Cakes and baking

Baking and decorating cakes and cookies for sale has become a popular home-based business for many women here in Malaysia of late. Specially decorated and personalised cakes of all shapes and sizes are in great demand these days for all occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, and festivals. And during festive seasons like Chinese New Year, Hari Raya, Deepavali or Christmas, you can earn quite a bit by making the various festive cookies and delights for sale.

The cost of making a cake from scratch at home is way lower than from buying a ready-made one from the shop. So if you're good at baking, it's cheaper and healthier to make your own cakes. And if you turn around to sell the low-cost but delicious and beautiful cake to others, you can make quite some money. It is, however, a time-consuming activity, especially the decorating part.

And usually, if you want your cakes to look 'professional', you need to learn the finer points of decorating from the experts and enrol for some classes, and practise, practise, practise.

If you are interested in food, cooking and baking, taking up baking and cake decorating classes could be a fun and rewarding hobby. It gets bored housewives out of the house and gives them some 'me' time to be away from the daily routine of household chores and demanding toddlers and kids.

But in order to do so, some planning is required. You need to have the means to pay for such classes and manage your time well to squeeze it into your busy schedule. You'll need support from your spouse or family members to 'hold the fort' and keep an eye on those active kids while you are away for those few hours.

Once you're comfortable and confident with your ability to churn out your creations for an audience outside of your family, it's time to consider marketing your skills and products. Many do it by word-of-mouth and set up websites with photos of their cakes and even provide online order service.

Kudos to those mothers who have managed to do so!

Cakes that my sis-in-law made for her daughter's birthdays.

My journey into the writing world, and writing does not pay. At least not for me!

I've known for ages that writing does not pay and yet I'm doing it. It only pays when you've found loyal readers or won the Booker Prize after years of toil. I stumbled into the writing world when I chose a career in public relations after graduation and working for one year. Upon graduation with a degree in science majoring in microbiology, work as a fresh grad in that field in the early 90s was scarce and lowly-paid in some boondock place where they usually set up factories. If I had chosen to work in such a place, the salary I earned wouldn't have covered my living and transportation allowance. And peddling scientific equipment and pharma products was not my cup of tea. These days, with biotech and scientific development booming, I think it's much easier for a better start.

I ended doing a science degree thanks to the Malaysian education system. Enough said. Although I enjoyed studying science and discovering the world of microbes for medicine, biotechnology etc, and worked hard enough to graduate with honours, I couldn't picture a life-long career with microbes. My 'alter ego' also craved social interaction, creativity and the buzz of activity. I enjoyed participating in events and being in the action of organising them.

So after one year in a HR department organising teambuilding activities for their sales force, I had the opportunity to join a public-listed firm's PR department under a very experienced boss. I learnt on the job how to handle the media, write newsletters, speeches, press releases, anything and everything that involved English words and organise events from VIP dinners,launches, social work, media tours etc.

From then on, it was no turning back from one public-listed company to another and another for the next 14 years. Writing became part and parcel of life to earn my keep.

So after 'retiring' almost four years ago, I stumbled into blogging two years ago. I was interested to explore how blogging can make money so I blogged, firstly to keep my sanity (hence this journal) and secondly, if it could make me some money, wny not? To make big money in blogging, you need to know how to draw traffic (readers by the droves) to your blog. When that happens, the advertisers pay you for space in your blog when their ads get millions of views. Or blog and review products, food, places etc to help promote their stuff and get paid. Sounds easy but not that easy. Bloggers who make five-figure or more income this way are either very hardworking, committed and/or lucky. Not me, unfortunately.

Writing for the media and corporate clients as a freelancer doesn't really pay either. The time vs money thing makes it not worth the effort actually. Research, interviews, scouting around and making sense of it all to gel with what you think the client wants involves lots of time, energy and stress. And sometimes they are all in vain when the client changes their mind, simply because they had not earlier given proper thought to what they really want in the first place. That happened yesterday to me. Twelve hours' work, late nights, wee mornings (I am only free to write and write undisturbed then) has been practically wasted due to the client's lack of god-knows-what. On top of that, I had to initially bear the brunt of their own mistake before the boss finally saw proof from me that it was her own staff's inadequacy and her own oversight that caused it.

Now it's back to the drawing board for this client who is asking for the sky when I think I can only deliver the ceiling. Makes me feel like telling her she can have her deposit back. This job is taking longer and more time than I estimated and charged for. I'll go back to the drawing board for now and see how things move from there. Must be positive that I'll conquer this client! Or, I'll have to be quick soon in cutting my losses. Reiterates the fact why I never wanted to join any consultancy and deal with clients. In-house 'clients' within the company you work for was bad enough.

There's definitely lessons to be learnt here. I have to be more choosy with clients from now on. I didn't quit my good and reasonably well-paying career to get stressed out for some pocket money. Family health and happiness first. Money second. We'll simply survive without that 40" flat screen TV and wait longer for that trip to Disneyland.

Working from home

Working from home is a good option for mothers who are crazy enough to want to hold two demanding jobs i.e. caring for her kids full-time and earning money by providing goods or services.

But not all mothers are crazy. Some have no choice because circumstances dictate such measures. It is a juggling feat to keep up with domestic chores (I'm talking about mums who are not fortunate enough to have maids), caring for the kids and meeting all their daily needs, and working at the same time.

One's self-discipine, time management skill, patience and commitment are tested to the hilt.

I'm trying to work at my desk but Caitlin keeps pestering me to help her try out her new toy, a nail art salon thing which she can decorate her nails with. While supervising her piano practice, the phone rings and I've to deal with the contractor of our new house and follow up with other phone calls to make new arrangements. She continues playing in the background but I missed what she played. I ask her to repeat but she's reluctant. Depending on what mood both of us are in, the stalemate is resolved either amicably or with tension and aggession. Such is a typical scenario.

And the phone is ringing again now...(not joking).


http://www.weaselcircus.com/funnypics/405.shtml

Time for more blues, petrol price up

This afternoon it rained very heavily. It must have been the signal from the heavens on the gloom that was about to befall Malaysian vehicle owners - petrol price hike again! And this time it's going up 40% from RM1.92 per litre to RM2.70, an increase of 78 sen....

At this time of writing, all petrol stations throughout the county are definitely jam-packed with cars queueing up to fill up before the price goes up at midnight. My mum in Seremban called to inform me upon hearing the news. So did my mother-in-law. Earlier I heard about the impending increase from my brother. My mum said some stations in Seremban have even closed their doors as their supply has run out! And my father-in-law, according to my MIL is stuck in a queue to fill up his tank....

Read here and here for more details. Along with the petrol price increase, electrity tariff will go up too....

Everything is going up, except our paychecks. Start tightening our belts and work harder to look for supplementary income, residual income, passive income....

What's a Mother's Work Worth?

I was surfing and came across a site, TopBabyPages.com, which contains a collection of poems and stories for mothers. Here's a few which I find interesting.

What's a Mother's Work Worth?

A Whopping $641,900 annually, according to the 2001 Mother's Day Study conducted by Edelman Financial Services. Last year mother's earned a $64,800 raise, say Ric Edelman, study designer, financial and author of Discover the Wealth Within You (HarperCollins). The pay scale is derived by totaling the average salaries of 17 occupations that a multi-tasking mother performs during the course of a year, including executive chef ($64,800) child-care worker ($15,400) psychologist
(47,000), housekeeper ($14,600) and management analyst($56,500) and animal caretaker ($17,200). How does mom's salary measure up against other well-known head of the house-The White House, that is? The President of the United States earns $400,000 per year-less than the projected salary for mothers. Then again, the president probably doesn't have to cook or take care of the pets.
- by Margaret Jawo

Wow, if only I can be paid this much!

Before I was a Mom

"Before I was a mom, I made and ate hot meals, wore unstained clothes and had quiet conversations on the phone.

Before I was a mom, I never worried about how late I went to bed because I could sleep in as long as I wanted.

Before I was a mom, I washed my face and brushed my teeth everyday.

Before I was a mom, I enjoyed a leisurely cup of coffee while reading the
morning newspaper on a Saturday morning.

Before I was a mom, I slept the whole night through.

Before I was a mom, my house was clean everyday and I didn't worry about whether or not my plants were poisonous.

Before I was a mom, I had never been puked on, pooped on, peed on, chewed on or pinched by little fingers.

Before I was a mom, I had complete control of my mind, thoughts and body.

Before I was a mom, I never held down a screaming child while doctors and nurses did tests or gave shots. I never felt my heart break into a million pieces because I couldn't stop the hurt.

Before I was a mom, I never looked into teary eyes and cried.

Before I was a mom, I never got gloriously happy over a toothless grin.

Before I was a mom, I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put it down. I never was up in the wee hours of the night just watching a baby while it slept. I never knew that something so small couldn't effect my life so tremendously.

Before I was a mom, I never knew I could love someone so unconditionally and completely.

Before I was a mom, I never knew how satisfying it is to feed a hungry
child. I never knew how fulfilling it is to soothe a baby's cries.

Before I was a mom, I loved my mom, but didn't understand her.

Before I was a mom, I never knew the warmth, the joy, the heartache, the
wonderment, or the fulfillment of being a mom.

Before I was a mom, I never knew I would love being a mom."

- Sharon L. Twitchell

To be (employed) or not to be, that is the question!

Caveat: This is a rather rambly and probably disjointed piece of random thoughts so if you are not interested in my personal opinion, please skip this post. All illustrations or examples mentioned do not refer to anyone in particular.

I received a call from someone who works in a hiring department of a prominent financial institution this afternoon. They were looking for someone to head their Corporate Communication department and wanted to consider me. I passed on the opportunity. The position comes with a five-figure monthly salary and the responsibility equivalent to that, reporting directly to the Group CEO.

Five years ago, I would have jumped at it. For now, I hesitate at the thought of:
1. having to become a 'rat' again and join the race to help the employer fatten its pot of gold
2.getting up in the morning, skipping breakfast to join the traffic jam to reach the office
3. worrying if my five-year-old is really in the good hands of hired help, especially if she, being mildly asthmatic, is sick
4. having to be responsible for the entire company's public image and communication functions
5. having to 'report' to a boss
6. missing out on the once-in-a-lifetime moments with my daughter and family

The list can go on but I shall stop. I'm sure you get the picture I'm painting. While we could really do lots more with the additional five-figure salary, I'm just not convinced this is the only way. This could be the fastest way but this is surely not the best way for the long term.

I had walked that road before and I don't think a fat paycheck is worth having if you have to put up with demanding bosses, sit and contribute your salary's worth in three-hour long management meetings, answer your boss's calls and SMS at midnight simply to assure him/her that the email has been sent out, manage staff who drift around wondering about their purpose in life....

Mix that with the stress of managing a household, frequently incompetent hired help, demands of family life and you'll get lots of grey hair. That's the mildest way to put it. Labels such as "supermum", "successful career mum" to me are over-hyped.

It is only when one lives out his/her passion, whatever that may be, is when he/she is successful. I am still searching for that 'passion'. Work will no longer become work or a job when it is done with love and enjoyment. Others will certainly ask what if your 'passion' cannot bring you the money you need to simply survive? There are many ways to make money. It is only whether one is able to think out of the box and not be shackled by the age-old idea that you are set for life only if you have a good education plus a well-paying job.

What is your self-worth based on? Long ago when I was in the career of "being an employee", I thought that having a grand title like "Vice President" (which I eventually did have), dressing up in designer suits, jet setting around the globe for "business" meant I had made it in life. Imagine if one day, all that disappears when your employer decides to end your career as an "employee"....

I came across this in a book I'm reading: "There is nothing noble about being superior to some other person. True nobility lies in being superior to your former self...if you want to improve your life and live with all that you deservce you must run your own race. It doesn't matter what other people say about you. What is important is what you say to yourself.... Never be ashamed of doing that which is right; decide on what you think is good and then stick to it....never get into the petty habit of measuring your self-worth against other people's net worth....

Prison and Work

I received an email from my aunt with a comment that this could just be the incentive to work towards financial freedom:

Just in case you ever get these two environments mixed up, this should make things a little bit clearer.

Prison:You spend the majority of your time in a 10X10 cell
Work:You spend the majority of your time in an 8X8 cubicle

Prison:You get three meals a day fully paid for
Work:You get a break for one meal and you have to pay for it

Prison: You get time off for good behavior
Work:You get more work for good behavior

Prison:The guard locks and unlocks all the doors for you
Work:You must often carry a security card and open all the doors for yourself

Prison:You can watch TV and play games
Work:You could get fired for watching TV and playing games

Prison:You get your own toilet
Work:You have to share the toilet with some people who pee on the seat

Prison:They allow your family and friends to visit
Work:You aren't even supposed to speak to your family

Prison:All expenses are paid by the taxpayers with no work required
Work:You get to pay all your expenses to go to work, and they deduct taxes from your salary to pay for prisoners, and welfare

Prison:You spend most of your life inside bars wanting to get out
Work:You spend most of your time wanting to get out and go inside bars

Prison:You must deal with sadistic wardens
Work:They are called managers

Something to think about?

Irony

I received an SMS yesterday evening which stated:

Irony. You know you live in a silly world when being "normal" is getting dressed in clothes that you buy for work and driving through traffic in a car that you are still paying for, in order to get to the job you need to pay for the clothes and the car and the house you leave vacant all day so you can afford to live in it.

I believe one answer to that situation would be to achieve financial freedom. I have just read this book "Speedwealth" by T. Harv Eker. He writes:

"Wealth is not just money. For most people, wealth includes an abundance of money, free time, loving relationships, inner peace, and having a sense of meaning and fulfillment....

What is unfortunate however, is that even though most people want to be happy, have more fun, laugh more, love more and enjoy their lives more, it's difficult to concentrate on these things when you're struggling financially.

Money problems can take the luster out of life. I'm not saying money is everything. Money isn't everything unless you don't have any, then it seems to become everything.

The fact is, in our society, money is an important TOOL. Money is like a lubricant -- going through life without it is very, very, rough.

Money doesn't buy happiness, but it can buy FREEDOM: freedom of choice, to be able to do what you enjoy doing and not be forced to do things just because you need "the money."

It's a shame. I have seen far too many good, kind-hearted, talented people, unable to share their unique gifts and talents to the fullest, because they're simply too busy trying to survive. They work long and hard but never get ahead financially. I've said it before and I'll say it again, "If you're going to work hard anyway, you might as well get rich...and the quicker the better."

Business vs. employment

It'll be a busy week for Eugene this week as he's making day trips to a few places for work. Yes, DAY trips. So he left before the sun came up this morning to catch the first flight to Kuching and will be back on the last flight tonight.

In the middle of the week, it's probably Penang followed by Miri....

As an employee, your time is dictated by your employer. I experienced that too countless times in the 14 years I had worked in the corporate arena. As much as how some visionary employers try to provide flexi hours, nice work stations, staff lounge areas, even free or subsidised food and entertainment, etc, you still have deadlines, targets, quotas, KPIs to meet. And at the end, you often feel that despite all the effort and maybe even stellar performance, your rewards do not commensurate with the sacrifices you have made.

But what's sadder is the time, opportunities and special moments you had lost and missed in your personal and family life because you had to work.

I don't want to go in-depth to discuss this issue but in my simple mind, I think it's better to be a business owner. You still have targets, deadlines, KPIs to meet but they are yours to set and the rewards you reap are yours to keep, totally all of it.

Why didn't I learn this when I was young and wondering what to do when I grow up? I was only taught to gain as much knowledge as possible to get a good paper qualification, to get a good job (with an employer,)a good salary and finally to get what is defined as a 'good' life. Is life good when you have to work 12 hours a day, get stuck in traffic jams two to three hours a day, be away from your loved ones for at least that amount of time if you don't travel overseas for work, and at the end of the month have enough to pay all your bills and probably save a little for your children's future and rainy days? We tend to settle for just that and accept our lot. And I'm not even talking about the materialistic aspects of life.

So what is a good business to own if you lack capital, if you are an 'ordinary' person? And if you wish to be master of your time and money? Even some business people or professionals are slaves to their business as they have to put in all their time personally themselves all their lives to make it successful. A doctor who starts his own practice has to open his clinic and be there. Otherwise, no patients = no income; unless you've made it and can employ a team of doctors to work for you!

A good business is one where you don't need huge capital and yet get good returns from all the blood, sweat and tears you put in, and eventually over time, it can run on its own and give you freedom. It means still getting paid when you have stopped working and having all the time in the world to spend with your loved ones and pursue your personal interests. Doesn't that sound good? I know of one. Do you know of any?

p.s. Didn't Thomas Alva Edison say "Genious is one per cent inspiration, 99 per cent perspiration"?

Network marketing

The network marketing industry, despite its 50-year history, and currently a billion dollar business worldwide, is still much misperceived and misunderstod by many. From its beginnings in direct selling, it has evolved tremendously with many variants and innovative models to include affiliate marketing, multi-level marketing, e-commerce, referral programms etc.

Those who are little informed, or have dabbled a little in it but have not been successful and given up early in the game, could deem it a business model that cannot work, or worse still, a con job, a scam, a get-rich-quick scheme, without having the full knowledge and understanding of this industry's concepts and what it takes to succeed in it.

Like in any business, there are of course unscrupulous players which truly tarnish the image of the industry or go all out using unethical ways to beat competitors.

And with the Internet, it's even easier to let the whole world know what you think and feel. Most times, the negatives are played up by people with grudges, disgruntled customers, unprofessional competitors and people who simply love to comment about anything and everything. Just try googling "scam Amway", or NuSkin, LampeBerger, and the thousands of other network marketing brands and you'll have a field day reading about what these people think.

What's important is to know what to believe when you read such stuff and to base your judgment rationally using proper knowledge of the industry or the particular company you have an interest in.

Research on the company's corporate background, financial standing, certifications, business affiliations, legality of its business etc would help too to ensure you are investing or participating in a genuine business.

New job for Eugene

Eugene has just started a new job at a local telco company. Now he's back to what we call the 'client's side' (if you're familiar with that term). For the past ten plus months, he was with an advertising agency with emphasis on interactive marketing and prior to that, with another ad agency after eight to nine years in broadcasting.

Now that I look back, his career seems to be swinging between client and consultancy, having worked in market research firms and ad agencies, and also doing marketing and promo-related work on the corporate side for many years.

I on the other hand have always shunned joining a consultancy. I doubted if I could stoop to the demands of sometimes idiotic clients so I chose to remain on the corporate side, enduring the demands of in-house 'clients' instead!

Do wish him the best.

Work and Wealth

I was in the lift going up to my apartment upon returning from the market when a lady stepped in. She smiled and said to me "How nice to be a homemaker, no need to go to work". I smiled back and told her that I still work, but from home. By then, the lift doors opened. I had reached my floor and had to step out.

In my mind, a homemaker still works. The only difference is that the work involves household and family-related work at home instead of company or business-related work in an office. It could still also involve business-related work if one chooses to telecommute, freelance or have a home-based business.

The advantages are that I have more flexibility in terms of time, and am boss of my own. I have the choice to work as much as I want to, realise my full potential and earn as much as I'm worth and am able to. In a job, most bosses and companies are not able to provide for that. You are governed by your job scope and are worth only as much as the number of hours you put in and the results you show based on that. There are people who are really happy in their job, passionate about it and jump out of bed every morning shouting "Hurray! Another exciting day at the office!", but how many are?

Why are most people in a job? For money, survival, to put food on the table, personal satisfaction, out of obligation or expectation, to not waste the degree they had earned and their parents' or their own hard-earned dollars to send them to school.....? The list of reasons could be a mile long but I guess, the main reason for most people would be for money, in order to achieve or obtain other things in life - to meet at least the basic material needs, to save for a rainy day, to give their family a better or more comfortable life, to be able to afford nice holidays, good education for the kids....

How much money is enough? Some say they don't want too much and can settle for a simple life. Some say they want as much as possible. What is the true meaning of wealth? I came across this article which perspective I find pretty clear, and one of the quotes in the article stood out to me: "Where we spend our money discloses our true values, what we hold important."

I would want as much money as possible, not because I'm money-minded and simply want to be rich, but because I think there's a lot we could do with money, based on the quote I just mentioned.

Making a living or making a life?

Eugene has been rather busy the past two weeks, coming home later than usual. Caitlin is getting used to the fact that daddy has to work late and go out for meetings. She has developed a special goodbye routine in the mornings. She says goodbye and waves her hand side to side, gives a flying kiss and then waves again with fingers bending up and down. Sometimes the routine is preceded with a hug.

The typical working life in Kuala Lumpur includes hours spent on the road travelling to and from work due to traffic jams. It gets worse if it rains. And most Malaysian companies have work culture that involves staying after hours to complete some work or rush a deadline.

On the average, one spends at least 12-15 hours away from home on a weekday. How much time is there left to live and savour the remaining hours of a day considering the additional hours needed to attend to the basics of having meals, baths, sleep, minor chores etc? And how much time is there left to spend with the family?

What can one do to swing the weight over the other side and achieve balance? Or even better, to achieve freedom from the drudgery of exchanging your time for a salary, which for most, will not see you through retirement? This is where terms like 'financial freedom', 'flexi-time', 'work from home', 'freelance', etc have become buzzwords to those who realise the need to break away from the traditional practice of working as an employee to make a living. With so little time in our hands, should we spend our 24 hours simply making a living or making a LIFE for ourselves and our loved ones?

"Seek and you shall find"
"You reap what you sow"
"Time and tide wait for no man"
"Money is not the most important thing in life, but it does affect the most important things in life"
"It is what we think we know already that often prevents us from learning"
"The mind is like a parachute, it only works when it is open"
"There is nothing you cannot be, do or have"

Business vs. employment

Joy is a Filipina from a very poor family. She was determined to receive higher education and managed to get a scholarship. She qualified as an accountant and worked for one of the Big 5 firms in Jakarta, working hard from 7am to 10pm daily. Because of that, her two young sons were under the care of babysitters at home. When she returned home, her sons ran to the door. She thought it was their excitement to greet her but actually to her painful realisation, it was to hug and say goodbye to the babysitters. Mums, isn't it heart wrenching to know your children are closer to 'strangers' than their own mum?

When she went home to the Phillipines for a holiday, a friend who lived in another city 1 1/2 hours flight away, persistently tried to ask her for some time, simply to share a business opportunity but she refused to meet that friend many times. On New Year's eve, the friend just turned up at her doorstep. Realising her friend's sacrifice (in the Phillipines, it's tradition to spend new year's with family) in leaving her family to see her, she reluctantly granted the friend only 5 minutes to say what she wanted. What can one achieve in 5 minutes? The 5 minutes became 3 hours and Joy joined her friend in the business.

When she went back to Jakarta, she tried to ask her boss to participate in her business. He was agreeable to support it on condition that the Vice President of the company joined. She approached the VP who appeared supportive but the very next day he told her that if she went ahead she would be sacked. (Joy's business was in fact not in conflict with her company's.)

Joy persisted with her business and is now reaping the benefits of her hard work.

This is a true story. It made me think and I discovered the following:

1. A job takes up all your time even though it pays you money. Your time is not yours. No time for yourself or your family.
2. There is no job security nowadays. The friendliest colleague or boss who appears to care for you actually cares only for himself and the company's welfare as that is their job.
3. There is no harm in listening to what others have to share with you, especially from concerned friends. You never know what you can find and learn until you keep an open mind and heart.
4.Persistence and determination to get what you want will bring you success, no matter how long it takes.

"Study hard, get a degree and a good job in a good company and climb the corporate ladder. Then, you are set for life." That's what we've been taught. Is that the only way or is going into business better?

I'm digging my brains for names of people who climbed the corporate ladder and became billionaires. There are but they were more difficult to remember compared to those of business people/entrepreneurs - Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Ananda Krishnan, Robert Kuok, Quek Leng Chan....care to help me add to the list?