January 6, 2014

Two Thousand and Thirteen

This year, I feel has been the most productive in my life. Maybe it was the exam pressure. Maybe it was the pressure of the incoming college admissions. All I know is that not only were my new interests founded upon these practical grounds, but also my burgeoning room to learn.

I have began writing my blog (this one), taken many college-level online classes (albeit finished few), and gained skills I never could have imagined.

I guess the first demonstration of my newfound skills will also reflect on my performance this year. I used my accounting skills to build ethos’s end of year report, as if we’re a real company.

Untitled

Although not really complex, involving very few transactions, my balance sheet balances! I guess that’s a win.

This year also had me dabbling in code, from HTML to CSS to Python, I did a little bit of everything, and am now working to build a website for Ethos Magazine and Civilization Magazine. I am now also taking the CS50X course offered on edX.

My investing has also fared well, up almost 15% in the last quarter of the year (beating the market). But I guess it’s too early to tell as I got totally carried by Kandi Technologies (KNDI) and this year was bullish with QE and all that. It is gaining in the face of a bearish market that is the true testament of a good investor. The coming year will allow me to learn how to valuate companies properly.

2013 End of Year

Thats about it! Wishing myself and whoever is reading this an amazing 2014!

 

 

 

 

 

November 25, 2013

Vietnam Adventure 2013

Vietnam. An image of the bustling streets of Hanoi or the rice paddies on its rolling hills is instantly brought to mind. My visit to Hanoi, Sapa and Halong Bay lived up fully to my expectations.  Hanoi is a city with a heart, pulsing in the day and in the night. Perhaps this is represented in the relentless beeping of scooter horns. Or perhaps it is the shouting of vendors on the sidewalks. In a profound departure from the repetitive days of school, computer, sleep, school, computer, sleep, the 2013 Horizons Week has given me a different perspective on life. One filled with action and excitement. It was not only the buzzing atmosphere of Hanoi, but also the refreshing breeze of the Sapa moountains that encouraged me to step away from my stable yet boring life, to let go of myself and truly socialize and have fun. Where a monotonous day in school-time in Hong Kong may last 48 hours, it was almost as if the days and hours in Vietnam were passing like minutes and seconds. One minute I was in the mountains admiring the panoramic vistas, and in another I was in Halong Bay, jumping off a cruise boat. Through this trip, through hiking in the mountains, kayaking through narrow caves into beautiful lagoons, I realized the world is one of discovery, a world I know not one percent of, a world full of surprises that needed only my enthusiasm to unlock.

October 27, 2013

The future of “Ethos” and “Civilization” Magazines

As the transition process begins because the Y13 students are moving into the examination period in IB, I look to take over managerial and editor in chief positions in Ethos and Civilization respectively. This post outlines my philosophy behind the changes I want to make in the business side of both magazines. In this I must evaluate the state of both magazines as of now.

Quality of Content:

The content of the two magazines are similar in quality, but quality should not really matter in comparison since the magazines are appealing to two different markets, as the humanities group and the arts group are very distinct. While the content in Civilization is very serious and analytical, Ethos may be more creative and satirical. People look to Ethos for visual and artistic stimulation, whereas in Civilization, the content is argumentative and speaks of current and past affairs.

Design Process:

The design for Ethos is undoubtedly better than Civilization. It adopts a more simplistic and minimalistic style that appeals to many people, including me. I have yet to have seen the design for the print version of Civilization but the website design is not streamlined. Additionally, whereas Ethos covers a variety of media: images, text and art, Civilization only has articles. This means that a lot of the content on civilization may not be original, or they might be from the designers own stock, which detracts from the fact that it is supposed to be based on student submissions. 

Distribution:

As Ethos is one issue ahead of civilization, it has more resources and money, so while Civilization is only printing ~30 copies, Ethos may be printing up to 50 copies. Additionally, Ethos has wider distribution because English is a required subject in all levels of West Island School, and while I may be wrong, humanities is only required in the early years. However, this disparity is marginal, and does not need to be accounted for when I am considering steps for change.

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These two magazines allow advertisers to access to a massive student and parent body in school, which has high spending power. I believe this will generate enough interest from tutoring agencies and other businesses geared towards students and / or international expatriates.  This leads to my consideration of an advertisement revenue based model, and generating even more revenue through a pay-what-you-want pricing strategy. While we should have enough revenue from advertising to continue the operation of the magazine, the revenue from the pay-what-you-want scheme will be able to be reinvested into the magazine to expand for the next issue.

I will write up a full business model in the next week, allowing me to practice my skills in business management and also give the editor-in-chiefs right now confidence that it will lead to the expansion of each magazine.

October 27, 2013

Recap of the last few weeks.

Well. I got 2090 on my SATs. Did much worse than I thought. Nevertheless that is still a decent score, just lower than I expected. My critical reading was very strong, I got 780 so I’m very satisfied with that, I just have to work on my checking for Maths and my Writing. I’ll probably do it again in January and June, giving me ample time in between for the SAT 2s.

On another note, my extracurricular activity Mock Trial Society was approved by the deputy principal. This activity will give students a good insight into the field of jurisprudence before fully committing to it and also create a competitive learning environment where students can learn critical thinking and practice their rhetoric. It will also give me and the co-founder an experience of teaching.

Ethos has also found an advertiser. This will finance our printing, possibly 50 copies, which we can distribute around our school and to teachers. We can also sell copies on a pre-order basis, possibly for 25 dollars each, which will give us a ~66% margin. The design is also going well, as can bee seen in these shots of multiple spreads.

Sample 1

Sample 2

I also created a media kit for Ethos Magazine, for the viewing of potential advertisers. It covers the demographics and statistics of the magazine, and also shows the prices and choices. It is attached for viewing. I based it on the Media Kit for HK Magazine.

Media Kit

My role in Ethos Magazine has given me good insight into the managerial side of businesses, and when I receive the money, I will also use it to make balance sheets and cash flow records for Ethos. This will give me good experience for the field I want to be in the future.

Another magazine I participate in is Civilization Magazine, which is a humanities based magazine, rather than the arts-based Ethos. I mainly write for this magazine, I have written an article regarding Bismarckian politics and also how the Olympics are a hindrance to economies. I also edit for this magazine, at the same time improving my writing skills, helping my SAT. I am slated to take over both magazines when the Y13s leave, and this will be a great responsibility for me to keep both magazines running and also transitioning to the next year.

I also made an Excel document recording my grades, to see which subjects I have to improve on, I have gotten a mix of 6s and 7s, which is understandable as I am just at the beginning of IB.

September 16, 2013

Ethos Magazine Advertiser Search!

This past month I’ve been busy finding advertisers for Ethos Magazine. I have secured a 1 page advert from the Director of Art Walk, a yearly art fair held in Hong Kong. This was a great challenge to me as it was my first time writing invoices and business documents. It gave me experience and the feeling of making entrepreneurial decisions. I am going to continue to search for advertisers, probably targeting tutoring companies such as The Princeton Review, because my school’s demographic is high income families, which can afford premium tutoring services. I have also began to learn how to use excel using this website [http://excelexposure.com/], allowing me to make more detailed financial documents.