-of total financial independence

its not easy running a run-up to a skate school. we wanted an ultra low cost, incredulously high pay-out service that we're able to offer to others. skating fits jus right in, because while i almost forgot that not everyone can skate well, not everyone can skate well. or even stand and balance on skates for that matter. do abit of market research, flip thru the straits times classifieds and u realise that there's at least 5 independant organisations offering swim lessons everyday. but skating... its almost rare. because, while its already uncommon that ppl can skate freely, its almost rare to find ppl who can, or are willing, to coach non-skaters. so it WAS a very fat oyster waiting for anyone willing to eat it up.

(imagine you are a parent, and yr child learnt how to swim by 5. den what? u spend the next 5 yrs of the child's life wondering if u wanna let him/her learn "swim better" ? or enrol him/her in a skating class - albeit the steep price?)

it was good service to offer. making use of my extra time spent sucking my thumb, i could do "wealth accumulation", as jaime so sweetly puts it. but when everything finally kicks off, and the phone starts ringing, and ppl seemingly so interested, you realise that alot of ppl eventually dun turn up for lessons that they scheduled for, and they give like 1 day notice. which leads to us not being able to schedule other genuinely-interested students into our blender for us to squeeze. you start to distrust ppl. you start to understand to take things as they come. if u get a good deal, jus go on with it. those who will stick around, will stick around. those who jus appear and disappear, leave them be lor, there's so many "customers" yet out there. we learnt that the market share is very big, and you do not need to lower yourself to FIGHT with other schools for students. customers are all around.

but after awhile, after closing some of the better deals of our little enterprise, i start to break down. money is not a good enough motivator against break in trust. how can we start a full fledge school if we're not gaining enough momentum. how long before it materialises? we're going in again. heads first. Heart fail me not..

...and from this, i pick up valuable lessons in life...