Marketing Is An Art Which Every Company Must Learnt To Survive…

Can army life develop me to
be an all rounded entrepreneur?  An
entrepreneur who possesses the right mindset, working ethics, acumen to think
and act like one? Perhaps transform to be dynamic entrepreneurs like Sim Wong
Hoo, Elim Chew, Douglas Foo etc?

That was the exact questions
that imbued in my mind while enlisting for army. Browsing the webs, asking
friend whom had undergone army in their phase of life, I continued searching
for the answers to the intriguing questions.

 Well readers, let me
enlighten you. Before we indulge deeper into the subject, let us define and
clearly what entrepreneurship is all about. According to dictionary.com, an
entrepreneur is a person who organizes, operates, and assumes the risk for a
business venture. The word entrepreneur itself is being derive from the French
"entre" (to enter) and "prendre" (to take), and in a
general sense applies to any person starting a new project or trying a new
opportunity.

 Elements of entrepreneurship
includes crucial qualities such as leadership, goal oriented and the ability to
take calculated risks

 On my perspective, the role
of an entrepreneur leading its business organization is relatively similar to
the role of a military leader. There is a close parallel as both require the
art of leadership. Both need to learn on how to manage and motivate their
subordinates.

 Starting from the beginning phase
of the BMT life, as recruits we learn on how to work as a team to complete task
assigned. We went through the rigorous trainings, the memorable 24km march and
even get punished mercilessly as a team. When we get punished in terms of push
ups, the instructors actually did it with us. This reflects the true value of a
leader. We were touched and instantly motivated by what the instructors did. As
a whole we learn the traits of a leader and ways on how to enhance
interpersonal skills, the ability to interact with one another, which is
crucial in the business world.

 When we were posted out of
BMT, the requirements change.

 For me, as a supply
supervisor, we are known as the line manager of the logistic world. We are
commanders. We are the front man providing seamless delivery of quality
materials, services and innovative engineering solutions over space and time to
our customers.

 We plan, organize and
execute. We ensure the whole organization runs well. The onus is on us to
manage and motivate our storemen. We have to work hand in hand with them to
ensure that everything goes well.

 Some people hate keeping
records. But record-keeping is one of an entrepreneur’s most important
activities. Accurate records of everything from inventory to phone numbers and
appointments can instantly show the entrepreneur what is going on in his/her business
and would speed up the communication process.

 In conclusion, I believe that
serving the army have its merits for those who are interested in doing business
in the future.