TO BE YOUR OWN BOSS

Health and Happiness

Health and happiness, as revealed in Sifu Eugene and Sifu Chris, are very important in life

Question

You have often encouraged us to become our own boss. May I ask why? Is it better to be our own boss? What benefits do we bring into our lives having our own businesses versus being an employee?

— Santi, Spain

Answer

It is great if you can be your own boss, but of course you must make sure that your income is much more than when working for another boss. I learned it the hard way, and it has been confirmed again and again.

While I have been successful in being an entrepreneur and making my wealth following the honourable way, I have always remember that money cannot buy everything, though it is important in making our lives comfortable.

To be your own boss is better than working for someone else because of the following two main reasons:

  1. Your success or otherwise depends on your own ability. This applies to those who are enterprising and creative.

  2. You have control over your own time.
Another two reasons follow if your entrepreneurship is successful:
  1. You earn much more than if you had been working for another person. In my own example as mentioned in my autobiography, I could not buy a car working for many years, but I could buy one for myself, my wife and all my children soon becoming my own boss.

  2. You have much more free time than working for another boss. This is particularly remindful when someone working for a boss has to take leave from his work.

Question

If you were to decide the top 5 rules for leading a successful business, which ones would they be?

Answer

Here are my top 5 rules for leading a successful business. They are my rules which may be different from others.

  1. It must be honourable.

  2. There must be more than enough people who want the goods or service to make the business successful.

  3. My customers must be satisfied with my goods or service. In other words, they get more benefits than what they pay for.

  4. The income from the business must be substantial.

  5. I have control over the business.
These principles developed over time. When I first set up Shaolin Wahnam, my aim was to preserve the greatness of chi kung and kungfu. Most people follow the business or profession decided by their parents or education. It needs some time to think carefully over these principles.

Question

If you were to decide the 5 most important characteristics that an entrepreneur must possess in order to succeed, which ones would they be?

Answer

The 5 most important characteristics an entrepreneur must possess in order to succeed in business are as follows:

  1. He must enjoy doing the business.

  2. The business must not affect his health and happiness.

  3. He should choose the business with the conditions described above. Most people do not do this. They choose the business that is most convenient, or decided by their parents or education.

  4. He should have leverage of time and place. A doctor does not have leverage of time; he treats a patient at one time. A restaurant owner does not have leverage of place. He serves customers around his environment. If you work as your own boss on computer technology, you have leverage of time and place. You can serve a lot of people at the same time all over the world.

  5. When he becomes wealthy as a result of his business, he should not be arrogant and vain.

Question

If you were giving a piece of advice to someone thinking about starting his own business, what advice would that be?

Answer

My advice to someone thinking of starting his own business would be based on the 5 principles and 5 characteristics above. I would particularly advise him that his business must be honourable and he must enjoy doing it. When he has become wealthy, he must remain kind and generous.

The top Shaolin principles for building a successful business are described above as the top 5 rules for leading a successful business and the top 5 most important characteristics an entrepreneur should have. There are altogether 10 principles, but I shall summarize them as the top 5 Shaolin principles as follows.

  1. The business must be honourable.

  2. He must enjoy doing the business.

  3. His business must bring him sufficient time and income. Running a business is important, but there are also other important things in life.

  4. He must study the principles of successful business before deciding on what type of business.

  5. He must be kind and generous.

Sifu Attilio

We have many successful businessmen from Shaolin Wahnam; Sifu Attilio is one of them

The above is taken from Questions 4, 5, 6 amd 7 March 2020 Part 2 of the Selection of Questions and Answers

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