GONG XI FA CAI

It was a pretty quiet Lunar New Year Celebration 2009. Everyone seemed to have balik'ed kampung. But it was a very welcome rest for the whole team. Everyone had been working very hard.
However, the team in Bangi has to start work earlier than the in KL. We had a good start when our proposal which we presented to a potential partner, was well receieved and if all goes well, we would make a sale of approximately RM16000. (Yeayyy...) definitely a good start to the new year.
I have added a page from Master Andy Goh's webpage. This is for your reading pleasure ya.

The full link can be viewed at :
http://www.masterandygoh.com/content/2009-year-ox-chinese-astrology-ba-zi-forecast
HAVE FUN!


The year of Ox, the heavenly stem and earthly branch are both earth. The earthly branch consists of hidden elements water and gold. The global economy will begin to recover from the financial meltdown. 2009 is a year of opportunities with the emergence of many new global empires following the collapse of big names like Lehman Brothers. Under the new administration of Barack Obama (self element earth person), the Wall Street stock market will recover faster than expected as Barack Obama enters his peak luck cycle. We will see world major economies put aside their differences to overcome the financial crisis. The full impact of the unison can be seen in the second half of 2009.
The property market of United States will continue to recover as 2009 is the year of earth. Employment statistics will improve as United States’ job market bounce back from the financial meltdown. This will in turn lead to an improvement of the world’s stock market. However, many major corporations will also undergo restructuring or even a change in leadership. For further predictions on the luck cycle of key CEOs of key Wall Street corporations, please subscribe to our website updates.
Despite the recovery of stock market, some Asian economies will persist to slowdown. A major event will strike in a key Asia region in 2010. We will release further details concerning this event in the coming year.

The Chinese year typically starts from February 4 and ends February 3 the next year (although it can vary by one day). That means if you were born in January 1960, you need to look at forecast for the birth year 1959.
A Ba Zi forecast based solely on zodiac (year) is only 15% of the complete forecast incorporating a person's date and time of birth.

Rat
1924(86), 1936(74), 1948(62), 1960(50), 1972(38), 1984(26), 1996(14), 2008(2)
This is an excellent year for those born in the year of rat. You will receive unexpected aid from people as the nobleman appears. All unhappiness and unfortunate events since 2007 will be resolved and good fortune will follow. You can expect to move house, change job or make new friends. For males, there is a high possibility for you to meet your other half. At work, you can expect to receive a pay increment or promotions. Treasure the opportunities and chances as you can expect a great year ahead.
Ox
1925(85), 1937(73), 1949(61), 1961(49), 1973(37), 1985(25), 1997(13)
This is a year of fluctuations for those born in the year of ox. With the exception of those who has dog, ram or dragon in their other 3 known pillars who can expect great fortune. Otherwise, be prepared for a rough year ahead. You can expect a change in your living environment. Your wealth, romance and career luck will not be in your favour. We advise you to lower your expectations and prepare to downgrade your house or vehicle if necessary.
Tiger
1926(84), 1938(72), 1950(60), 1962(48), 1974(36), 1986(24), 1998(12)
For those born in the year of Tiger, this is a year for you to achieve status and power. However, you have to strive hard and be able to take the pressure. The surface may seem calm for you but there are many on-going transactions underneath. For those with a favorable Ba Zi combination, you can expect to overcome your competitors and seize authority. On the other hand, for those with an unfavorable Ba Zi combination, you are likely to encounter lawsuits. Especially for females, we advise you to take extra caution as romance problems are very probable. (E.g. third party relationships or hidden relationships)
Rabbit
1927(83), 1939(71), 1951(59), 1963(47), 1975(35), 1987(23), 1999(11)
For those born in the year of rabbit, this is a year of average luck for you. You can expect to have many opportunities relating to unexpected wealth besides your main income. Only those with a favorable Ba Zi combination will be able to secure the unexpected wealth. For males, this is a year of romance for you. We advise you to avoid spending too much time on gambling, speculation and relationships as you will lose more than you gain. This will be a fairly neutral year for you.
Dragon
1928(82), 1940(70), 1952(58), 1964(46), 1976(34), 1988(22), 2000(10)
For those born in the year of dragon, you can expect to experience a fluctuation of luck in 2009. This is a year which someone will enter your life leading to a change in lifestyle. You can expect to receive help from new found friends or even competitors. Hence, you can expect your work to be smoother with the given help. However, for certain Ba Zi combinations, such help may not be a positive event as this could backfire. You can only overcome the competitors when you have a stronger self element compared to your competitors. Otherwise, you may lose your power and become a subordinate instead. This will be a challenging and exciting year for you.
Snake
1929(81), 1941(69), 1953(57), 1965(45), 1977(33), 1989(21), 2001(9)
This is a favorable year for those born in the year of snake. You can expect to have a sudden burst of wisdom and eloquence. You will tend to have more desires and wants in this year. These desires and wants relate to your personal needs. However, you may not necessarily be able to achieve all your wants as it is dependent on your entire Ba Zi combination. You can expect to have more traveling opportunities. You will be extra vigilant hence able to grab every opportunity that comes your way, including romance.
Horse
1930(80), 1942(68), 1954(56), 1966(44), 1978(32), 1990(20), 2002(8)
This is an unfavorable year for those born in the year of horse. You can expect to encounter many problems and obstacles in the year. All your planning and decisions will be wrong and not supported by others. Misfortune will befall on your health, your wealth, career and even relationships. We advise you to keep a low profile and avoid any dispute with others or engaging in any form of investment since your luck is in a downtrend. Beware of backstabbing by strangers or even your close friends. Sudden events may strike and catch you unaware. Do take care!
Ram
1931(79), 1943(67), 1955(55), 1967(43), 1979(31), 1991(19), 2003(7)
This will be a year of ups and downs for those born in the year of ram. Among the twelve Zodiac signs, those who are born in the year of ram will experience the most fluctuations during the year. Your luck is dependent on the remaining of your Ba Zi chart. You will either (1) receive great wealth exceeding your expectation regardless of whether you are self-employed or a salaried employee; (2) many real life cases read by Master Andy Goh, this is also a year of misfortune such as operation, serious illness, accident or even death.
Note: We suggest those born in the year of ram take further advice from a Ba Zi master.
Monkey
1932(78), 1944(66), 1956(54), 1968(42), 1980(30), 1992(18), 2004(6)
For those born in the year of monkey, this is a year of opportunities. You can expect to rely on others and receive support in return. You are able to use your excellent interpersonal skills to gain support. However, you will become more laid back and relaxed. Your decision making will be hindered as you will be spoilt for choices. We advise you to be firm and sharp in grabbing all opportunities instead of wasting time in making a decision as the opportunity will pass by quickly.
Rooster
1933(77), 1945(65), 1957(53), 1969(41), 1981(29), 1993(17), 2005(5)
For those born in the year of rooster, this is a year of opportunities. Similar to the year of monkey, this is a favorable year for you. You can expect to rely on others and receive support in return. You are able to use your excellent interpersonal skills to gain support. You are also able to make firm and sharp decisions. The sources of wealth, romance and opportunities you seek are highly probable to be from overseas or other states. For singles, you will have many opportunities to find romance. For those who are in a relationship, this is an excellent year for settlement.
Dog
1934(76), 1946(64), 1958(52), 1970(40), 1982(28), 1994(16), 2006(4)
This is a year of ups and downs for those born in the year of dog, similar to those born in the year of ram. However, the impact is less as compared to the year of ram. On the positive side, this is one of the best ruling years for you to fulfill your dream. You will be given opportunities to expand your business or even excel in areas you have been planning for years. You will receive a sudden fortune of unexpected wealth. On a negative note, if your wealth is represented by the wood element, 2009 will be an unfortunate year for you. Misfortunate such as operations, break-ups, accidents will befall on you.
Pig
1935(75), 1947(63), 1959(51), 1971(39), 1983(27), 1995(15), 2007(3)
For those born in the year of pig, you will have the opportunity to meet new people as well as catch up with old friends. These people may help or harm you, depending on the strength of your self element in your Ba Zi chart. If your Ba Zi combination is favorable, you will be able to ride on their help and have great achievements in the year. However, if your Ba Zi combination is unfavorable, these people will cause you to lose great opportunities such as your wealth, career or even romance. For those who are in a relationship, do be careful as a third party is likely to emerge. We advise you to choose your friends wisely.
© 2008 Master Andy Goh

Kota Bahru 9-11 January 2008

Ximax had a marketing roadshow in Kota Bharu on the 2nd weekend of January 2009.
The roadshow began with a briefing to the Ikram Utara Staff at their office on the morning of the first day and visits to the major mobile phone dealers in the city.

The 2nd and 3rd day saw the team, manning a booth outside the Mydin Store at Parit Dalam, Kota Bahru. Theh weather, thankfully was pleasant enough. It wasn't too hot on both days and infact it was rather pleasantly balmy.





There were tremendous enquiries on the phones that were displayed. Admist the concerned that ' are these ' phone cina?' we were able to convince them that the phones comes with careful QAQC and indepth research and development.

We achieved our objective of the visit i.e. to study the normal market scene on a normal weekend in city out of Wilayah Persekutuan and Selangor. KB is definitely a potential for XIMAX.

We are keeping our fingers cross that our bnext stop will be as good.

The Difference Between Building a Business and Building a Brand

The Difference Between Building a Business and Building a Brand
Don't Confuse the Latter With Celebrity Index
by Al Ries

Published: January 05, 2009


Are you building a business? Or are you building a brand? Silly questions, you might be thinking. Naturally, you are trying to do both.
But that might be a mistake.
What's good for the business is not necessarily good for the brand. And vice versa.
What's a brand anyway? It's a word that stands for something in the mind of prospects. That definition, by the way, is at odds with conventional thinking.
Most managers equate a brand with its celebrity index. The more famous the brand, the more powerful it is. "Making our brand name well-known" seems to be the conventional approach to brand building.
Chevrolet is one of the world's best-known automobile brands, but how valuable is the Chevrolet brand? Not very.
Chevrolet doesn't make Interbrand's list of the 100 most-valuable global brands. Chevrolet, like many other exceptionally well-known names, isn't worth much because it doesn't stand for anything.
It's not just Chevrolet. The U.S. automobile industry markets 14 vehicle brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, GMC, Hummer, Jeep, Lincoln, Mercury, Pontiac, Saab and Saturn.
I would guess that every one of these brands (with the exception of GMC) is exceptionally well-known with a recognition score in excess of 90%.
Except for a house or an apartment, an automobile is the most expensive product a person might buy in his or her lifetime. In addition, an automobile has enormous street visibility. These factors combine to give automotive brands a huge advantage in the battle for the consumer's mind.
It's not surprising that 11 automobile brands made Interbrand's most valuable list. But just one of those 11 brands was an American brand. (Ford at No. 49.) The other 10 were European and Asian brands. Why? The European and Asian brands stood for something.
Toyota (No. 6): Reliable
Mercedes-Benz (No. 11): Prestige
BMW (No. 13): Driving
Honda (No. 20): Reliable (second to Toyota)
Volkswagen (No. 53): Practical
Audi (No. 67): Advanced technologies
Hyundai (No. 72): Cheap
Porsche (No. 75): Sports cars
Lexus (No. 90): Luxury
Ferrari (No. 93): Expensive sports cars Keep in mind, these are global brands. Volkswagen is not doing particularly well in the U.S. market, but it's No. 1 in Germany. Also, Audi suffers in the U.S. market because of its unfortunate name, but that's not a disadvantage in many countries where English is not the spoken language.
How do you build a brand? Almost every successful brand in the world started as a narrowly focused brand that stood for a single idea. Then the business builders took over. First objective: Expand the business.
Dell Computer started as a narrowly focused business-to-business company selling personal computers direct. Dell got off the ground by owning the word "direct."
Michael Dell wrote a book that outlined his company's rise from obscurity to fame. The title? "Direct From Dell."
In the first quarter of 2001, Dell became the world leader in personal computers. (And not just in sales, but in profits, too. In the 1990s, for example, Dell had the best stock market performance in Standard & Poor's index of 500 leading American companies.)
What did Dell do next? It forgot about building the brand and started building the business. First Dell moved into consumer personal computers, undermining its position as the "business" PC specialist. ("Dude, you're getting a Dell.")
Then Dell moved into consumer electronics, undermining its position as the "personal-computer" specialist.
Then Dell moved into retail distribution, undermining its "direct" distribution position.
In 2003, Dell Computer Corp. dropped "computer" from its name and became Dell Inc. (That's always a bad sign.)
Did all these business-building moves work? Sure. Sales steadily increased from $31.9 billion in 2000 to $61.1 billion in 2007.
While Dell sales went up, the Dell brand went down. Dell, formerly the world leader in personal computers, is now second to Hewlett-Packard. (In 2007, HP had 18.2% of the market and Dell had 14.3%.)
Dell's net profit margin, a good indicator of a brand's value, also went down. From 6.8% in 2000 to 4.8% in 2007.
Where Dell went wrong, in my opinion, was that it forgot what built the brand and instead focused its efforts on building its business. Yet that's not the conventional wisdom.
"Where Dell Went Wrong" was the title of a Feb. 19, 2007, article in BusinessWeek. "In a too-common mistake, it clung narrowly to its founding strategy instead of developing future sources of growth."
Scott Thurm, writing in The Wall Street Journal, said essentially the same thing: "Dell couldn't diversify its business, making it vulnerable once Hewlett-Packard matched its expertise."
That's the way it is in corporate America today. Everybody is looking for ways to build their businesses by expanding into other categories. Their real strategies should be to build their brands by dominating their categories. And often the best way to do that is by contracting their brands so they stand for something.
What's the most reliable measure of the power of a brand? It's not making the Interbrand list. The most reliable measure is market share. Powerful brands dominate their markets.
In the U.S., Tabasco has 90% of the hot-pepper-sauce market. Campbell's has 82% of the canned-soup market. TurboTax has 79% of the income-tax software market. Starbucks has 73% of the high-end coffeehouse market. The iPod has 70% of the MP3-player market. Taco Bell has 70% of the Mexican fast-food market. Google has 68% of the search market.
When your brand dominates a market, it is in an exceptionally strong position. In a mature market, a dominant brand is highly unlikely to ever lose its position. (Think Kleenex, Gatorade, McDonald's, Budweiser and many other dominant brands.)
Even more important, dominant brands usually generate exceptionally high profit margins. Compare Intel, the dominant microprocessor brand, with Advanced Micro Devices, the No. 2 brand.
In the last 10 years, Intel has had sales of $319.6 billion and net profits of $62.2 billion. Intel's net profit margin was an astounding 19.5%.
In the last 10 years, Advanced Micro Devices had sales of $42.7 billion and net profits of ... well, they didn't make any money. They lost $4.1 billion.
You see the same relationships on Interbrand's list of the 100 most-valuable global brands. No.1 brands are worth far more than No.2 brands.
Coca-Cola is worth $66.7 billion. Pepsi-Cola, $13.2 billion.
Nokia is worth $35.9 billion. Motorola, $3.7 billion.
Nike is worth $12.7 billion. Adidas, $5.1 billion.The personal computer was the most important new product of the 20th century and it's likely to remain that way for decades to come. Someday some brand will be the Coca-Cola or Nokia or Nike of personal computers with a market share of 40% or so. That company is unlikely to be either Hewlett-Packard or Dell.
You can't dominate a category if you expand your brand into many other categories. (That's why IBM is no longer the dominant PC brand.)
You can only dominate a category by keeping your brand focused.
Building a business or building a brand? That's the most important question in marketing. ~ ~ ~In addition to his monthly AdAge.com column, Al and his daughter and partner Laura Ries host a weekly video report at www.RiesReport.com.

2009 IS HERE

Happy New Year ya all..

I bet the fireworks display in the city were awesome. Didn't get a chance to see them despite being able to hear the blast coming from all over. Yup, the house is situated at a rather central area, and before the other buildings came up, we actually witness altogether about 7 fireworks displays. With the present global financial crisis, these people are still not scaling down their celebration. So what gives.... how come we are not behaving like there is a financial crisis.

As is, I welcomed the new year in front of the TV, babysitting my two kids. Awesome...quality time.

I have no photographs of fireworks to put in tonite, but what I have for you this time is something that I took from Lin's desk.

I hope you like it as much as I do. I am hoping the next entry will not take too long. Wishing everyone a Happy and Blessed New Year. May all your dreams come true.