Media

Successful business is a constant search


22.05.2014
0

Successful business is a constant search

Serikbay Bisekeev - the first Kazakh who was recognized as the best entrepreneur of the year... in Russia. Moreover, our fellow countryman received this high reward from the most authoritative auditing and consulting company in the world - Ernst & Young. As Serikbay himself admits, after this achievement many doors were opened for him, and he also expanded his entrepreneurial presence in Kazakhstan. With his innovative proposals he has already saved the state budget tens of millions of dollars, but as Serikbay himself acknowledges - business development is just a stepping-stone towards achieving the main goal of his life. And this is truly global - the fight against poverty ... It sounds utopian, but to achieve it the businessman moves in leaps and bounds, at full power, utilising as his main tools his experience and knowledge. The phenomenon of Serikbay Bisekeev should probably be analysed by researchers; we can only offer you an interview with this undoubtedly extraordinary man.

When you were just starting out, most likely you couldn't even imagine what kind of success you'd achieve?

From early childhood I had a principle - to be the first. Sport helped me to strengthen this understanding. I started making money in university: my friends and I brought electrical equipment from Russia to the Baltic States. I do not have rich relatives, I did not take any loans from banks: I earned my first capital by myself. There are three of us in my family - I am the eldest, with two younger sisters. It was necessary to help the family, so I had to take responsibility early on. Of course, at that time I was not thinking about any mission. For quite a long time I saved up, then I opened my first business - selling GSM standard cell phones in Russia. Then for the first time I began to think about how to change the world - to deliver something necessary and useful. My dream was to bring people together to achieve results.

You were born in Kazakhstan, sought an education in Russia and remained there - why?

I went to Russia to get the best knowledge - I studied at the Kalinin Leningrad Polytechnic Institute. Many returned home after graduating from university, but I realized that at this stage I could not offer anything to Kazakhstan. I did not want to be one of the multitude and perform some menial, mechanical work. I craved knowledge. I had to return to Kazakhstan with some baggage - some practical experience under my belt. What good is it to beat your chest and say that you are a patriot if you don't do anything to develop the country? My motto in life: a lack of education and lack of qualifications is poverty, while the possession of these things is quite the reverse - it's welfare.

How actively do you develop your business in Kazakhstan?

We diversify our risks - you shouldn't put all your eggs in one basket. We are active on the markets of India, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. Regarding Kazakhstan, we participated in the construction of pipelines, and conduct work in the energy and telecommunications sectors. Many say that it is impossible to win major tenders without connections and acquaintances. We have introduced two technologies that have proved beneficial several times: by offering generators that do not use oil, after doing the calculations it became clear that within five or six years, the state would save about $30 million.

Whose development is it?

American, but the software - the energy management system - is ours. There were difficulties... China, which is engaged in the construction of the pipeline itself, did not want to buy our development, and planned to supply its own absurdly expensive piston engines. It is high time for Kazakhstan to approach projects from the point of view not merely of price, but of long-term considerations. Competitors' equipment may be more expensive at the outset, but in ten years' time it will be much more profitable.

You must have put your team together little by little, since it's not easy to find experts who are able to develop sophisticated technology. Are there many Kazakhs among them?

99 percent are from Kazakhstan - only a few top managers are from Russia; they designate the business-processes only because they have more experience. All the engineering work is carried out by Kazakhstanis - they regularly attend training sessions to improve their skills. It is important to raise competencies. In Kazakhstan, nobody wants to do this because they believe that people may be poached by other companies. My principle is that when something negative happens, not to look for the guilty party, but to first try and work with yourself. If a passerby throws a cigarette butt on the ground, do not become angry - pick up the litter and let the other man be ashamed. You should always start with yourself, and if someone lets you down, look for the cause in yourself: you probably somehow failed to provide your employee with what he needed, and so he moved on to work for your competitor.

When you are let down, you also blame yourself and don't somehow try to influence the offender?

If a person has unintentionally made a mistake - turn a blind eye; if it is repeated regularly - it's clinical, and you should not work with such people. If someone betrays me - I cease communicating with that person. I do not spend time fighting, I have more interesting endeavours. I devote a lot of time to building my team, to motivating them in the right way. We do projects together, and as such have a certain responsibility to each other. I never treat people rudely, even if they depend on me. Creativity and innovation are born where there is respect. Treat employees as equals. My office door is always open - anyone in the company can come and talk to me, and so a lot of initiative comes from the bottom up: people see that their suggestions work, and that they work successfully.

How many employees work for your company?

About two hundred people. We continually attract people. Everything that can be replicated easily is done by outsourcing; everything that makes up our competence - these are the people who we keep on our staff.

You have a very negative attitude towards loans - have you really never taken one?  

I hadn't taken one out until last year - but we've become engaged in a major public procurement, and one of the conditions is the possession of a bank guarantee. Loans should not be taken out at the very beginning, when the future is uncertain and plans are not concrete; but if the business is balanced, the financial risks are diversified - you can take out a loan under some government contract: it becomes a kind of indicator that 'we are together, in the same boat'.

What do you think - if you had not started your business in Russia but in Kazakhstan, would you have attained similar results ?

One is born with the spirit of entrepreneurship - this flair has to be present. I had always desired to be a winner. Here, in Russia, in Singapore... it does not matter - I would still have been successful. It is a different question of whether competencies in Kazakhstan would be lower, since the majority of companies are non-international. Here I have a drink with connected people, negotiate in secret - these are the rules. In Russia, they have a lot more modern technology; a lot of foreigners come and share their knowledge - because society is progressing rapidly.

Aren't you perceived with fear in Kazakhstan? You are a stranger here, but one has to play by your rules ...

Honestly, I'm not too worried about how I'm treated. My mission is to share knowledge. People that I know ask me: "Why do you share everything?". We are engaged in competitive advantage and innovation. It's one thing to talk about it - but just you try and implement it!

Are you a leader by nature, or were you brought up in this spirit?  

It's more likely in the genes! In my case, my upbringing made no difference. I went to sports school at 6 am, and got home at 6 pm - I came back, ate, and worked out for so many years... I was not distracted by yard parties, by drinking or revelry. I studied and played sports all the time. The spirit of leadership is a gift from our ancestors: my grandparents weren't lower class people - they were successful dignitaries. My mother's father was the only Kazakh to be invited to the 300th anniversary celebrations of the Romanov Dynasty.

How often do you see your family - do they live in Singapore?

I was very lucky to find my wife, she's from a down-to-earth educated family - she's independent, grant-winning - she was educated in London, in economics. I got married at age 35, and she was 22. It was important for me to find a woman who combined the qualities I was looking for: a like-minded person, a partner, a lover, the mother of my future children. God gave me such a person. We have two children -  4 and 7 years old. I can always count on her in any situation, wherever I may be. She has always been sympathetic to my crazy schedule, supporting me and taking care of the whole family by herself. This means that I can travel the world and develop my business without any worries. Despite all of this, I still arrange my schedule so that I can be with my family during each school holiday and important family event. Fortunately, with the help of the Internet, distance these days is not such a terrible thing. We are constantly in touch via Skype, Viber and all of the other wonders of technology.

How do you teach children to relate to money?

We are a prime example for them, since they see our values. At this moment in time, we are renting our apartment in Singapore and we get around by taxi. But we are investing in the future of our children. We moved to Singapore in order for our children to grow up in a country without widespread corruption. As a result, the only way for them to excel and make their way in the community and in the workplace is through their knowledge and competences. Since childhood, they have been growing up in a healthy, equal and international society - thus becoming stronger and not corrupted by money. It is far more valuable what you bring to the world.

Expensive shoes, watches and accessories - many believe that these are the indicators of success. What do you feel about this?

In my speeches I often say that most people have an inferiority complex. They believe that if they drive an inexpensive car or wear a cheap watch they will not be acknowledged. Some young assistants reported that in meetings they are often mistaken for the head of the company. As for me, I divide people into interesting and uninteresting. Religion, status, wealth - these are unimportant factors.

And what watch do you wear?

This is a Nardin - my friend gave it to me. It's a great watch - I cannot say that I have never owned a watch, but they were also gifts. But the more I develop as a person, as a professional, the more these luxuries become unimportant to me. Gifts from loved ones, on the other hand, appreciate in value. People have given me gifts from the heart, without fawning, without asking for contracts in return. I myself do not buy expensive luxury items. In my opinion they are a waste: they do not bring profits, but only absorb money. Someone obtains a gorgeous yacht and only uses it five days a year, the other 360 days it is just kept there - throwing away an incredible amount of money. You can rent a much more beautiful yacht and enjoy it for the same amount of time, but save hundreds of thousands of dollars and thus be able to invest that money in developing new businesses. People don't buy a house in Paris in order to live there, but because they stole the money and fear that everything will be taken away from them - and with real estate abroad they feel confident. I do not steal, so I don't buy things that weigh me down.

You do not buy expensive cars or apartments overseas - your goal is clearly not material. What are you looking for?

I see my mission in organizing a systematic approach to training, competencies, global education. For me, there really is a sign of equality between education, wealth and freedom. Most people do not realize this and are content to lie on their couch. If I can create mechanisms that allow Kazakhstan, as an example, to change the level of education and thus the welfare of the nation - I can go and put this in practice in any other country.

You have high and ambitious enough goals - have you never thought of going into politics?

I have received offers. Being engaged in politics means not belonging to oneself; I love my freedom, to be able to move where I want and not to ask anyone for leave. In order to achieve results, most people in politics are forced to say not what they want, but what's necessary. I live in harmony with myself - I do what I want, and I enjoy it.

In your eyes and under your care, have many companies risen to new levels?

I have been consulting for about a year. A lot of companies have implemented my recommendations, and there are results.

Is your advice expensive?

I give it for free.

...There's probably a long list of people who want your consulting?

I don't just criticize in my speeches - I make suggestions and give advice; it may be annoying for some that I am the most intelligent, but it's my personal mission. Before I meet someone, I ask that they familiarize themselves with the basic recommendations available on the Internet - many answers are on my site. I am asked questions, which I group together and write systematic responses that cover different aspects. I have gone even further - conducting video interviews with well-known consultants and businessmen, and have posted them on the internet since they are very informative for interested parties.

You are probably a very organized person - do you have everything planned right down to the minute?

I say to everyone: without a personal organiser, without planning, you will not achieve anything. 50 percent of success is having a personal organiser - having goals planned out for three to five years, with all the steps needed to reach them.

According to Ernst & Young, you became entrepreneur of the year in Russia, and this helped you to become more widely-known - after which, you confess, many doors were opened to you?

I never participated in any competitions, since many such contests are corrupt. The judges of the contest are billionaires, successful entrepreneurs, who determine on the basis of their experience what the contestant has created of use. If he traded raw materials - it means he did not invent anything out of this world, if he created a finished product that is competitive and globally successful - it means something. People searched around with the question: who in Russia has a finished product and can compete globally. Not so many people, as it turned out. When I gave a speech at an economic forum, it was nice that many officials came up to me afterwards and expressed their thanks. It's pleasant when high-ranking people recognize success - it means we are able to do more than just envy, but to respect and even cooperate.

What areas of business are you interested in and do you plan to develop in the near future ?

In addition to telecommunications, I'm interested in renewable energy - it is the future. Nobody wants to pay fabulous sums of money for utilities; the world will change, power plants will close down, there will be no central-heating pipelines or high-voltage power lines across the country - these are vestiges of the past. Each person must decide for himself how much electricity, light, and hot water he wants to use, and what technology is used to produce it .

We are closely following these trends; we have a great team of Russians, Kazakhs, Germans and Britons. We're trying to build a wind farm here, like the president has spoken of, but because the laws don't exist yet it is not possible to do so. Investors cannot come here and invest their money without any warranty - not knowing how they will recover their finances.

In developed countries these laws have been in existence for a long time: our officials do not need to invent anything new. International banks specialising in green energy will not come here unless all the rules of play are set out in our documents.

What kind of future do you prophesy for your children - will you pass your business on to them?

Did you know that inheritance tax in America is 90 percent? Society does not want to support loafers and idlers. Can you imagine Bill Gates giving everything to his heirs? They would not do anything, because they have no motivation. Young people must be self-sufficient, looking out for themselves. All we need to do is to give children a good education and allow them to make their own decisions, then everything will turn out right. Some relatives came to my parents and asked: "How do we raise a successful child?". To which they replied, "Send your child away!". I left my father's home at 16 years of age and I made it.

In your opinion sport and success go hand in hand. Do you think that sport can inspire winning spirit in a person?

I attended sports school for about seven years - I played basketball. It's a fun game - with chess-like moves, constantly looking for ways to reach the goal: it really helps in the development of team management skills. Sport prepares you to be competitive.

There is a stereotype that athletes are of low intelligence ...

These are the results of a system which motivates people in the wrong way. We were one of the few classes who studied well. We were told that if we wanted to take part in competitions, we should not fall behind in our studies. I am grateful to my class teacher and my coach, who did not follow the system by regarding sports achievements as being of paramount importance. Athletes were frequently pulled from their studies, but this position destroyed the destinies of many people. The guys actually turned out to be no good as either athletes or workers.

Are you involved in charity?

We have an appropriate programme, but we try not to propagate it. Freedom and time are among the most expensive things in the world. Time has its equivalent in money. When I am asked to fund some charity project, I say no. I have my priorities; no one helped me, but it is very important to have valuable advice that saves your time. I try to get this across to people, but not everyone understands. I solve problems systematically, which is much more efficient.

Successful business is a constant search. To some extent, it's a race. Are there times when you're tired of this race? What do you do?

I have a crazy routine, with two or three international flights a week. Many people cannot cope with this, but I enjoy it. While I'm on business trips I get revitalised with new ideas.

You are someone who gives advice, but is there a person who is an authority for you - someone whose opinion you listen to?

I am learning all the time. When I attended the 'Entrepreneur of the Year' event in America, I hung onto every word of those great minds: managers of the world, owners of the largest corporations. I literally felt as if I were on a visit to Mecca.

Since you're talking about Mecca, there's very little Kazakh about you: your style of doing business, your outlook, how you bring up your children. How close are you to your roots? Do you practice any Kazakh traditions and customs?

Smart people are different in that they maintain the good traditions and get rid of the bad. I'm trying to accumulate all the best ones and instil them into my children. In the East, respect for one's elders, for one's brothers and sisters, is really well-developed. All of this bears fruit when it comes to bringing up children.

Let's look into the future. How do you see yourself in old age?  

I do not see myself retired - I believe that I'll be able to continue working until my very last days. We are already very near to using stem cells, in such a way we'll be able to attain higher levels - the possibility of living to be a hundred years old and still being functional. I hope I can change the world, that I can find mechanisms to reduce the gap between rich and poor. My business is just a tool to gain knowledge and money, but my goal is global - to eradicate ignorance, thereby rooting out poverty!

Добавить комментарий