Ardantya Syahreza, his Thoughts and his Passions: Februari 2015

Sabtu, 28 Februari 2015

3 Warren Buffett Quotes Your Business Should Live By

3 Warren Buffett Quotes Your Business Should Live By

JASON RICHELSON CONTRIBUTOR
Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of ShopKeep
FEBRUARY 26, 2015

Warren Buffett helped me build my business -- even before I decided to try my hand in entrepreneurship. Several years before I founded my own company, a colleague gifted me Warren Buffett’s biography. His ideology and approach to communication and management continue to influence me to this day.

While it’s universally recognized that Buffett has exceptional investment acumen, his fearlessness and willingness to go against traditional business norms have inspired me to build an organization that does the same.

Related: Best Advice from Billionaire Investors for Entrepreneurs (Infographic)

Here are three Buffett quotes your business should live by:

1. “There seems to be some perverse human characteristic that likes to make easy things difficult.”
Warren Buffett’s laser focus on his areas of competence has been essential to his success. As he says: “I’m no genius, but I’m smart in spots, and I stay around those spots.”

It’s very common, especially amongst accomplished executives, to achieve a level of success then branch out into other areas in an effort to expand their businesses. Though Buffett has made his fortune in investing in several industries, he’s remained focus on the areas he knows best. Put simply, he’s an expert in identifying the most basic opportunities that show long-term potential and executing on them flawlessly.

The best business owners are great at determining their area of competence and focusing on how they can capitalize on that competitive advantage, rather than trying to do everything and solve unnecessarily complex problems.

2. “What’s nice about investing is you don’t have to swing at every pitch.”

Despite many misconceptions, Buffett rarely invests but and when he does, he is in it for the long haul. He’s always invested in companies that have a strong brand and a personality with the right leaders driving them forward.

If you want your business to succeed, think like Buffett: big and long term. Invest in your brand, hone in on what you’d like to accomplish and stick with it.

3. “Be greedy when others are fearful, and be fearful when others are greedy.”

This quote describes Buffett’s strategy to a tee -- an aggressive market player when others deem an investment unworthy. Think back to the salad oil scandal of 1963 when Anthony “Tino” De Angelis, a savvy conman from New Jersey, discovered a way to exploit an American Express program that gave business loans based on collateralized inventory. Through an elaborate system of deception, De Angelis was able to obtain loans on an oil inventory greater that the total national holdings combined. While everyone stood clear of AMEX stock, Buffett did the opposite. He visited local businesses and observed business owners continue to accept American Express Travelers Cheques and consumers continue to use them. Contrary to virtually every investment expert at the time, Buffett purchased more stock and established a 5 percent stake in the company. It reportedly cost him $20 million at the time but now 50 years later, it was obviously incredible foresight.

Whether you aspire to run a multinational company or your local mom-and-pop store, this is an important lesson to apply. Innovate and solve a problem rather than following suit with the rest of the industry.

Apply these ideas to your company’s operations and you’re bound to see a substantial improvement. More importantly, you’ll feel liberated by your ability to confidently make sound choices -- especially when you’re going against the grain and doing what’s best for your business.

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/243332

5 Visionary CEOs and Their Key Traits That Every Leader Should Master

5 Visionary CEOs and Their Key Traits That Every Leader Should Master

CHUCK COHN CONTRIBUTOR
CEO and Founder of Varsity Tutors
FEBRUARY 25, 2015

Aspiring CEOs often view the work of visionary leaders such as Elon Musk and Alan Mullaly and promptly place them on a pedestal. You may believe that the leaders you admire are smarter, luckier or more creative than you, but the traits that make them wildly successful can be honed over time.

These characteristics have dictated how these leaders have responded in the face of adversity, maximized available resources and made the decisions that set them apart. Here are five CEOs I admire and the traits entrepreneurs can hone to duplicate their success.

1. Elon Musk: Relentless Innovation
Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla Motors, has revolutionized entire industries with his focus on moving beyond the status quo.

Both companies faced bankruptcy in 2008, and Musk was forced to decide between allocating his remaining funds between the companies or focusing on one. He felt compelled to support both ventures, and the risk paid off. Tesla is trumping Ford and General Motors with gross profit margins well over 20 percent, while SpaceX was one of two companies chosen by NASA to develop the next generation of systems to take U.S. astronauts to the International Space Station.

“If things are not failing,” Musk says, “you are not innovating enough.”

2. Nick Woodman: Focus
GoPro CEO Nick Woodman’s idea was born from a personal problem: not being able to take great pictures and videos while surfing. After months of intense focus, a prototype was born. Woodman is now focused on building a bigger platform to allow GoPro users to easily share videos.

Founded 12 years ago, GoPro has made Woodman worth $1.3 billion. The company name is almost synonymous with the product category, like Xerox once was with copying.

3. Alan Mulally: Resilience
As Ford Motor Company’s former president and CEO, Alan Mulally is behind “one of the most impressive corporate turnarounds in history.” Mulally guided Ford out of billions in losses and avoided bankruptcy without government bailouts. His focus on teamwork and accountability created a new company culture that drove results and focused on positive leadership with a vision toward moving forward.

4. Shantanu Narayen: Adaptability
Businesses that become stagnant usually die. Adobe Systems CEO Shantanu Narayen looked down the road and didn’t see a future that included distributing software on physical discs. He decided to change the widely-used Adobe Creative Suite to a subscription-based model.

He wasn’t the first, as Netflix had added streaming to its DVD rental services. But Adobe’s graphic design empire was built on its box sets and annual releases of new versions. Narayen boldly changed his company’s distribution model, and the growth in subscription members has proven its success.

5. Philip Krim: Reimagining
Casper CEO Philip Krim, along with his co-founders, has completely reimagined the process of buying a bed. From the price to the delivery -- the mattresses are shipped compressed in reasonably sized boxes -- this startup has thought through the entire process, including a 100-day trial period.

The company, which launched in April, raised more than $15 million in funding and earned more than $1 million in revenue in its first month of business. Krim’s success proves that innovation isn’t only for high-tech industries.

How to cultivate your own successful traits
As a leader, you may not embody all of the traits mentioned above, and that’s OK. It’s important to know which traits come naturally to you and which may not.

While you don’t have to follow all the advice you receive, remain receptive to new ideas. As you accumulate experience, examine your actions and ask for regular feedback to discover your strengths and weaknesses.

To develop your own leadership style, find a variety of mentors. Mentors can provide experienced perspectives to help you determine the best way to respond to business challenges. These mentors could be peers, potential investors or leaders from entirely different industries.

Don’t just rely on your mentors’ experience -- search for case studies. Consume as many news stories, articles, documentaries, books and blog posts as you can to learn how others approach challenges.

Finally, network to gain additional perspectives. Take advantage of workshops, conferences and other opportunities focused on leadership development to learn new skills and network with others who can offer diverse points of view.

Many of the leaders you admire aren’t superhuman -- they’ve honed their ability to utilize their best traits to drive positive change within their organizations. Your approach to a situation can mean the difference between positive mental health and burnout, profit and loss and success and failure. When you learn to harness your greatest strengths, you become a better leader and a catalyst for change.

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/242302

Selasa, 24 Februari 2015

Peluang Usaha Menjanjikan di 2015

4 Peluang Usaha yang Menjanjikan di 2015

21 Feb 2015 by Ririn Radiawati Kusuma

Indonesia mengalami perkembangan pesat dalam beberapa tahun terakhir, didukung oleh populasi muda, perkembangan politik, dan potensi pasar kelas menengah yang jumlahnya diperkirakan Boston Consulting Group akan mencapai 141 juta orang pada 2017.

“Kami melihat bahwa akan semakin banyak startup yang akan dibangun tahun ini,” ujar Fame, 30, yang baru memulai startup-nya di bidang konsultan konten.

Tahun 2015 bisa menjadi momentum bagi siapa pun yang ingin memulai usaha, namun apa saja peluang bisnis yang menjanjikan tahun ini?

1. Teknologi Informasi
Pengamat bisnis Raja Sapta Oktohari mengatakan bahwa pembentukan pasar tunggal Masyarakat Ekonomi Asean (MEA) yang direncanakan dimulai akhir tahun ini membuka peluang yang lebar untuk memulai bisnis, salah satunya dalam bidang teknologi informasi yang bisa memanfaatkan pasar di Indonesia.

“Dengan 48,8% (dari total penduduk Indonesia) usia produktif yang familiar dengan produk-produk IT, Indonesia menjadi pasar yang besar untuk startup,” ujar mantan Ketua Himpunan Pengusaha Muda Indonesia (HIPMI) ini.

Menurut Gwendolyn Regina Tan, Head of Community Growth Tech in Asia, startup berbasis konsumsi akan makin banyak dilirik seiring dengan ledakan populasi kelas menengah –mereka dengan kemampuan belanja Rp 2 juta hingga Rp 10 juta setiap bulan.

“Selain itu infrastruktur yang mendukung bisnis ini juga marak, seperti proses pembayaran dan logistik,” ujarnya.

Menurut Willian Tanuwijaya, co-founder dan CEO Tokopedia, bisnis online akan terus berkembang karena medium ini menghilangkan batasan ruang dan waktu.

"Lihat betapa teknologi handphone sekarang sudah menjadi seperti kebutuhan pokok. Begitu juga internet, hanya menunggu waktu akan seperti listrik; tidak bisa kita lihat, namun sangat membantu hidup kita sehari-hari," katanya kepada LiveOlive.

2. Lembaga Pelatihan
Masih terkait dengan rencana MEA, Raja mengatakan bahwa saat ini adalah waktu yang tepat untuk mendirikan balai pelatihan kerja.

"Dengan adanya MEA, maka persebaran tenaga kerja di kawasan Asean akan semakin besar," jelasnya.

Untuk itu, menurut Raja, akan banyak masyarakat Indonesia yang ingin bekerja ke luar negeri dan ini menyebabkan meningkatnya kebutuhan akan pelatihan keterampilan.

“Bisa saja merekrut TKI yang sudah pulang ke Indonesia untuk menjadi tenaga pengajar atau ditanya apa saja kebutuhan untuk TKI di luar negeri,” jelasnya.

Bisnis lain yang layak diincar adalah lembaga kursus bahasa, baik kursus Bahasa Indonesia untuk pekerja asing di Indonesia, atau kursus bahasa asing, terutama bahasa Inggris dan Mandarin yang akan semakin digunakan untuk komunikasi bisnis.

3. Desain Interior

Menurut data beberapa konsultan properti, Indonesia menjadi tujuan yang diincar untuk kawasan industri dan perumahan di kawasan Asia. Tak hanya perusahaan besar, kehadiran berbagai perusahaan kecil pun seakan disambut dengan makin banyaknya perusahaan venture capital, inkubator dan co-working space yang bermunculan terutama di Jakarta.

Bagi mereka yang tinggal di kota besar nan macet seperti Jakarta, masalah transportasi akan sedikit teratasi dengan memilih tempat tinggal dekat dengan kantor atau bekerja secara telecommute di rumah. Keadaan ini menjanjikan potensi untuk desain ruang perkantoran, rumah minimalis, apartemen atau pun small office/home office (SOHO).

Terlepas dari kebutuhan individu, para pekerja kreatif di bidang ini pun tak perlu kuatir kekurangan klien karena Indonesia akan makin terbuka sebagai destinasi belanja, tempat penyelenggaraan konferensi dan pertemuan bisnis internasional.

4. Katering dan makanan sehat

Dalam beberapa tahun terakhir, secara diam-diam bisnis katering juga menjanjikan pundi-pundi rupiah yang menggiurkan. Menurut Raja, saat ini banyak bisnis katering yang menjamur di Jakarta dan kota-kota besar lainnya. Jika melihat pasar dengan jeli, bisnis yang sekilas nampak sederhana ini bisa menghasilkan omzet yang cukup besar.

“Misalnya saja sekarang sedang trend diet tapi banyak yang tidak sempat memasak menu diet. Pakai saja peluang itu,” ujarnya.

Gusti, 28, yang baru saja memulai bisnis katering sehat Happypapafood hanya dengan modal Rp 1 juta, mengaku yakin dengan bisnis barunya itu.

“Sekarang kan diet lagi tren, dan kebetulan papaku chef, jadi ambil saja peluangnya,” katanya. Bisnis yang baru berjalan dua minggu itu kini sudah mempunyai 5-7 pelanggan per minggu untuk pesan paket "diet mayo" dan makanan rendah kalori. Sebagai catatan, harga untuk katering sehat bisa berkisar antara Rp 60.000 hingga Rp 200.000 per paket.

Gusti mengaku selama ini menggunakan metode promosi melalui media sosial, seperti Instagram, serta mengandalkan word of mouth.

Dengan semakin tingginya pendapatan masyarakat kelas menengah dan kesadaran untuk menjalani hidup lebih sehat, orang pun makin rela mengeluarkan uang untuk membeli makanan sehat.

Terms Privacy Contact

http://liveolive.com/post/view/2050-4-peluang-usaha-yang-menjanjikan-di-2015#.VOrvLe2kik0.facebook

Minggu, 22 Februari 2015

The Billion Dollar Startup Club

The Billion Dollar Startup Club
The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones VentureSource are tracking venture-backed private companies valued at $1 billion or more. See how the club has expanded since the project began in January 2014 and select companies to learn more about each.

By Scott Austin, Chris Canipe and Sarah Slobin
Published Feb. 18, 2015
CLEAR
All Companies as of February 2015
Select a company to read a full profile.

Company Latest Valuation
Xiaomi
$46.0 billion
Uber
$41.2 billion
Palantir
$15.0 billion
SpaceX
$12.0 billion
Flipkart
$11.0 billion
Airbnb
$10.0 billion
Dropbox
$10.0 billion
Snapchat
$10.0 billion
Theranos
$9.0 billion
Meituan
$7.0 billion
Square
$6.0 billion
Pinterest
$5.0 billion
WeWork
$5.0 billion
Cloudera
$4.1 billion
Spotify
$4.0 billion
Stripe
$3.5 billion
Jawbone
$3.3 billion
Fanatics
$3.1 billion
VANCL
$3.0 billion
Legendary Entertainment
$3.0 billion
Pure Storage
$3.0 billion
Bloom Energy
$2.9 billion
Powa
$2.7 billion
InMobi
$2.5 billion
Houzz
$2.3 billion
Dianping
$2.0 billion
Trendy Group
$2.0 billion
Nutanix
$2.0 billion
Magic Leap
$2.0 billion
Snapdeal
$2.0 billion
Coupang
$2.0 billion
Instacart
$2.0 billion
Delivery Hero
$1.9 billion
Intarcia Therapeutics
$1.8 billion
MongoDB
$1.6 billion
DocuSign
$1.6 billion
Adyen
$1.5 billion
Koudai Shopping
$1.4 billion
Jasper Technologies
$1.4 billion
Deem
$1.4 billion
Social Finance
$1.3 billion
Sunrun
$1.3 billion
AppNexus
$1.2 billion
Automattic
$1.2 billion
Fab
$1.2 billion
Gilt Groupe
$1.1 billion
Slack
$1.1 billion
Actifio
$1.1 billion
Proteus Digital Health
$1.1 billion
AppDynamics
$1.1 billion
IronSource
$1.1 billion
Home24
$1.0 billion
Yello Mobile
$1.0 billion
CloudFlare
$1.0 billion
Evernote
$1.0 billion
Good Technology
$1.0 billion
Eventbrite
$1.0 billion
Tango
$1.0 billion
InsideSales.com
$1.0 billion
Mogujie
$1.0 billion
Kabam
$1.0 billion
Lookout
$1.0 billion
JustFab
$1.0 billion
Honest Co.
$1.0 billion
Credit Karma
$1.0 billion
Qualtrics
$1.0 billion
Razer
$1.0 billion
Shopify
$1.0 billion
Ola Cabs
$1.0 billion
Shazam
$1.0 billion
Beibei
$1.0 billion
Grabtaxi
$1.0 billion
Moderna
$1.0 billion
Beats Electronics
Exited
Box
Exited
Coupons.com
Exited
Fisker Automotive
Exited
Hanhua Financial
Exited
GoPro
Exited
Hortonworks
Exited
JD.com
Exited
LaShou
Exited
Lending Club
Exited
Mobileye
Exited
Nest Labs
Exited
New Relic
Exited
Rocket Internet
Exited
Wayfair
Exited
Zalando
Exited

Minggu, 15 Februari 2015

9 "Shark Tank" Quotes

9 Quotes From the 'Shark Tank' Stars

FEBRUARY 11, 2015

ABC’s hit television show, Shark Tank, has become one of the network's most popular and successful series, with last year’s Jan. 24 episode drawing in 8.2 million viewers. It has introduced entrepreneurship to a much wider audience and undoubtedly encouraged several people to pursue their dreams. It was one of the shows that first inspired me to start my own business -- and hopefully it can for you, too.

The Sharks are all successful entrepreneurs, providing valuable insight and feedback to the contestants that enter the tank each week. Even if you aren’t pitching the Sharks yourself, you can still pick up excellent business advice. Here are nine quotes from the Sharks to help you reach your goals.

1. A goal without a timeline is just a dream. -- Robert Herjavec

Every entrepreneur has a goal, but it is the plan to reach that goal that separates the successful ones from the millions that fail. If you watch Shark Tank, you will notice that some of the pitches sound good until the contestant is asked how long they have been working on their idea.

Some will be several years into it without gaining any traction. It doesn’t necessarily mean that the idea is bad -- it just means they have never put together a timeline for hitting their goals. Set goals with a specific timeframe to reach them. This holds you accountable and keeps you focused and on track.

2. It comes down to finding something you love to do and then just trying to be great at it. -- Mark Cuban

You have to absolutely love what you are doing, first and foremost, because if you don’t you are going to be completely miserable. Being an entrepreneur and starting a business will command the majority of your time -- you have to be prepared to eat, sleep and breathe your business.

If it isn’t something you love to do, it will be very hard to put in the dedication and work required to make it successful. When you create a business around a true passion you will naturally want to make it better.

3. Follow the green (FOCUS), not the dream. -- Mark Cuban

You have to focus on what is working in your business when it comes to growth. Every entrepreneur dreams of rapid expansion and growing his or her business into something bigger. However, simply expanding for the sake of expansion can be a death sentence for your business.

If your sales and customer demand warrant growth, then go for it. Even though you might want to expand you always have to turn to the revenue and determine whether it is a good time to pursue that growth.

4. Nobody has a monopoly on good ideas. -- Kevin O’Leary

Kevin O’Leary will often mention “creating a better mousetrap” on the show. If something already exists but you feel you have a better solution then go for it. Look at the app WhatsApp. There were several text-messaging apps available but WhatsApp founder Jan Koum felt he had a better mousetrap.

The entrepreneur that was once on food stamps sold the company to Facebook for $19 billion -- something that wouldn’t have happened if he never pursued his idea because he felt there were already messaging apps available.

5. All you need is a laptop or a PC and an Internet connection and you can pretty much do almost anything and create almost any type of company. -- Mark Cuban

The Internet has created an endless amount of possibilities for entrepreneurs. My company helps people who are selling websites in a wide range of industries and niches. We constantly come into contact with entrepreneurs that have started businesses based on individual needs, wants and passions.

The Internet allows entrepreneurs to start small, eliminating a lot of overhead in the beginning, and work from virtually anywhere in the world. This flexibility and convenience gives entrepreneurs the chance to pursuer their dreams that wouldn’t have had the opportunity in the pre-online era.

6. As an entrepreneur, you can always find a solution if you try hard enough. -- Lori Greiner

There are going to be times that you hit brick walls and are faced with challenges that at first glance seem nearly impossible to overcome. I was presented with several challenges when starting my business and I was forced to work hard in order to develop solutions to navigate around every challenge presented to me.

The hard work will never disappear -- there will always be challenges in business, so get used to becoming a great problem solver in the beginning. You will learn that you can overcome any obstacle if you try hard enough.

7. Make sure you pick good people to build your business with, as they'll determine 80 percent of your success. -- Barbara Corcoran

Assembling the best team is vital to the success of your business. Whether we are talking about co-founders or employees -- the right people will propel you towards success and the wrong people will sink your business.

Make sure that anyone you are considering bringing on, in any capacity, both fully understands and shares your vision. If not you have a recipe for disaster. Also, if you do end up making a hiring mistake don’t be afraid to make a change. The longer you hang on to a toxic employee the more damage it will cause.

8. Everyone has an idea, but it’s taking those first steps toward turning that idea into a reality that are always the toughest. -- Daymond John

Think of how many times you have heard someone say, “I had that idea years ago,” when reacting to something new that hits the market. People have amazing new ideas daily, but the only way to make them a reality is to take action.

Becoming an entrepreneur has a lot of risks in the beginning -- something not everyone is willing to take. The first steps, including the decision to move forward, are what separate successful entrepreneurs from the millions that just have great ideas.

9. The road to riches is never straight and narrow. It can be riddled with financial land mines. -- Kevin O’Leary

When I started my business, I bootstrapped its entire growth, but not all entrepreneurs take the same path. While bootstrapping can be a longer journey to the finish line it eliminates the added stress of taking on debt. Some entrepreneurs think that success will come sooner if they accelerate their growth by taking on debt to make some things happen sooner.

It’s never as simple as racking up debt and then paying it back when you hit the entrepreneur lottery. Blindly taking on debt without multiple plans to repay it can create a huge mess that can cause your business and dreams to implode.

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/242746

What To Do in West Sumatra Padang Food?

WHAT TO DO IN WEST SUMATRA? - EAT PADANG FOOD

If you ever visit Indonesia, you'll notice that Padang restaurant is everywhere. You can find Padang restaurant easily by see a restaurant which displayed their dishes in the shop window. Padang cuisine or Nasi Padang originally from West Sumatra region, which served you with many dishes on your table so you can choose which dishes that you want. Padang food is famous for its rich taste of succulent coconut milk and spicy chili. If you like a little spice in your food then Padang is the place for you.

Almost all the parts of a cattle, such as meat, ribs, tongue, tail, liver, tripe, brain, bone marrow, spleen, intestine, cartilage, tendon, and skin are made to be Minangkabau delicacies. Seafood is popular in coastal West Sumatran cities, and most are grilled or fried with spicy chili sauce or in curry gravy. Fish, shrimp, and cuttlefish are cooked in similar way. Most of Minangkabau food is eaten with hot steamed rice or compressed rice such as katupek (ketupat). Vegetables are mostly boiled such as boiled cassava leaf, or simmered in thin curry as side dishes, such as gulai (curry) of young jack-fruit or cabbages.

Top 10 Dishes
I personally like to eat these 10 dishes:

1. Rendang, chunks of beef stewed in spicy coconut milk and chili gravy, cooked well until dried. Other than beef, rendang ayam or chicken rendang can be found.
2. Dendeng Batokok, thin crispy beef
3. Dendeng Balado, thin crispy beef with chilli
4. Ayam bakar, grilled spicy chicken
Ikan Bilih, fried small freshwater fish.
5. Baluik goreng, crispy fried small freshwater eel
6. Udang Balado, shrimp in chili
7. Daun ubi tumbuk, cassava leaves in coconut milk
8. Sate Padang, Padang style satay, skewered barbecued meat with thick yellow sauce
9. Gulai Ayam, chicken gulai

Other Dishes
1. Kalio, similar to rendang; while rendang is rather dry, kalio is watery and light-colored
2. Kerupuk Jangek, cow's skin deep-fried crackers
3. Gulai Cancang, curry of meats and cow internal organs
4. Gulai Tunjang, curry of cow foot tendons
5. Gulai Babek, curry of cow tripe
6. Gulai Iso, curry of cow intestines usually filled with eggs and tofu
7. Gulai Limpo, curry of cow spleen
8. Gulai Ati, curry of cow liver
9. Gulai Sumsum, curry of cow bone marrow
10. Gulai Kepala Ikan Kakap Merah, red snapper's head curry
11. Petai Goreng, fried green stinky bean (Parkia speciosa)
12. Gulai Itiak, duck curry
13. Gulai Talua, boiled eggs curry
14. Gulai Gajeboh, cow fat curry
15. Gulai Jariang, jengkol stinky bean curry
16. Paru Goreng, fried cow lung
17. Rajungan goreng, crispy fried crab
18. Terong Balado, eggplant in chili
19. Gulai Otak, curry of cow brain
20. Peyek udang, shrimp deep-fried crackers

These are some tips for you if you want to eat in Padang restaurant:
You are not gonna pay for all of the food that they served. When you eat in Padang restaurant, they will serve you with more than 10 dishes on your table. Don't be afraid, you wont't be charged for all of those food. If you don't like it, don't touch it.
Wash your fingers before and after you dine. Commonly, they will give you a bowl of water, DON'T DRINK IT, its for washing your fingers.
Some of the dishes won't be serve if you are not ask. If you want to eat fried rice, fried noodle, lotek, gado-gado, or soup, you have to ask the waiter to serve it on your table.
I personally like to combined some curry to make the taste better.
In some restaurant, you also can choose the dishes that you want to serve on your table.
Try eating with your bare hands. Local people prefer to eat their rice and dishes using their hands, because some of the foods will taste better when you combine it with another food. Some of foreigners that I know always failed when they try to eat their rice and dishes using their bare hands. But If you cannot do it, don't be shame to ask for utensils. What you need to do if you want to eat with your bare hand are:
1. Serve a small portion of each main dish and rice on your plate
2. Tear of each main dishes into small piece
3. Using all five fingers work the combined rice and main dish into a ball
4. Let your 4 fingers become a spoon, and place your thumb behind the food, then try to push your food into your mouth by using your thumb.
5. Repeat this process as necessary by mixing a little rice and main dish together. And you can add the side dishes onto your plate.

*Perhaps it will be awkward for you who are left handed. So be be prepare!

If you planned to visit Padang, eat all of those foods, and share your experiences about Padang food in the comment box below ;)

http://onebigrock.weebly.com/blog/what-to-do-in-west-sumatra-padang-food

Selasa, 10 Februari 2015

How To Keep People Motivated at Office

Every business owner and manager knows that motivated employees are more productive and also, they do more quality work. Therefore, you need to keep your employees motivated and make them feel excited to come to work every day.

There are many ways to keep your employees happy and motivated. Below you can find some of them:

1. Create a Pleasant Work Environment
Make sure the office looks nice cosmetically. Having plants around the office will increase positive feelings as well as help reduce stress, lower blood pressure, noise level and humidity. Also, neutral tones and earth tones are the best for an office because these colors are calming and warm. In addition, a softer light is much better than fluorescent lighting.

2. Recognize the Achievements of Your Employees
When your employees accomplish their goals or achieve something, take the time to appreciate them. Write an email or a personal thank you note for their accomplishments and you can even give them a small gift like a gift card or tickets to a sports game. If a team achieves something, you can reward them with a nice lunch.

3. Coach Your Employees
Feedback is great for motivating your employees. Nobody likes to be micro-managed. Instead they prefer someone who will motivate them and lead them towards a goal. If you notice that the performance of one of your employees is weaker than others, give him/her constructive feedback so he or she can also improve. Let your employees know that you care for them.

4. Encourage Training
Encourage your employees to learn new skills and go to training sessions. Motivate them to get professional certifications that will be helpful for their job.

5. Be Clear in Your Communication
You always have to be transparent when communicating with your employees. Even if the news are bad, you should still clearly talk with your employees and explain them what is going on within the company. Create time to listen to your employees’ concerns and do your best to solve them. Keep an open channel of communication and get their feedback when necessary.

6. Casual Fridays
If your company has a dress code for business, making Fridays a casual dress day will boost your employees’ morale and motivate them. You can use holidays to create theme days as well. For example, you can ask your employees to wear something orange on Halloween or green on St.Patrick’s Day. This will let them feel the spirit as well as create a more positive work environment.

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/242656

Ardantya Syahreza, his Thoughts and his Passions