THREE Malaysian firms were the focus of a business forum hosted by DARE (Darussalam Enterprise) on the qualities and principles of a successful entrepreneurship.
Titled ‘Entrepreneurship is a Choice, not a Last Resort’, the forum featured SME Corp Malaysia, Serunai, and FashionValet as part of the main events yesterday, at the Brunei Job Fair 2016 at the Bridex Hall, Jerudong.
Datuk (Dr) Hafsah binti Hashim, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at SME Corp Malaysia, shared her experiences with the audience: “In the last 20 years, Malaysia has faced three economic crises, and during that period, many small and medium enterprises (SMEs) were set up,” she said, adding that business enterprises are usually born from good ideas.
Tan Veen Dee, the head of marketing at FashionValet, meanwhile said that an idea is not just the beginning of entrepreneurship, it is also about how people respond to it, and more importantly how that same idea will generate money.
Amnah Shaari, the founder of Global Halal Data Pool (GHDP), and CEO at Serunai Commerce Sdn Bhd, said that independence is one of the benefits of being an entrepreneur, in addition to being as one’s own boss.
“Passion is important,” Datuk (Dr) Hafsah told the audience. “DARE and SME Corp Malaysia being each other’s equivalent, offer as much support as we can to SMEs, but it doesn’t determine the win for that particular SME. That decision is all up to you.”
Tan also added that persistence and determination are the attributes of a successful entrepreneur: “Everyone has an idea, but how do you turn that idea into revenue?” she asked, citing several designers who were initially enthusiastic to have their work featured on the FashionValet portal, but were never heard of again after that.
Three representatives of Malaysian firms who shared their insights on entrepreneurship were the focus of a business forum held at the Job Fair 2016 at the Bridex Hall, Jerudong, yesterday. – DARE
She also disclosed that their team at FashionValet “has been shot down, over and over again. Just stick to your original idea, remember why you wanted to start that product in the first place, and don’t give up.”
According to Amnah Shaari, “You know that you are already an entrepreneur, when you can’t sleep because you have an idea which you think is the greatest thing in the world and that is all you can think about.”
Amnah, 53, started her own business at the age of 28, and says that she loves being her own boss. “It doesn’t matter how old you are. If you want to be an entrepreneur, then do it,” she said, adding. “Everyone will say no, and the banks will say no. Just don’t give up and Insya Allah, you will succeed.”
“The main things you need to remember when it comes to starting a business are your target audience, market demand, competitors,” said Tan. “Understand your brand image and identity and find out which one has the best payment gateway, packaging and logistics. Also find out how much marketing will cost, and don’t forget to use social media.”
