Chapter 9 - "Instant Success"? Such thing doesn't exists.

Whenever someone makes a decision to start a business, whether he or she likes it or not, there's no escaping it. Every entrepreneur takes a "risk" - Exposure to possible loss, the chance that an investment will lose value.

But going into business is never a gamble.

A wise businessman "calculates" the risk he or she takes to increase his or her chance of success and profit.

Gambling, on the other hand, is 50/50.

50% Chance of winning huge amounts of money in a short span of time. And 50% Chance of losing all your hard-earned salary in an instant.

The odds are even worst in casinos - 90/10.

10% Chance of hitting the jackpot, and 90% Chance of losing everything you have. All your money, your car, your savings, your house, and even your family. Gambling is an addiction with deadly consequences. A downward spiral staircase to self-destruction, for the gambler always thinks, deluding himself, that he holds his own fate like the cards in his hands. That he will win and recover all the money he have lost in the next roll of the dice.

But the gambler is naive. He doesn't know, or maybe he denies the truth, that "The House", "The Casino" never lose.

Another tip to business success worth remembering: Never go to a casino. You will never win.

Taking all of that into quick consideration, the next move I'm going to make is still super risky, for it requires me to invest "all" the money I have earned.

I just found out that our antiquated, hand-cranked water pump gives out "hot water".

I just discovered that our lot sits upon an underground hot spring...

This... Has huge business potential...

And it also has big risks...

If I invest all my money to transform our lot into a hot spring resort, would people come, even if it would take them at least 6 hours of road travel just to get here? But that's the least of my worries. The real problem is this - Do I even have enough money for the construction of my hot spring business?

The answer is clear - No.

I do not have the funds to change this lot into a beautiful hot spring resort. It would take at least two million pesos and maybe half a year of heavy construction (if I also want to build rooms for overnight stays) to do that.

And I only have five thousand pesos...

Sigh... I want this. I really, really want to do this! But how...?

I sat at a wooden bench, stared at the white, fluffy clouds, and started to think...

I can't hire construction workers. My money would only last for a day and nothing would be accomplished.

I can't hire an architect and a landscape artist. My money is not even enough to pay their consultation fee.

I can't hire a contractor. I can't buy the necessary construction materials for this project. I can't buy any appliances or furnitures to put into the rooms. And I almost forgot, I'll need new electrical wiring to power up the whole place...

I can't borrow the needed capital from the bank. The interest is way too high and I can't give the title of my father's ancestral home as collateral to them. I don't have the right to do that...

With all these problems and roughly estimated expenses swirling in my head, it's like... the five thousand pesos I've worked hard for is so small, it's almost worth nothing...

What can I do...? What is the right thing to do...? What if I started a fundraiser in the internet? Look for investors whose willing enough to lend me some money? It's possible, but... Can I give them assurance that I'll be able to pay my debts? What's the ROI (Return on Investment) of a hot spring resort?

Man... I'm sounding like cold Josiah here...

Should I hire employees to serve the customers? If I did, that means my hot spring is not a resort anymore, but also a restaurant and hotel too! For a small time entrepreneur like me, that's too much to handle!

I heard the bamboo leaves rustle as a cold breeze blew by...

I slowly shook my head and laughed. I'm overthinking! Paralysis by over-analysis!

I totally forgot the basics I've learned from a college business seminar!

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Entrepreneurship 101:

When entering into business, start small.

Always start small.

Here's the logic behind it - If you start a big business from the get-go and it failed, you'll lose huge amounts of money, maybe all your money, and you'll definitely go bankrupt.

But if you start a small business and it failed, you'll only lose a small amount of money. You still have some savings left you can use to try again, and start a new venture.

When your small business is fully operational, do not quickly hire staff or employees. No. Don't do that. Your small business is not earning yet, so how can you pay your employees? Maybe you'll use your own pocket money, but then your account balance will go negative. So the best thing to do, and this is one of the keys to business success, is "Hands-On Management". You're the business owner and you will manage, even micro-manage every aspect of your enterprise. You're not just the general manager, you're also the staff that replenishes the merchandise in the shelves. You're the employee who does the sales talk to the customers. You're the cashier, the cleaner, the customer service provider.

In your business start-up, it is required of you to be a jack of all trades. But this is only temporary. You need to keep your business afloat by "reducing your overhead cost".

When your small business starts earning and the number of your customers are increasing, that's the only time to hire trustworthy, honest, kind, and hardworking employees.

Remember, the most important thing is for your small business to survive, because 9 out of 10 small businesses closes down after a year or two because of poor decision-making, "hands-off" management, and fierce competition.

In starting your own small business, you must learn how to "Improvise". How can you increase your profit if you always buy every single thing you need from suppliers? Look around and "harness the available natural resources". Use it to your advantage, but do not abuse and destroy the environment just for the sake of profit and progress.

We all have the responsibility to protect and take good care of it.

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This... Is not gonna be easy, but if I want a stable income and financial security, I must do this...

I went back to our house and grabbed a pair of cotton gloves, a water jug, a towel, a pick axe, and a shovel. After that, I returned to the backyard, picked up a broken tree branch, drew a wide rectangle on the ground, and started digging.

I can't hire workers, so I'll just have to do it myself!

My parents were astounded when they saw me.

"Teslan! What are you doing?!" My dad asked.

"Our future business!" I answered proudly as I swung the pick axe with all my might and broke the ground. "I'll explain later!" I shouted.

I know they're both mystified with my sudden actions, but I saw them smiling.

You'll be proud of me, mom and dad. You'll see.

As I raise up my pick axe and bring it down into the ground over and over again, I started thinking.

"What would be a good name for my new hot spring resort...?"

Cool wind blew and the bamboo trees surrounding our home creaked and whined.

"Bamboo Hotsprings... An authentic, Japanese-Style Hot Spring Resort..."

I laughed.

And they say you'll learn nothing from watching anime. I just figured out the overall theme for my resort!

This is gonna be a start of something new.

And it's gonna be good!