Business Lessons

I get a email from time to time from a guy who travels the world.  Chris was recently in Cambodia, and commented about the Tuk-Tuk  (a kind of ricksha) drivers.  He stated in his email that these drivers
earn around 2-5 dollars a day. But his personal driver, a Mr. Rhet earns up to $50 a day in Phnom Penh, a incredible wage in the world of Cambodian transport.

How was this possible?

Chris said that it helps that Mr. Rhet speaks some English, although he learned on the job and didn't have access to any formal training. To get more information, he talked with Rhet, off and on for three days as he drove him around the city.

Here's what Chris learned.......
These are the business secrets of maxing out your income as a Cambodian entrepreneur. But I think they apply to entrepreneurs everywhere.
 I think we can all learn from Mr.Rhet....

1. Work smarter AND harder. Mr. Rhet told Chris, (and from Chris's firsthand observations), the average tuk-tuk driver is lazy. He spends his days sleeping, drinking tea, and playing cards. While it's nice that the tuk-tuk lifestyle allows for so much leisure time, multiple naps throughout the day are not conducive to earning a living, and getting paid. Rhet works hard, always staying "busy busy" as he explained to Chris. He gave his number and told Chris to call anytime. "I will come to you right away," he said.  In other words, provide superior service to your customers.


2. A good work ethic is critical, but according to Chris, Mr. Rhet also learned to focus on foreigners who live in Phnom Penh, not the backpackers and other short-term travelers who come and go. The difference is important, since it allows him to get paid for more trips, and also earn referrals to other expats as his client list grows.In other words, find a niche.

3. Diversify your income. Chris noted that Mr. Rhet has a banner on the back of his tuk-tuk for a local coffee shop. He is paid $7 a month to display the banner, and a small commission for bringing foreign customers to the shop. (Interestingly, despite the commission. Chris said he never tried to push the shop on him. He took this as another good sign, since he wasn't trying to push something his customers wasn't interested in.) At the request of clients, Rhet also arranges trustworthy taxi drivers to ferry passengers on longer distances -- for which he also earns commissions.

4. Provide reassurance. No matter your business, you should think about the reasons why people will NOT hire you or buy what you sell -- then be sure to preemptively respond to those concerns. The concerns about riding in a tuk-tuk are, a) safety and b) trustworthiness. "I am a careful driver," Mr. Rhet tells everyone when they first meet him, and believe it or not, according to Chris, he really was.

5. Furthermore, some tuk-tuk drivers are dishonest, cheating foreigners who don't know better and lying about market rates. As you'd expect, Mr. Rhet isn't like that at all -- Chris commented that Mr. Rhet sometimes makes trips without taking any payment at all, and other times he will tell his customers to decide for themselves what to pay. Being trustworthy goes a long way in Cambodia... just like everywhere else in the world.

6. Be reliable. If you have a appointment with Rhet, he would always be there -- in fact, he was usually early. In almost every developing country in the world, people talk about "Cambodian time," "African time," or when I was in Fiji, it was "Fiji time". But Rhet understood that Silk Air flights to Singapore and meetings in town operate on Western time, so a person didn't feel the need to tell him to come any earlier than they really needed. If he was told to come at 4:30, Chris stated, you could walk outside at 4:25 and see him turning the tuk-tuk around the corner to park.

7. Get to know people and show initiative. Mr. Rhet was very friendly from the beginning. He asked Chris when the return flight was and if he could take him back to the airport. While foreigners should normally be hesitant to answer questions like that, Rhet made you feel at ease, so Chris didn't mind telling him. This ensured he got paid twice for airport runs, a nice wage of $7 each time since the airport is a half-hour out from the city.

8. Referals. After saying goodbye, he asks his customers to tell everyone about his service. And I'm sure Cambodian vacationers and travelers remembered him, and told their family and friends about the tuk tuk driver they used while there. Chris gushed about him.

Work Harder and Smarter,
Provide Superior Service,
Find a Niche,
Diversify,
Be TrustWorthy, and Reliable,
Give Reassurance,
Show Initiative,
And Ask for a Referral.
Good Advice for all budding  entrepreneurs, and seasoned businessmen.

Why have a Blog?

One of the perennial obstacles to having a blog
is the question of what to talk about every day.


Well guess what,

you can always talk about your product or service.

You can describe where it came from,
what makes your product or service special,
what its made of,
techniques and materials,
and promote and share tutorials.

The more you develop your brand recognition,
the more you will increase sales over time.

Talking up your business,
your expertise, and your products is just one way of using a blog to support sales.
Another is the straightforward inclusion of sale descriptions for selected merchandise.
it's not at all uncommon for readers to make a purchase of merchandise advertised on a blog.

People will also contact you to inquire about work
because they have seen something on your blog.
They may also ask about special projects that would fit their tastes more closely.

Blogging helps to open the dialogue.
It's an important part of connecting with potential buyers.