Hate finances and numbers? Want to focus on the aspects of your business you love? Find out how this entrepreneur can take away your financial worries…
What’s your story?
neXtep Business Builder Community is a community of people in small business who want to network and utilise neXtep products to improve their business. The community has a global reach but is also centred around local communities. In our work with many small businesses, we found time and again that people love their business idea, but hate finances and numbers.
Sure, they have to keep financial records for tax reasons and so on, but have no idea how to use their financial reports for growing their business. That’s why the small business failure rate is so high and so many people have feelings of loss of control and dis-empowerment.
We said “There HAS to be a better way”, when MILLIONS and MILLIONS of small business are like this.
So we thought:
WHAT IF you could bypass all those financial reports?
WHAT IF you could have a simple, inexpensive way for someone else to analyse those numbers for you?
WHAT IF you were simply advised of THE ONE BEST THING TO DO, RIGHT NOW, TO IMPROVE YOUR BUSINESS?
Then you can enjoy your focus on the parts of your business you love. Feel empowered and in control again.
That’s what neXtep Business Builder Community does for you.
What excites you most about your industry?
Working in an industry with small business owners across the world that are passionate, focused and working incredibly hard to achieve their vision. Yet there is still a very big chance they will fail in their dream.
Combine this with the global growth in cloud computing, SaaS and online accounting products (Xero, Sage, Quickbooks etc) and it’s an explosive time for us. I was recently reading in the Wall Street Journal that small business trust in the Cloud is at 37%, but in 2020 it will be 78% trust as a place to do business – I think it will come faster than that. Look at Apple partnering with Vend just this week – a NZ company that makes your tablet a cash register, this is a great endorsement of this rapidly growing sector.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/small-firms-shift-toward-cloud-based-software-1433355617
What’s your connection to Asia?
I have been fascinated with Asia since I was young, my Dad collects tribal masks and it always excited me to think of where these were made, who made them and the stories behind them. These days it’s the love of travelling and working through the region, the food, the people, culture and the adventures to be had. But perhaps top of the list is the way in which people in Asia see opportunity and chase it.
Favourite city in Asia for business and why?
I spend most of my time between Bali, Hong Kong and Singapore and they’re all great in a kind of yin / yang scenario. Singapore for the calm, food, beauty and ease of operating. Hong Kong because it’s grungy, a bit broken, very noisy and very, very alive. But Bali takes the cake, it has an incredible diversity of culture, beauty and the best food offering in Asia with a dynamic entrepreneurial spirit that thrives on this island.
What’s the best piece of advice you ever received?
“There is always a way”. An old friend William in Hong Kong taught me this many years ago.
Who inspires you?
People that have the courage to live their life to their full potential and take time to enjoy the ride. My wife and my business partner / co-founder of NeXtep Graeme Stevens are great examples of this in my life.
What have you just learnt recently that blew you away?
How really powerful believing in yourself can be to achieving your dreams and goals, that power is supercharged if you’re lucky enough to have a great team of friends, family and supporters with you.
If you had your time again, what would you do differently?
Nothing – I have had a very lucky and diverse life, from training as a commercial pilot, living in USA, UK, Middle East, Australia and Asia, travelling to over 60 countries and charity racing tuk tuks 1,100 km up the coast of India. I aim to pack a lot into my life and help others do the same and there’s still a lot to do!
How do you unwind?
There’s nothing better than riding through the back streets and rice paddies of Bali – just enjoying the views, the smells and smiling and talking with people.
Favourite Asian destination for relaxation? Why?
Sipadan Island, an hour or so off the coast of Borneo towards the middle of nowhere. Best diving in the world with huge schools of barracuda, sharks and turtles everywhere. It’s beautiful, wild and remote. A place where the main topic of conversation is about nature.
Everyone in business should read this book:
I read a business book every couple weeks, but where I get most value with immediate and accurate insights and for great ideas and answers try www.quora.com.
Shameless plug for your business:
Love your business but hate numbers, earning less than 10% profit? Or struggling to find a network to plug into that will give you connections, knowledge and advice, then check us out!
Use neXtep Business Builder Community to grow your business’ profits. It will give you more choices to buy time by employing extra staff, better systems or reducing debt.
www.neXtep.community
How can people connect with you?
Linkedin – neXtep Business Builder Community
Googe+ – neXtep Business Builder Community
Twitter handle?
neXtepcommunity
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This interview was part of the Callum Connect’s column found on The Asian Entrepreneur:
Callum Laing invests and buys small businesses in a range of industries around Asia. He has previously started, built and sold half a dozen businesses and is the founder & owner of Fitness-Buffet a company delivering employee wellness solutions in 12 countries. He is a Director of, amongst others, Key Person of Influence. A 40 week training program for business owners and executives.
Take the ‘Key Person of Influence’ scorecard <http://www.keypersonofinfluence.com/scorecard/>
Connect with Callum here:
twitter.com/laingcallum
linkedin.com/in/callumlaing
Get his free ‘Asia Snapshot’ report from www.callumlaing.com
