Ejad Louge - Interesting!

Saturday night (Nov 18, 2012) I was checking my facebook when I saw the invitation of a conference it’s called Ejad Lounge going to be organized by the students of PAF KIET city campus, a unique named event, the topic was interesting one and was my favorite “Entrepreneurship”. I registered for the conference, also because for me it is convenient to attend as I will be taking classes whole Sunday at the IBT, EDC campus. 

That night 4:30 am I was awake because I was completing my business plan. The purpose I am telling you all this just want to show how tiered I was due to the last night working and the whole day at university at the end of the day I thought about just going to home and rest, but my internal desire for attending the conference urged to attend the conference, I don’t want to miss this learning opportunity, so I went to the PAF KIET City campus, the arrangement was nice, the guest were famous entrepreneurs and trainers,

Panel discussion session, Ejad Lounge (PAF KIET City Campus)

1.      Dr. Zaky Khan (A medical doctor & Entrepreneur)

2.      Ms. Erum Abbasi (Entrepreneur – MARE Solutions)

3.      Mr. Abil Beli (Entrepreneur – Beliscity.com)

4.      Mr. Zahir Syed (CEO Cambridge Advisors Network)

5.      Ms. Mariam Shafi (Trainer & Entrepreneur – 3Sixty Management Solutions)

Unfortunately I was late and program had already started, Mr. Zahir was speaking on the topic, it was an interactive session and students are actively taking part in it, his major points were that being an entrepreneur is not as difficult as it looks like, but in our environment there is a fear of failure which stops most of the young minds to enter into entrepreneurship, jobs are a safe earning process this is the reason most of the students study business but enter into jobs, he said there are a lot of opportunities in Pakistan specially in a fast moving city like Karachi. He advised the attendees that they should research and make a business plan and execute it don’t afraid from failure, for every disappointment there is always an alternative option exist.

Dr. Zaky had an interactive, energetic and enthusiastic session, he talk about the qualities which are required for a person to be an entrepreneur, starting from the two basic things a person must require, number one a person must be crazy in order to be an entrepreneur, this can be explained as a person who always want to do something new and search opportunities in every way. The “fire” in him urges him to find new ways of working. The second thing he described that a person has the ability to overcome the fear in him. In short we can say that he must’ve a crazy mind and a strong heart! An entrepreneur must not be ashamed of failure, he said, “If I have to select one people out of two, one claiming that he never failed and one accept that he failed many times, I will select the one who failed! Never failing is not a qualification. It means you never tried any thing new.”
The program at its boom in the discussion forum session, all the invitees were called on the stage and panel discussion was conducted the panel consist of Mr. Zahir, Mr. Abid Beli, Ms. Mariam and Ms. Erum Abbasi, it was informative in the sense that the questions prepared for the discussion were the one which every future entrepreneur has in its mind, the discussion fulfils many of the question which were in my mind, last question was on the city situation and the opportunities, all the participants expressed their thoughts, Mr. Abid Beli responded this question in a jolly manner quoting a proverb from his Memoni language which translates as, “To invest when the market is down, and to excel when the market is running”, he says despite all the law and order situation and the kidnappings of the entrepreneur family members we can see that there are many people still wiling to invest in Karachi because they know that this is a short time law and order situation the city will run again like it was before, they are taking this law and order situation as a opportunity for business and this is what an entrepreneur always look for.

I was getting late for a family meet-up so I came out after the panel discussion however I communicated my comments and suggestion through email and message to Mr. Omer Javed under whose guidance the program was organize, hats off to the brilliant organizing team, wish them good luck.

How to resolve organizational conflicts?

When you are working in an organization, you come up many problems and conflicts, these are normal in organizations, the main reasons are when you are not working according to the standard procedure, when you are stuck up in a problem, and sometimes due to the negative attitude of some employees.

So when a conflict arises, your first step must be, “Be Positive”. I mean if you want to actually solve the problem rather than to increase it, prolong it, complicate it or make it worse. A positive attitude is needed since your objective is betterment of the organization and to benefit you as well as the person with whom the problem arose.

As you recognize that there is a problem, the other person must also recognize it, if your and his frequency does not match; now you have to approach him and tell him that the action taken by him is causing him in performing your official duties. If the problem is a minor one, at this step the problem might be resolved.

But if it is a major problem, the you have to organize a meeting in order to sit and talk on the problem, so you hold a meeting and talk on the issue, note the problems and discuss the solution, don’t forget the step one be positive, you must also see that the other person must also be getting equal benefit of the decisions taken during the meeting or the person might think that you only want your before and not collaborating. Keep in might the decision did not contradict with the standard procedure of the organization or it might cause further problems.

If the conflict still not resolved, some third party or a neutral person from the organization could be involved on whom the both parties can trust.

After the decision has been taken and the conflict is resolved clear your heart from the other person, and assure him for further cooperation in future.

Don’t forget to review the decision after some time has passed, if it might need any revision, if it might causing some other complication, the repeat the organize-a-meeting step in order to talk on the decision taken.

Organizational conflicts are a routine but recognizing it and solving it immediately resolving it is the real task before the things get worse.

By, Syed Owais Mukhtar

The so-called-Business !

There are a lot of businesses in this world, many are done individually, many are done on partnership, etc. But irrespective of all the businesses there is one thing which is necessary in ever business which is “honesty”. This article will be certainly biased because the business I am talking about is claimed to business by the personnel but its not a business in my opinion, why I think as it is, because there are certain points which must be qualified for a business to be a business. I am talking about GMI.

You might be going out with a friend when he suddenly talk say that I have a business opportunity, and you will be like what happened to this guy, now if the person is a novice, he will never tell you what is that business he is talking about, and you will going to feel, “is that something corrupt he is talking about, what is so secrecy”. Then if you agree to see his presentation which you will certainly agree because your friend will be so stick with you that you cant even resist, so you will agree to see his “secret business plan” he take you to some of his friends in some house and here you go, you found out that all he is talking about is nothing but GMI. So, point number one is failed, a business always starts with truth and confidence, but GMI started with lies and secrecy!

When you first refuse to join the secret circle, they will glue to you, I mean if you are selling something and a person don’t want to buy let the person live his life, but the sales persons or the so-called-business-partners will stick like a glue to you, you will be denying but they will be forcing, giving you amazingly funny examples like, “the investment is very small, we spend money on useless things, so why not try this one too” , my answer is always like “I spend whatever for myself, if I will get interested then I will think about it, let me give my free will brother”

For any business the product is the running blood, if your product is not up to the mark, then the business will fail whatever you do, the product should be such that it must be in market demand, people will be willing to buy it, you must design your product such that people will buy it buy their own will and interest, not you will have to beg them to buy. This is the basic difference between sales and marketing, in former you will be making a product and pushing it in the market, but in latter you will be making what the customers desire. GMI is using sales strategy; they are giving the products which have been rejected by the market so far, and the gold plated watches? I mean they didn’t know about who is their target market, without thinking that this is an Islamic environment and wearing gold is prohibited for men. I think they should first do market survey, analyze what the people actually desire and on the basis of this research launch their product, in this case they don’t even have to beg the customer to buy their product.

Now, after all the struggle when you are not going to buy the gold watch or the blessing stone which will disappear all your sorrows (funny, but that how they present it) they will degrade you and tell you that GMI is not for you, you cant work in this, you don’t have the skills to work in it, they do this degrading trick so that you get all the adrenaline and say “how come I cant do it, I will show you that I will do it, give me the membership”. Whatever you will act in anger will be in benefit of them, so think well before getting into this mess.

Why I am against this all because every GMI person I met or from every friend through which I got the invitation to join GMI, started his conversation with lies, untrue behavior, illusion and not showing you the true picture but ultimate optimism.

I think if you got a small amount of money then be a entrepreneur, rather then putting your capital in such a thing which is being run by a bunch of dishonest people, use it in driving your own idea. 

A Point to Think!

I know there are much oppression in this world, people are killed and injured for little benefits, people act like they are not human but somehow they try to prove the Darwin’s theory. Taking revenge is not a big think, but the fact is that forgiving someone is a much better step then revenge. But if revenge is the only way then don’t go for the individual benefit, else taking revenge try to be with those organizations which are working for the elimination of poverty, anger, terrorism, injustice, inhumanity and those who are working for the welfare, goodness of the mankind. Never forget you are a human, you can do anything, but when it’s come to “revenge” we always forget all the rules and regulations and act worse.

Those, whose belongings are killed or murdered, don’t always hold the weapon but instead try to take revenge through proper channel the “court”!

There are many in Pakistan who are killed in the drone attack, don’t take revenge from innocent people and don’t be a weapon for those who want to see Pakistan destroyed.

There are many who are missing persons now, don’t hold your weapon, don’t hide yourself, don’t act secretly, but come forward, take revenge through proper channel and be visible!

Courts are working better then before, cases are resolving, people are getting justice, to some extent but at least this is better than nothing!

Don’t do to others what is done with you, this way you will only bring hatred, injustice and anarchy.

Zara Sochiye !! By Muhammad Sharjeel

By: Sharjeel, Mohammed Sharjeel is a Islamic activist, and a social media activist, carrying out his task on the topic of "Modesty".

Editors Comment: A very nice article which shows the true face of our traditional media, this has been not a secret now that major channels and anchor persons in Pakistan are funded by USA, this has been reported by the US media too, how you can expect the media then to carry out the task according to their own will. For the first time when I saw this Zara Sochiye campaign I was aware that this will be another attempt to clash with the morals of our society just like they did before in the Women Rights Campaign which later on passed a bill in parliament, Shariah Court later cancelled that amendment because of its direct clash from Islamic law.