While many people aspire to run their own businesses, not everyone is cut out to be an entrepreneur — especially in the digital age. It takes a specific type of personality to handle the nuts and bolts that make up a business, reaching out both online and offline. To help you understand what it takes to start a business, I’ll be interviewing different business owners regularly on my blog and let there be inspiration!
Vivek Iyyani is a Millennial Coach and Master Trainer of YOU Training & Development. He focuses on building better leaders through the Millennials. He has been training Millennials since 2007. He is also featured in multiple Media such as Channel News asia, Radio Oli 96.8FM, The Guru, Vasantham TV Channel, The Asian Entrepreneur, Freelance Fuel and A Winsome Life blog.
What Vivek do best is Leadership Training & Education.
Let's hear more from Vivek here!
What ignited the spark in you to start this business venture or to make significant changes in an existing business? How did the idea for your business come about?
When I came out of National Service, I was freelancing as a trainer while studying my Psychology concurrently. While I was doing the leadership workshops in organisations and educational institutions, I realised that most of the programs could benefit from the content that I studied in my Psychology Degree. After mentioning this to a few organisations, they asked me to design a few lesson plans for them based on psychology. That’s when I realised that I had some value to offer and I could design and deliver Leadership Training Programs under my own company.
What is your background? Education, Work Experience
My background is in Psychology and Human Behavioural Studies. I further went to learn about Human behaviour through Neuro Linguistic Programming, Myber Briggs Type Indicator and TetraMap. Personally I believe in life long learning and I am fascinated on Leadership and Personal Development. My work experience includes working as an Associate Trainer with organisations such as Adam Khoo, Mastereign, Vivarch and Civica for 4 years before I started out on my own.
How long have you been in business? In this business? In other businesses?
It is turning 4 years now as I started in 2013.
How do you go about marketing your business? What has been your most successful form of marketing?
Most of the Marketing for my Business is done on LinkedIn. I like to engage in Thought Leadership and question many issues faced at the workplace through social-digital conversations. I think by sharing nuggets of wisdom, people get value and learn about me and what I do best. While on LinkedIn, I share my YouTube videos, my articles, my pictures and share stories and case studies I face at work for all to benefit.
What three pieces of advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs?
Firstly, I will tell them to identify why they are beginning this journey of Entrepreneurship in the first place. What is their big game? Other than making a living, how are you able to add value to the world? What is the big vision? Identify why you do what you do.
Secondly, I will suggest to draft up a Business Plan. This is the ‘how’. How do you plan to bring in Sales? How will you do your operations? What are the projected growth in a year? Look into completing a Business Plan so that you have the clarity you need whenever you network to tell people What you do, Why you do it and How you do it.
Thirdly, learn how to do sales. Not all salesmen are pushy, so find out your preferred style of sales and work on that skill.
What is your favourite aspect of being an entrepreneur?
I love the fact that I don’t have to get past any red tape to try out new things. I can innovate and explore new areas and be creative. It is not a boring routine for me and I am always out there meeting interesting people always.
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♥ Thanks for reading as always!
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