competencies to lead effectively.
They argue that high-performing leaders have both high EQ and IQ levels. Both are directly connected and controlled by the brain. The limbic system in the brain controls your emotions, impulses and drives, whilst your neocortex is the part of your brain that manages IQ, knowledge and learning.
Human emotions are brain-controlled and spread charismatically whenever people are near each other, even with no verbal contact.
When emotionally engaging leaders were observed, their followers harmonised most readily with the leaders’ ideas, and ultimately “caught” the leaders’ moods.
Mental exercise
High-energy and positive leaders like British entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson effortlessly transfers optimism to his followers, while the negative ones wear down their employees.
On the other hand, when a leader perceives a threat or is under stress, their brain acts differently and an “amygdala hijack” is likely to happen, where we act on impulse instead of reason.
A person with high emotional intelligence vetoes this hijack, but an “untrained” brain will not be able to prevent an “amygdala hijack” and there will be a reactionary response.
(The amygdala is the part of the brain that figures how we process and recall emotional reactions.)
Wang Laboratories, a top technology company in the 1980s, was destroyed by a bad decision that was highly emotional by its then leader, An Wang.
A leader’s ability to manage emotions is critical as emotions can compromise or sabotage your ability to make effective decisions.
Recently, I wrote about “gut feeling” and how our life’s wisdom and experiences are stored by the brain and retrieved when we face an emergency complex situation.
World-class leaders learn to develop their “gut feel” by managing an emotional brain part called the basal ganglia.
Interestingly, our brain actually gets better the more we use it. The same with our bodies – the more you use it the longer it lasts.
Since 1986, scientist David Snowdon studied 678 nuns of Mankato, many of whom lived past 100 years. He painstakingly collected data, tested them and dissected their brains after death. Among the findings of this study:
● An active intellectual life prolongs your brain’s lifespan and protects you from the effects of Alzheimer’s disease;
● Those who express the most positive emotions in their language end up living longest;
● The brain retains the capacity to change and grow stronger even in elderly people;
● Those who teach and are constantly challenging their minds live longer than folks who don’t; and
● Strong bonding develops positive emotional intelligence, which leads to a sharper mind.
After the Mankato nuns’ deaths, scientists were shocked to see that parts of the brains that generally wither with age did not do so in the brains of these women. How did these nuns manage to remain sharp and productive even after 100 years?
Researchers have found that intellectual stimulation of only 20 minutes a day can spur new neuron growth. Brain exercises were the norm for these nuns, who lived by the principle that an idle mind is the devil’s playground.
They wrote spiritual meditations in their journals, letters to their politicians and doggedly challenged themselves with quizzes, puzzles, and debates on current events.
Understanding the feelgood factors
Your brain has the capacity to continue to develop and grow. A growing brain keeps mastering the competencies of leadership – everything from self-confidence and decision-making to empathy and persuasion to running effective meetings – until it gets it right.
Our brain thrives on change and challenges. But in most cases, people resist change because of the pain of change. The brain’s main function is to keep you alive and resist pain.
Generally, the brain pushes back when instructed what to do. This is attributed to homeostasis, the movement of organisms toward equilibrium and away from instructed change.
On the other hand, your brain will release an adrenaline-like rush of neurotransmitters when you figure out how to solve a problem yourself rather than being told how to solve it by your bosses.
When I returned to Malaysia 10 years ago and helped in the turnaround of an organisation, one of the methods we deployed was to conduct mini action labs, where employees were given the opportunity to solve a problem, recommend and implement the solutions.
Within a short period, there was high engagement and the turnaround was swift and effortless, driven by the employees.
Compare that with numerous attempted turnarounds when a commanding CEO comes in and dictates the terms of the change.
There is usually huge resistance to the change and failure. Leaders who leverage brain-power will understand the need for engagement and employee participation in any change effort.
Our emotional brain has neural pathways that pump out streams of good feelings when a goal is accomplished and reduces feelings of worry and frustration in achieving the target. Great leaders use this in their change efforts too.
Leadership by reflection
Many leaders still hold on to the old adage of leadership by command and control. Instead, empathy and social intelligence is the way forward. A newly discovered brain neuron, called the mirror neuron, enables leaders to learn empathy.
Mirror neurons, discovered accidentally by Italian neuroscientists monitoring a monkey’s brain, show that the brain has neurons that mirror what others do.
“When we consciously or unconsciously detect someone else’s emotions through their actions, our mirror neurons reproduce those emotions. Collectively, these neurons create an instant sense of shared experience,” wrote Goleman and Boyatzis.
Additionally, mirror neurons enable leaders’ emotions and actions to be mirrored by their followers. This role-modelling was never truly understood until the mirror neuron discovery.
So, a leader’s action is more important than his words. The brain thinks in pictures not words.
Finally, if you really have no time to develop and grow your brain, the least you can do is keep your brain healthy.
Small’s research concludes that by just eating a few prunes a day, you “reduce the chances of Alzheimer’s disease by 92%.”
The brain is 80% water. So, drinking lots of water keeps it hydrated, and listening to baroque music increases your ability to learn by 25% to 400%.
Like you, I am on this new journey of discovering the power of the brain in leadership. For starters, why not invest 20 minutes of doing something outside your comfort zone each day? At least you will grow some new neurons!
● Roshan Thiran is CEO of Leaderonomics, a social enterprise providing leadership development and consulting services to MNCs. Leaderonomics will hold a “Becoming A Talented Manager” programme on March 24 and 25 at Menara Star, Petaling Jaya. To sign up, call 012-3070326 or login to
www.leaderonomics.com for details.
SCIENCE OF BUILDING LEADERS
By ROSHAN THIRAN
“In essence, every organisation is a product of how its members think and interact.”
— Peter Senge
LAST week at IMD Switzerland, I met brain researcher Terry Small, who posed a very interesting question: “What is the most important part of your body with regards to leadership?”
I immediately answered, “The brain.” Our emotions, intellect, knowledge and expertise all reside in the brain.
“Absolutely,” he answered. And he asked a second question: “So, if your brain is critical to leadership success, how many books on the brain have you read?”
I had to pause for a second as I knew he was right. If the brain is so important to leadership, why aren’t leaders more interested in knowing how to develop and grow a healthy brain? Thus began my exploration of the brain and leadership.
The brain is involved in everything we do. In Primal Leadership: Realising the Power of Emotional Intelligence, Daniel Goleman, Richard E. Boyatzis and Annie McKee demonstrate that leaders appointed solely on the basis of IQ and technical ability, lack the necessary emotional competencies to lead effectively.
They argue that high-performing leaders have both high EQ and IQ levels. Both are directly connected and controlled by the brain. The limbic system in the brain controls your emotions, impulses and drives, whilst your neocortex is the part of your brain that manages IQ, knowledge and learning.
Human emotions are brain-controlled and spread charismatically whenever people are near each other, even with no verbal contact.
When emotionally engaging leaders were observed, their followers harmonised most readily with the leaders’ ideas, and ultimately “caught” the leaders’ moods.
Mental exercise
High-energy and positive leaders like British entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson effortlessly transfers optimism to his followers, while the negative ones wear down their employees.
On the other hand, when a leader perceives a threat or is under stress, their brain acts differently and an “amygdala hijack” is likely to happen, where we act on impulse instead of reason.
A person with high emotional intelligence vetoes this hijack, but an “untrained” brain will not be able to prevent an “amygdala hijack” and there will be a reactionary response.
(The amygdala is the part of the brain that figures how we process and recall emotional reactions.)
Wang Laboratories, a top technology company in the 1980s, was destroyed by a bad decision that was highly emotional by its then leader, An Wang.
A leader’s ability to manage emotions is critical as emotions can compromise or sabotage your ability to make effective decisions.
Recently, I wrote about “gut feeling” and how our life’s wisdom and experiences are stored by the brain and retrieved when we face an emergency complex situation.
World-class leaders learn to develop their “gut feel” by managing an emotional brain part called the basal ganglia.
Interestingly, our brain actually gets better the more we use it. The same with our bodies – the more you use it the longer it lasts.
Since 1986, scientist David Snowdon studied 678 nuns of Mankato, many of whom lived past 100 years. He painstakingly collected data, tested them and dissected their brains after death. Among the findings of this study:
● An active intellectual life prolongs your brain’s lifespan and protects you from the effects of Alzheimer’s disease;
● Those who express the most positive emotions in their language end up living longest;
● The brain retains the capacity to change and grow stronger even in elderly people;
● Those who teach and are constantly challenging their minds live longer than folks who don’t; and
● Strong bonding develops positive emotional intelligence, which leads to a sharper mind.
After the Mankato nuns’ deaths, scientists were shocked to see that parts of the brains that generally wither with age did not do so in the brains of these women. How did these nuns manage to remain sharp and productive even after 100 years?
Researchers have found that intellectual stimulation of only 20 minutes a day can spur new neuron growth. Brain exercises were the norm for these nuns, who lived by the principle that an idle mind is the devil’s playground.
They wrote spiritual meditations in their journals, letters to their politicians and doggedly challenged themselves with quizzes, puzzles, and debates on current events.
Understanding the feelgood factors
Your brain has the capacity to continue to develop and grow. A growing brain keeps mastering the competencies of leadership – everything from self-confidence and decision-making to empathy and persuasion to running effective meetings – until it gets it right.
Our brain thrives on change and challenges. But in most cases, people resist change because of the pain of change. The brain’s main function is to keep you alive and resist pain.
Generally, the brain pushes back when instructed what to do. This is attributed to homeostasis, the movement of organisms toward equilibrium and away from instructed change.
On the other hand, your brain will release an adrenaline-like rush of neurotransmitters when you figure out how to solve a problem yourself rather than being told how to solve it by your bosses.
When I returned to Malaysia 10 years ago and helped in the turnaround of an organisation, one of the methods we deployed was to conduct mini action labs, where employees were given the opportunity to solve a problem, recommend and implement the solutions.
Within a short period, there was high engagement and the turnaround was swift and effortless, driven by the employees.
Compare that with numerous attempted turnarounds when a commanding CEO comes in and dictates the terms of the change.
There is usually huge resistance to the change and failure. Leaders who leverage brain-power will understand the need for engagement and employee participation in any change effort.
Our emotional brain has neural pathways that pump out streams of good feelings when a goal is accomplished and reduces feelings of worry and frustration in achieving the target. Great leaders use this in their change efforts too.
Leadership by reflection
Many leaders still hold on to the old adage of leadership by command and control. Instead, empathy and social intelligence is the way forward. A newly discovered brain neuron, called the mirror neuron, enables leaders to learn empathy.
Mirror neurons, discovered accidentally by Italian neuroscientists monitoring a monkey’s brain, show that the brain has neurons that mirror what others do.
“When we consciously or unconsciously detect someone else’s emotions through their actions, our mirror neurons reproduce those emotions. Collectively, these neurons create an instant sense of shared experience,” wrote Goleman and Boyatzis.
Additionally, mirror neurons enable leaders’ emotions and actions to be mirrored by their followers. This role-modelling was never truly understood until the mirror neuron discovery.
So, a leader’s action is more important than his words. The brain thinks in pictures not words.
Finally, if you really have no time to develop and grow your brain, the least you can do is keep your brain healthy.
Small’s research concludes that by just eating a few prunes a day, you “reduce the chances of Alzheimer’s disease by 92%.”
The brain is 80% water. So, drinking lots of water keeps it hydrated, and listening to baroque music increases your ability to learn by 25% to 400%.
Like you, I am on this new journey of discovering the power of the brain in leadership. For starters, why not invest 20 minutes of doing something outside your comfort zone each day? At least you will grow some new neurons!
● Roshan Thiran is CEO of Leaderonomics, a social enterprise providing leadership development and consulting services to MNCs. Leaderonomics will hold a “Becoming A Talented Manager” programme on March 24 and 25 at Menara Star, Petaling Jaya. To sign up, call 012-3070326 or login to
www.leaderonomics.com for details.
Monday, March 1, 2010
WITH such high expectations for recovery, prospects look good for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Nevertheless, success is never guaranteed.
“Businesses need to learn from the lows of 2008 and 2009 and make changes to their future strategies and operations. They also need to do it before the recovery happens, rather than wait,” says Regus Group global chief executive officer Mark Dixon.
Regus Group is the provider of pioneering workplace solutions, with products and services ranging from fully equipped offices to professional meeting rooms, business lounges and the largest network of video conferencing studios.
The company operates a global network of more than 1,000 business centres in 450 cities and 78 countries.
Dixon believes that SMEs’ have strong prospects ahead if they take steps now to become smarter, greener and more successful. He offers seven tips to get SMEs going.
Tip 1: Think small
Businesses of all sizes could learn from the example of small businesses. According to the Regus Business Tracker Study, companies with fewer than 50 employees are more bullish about 2010 than their larger counterparts, suggesting the economic recovery will be led by them.
There are evidences that smaller companies are more adept at marketing and customer retention, while large firms struggle with internal concerns like cost management and staffing.
Tip 2: Take a trip
Companies should not let international boundaries stand in their way when it comes to focusing externally.
China, India and other emerging economies have huge potential for future growth.
With communication technologies becoming ever more advanced and ever cheaper, doing business abroad can fuel future growth prospects.
Research into new markets is key, as is finding the right international partners. Otherwise, costs can begin to spiral out of control.
Tip 3: Work smarter
Businesses all over the world are looking at the cost of headcount but many neglect to look at other fixed costs.
“For the majority of businesses, property is the second biggest fixed overhead.
Even so, 95% of businesses fail to identify it as an area where they could make major savings.
“Instead of locking themselves into costly, fixed-term property arrangements, they should look at more flexible arrangements, such as short- or medium-term leases, or virtual working,” he says.
He says flexible working can reduce a company’s property costs by up to 60% whilst creating a more motivated workforce.
Tip 4: Go green
Leverage on more energy efficient technologies.
Cost-saving, green technologies like energy monitors, and zonal air-conditioning and lighting can significantly cut utility bills.
He says organisations like the Malaysian Department of Environment can give advice on energy-efficient technologies and grants.
In addition virtual and flexible working can reduce a company’s travel costs, as well as cutting employees’ carbon footprints, according to him.
Tip 5: Look around
“Recovery or no recovery, some sectors have been thriving even during the recession. Telecoms, for example, is strong globally, with many developing countries installing new mobile technology.” he says, adding that sustainable technology is also doing well.
He says businesses of all sizes should look for ways to benefit from the opportunities in thriving sectors, and never get so trapped by day-to-day management that they fail to spot new openings.
Tip 6: Outsource
Companies should focus on revenue- generating activities and outsource the rest.
“Property, administration and support services can all be handled by other people, allowing businesses to concentrate on the activities they do best,” he says.
Tip 7: Network
This is vital for meeting new customers and contacts, and gathering information and advice.
“It’s one of the easiest ways to generate new business,” he says.
“Businesses need to learn from the lows of 2008 and 2009 and make changes to their future strategies and operations. They also need to do it before the recovery happens, rather than wait,” says Regus Group global chief executive officer Mark Dixon.
Regus Group is the provider of pioneering workplace solutions, with products and services ranging from fully equipped offices to professional meeting rooms, business lounges and the largest network of video conferencing studios.
The company operates a global network of more than 1,000 business centres in 450 cities and 78 countries.
Dixon believes that SMEs’ have strong prospects ahead if they take steps now to become smarter, greener and more successful. He offers seven tips to get SMEs going.
Tip 1: Think small
Businesses of all sizes could learn from the example of small businesses. According to the Regus Business Tracker Study, companies with fewer than 50 employees are more bullish about 2010 than their larger counterparts, suggesting the economic recovery will be led by them.
There are evidences that smaller companies are more adept at marketing and customer retention, while large firms struggle with internal concerns like cost management and staffing.
Tip 2: Take a trip
Companies should not let international boundaries stand in their way when it comes to focusing externally.
China, India and other emerging economies have huge potential for future growth.
With communication technologies becoming ever more advanced and ever cheaper, doing business abroad can fuel future growth prospects.
Research into new markets is key, as is finding the right international partners. Otherwise, costs can begin to spiral out of control.
Tip 3: Work smarter
Businesses all over the world are looking at the cost of headcount but many neglect to look at other fixed costs.
“For the majority of businesses, property is the second biggest fixed overhead.
Even so, 95% of businesses fail to identify it as an area where they could make major savings.
“Instead of locking themselves into costly, fixed-term property arrangements, they should look at more flexible arrangements, such as short- or medium-term leases, or virtual working,” he says.
He says flexible working can reduce a company’s property costs by up to 60% whilst creating a more motivated workforce.
Tip 4: Go green
Leverage on more energy efficient technologies.
Cost-saving, green technologies like energy monitors, and zonal air-conditioning and lighting can significantly cut utility bills.
He says organisations like the Malaysian Department of Environment can give advice on energy-efficient technologies and grants.
In addition virtual and flexible working can reduce a company’s travel costs, as well as cutting employees’ carbon footprints, according to him.
Tip 5: Look around
“Recovery or no recovery, some sectors have been thriving even during the recession. Telecoms, for example, is strong globally, with many developing countries installing new mobile technology.” he says, adding that sustainable technology is also doing well.
He says businesses of all sizes should look for ways to benefit from the opportunities in thriving sectors, and never get so trapped by day-to-day management that they fail to spot new openings.
Tip 6: Outsource
Companies should focus on revenue- generating activities and outsource the rest.
“Property, administration and support services can all be handled by other people, allowing businesses to concentrate on the activities they do best,” he says.
Tip 7: Network
This is vital for meeting new customers and contacts, and gathering information and advice.
“It’s one of the easiest ways to generate new business,” he says.
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