It was such an amazing experience being in a room full of successful founders which I was given the privilege by Alliance Bank & the sponsors. I was one of the 20 finalists shortlisted at the recent SME Innovation Challenge 2015. For more information on the SME Innovation Challenge, please read here, here and here. They all have wonderful stories to share and a good made in Malaysia business concept especially for Malaysians and the world.
When my business prospers, I will certainly join the list of sponsors for the SME Innovation Challenge. Being with new founders, really injects alot of aspiration and motivation. It is not all rosey and beauty for the founders to be where they are today. I was in one of the group that was split into 5, and one of the founders said, she had multiple nervous breakdown and almost kill herself to keep her company afloat. Another founder attended the Biz Smart Academy today and left her barely year old baby in the hospital admitted for dengue. Such were the commitment and dedication by the founders to bring their company to the next level.
We attended the first of the 8 full day training courses organised to equipped businesses with essential ingredients for success. I attended the course with a burning desire to learn, apply and starving for knowledge and success. It was great to be in a hall full of founders with the same huge appetite. The energy was exemplary.
Today's first full day was a course on Strategic Influencing by Eric Lau from Leaderonomics. There are alot of things we took for granted while running a business and Eric, in his hip and passionate presentation backed with strong references to real life case study put alot of senses to many. You should check them out at www.leaderonomics.com.
We also had the pleasure of meeting Christy Ng whom was the 2013 SME Innovation Challenge
Champion. She was generous with sharing her success story and gave some useful tips in tackling those judges during the final pitch. Another guest speaker was Ivan Lee from The Tapping Tapir, the Top 6 finalist for last year's challenge. Victor shared his experience in getting into the top 6. The biggest challenge faced by them two was in canvassing for public votes. They actually went to Pasar Malam and into universities to get students to vote for them!! Eeek!!! I cannot remember when was the last time I went to pasar malam.
Please also check out the businesses that made it to the top 20 finalist for 2015 below and with both palm and five fingers together under the chin ala thai greeting Sawasdeekap, please share and like our pages on Facebook. We are a new, less than 3 years old companies and need all the supports, encouragement and especially your sharing our businesses with your family members, friends and colleagues. That would really meant the world to us.
Get up close and personal with the founders of these 20 companies through the Business Station, BFM 89.90 on the following dates:7 October : Twenty3 Fashion & Sang Kaya
15 October : Bloom This & LYL Technology
21 October : Humble Beginnings & The Alphabet Press
22 October : Signature Snack & Ash Be Nimble
28 October : Kakitangan.com & Simply K
29 October : Chopstick Diner & SnapSell
5 November : Katsana & Freshcart Grocer
11 November : CarBengkel (ME!! both hands straight up!) & KooshBoo
18 November : Servis Hero & Rent A Dress
25 November : Lao Po Recipe & WOBB
This are the synopsis of the top 20 finalists:
Nature of Business: Malaysia made affordable and quality athletic and active wearFounders: Hui Mathews
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashbenimble
Website: http://www.ashbenimble.com
Sector: Floral
Nature of Business: E-commerce that delivers luxury flowers by subscription
Founders: Giden Lim, Penny Choo
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bloomthis
Website: http://www.bloomthis.co/
3) CarBengkel (that's me, hands up high)!!! Please add, like and share me!!)
Sector: Automotive Services
Nature of Business:
A mobile application that matches the needs for car maintenance to the services offered by car workshop leveragin on GPS, Mobile and push technology
Founders: Armin Baniaz Pahamin, Amnan Bazli Pahamin.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carbengkel
Website: www.CarBengkel.com
Download apps at: http://carbengkel.com/download/client
Sector: F & B
Nature of Business: A food delivery business offering wholesome and healthy home cooked food delivered straight to your doorstep.
Founder: Elaine Ho Chin Hsia
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chopstickdiner
Website: http://www.chopstickdiner.com
Nature of Business: A local online grocer that delivers fresh local and imported fruits right to your doorstep
Founders: Jonathan Ho Chin Hsia, Soh Shangrong
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myfreshcart
Website: http://www.freshcart.com.my/freshcart
Sector: F & B
Nature of Business: Cake online delivering system with option to customize the cake
Founder: Amos Chong Kai Seng
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HumbleBeginningsMilleCrepe
Website: http://humblebeginnings.com.my
Sector: Human Resource
Nature of Business: A leave application system that aims to reduce HR data consolidation work
Founders: Effon Khoo, Ken Wang, Kenneth Foo
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kakitangandotcom
Website: http://www.kakitangan.com
Sector: Technology
Nature of Business: Modern vehicle tracking technology
Founder: Syed Ahmad Fuqaha Syed Aqil
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KatsanaGPS
Website: https://www.katsana.com/
Sector: Fashion
Nature of Business: A boho-chic Malaysia designed and made children's premium fashion label
Founders: Natasha Navin, Natalia Navin
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kooshbookids
Website: http://kooshboo.com
Sector: F & B
Nature of Business: Supplies Dau Hua to major cities in East Malaysia. Their product "Dou Hua" is made of original bean powder and is gypsum free
Founders: Ken Wom Tzy Kang
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laopodouhua
Website: not available
Sector: Mobile App
Nature of Business: LYL Technology plans to provide Malaysia's massive pool of foreign worker with content streaming apps
Founders: Mehedi Hassan, Looi Yin Lin
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lyl2u
Website: http://www.lyl2u.com
Nature of Business: Malaysia's first one-stop rental portal of authentic designer dresses, accessories
Founders: Chiu Hui Shuen
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rentadress.com.my
Website: http://www.rentadress.com.my/
Sector: F & B
Nature of Business: Coconut centric company, founded on the philosophy of manifesting the beneficial values of coconuts as consumables, starting with ice-cream products.
Founders: John Ho Chee Kiong
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sangkaya
Website: http://www.sangkaya.co
Nature of Business: Service Hero seeks to provide an online-marketplace latform that allows consumers to conveniently and efficiently connect with relevant heroes (e.g. plumbers)
Founders: Karl Loo, Jason Kang
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/servishero
Website: http://servishero.com/
Nature of Business: Introduce fresh package food to Asia consumers through its online ordering platform (Box subscription e-commerce)
Founders: Edwin Wang, John Cheng
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/signaturesnack
Website: http://www.signaturesnack.com
Sector: Fashion
Nature of Business: A collection of exquisite accessories that are thoughtfully hand crafted with precision and meticulous detail and attention to quality
Founders: Kamae lee
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/simplyk.co
Website: http://www.simplyk.co/
Sector: Online Shopping
Nature of Business: A mobile marketplace that provides one stop solution for mobile commerce. Users can easily snap a picture and start selling through their mobile application.
Founders: Swee Wai Hoow
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GetSnapSell
Website: https://www.snapsell.my
Sector: Stationary
Nature of Business: Bespoke letterpress stationary company that is pioneering the letter press print renaissance in Malaysia
Founders: Cliff Leong, Zeejay Wong
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheAlphabetPress
Website: http://thealphabetpress.com
Sector: Fashion
Nature of Business: Female fashion focused on marrying design and creaticity with the efficiency of the fast fashion segment.
Founders: Sherlyn Tan
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/twenty3my
Website: http://www.twenty3.my
Sector: Recruitment
Nature of Business: Job App for Gen Y - Help young professionals find employers that want to hire the best talent, with insights into the company culture
Founders: Derek Toh
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wobbjob
Website: http://www.wobb.my
I look forward to the next session and perhaps, I can get up close and personal to listen to their struggles and successes so we can all learn, adopt and adapt.
Until next blog, Stay Tuned.
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