Often times I get questions – “Adrian how do I start a business when I am just a university graduate or when I am still studying?” or “How do I start a business when I am still unemployed?”

The quick answer: YOU DON’T. Now if you have been following my work for some time now, you should know that I am all about practicality, so this is a step-by-step guide on how you can build wealth.

First Stage: Getting a Job

Go get a job first. Work to get some money coming in, pay your bills, put food on the table for your family, and start saving. Don’t be ashamed to get a proper job, and don’t be ashamed to climb higher in your job. Nothing to be ashamed off as long as the work is decent and legal.

I myself have worked in a supermarket before, carrying heavy boxes and stacking cans on the shelves. These are the sorts of low-paying job that you would expect a foreigner to do – I have been there before doing those jobs.

How can you expect yourself to pay money for the books you want to buy, courses you want to attend and hire a consultant to guide you? These materials and advice are not cheap, to say the least.

So get your lazy ass to work and start saving some money. Once you have at least RM 10,000 then we can talk.

Stage Two: Developing a Skill

Now that you have worked for a year or two, you should by now notice two things that have changed in you. Which two things?

One, by now, during the course of your work, you should have discovered what you are good at – whether when it comes to negotiating with your customer, your workmanship, your ability to manage people and what not. Two, by now too you should have had some savings. A minimum of RM 10,000 is a good amount to start with.

Now, let’s say you are good at some skill – it is important for you to attend courses (using the money from your saving if your company doesn’t want to sponsor you) to enhance that skill. Take me for example, I am good at designing, therefore I attend interior design classes to enhance this skill of mine.

Once you have acquired that extra skill, then you can start to have some side hustle. Some freelancing work/projects to do after your 9-6 job. If your skill is similar to what you are currently doing in your 9-6 job, great! It means that you can use the same skill to spontaneously scale on your side business and your 9-6 job at the same time.

Third Stage: The Business

Hopefully, after a year or two of side hustle, while keeping your 9-6 job AND attending seminars, then you will have sufficient contacts to start a business. You should have contacts. After all, you have attended seminars for a year or two and showing your faces to people of the same industry.

Now that you have a business and if you are good at what you are doing, it is time to hire more people. That is how you leverage other people’s time and skill. Naturally, once your business gets better, you can consider expanding and scaling your business.

Fourth Stage: Investment

Once you have some money (I am talking about RM50,000 minimum), this is when investment opportunities will open itself to you. I would recommend property investment as it is the only investment which you can leverage.

I have written a separate article on it here. However, with your skill and money that you have now, you can consider other investment options. As a general rule by Warren Buffet, don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Don’t rely solely on one investment. I leave it to you to find other investment opportunities such as stocks or any other assets – I am not in the position to advise you.

Closing

I hope that you can see the pathway now. Don’t ask for financial advice when we don’t even know at what stage you are currently in. You should follow different advice if you are at a different stage.

If you are still working, the best advice is to enhance your skill, not invest your money. What little money that you have saved will not yield good investment results. That money is better spent on yourself – enhancing your skill. I’ve always mentioned, your skill cannot be taxed or taken away from you – it is the best investment!

Notice how of all the things I’ve talked above, the least I’ve talked about is actually about doing business. Yet that is the ONLY way people know of building wealth. Many young people (millennials especially) – I don’t know what is wrong with their head – but they tend to think that getting a normal job is degrading and wants to start a business immediately. Hey, smartass, you have no valuable skill to offer to the market yet. Statistically speaking, 50% of Small and Business Enterprises in Malaysia fail within the first 5 years of establishment.

So there you have it, a practical guide to scale your wealth. If you want to learn more about how to scale your business, or about property entrepreneurship, contact me at the links below.

Follow Us:
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/myadrianwee
Instagram: http://instagram.com/adrian.wee
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/myadrianwee