MiBrand Business Magazine

Appreciation to Your BrandPP18624/12/2014(034094) Founders & MoversRM10.00 | Vol.1 Issue1 Start Something Beautiful Together WinButihldeTrSusatle& P9 10 Most Talked About Malaysian Indian Brands P40 12 Best Ways to Generate Good Business Ideas? P53



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mibrand.my EDITOR’S VIEW PUBLISHER We are proud to present the first ever issue of the MiBrand MiBrand is published by Magazine; we hope you will find it informative and useful to grow Biz Zoom Media Malaysia Sdn Bhd your business. Unit 10-01, The Vertical II, Tower B, We had a VISION – to create an authentic innovative and inspiring Avenue 3, Bangsar South City, entrepreneurial publication for the growing number of Malaysian Indian businessmen. This has been no small feat, one made easier No.8, Jalan Kerinchi by an extraordinary team of like-minded passionate game changers 59200 Kuala Lumpur who think and do great things for the community and Malaysian Tel: 603 2242 0550 Indian businesses. Fax: 603-2242 4994 So, what is MiBrand all about? In a world full of imitation and E-mail: [email protected] replication, we wanted to do something different, something that PP18624/12/2014(034094) would stand out beyond the print. We wanted you to capture the message behind the story; to inspire CHAIRMAN you by providing the ‘HOW ?’ so that you may attain your own vision Tan Sri S Veerasingam and goals in your unique way. This magazine is for you, the people who challenge status quo, who shake things up, who ask ‘WHY ?’ ADVISOR Throughout the sections, you will find featured stories on Jaggarao Simancha entrepreneurs, doable business ideas, informative business articles and inspiring insights. EDITOR-IN-CHIEF The past few months have been really hard times to turn out the first Bhaawaani Visunathan edition of MiBrand Magazine. We had some wonderful moments too, like interviewing Mr. G.Thirumurugan, the MD of Petal Florist, who is MANAGING EDITOR such a warm person; he gives away more than his share of care to Arikrishnan Subramanian the society. MiBrand Magazine is testament that anything is possible when you ASSOCIATE EDITOR have a clear vision and focus. Prior to launching this print magazine, R Navaaneetha Krishnan we already have our online website, ‘mibrand.my’ with articles written by writers from across the globe. Do subscribe today. WRITERS Hopefully there is something for everyone in MiBrand Magazine and Arikrishnan Subramanian mibrand.my; if you do have any questions, suggestions or even R Navaneetha Krishnan complaints for us, please feel free to communicate, you are part of our team now. Mae-Ziele Nyara Joe Thank You for connecting with Mibrand, we look forward to walking Malini S.Rajan the journey with you. Enjoy Growing With MiBrand. Nicholas Raj Establish A Goal that Scare You ADMINISTRATIVE/CIRCULATION OFFICER Ramesh Visunathan DESIGNER TMMEDIA Sdn Bhd PRINTER SKS Print Sdn Bhd No. 5, Jalan Haji Abdul Karim 53, Off Jalan Sungai Jati 41200 Klang, Selangormibrand.myWhist every effort has been made to ensurethat the content of this publication isaccurate and up to date and correct in everyway, the publishers cannot be heldresponsible or liable for any inaccuracies orerrors with the publication.Copyright & reprint: Informationreproduced from this publication isprotected under the copyright act. All rightsreserved. No material may be reproduced inpart or in whole without the prior writtenconsent of the publisher and copyrightholder. Permissions may be requested bysending an email to [email protected]: The views and opinions expresses inMibrand Magazine are not necessarily the viewsof the publisher

CONTENTSAIR ASIA SELLS NOT JUST AIR TICKETS; 2 PUBLISHER COLUMN & EDITOR'S VIEW 6THEY SELL A DREAM 4 BIZ BITS FEATURED 12 SMALL BUSINESS IDEA 9 BUILD TRUST AND WIN THE SALE 16 SIX SCOPES OF ETHICS IN BUSINESS MANAGEMENT 40 10 MOST TALKED ABOUT MALAYSIAN INDIAN BRANDS 18 HOW THE LIVE FEATURE BENEFITS MARKETING 53 12 BEST WAYS TO GENERATE GOOD BUSINESS IDEAS? 21 10 TIPS FOR BUILDING AN EFFECTIVE BUSINESS WEBSITE 24 INDULGE IN A CREATIVE ONLINE BUSINESS IDEA 29 SIX EASY WAY TO BOOST YOUR SMALL BUSINESS 38 VOX POPULI 44 SHOULD YOU VISIT A CHIROPRACTOR? 46 FAMOUS QUOTES BY AKIO TOYODA 48 FREE TOOLS TO MANAGE BUSINESSES 52 SURVEY 31START SOMETHING 53 12 BEST WAYS TO GENERATE GOOD BUSINESS IDEAS?BEAUTIFUL TOGETHER 57 HOW TO HAVE THE BEST DRESS ON A BUDGET? 60 LEADERSHIP SECRETS OF GREAT MALAYSIAN CEO'S 3

BIZ BITSBBiitzs TRIPVISS LAUNCH TRIPSHARE Malaysia based global online travel platform and community Tripviss, announced the launch of its new feature, Tripshare. This exciting new feature seeks to revolutionize the way travellers explore the world by providing the means to craft custom itineraries that are open for everyone around the world to join. Initially started as an online platform for travellers to customize their trips, Tripviss now has broadened its focus to offer more savings by connecting travellers worldwide via Tripshare which is now available to everyone. By enabling travellers to create and join Tripshares, travellers get to save more by cost-sharing custom trips made by other travellers. FIRST EVER PwC TRUST BULDER CHALLENGE PwC Malaysia declared three teams from locally-based universities as winners of the first PwC Trust Builders Challenge. PwC Malaysia Managing Partner, Sridharan Nair who was one of 5 Judges , said 137 teams of three students each from locally-based universities took part in the challenge. He added, “we believe that we can encourage the next generation of leaders to help influence what trust looks like in the future. Hence, the idea of PwC Trust Builders, a trust building challenge for university students was born.” 4

BIZ BITS NATIONAL FOOD VALLEY Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said a special team will be established to ensure the agriculture and agro-based industry achieves its five per cent contribution to the Gross Domestic Product . Meanwhile, Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir said the government aspired to make Perak as the national food valley as the state is among the largest producer of agriculture food EUR 100 MILLION SOFTWARE GRANT Global Powerhouse Siemens AG President and CEO, Mr. Joe Kaeser and Siemens Malaysia President and CEO Mr Prakash Chandran made a public announcement to invest EUR100 million worth of software grant to local universities and colleges to boost re-skilling and increase training capability in preparation for the next industrial age in Malaysia. Mr Kaesar mentioned that Siemens can provide first-class help on establishing software tools for the industrial Internet to be applied to areas of manufacturing like Industrie 4.0, and will willingly grant the sum of EUR100mil worth of software to universities and colleges so that the young generation can learn to simulate in the virtual world of manufacturing. The Lorry Founders Listed in Forbes 30 under 30 Asia 2017 Goh Chee Hau and Nadhir Ashafiq Zainal Abidin co-founders of The Lorry that offers on demand cargo transportation services are among top 30 Asian listed in Forbes 30. The start up founded in September 2014, cargo transportation services throughout Malaysia, connecting thousands of lorry and van owners with customers who wish to move anything – from household appliances to commercial cargo TheLorry says it earns through a commission out of every transaction. Coca-Cola Malaysia aim to train 20,000 micro entrepreneurs by 2020 The Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry (KPDNKK) is collaborating with Coca-Cola Malaysia to produce 20,000 micro entrepreneurs by 2020. Coca-Cola Malaysia would provide a training module programme, which covers all aspects on how to start a business, to keep daily records and to manage income and expenses. While, the ministry, on the other hand, would provide consultancy on business regulations and micro credit to the entrepreneurs, KPDNKK Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin told press after launching the programme. 5

STRATEGYaAstheiirrelltyAsicssnkieoaeltltsaju; dstreamWhat is Your Competitive Advantage?The needs and wants of the market do not differmuch. Everyone needs food, clothing, shelter,technology, and so on. How then can businessesshine through all the competition?Why would someone buy an iPhoneinstead of a Samsung Galaxy?This is where ‘Competitive Advantage’ comes intoplay. What do you have to offer which is differentfrom your competitors and beneficial to yourcustomers? That is your competitive advantage. 6

STRATEGYWhen Do You Identify Your Competitive Advantage?Is competitive advantage accidental? Is it something you cook up at the marketing level? The renowned marketingguru, Michael Porter in his book, Competitive Advantage (1985) defined the two ways in which an organization canachieve competitive advantage over its rivals; cost advantage and differentiation advantage.The cost advantage is when a business provides the same products and services as its competitors, albeit at a lessercost. Differentiation advantage is when a business provides better products and services than its competitors.In Porter’s view, strategic management should be concerned with building and sustaining competitive advantage.A businesses’ competitive advantage should be spelled out as early as the business plan writing stage. Marketing isonly a tool to highlight the competitive advantage to the masses. The answer to the question is that competitiveadvantage needs to be identified at the product or service development stage itself.How Can a Competitive Advantage Boost Your Business?Competitive advantage gives prospective customers a reason to choose your product or service over another.Competitive advantage, in fact, is not just something for businesses but also for individuals. What sets us apart fromothers? Why should I get this job as opposed to the other candidate? A competitive advantage will give you andyour business a reason to exist.It is your business offer to the market, a promise your business is making and you will be motivated to always keepto that promise. Developing a good competitive advantage automatically creates advocates amongst customers foryour business. Happy customers who benefited from your offer are definitely going to speak to others about yourproduct and services. This word-of-mouth marketing aspect will help boost the bottom line.Marketing Your Competitive AdvantageIs word-of-mouth alone enough to shout out your competitive advantage? Probably not. Once a competitiveadvantage is identified, a proper marketing plan needs to be put in place to get the word out there.Various techniques and tactics can and should be used. A business should not shy away from advertising, publicrelations and below and above the line promotion methods to market its products and services. Businesses oftenneglect marketing due to budget constraints.However, marketing does not necessarily be an expensive investment, especially this day and age with the presenceof powerful tools in the social media network infrastructure.Marketing can be almost free if the selected channels are properly utilized. Based on a reasonable budgetallocation, you can easily create an impactful marketing campaign that will work positively in positioning yourproduct and services.Public Relations is another powerful tool to lower the marketing cost but can increaseyour reach and credibility.Public Relations is a paid-up form of advertising and is a credible source of promotion.Development of the said competitive advantage is extremely important; If it is something that was never donebefore and something that delivers greater benefits to your customers, you can comfortably talk about it in the massand social media at no cost at all. 7

STRATEGYAir Asia-Competing With an AdvantageOn 2 December 2001, a heavily-indebted airline was bought over and rebranded by former Time Warner executiveTony Fernandes thru his company, Tune Air Sdn Bhd for the token sum of one ringgit (about USD 0.26 at the time)with USD 11 million (over MYR 40 million) worth of debts.AirAsia now operates at the globally lowest unit cost while recording profits in the billions. AirAsia has been recentlynamed the World’s Best Low-Cost Airline at the 2016 Skytrax World Airline Awards. It is also Asia’s Best Low-CostAirline for the eighth year running.Air Asia has become a household brand in Malaysia and beyond in less than a decade. How did a low-cost carrierwhich had no market in Malaysia or neighboring regions in 1996 emerge successfully? It was nothing but a mindblowing competitive advantage. Air Asia sold not just air tickets, they sold a dream.Air Asia’s key competitive advantage was the offering of a travel dream with the most affordable pricing. It is notsomething new. There are thousands of budget airlines around the world, however, Air Asia’s business model isdesigned to offer the customers almost full-service carrier services within a budget. Air Asia has also managed toadd many exciting destinations in their route map and thus enable people to liven up their travel dreams. They alsohad a competitive advantage of being one of the first low-cost movers in the region.Great leadership is also a big contributor to Air Asia’s success. Air Asia is also big on marketing;they are experts in getting the word out there. They tell common people stories of affordabletravel that excites the population.Their competitive advantage: Now Everyone Can Fly!So, if you have a business idea, start thinking about what ‘Competitive Advantage’you can offer your would be customers. Make it an unique one, learn how tomarket it and thus win in the business! 8

SALESBWuinildThTreuSsta&le The importance of trust can be particularly noticed in professional services such as medical, legal, accounting, insurance – you do not share the truth if you do not trust the lawyer and doctors. The best way to increase sales of products and services is to develop trust. 9

SALESThe basic way to be successful in building trust is to sell yourselfbefore you sell the product or service. If your customer trusts as anindividual, he shall go on to trust your recommendations. What areyou doing to build trust in the minds of your customers?As a professional sales person, you must first However, only trust can win over the customer to makeunderstand what is likely to separate you out the purchase. When sales person makes statements suchfrom the others in the customer’s mind. Trust as: “We’ll work harder for you”, “We provide better service”is an emotional feeling; most purchase and “We’ll be there when you need us”, the customer’sdecisions are made emotionally when the mind is triggered to ask, “Will this really happen?”.sales presentation clicks the ‘trust’ button. Without trust, these statements are meaningless.A sales person can provide good references, talk about The truth is, you are asking customers to trust youhow good the company is, reveal the whole clientele list first,even before they decide on the purchase.including hard data on performance. Salespeople are often taught to sell value, but can value always be quantified?Building trust takes more than making statements, it requiresactions specifically designed to grow the feeling of trust that youdeserve; you must work to earn the trust. 10

SALESHERE ARE SOME SPECIFIC ACTIONS THAT CAN INCREASE YOUR CUSTOMER’S PERCEPTION OF TRUST IN YOU.BE DEPENDABLE - This is perhaps the most important element of trust. If you say you will do something, do it!Your dependability in action will have a significant effect on your customer’s perceptions of, and trust in you.BE SPECIFIC - Use specific language in what you say and do to increase the perception of trust. For example, say “I’llget back to you before four o’clock tomorrow” instead of just, “I’ll get back to you on that.” Then, do itby calling him before your self-imposed deadline to emphasize your dependability.USE VARIETY - Find ways to demonstrate your quality in various situations, across a variety of issues, even that youthink are unimportant. When your customer talks to other people, he will surely mention this. So, nowyou will get more customers!DO THE UNEXPECTED - Customers often wonder whether we really mean what we say or we are just playing a role.Unexpected actions not directly relate to the sale or some thoughtful action like providing useful information helpcustomers become more trustful.MENTION THE NEGATIVES - Carefully selected minor negatives concerning your product or service can be mentionedto increase the perception of trust. Naturally, the negative that is pointed out should be something that is easily offsetby positive features.SHARE SECRETS - Trusted friends share secrets. The “secrets” you provide, of course, should be relevant and should notbe common knowledge. Be wary that the customer shares some harmful secret he might have!POINT OUT SIMILARITIES - People tend to trust others who are similar to themselves. These could be similarities inage, education, family, relatives, friends, hobbies, experiences, concerns, preferences, etc.CHOOSE A COMMON ENEMY - As you talk with the customer, find out if you have common dislikes. This could involvepolitics, foods, ideas or habits. A common enemy is a good topic for discussion!USE HUMOR - People tend to be more trusting of people when they are tickled. Casual jokes and funny situationsdevelops trust; Just be careful not to overdo it. It is important to maintain your image of professionalism.Ultimately, your overall performance will build strong customer trustin you. The above actions can help you get past the threshold of trustneeded to clinch the deal. 11

BUSINESS IDEASMALLBUSINESSIDEASIN KUALA LUMPUR We often read articles about how to run a small business, how to start a small business and how to grow a small business, etc. However, how often does someone help pitch potential ideas that accommodate the current market? How often do we get told what are the small business opportunities? The answer is not often if not, not at all. Kuala Lumpur is an innovative city, in the geometrically small country of Malaysia. It is a city thriving with opportunities, international connections and a diverse community to cater too. Today in this article is to address the small business ideas that would be beneficial in the Malaysian community, and more precisely the society of Kuala Lumpur itself. 12

BUSINESS IDEAEducation is a necessity in today society, as certifications have beenrecognized as the evidence to determine ones ability, therefore thecommunity’s response to an educational opportunity is almost guaranteed.Small businesses tend to market prominently online as it is the most feasible way to goabout things, and is certainly effective in the current age. People are no longer justgoing to school; they are looking for other ways to enhance their skills before enteringthe working world.Being a part of the rat race has never been an attractive option, but is understood to be the norm.The “Y” generation is aggressively fighting this norm with their persistence, innovation and desireto make side income from young ages and beat the race before they fully commit to it. Thisevolution of the modern mentality has provided many opportunities to aid of this endeavor.There are many ways ONLINE EXAMINATIONyou can make a TRAININGsmall business out ofthe education Students attend lessons in classes or lectureindustry such as: halls, then normally proceed home and do their assignments. It is as simple as that.ONLINE TUITION However, who prepares them solely forMost adolescents today are drawn to examinations?there smart phones or the Internet insome way or another. Exam’s have a certain way of testing a student, starting an online examinationTherefore, physical books are not as training would appeal to the most studios ofconducive and appealing to them, as they students and even those who are not veryare use to bit size information and it being academic but certainly need all the help,from the screen. coaching and tips necessary to pass.Having an online tuition website, withinteractive questions online say can answeronline, apps they can download inconjunction to the website and apersonalized account on the website so theycan monitor their progress individuallywould add a fun and more realisticapproach to the general afterschool tuition.Flare for writing?WRITING CONTENT COMPANYA lot of companies have their strengths; marketing, consultancy, research, service, etc.However, outsourcing of freelance writers has become such a go-to solution when itcomes to curating content for those industries.A company that is prominently available for the outsourcing of creative and enthusiastic writerswould really feed the communities needs, and also build writing profile for the individualemployee’s, giving them a chance to work across industries and clients. 13

BUSINESS IDEA EDITING AND PROOF READING BUSINESS RESUME COMPOSITION, COACHING COMPANY Similar to the writing content company, a editing and proof reading business People tend to have a difficulty when would be equally as appealing. composting a resume that would be effective on the international stage. For companies who want to do their writing ‘in house’ but need a professional’s eye to Professionalism, and presentation in this run through the articles before publication sector is not always taught in school so is also sought for in the working world. having a company dedicated to aiding this demand would be appreciated. So why not have a business fully dedicated Coaching on work ethic, preparation and to that aspect? how to be ready for an interview would all be useful skills any fresh graduate, school drop out of career changer needs.Problem Solvers ONLINE CONSULTATIONPROBLEM SOLVING As everyone is almost always on the net,APPLICATION having a virtual consultation service rather than a physical one may be moreApplication usage on smart phone has appealing and user friendly to thisobviously heightened with the usability generation and the ones yet to come.and commonness of the ‘screen’, Consultation in general is always neededEveryone encounters day to day problems, and required whether personal and workso as google is currently the go-to method, related, therefore the market for this servicewhat is there was an app to cater directly to would be vast and reach demand quiteyour community, where you can search your quickly.problem and get direct solutions andreferences to nearby services or simplyanswers to those unasked questions thathave been troubling you. 14

BUSINESS IDEAAre you an organizer? START A PERSONAL ASSISTANT BUSINESSSTART AN EVENTPLANNING BUSINESS Similarly, if you are great at keeping on task and getting things done efficientlyIf you get excited over a well-planned and in an organized manner, starting aitinerary, you may want to look into personal assistant business might be astarting an event planning business. good fit for you.From weddings to parties to corporate Personal assistants are highly sought for byevents, if you can rise above the big corporations, and even small ones. Acompetition, event planning is an ideal little extra help is always needed. Asmall business idea for creative, and unique company to outsource these personnel’sorganizing entrepreneurs. would be a good business scheme and go-to solution for the Malaysian companies.Food and BeverageHAWKER FOOD DELIVERYWith food panda at our service, thecommunity has found even morecomfort in their homes.One thing Malaysian are known for is therelove for food, so why not start a deliveryservice that partners with favorite hawkerdelights that to can be delivered to the footof your home.OFFICE FOODCATERING BUSINESSOffices can sometimes be very isolatedin industrial parks and so forth, officesalso do not always give much lunchtime to grab a bit and going out andhunting for what to eat and where toeat can take up a lot of that alreadylimited time.Starting a catering business that targets tocomposition of set meals for major officesand the working environment would be avery beneficial solution to the societyI hope this article intrigued you in the possible business scheme that wouldbe easy to start with the right passionate and determination.The Malaysian community is very diverse and has a lot of needs therefore a lot ofopportunities.Can not wait to see the new small businesses popping up across KualaLumpur to cater to the community and fulfill the “be your own boss” dream. 15

ETHICSoSMBfiuxaEsnSitnahcegiocsepssmeinsent Ethics deals with aspects of human behavior regarding the rightness and wrongness of certain actions and the goodness and badness of the motives and results of such actions. It is a branch of philosophy on values relating to human conduct. Productivity, profit, benefits are no longer goals but consequences and rewards for actions. They measure the progress of the community toward the ultimate goal of improved life conditions for the majority, if not for all but should not be for only a few. Sustainable businesses rely on adequate values and ethical conduct.1 BUSINESS ETHICS Business ethics applies to all aspects of business conduct and is relevant to the conduct of individuals and entire organizations. It means doing a legal, transparent and honest business acceptable to normal society. Such business culture generally involves honoring contracts, being accountable, practice honesty with regards to the quality and safety of products and services, may be summed up as honest business practices. Examples of unethical business practice are false advertising, supplying expired goods, selling cigarettes, alcohol or drugs to minors and evading taxes. It is important that businesses create trust with customers, clients and partners in order to grow and sustain their position.2 WORKPLACE ETHICS Workplace ethics are moral guidelines specific to a business environment. This applies to each employee at the workplace, the top management, the salesperson, the administration, the security personnel; all of them. The behavior includes everything from honesty to decency, with customers and colleagues. Knowledge of and adherence to workplace ethics contributes to the individual’s value as an employee or business owner. As such, it leads to greater cohesiveness and longevity of the business. 16

ETHICS3 EMPLOYEE AND MANAGEMENT ETHICS Employee management ethics starts with hiring methods and end with firing practices within the organization. During employment all matters pertaining to the overall treatment of employees is relevant to the proper conduct of the business. Ethical hiring practice entails assessing each candidate according to his or her capabilities and potential value to the company, rather than discriminatory or other superficial considerations. Treat employees with respect and dignity in the workplace and refrain from being abusive or degrading in managing the human resources.4 PERFORMANCE ETHICS Criticisms of job performance should be private while positive comments and encouragement may be done a little openly. A guide for the expected job performance should be made clear to the employee from the beginning with a job specification document if feasible. Disputes among employees should be resolved in just, fair and impartial manner. Ethical practice needs to be observed if and when termination of employment is called for. Except in cases of extreme employee misconduct, management should observe due process to resolve the problem before termination is considered. The employer must provide employees with adequate notice and opportunity for redress as stated in the appointment contract or as required by law. This area is quite well spelt out, but actual practice can always be improved.4 SEXUAL ETHICS Employees should be free from unwanted sexual advances or inappropriate comments. This is of particular concern for female employees, but men and individuals with alternative sexual orientation are also subject to this unwarranted behavior. Employees should always treat each other with respect, and management should create an environment where sexual harassment shall not be tolerated.5 DIVERSITY ETHICS Respect for diversity is important, especially in the Malaysian workplace environment. Employees should be free from comments and behavior offensive to their particular ethnic and cultural differences. The human being should not be discriminated by gender, caste, creed, race, ethnicity and religion. Every employee must be treated with dignity and respect. The workplace environment should maintain a policy of tolerance for differences of religion, race, gender, sexuality and culture. Diversity ethics extends to hiring and promotion practices too. We see this breach in the Malaysian context more often than desirable.6 ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS Business owners, managers and employees should not wantonly disregard environmental concerns. This includes managing air, water and other resources to reduce or avoid all kinds of pollution. Any industrial activity should adhere to set guidelines as well as be made safe for the people concerned. Needless disruption of the surrounding community and nature must be minimized. Environmental ethics also involves incorporating values of environmental sustainability into business practices. With due observance of ethics and values in an organization, we can be assured of harmonious growth and sustained evolution of the business to its fullest potential. 17

DIGITAL MARKETINGHSSmoocwaialtllhBMeue“sldiinviaee”scsFaeensaBtuerneeofintMajority of small businesses would agree that their main agent for business marketing isonline. Any businessman would also agree that the main source of revenue for a businessis through their marketing tactics. So how do these two factors intertwine?What if there was a relatively new innovative marketing tactic that is based online? Here is a tactic that isable to address customers on a more personal level and make your business seem more accessible all ofwhich is done online. Online marketing is cost efficient, reliable and reaches a markets beyond boarderswith more ease than physical methods.So what is this method?The Live feature has been introduced on two major social media platforms – Facebook and Instagram,and it basically allows you to be live in real time with friends, family, followers, and in our case,customers via video.If you are not already using ‘video’ to help promote your products, services, or to simply engage with yourcustomers, it is about time to catch up. Live video is a prominently used feature that brings life to your business andhelps give viewers a behind-the-scenes insight into your business. It is also a great tool to help explain, answer andpromote new elements of your business.How does “Live” feature directly enhance the online marketing tactic?Tip: You should mostly set up a live event in advance. This gives people a chance to gather and be more ready forwhen you switch on that button.Educate your audience.Educating your audience is a good indirect way to promote your business and its services. To be the go-tosolution, your business needs to aggravate the need and its necessity in the community.Hosting a live video to talk about your businesses industry and the benefits your business contributes to certainissues in real time will create a chance for the public to emote and really feel your businesses message. 18

DIGITAL MARKETINGBroadcast an event.Events are tons of fun, and a lot of businesses host at least one, perhaps to celebrate an annualachievement or to celebrate an occasion. Broadcasting the event lets people who are not there celebratewith you, making them feel like they are in the same joyous moment and a part of your ‘toast’.By doing this you are also giving the viewers an insight about how your company is on a fun level, and everybodylikes to have fun. This makes you company more human, memorable, and perhaps even makes your companybecome to topic for the week after that amazing event you hosted.Hold a Q&A session.Customers are human; humans are curious beings making us very inquisitive. Giving customers a chanceto throw out questions and have them answered in real time gives them additional confidence and makesme feel assured that you truly care about their satisfaction and their concerns.A Q&A session can and will sometimes go of the topics of your business, but that is okay. Having your companyinteract with the customers/followers on this feature will make your business resonate with a lot of positivejudgements, which is certainly good for business.Word of mouth is very powerful to date even with the amount of technology circulating us. Havingcustomers/followers have a positive outlook about your business, and even having your employee’s or the CEOhim/herself engage with everyone will leave the company with knowledge and honest feedback for improvement.We all know that feedback forms are most commonly turned down, so this is a new creative way to get feedback,and to answer those unanswered inquires.Put on a webinar.We all know how ‘youtuber’ has actually become a profession if done correctly, and that is because thepeople of today are willing to learn VIA video.All companies/businesses/organisations have a purpose and motive, using that motive to educate the public willgive customers an insight to your companies vision, mission and its ultimate purpose in a further depth than thesimple sentences used in the description section of a website. 19

DIGITAL MARKETINGBroadcast news about your business.Here you can spontaneously discuss brand new developments or news at the very moment a change has been made toyour business (such as new website changes, new product or service announcement, introducing a new employee, etc.)Broadcasting news about your business is a way to announce new elements, ranging from even things you would notfind important to the customers, such as a new wall colour, funny joke the CEO found, brainstorming, sit them into ameeting about the next seasons ideas etc. These types of news that happen on the day-to-day of your business are the“real” things, it is the elements that gives your business a personality, which will be easier for your customers to relate,emote and find comfort with. A close customer is a loyal customer.So as you can see the list goes on and on… with this feature you can elaborate and explain something that’s relevantto your industry, or discuss current developments in your industry and/or business. It’s all about making your businessup close and personal for your audience, making your business seem like a “friend” someone they want to turn to, andin more professional business terms – the go-to solution.Remember: It doesn't have to be a million dollar video set-up. You can useyour smartphone or a webcam to get the job done, in fact this set-up is evenmore personal, why do you think people watch reality shows? It is all aboutseeing the usually ‘unseen’ aspects.Maybe you don't have anything new and exciting happening, or the desire to host a Q&A session, or any of theabove, but you want to give your audience a look behind the curtain of your business.It helps you because connecting with your audience always adds to your businessesreputation as a company that cares about its customers, and is in touch with the customersin real time. 20

ONLINE BUSINESS 10 TIPS for Building an Effective BUSINESS WEBSITE An online presence has become a modern necessity for any business, even if there is no real intention of e-commerce. The paying customer prefers to search for his needs from local businesses online, while most B2B clients research companies online first. With the many online tools available, it would not be too tough to build one for your enterprise. Whichever software tool you choose, just keep these design principles in mind. 21

ONLINE BUSINESS1 MOBILE ACCESS A large number of shoppers use their mobile phones to make purchases; this has escalated to about 90 percent with the millennials comparing prices and reviewing product choices on their smartphones even while inside the retail stores. Further, many consumers will decide to buy from the competitor if they have a less than satisfactory experience at a website. A successful business website must cater to mobile users.2 FINDERS KEEPERS Typically, a customer chooses a product or service at the nearest store; when browsing the internet, he already has a mental picture of what he wants. Your domain name and appearance must describe your business effectively. Your company name should appear on top and be catchy. You may even create multiple domains that point to the main website. Learn more about what makes an effective domain name, ask around to choose an appealing name and design. Make sure they find you first and then you can keep them forever. Visit qaasoo.com to discover the best ways to select a powerful domain name and create an attractive website.3 CONTACTABLE People want to be able to contact you or your sales team. Your business depends on it. That information should be placed where the customer can find it easily. Website visitors would not be pleased to have to search for a phone number or address if they decide to approach or even visit you. If you use social media to connect with customers, then be sure to put links at the header or footer, where they are easily found.4 EASILY NAVIGABLE The top of most webpages is a navigation menu – limit these to five clearly labeled tabs with relevant webpages organized under them. Oftentimes, clients can get lost and miss what the need to see to make a decision. You would have lost the sale if he is not steered to the information he is looking for. Remember, the website is not yet a physical presence; virtual imagery and a proper mind guide is required to clinch the deal. The surfer must be given a clear way to get back to the home page no matter where he lands.5 UNCLUTTERED PAGES Strategic communication calls for a presentation of information that consumers need to know. Place only relevant information on the webpage. Too much information will burden the mind, making it difficult to arrive at a quick decision. Balance the text and graphics to present a clean page showing only what the customer wants to see. Cut out the social widgets and feeds that do not support the purpose of your business. 22

ONLINE BUSINESS6 BULLS’ EYE Potential clients are often turned off by inaccurate information; wrong numbers, outdated information, grammatical errors and spelling mistakes are very common goof-offs. Proof read and check each page before posting it live; some updates may not tally with previous postings. Accurate facts, clear images and no mistakes are what will make your website popular.7 SPEED UP Slow coaches are never popular and young clients are all the more faster in this internet age. A website that is not fast enough will offer a negative reaction on your brand or company. The customer will then go to the competitor's website if yours takes too much of his valuable time. Make sure your website runs smoothly by keeping the software updated, optimizing videos and images for quicker downloads, and using a website host that can handle your bandwidth demands.8 ACTION ORIENTED Each page on your website should require the customer to perform a simple action – click, link, call, refer, sign-up, download and so on. Ensure the action by having a clear invitation to do just that: a button, a link or a waffle. Make it easy for them so that they do not have to scroll before finding the call to action. Once they do it, there should be a clear result for their effort.9 SIMPLE DESIGN Readable fonts, pastel background colors, dark script and simple language are welcome; animated gifs, unclear imagery and long sentences can reduce focus from the intended sale or purchase. Short paragraphs and bulleted points make the information easier to scan and helps the client arrive at a decision faster.10 PERSONALIZED WEB EXPERIENCE Invest time and effort to present your product or service to the potential client. Create a high-quality online experience with a brand perception that the customer will find hard to forget. Virtual window shoppers love to surf websites before even they know what they are looking for. Impulse buying has always been a driver to get more purchases than the other shop. Your website is your storefront, make it a personal invitation. Include a good photograph of yourself or your team to show that there is a real person who is ready to serve them. Creating a seamless and enjoyable online user experience at your website is sure to bring in the benefits. Those that are making a consistent and agreeable online client experience are receiving the rewards. 23

ECOMMERCE OINNDULLINGEEINBUA SCRINEAETSIVSE IDEA Would you call yourself a chocolate enthusiast? Perhaps you love the taste or perhaps the production,question is whether or not you want to share this devour with other people? Now, what if I say that you can make a profit from this desire? Chocolate makes us swoon. It arouses our passions and tempts our senses. However, some people take this indulgence a step further, whether a hobby or a business idea, in this article will show you how to transform your bittersweet enthusiasm into a money-making adventure by effectively using the Internet as a marketing platform right from the comfort of your home. 24

ECOMMERCE explain a reliable way to executing your small business idea – chocolate via theTHE FIRST step to any business is to Internet.understand the demand of your product, Start-ups require significant investmentsand for chocolate the verdict is in: of time and money. The promise of bigChocolate has successfully gone from earnings and the ideal work condition issinful to unstoppable. the forefront of this form of business, butIn fact, trend-watching firm Datamonitor nothing comes easy, and you need to havenamed chocolate \"the new coffee\" in a list a solid foundation of understanding andof the top 10 trends to watch. persistence.The market for chocolate is so vast, thereis a need for chocolate not only in The media swarms with the college-ageconsumption but even in modern entrepreneurs turning into Internetdecoration to some extend. zillionaires, therefore the success of thisSo stop drooling and take a bite of the platform has spoken for itself.action. Opportunities exist in the demandof the product in chocolate cafes, Starting a home-based business on thechocolate fountains and chocolate Internet has never been easier, with socialeducation, such as tastings. media and free website and blog creatorsThe world of chocolate is wide open for available at your finger tips, getting youranyone to succeed if they take the right small idea across will be a breeze ifsteps. executed correctly. The online platform has truly levelled theSECONDLY you need to take advantage of playing field in the world of business allowing home-based entrepreneurs tothe demand and promote your solution have access to the same types of tools andand this is where the online business marketing opportunities used by the “bigstrategy comes in. players”.Starting an Internet business can soundlike a dream: work from home, set your The traditional brick and mortar businessown hours, be your own boss. However this is no longer necessary to have aarticle will tell you the brutal truth and profitable business in today’s age.Chocolate business is considered a small business idea, therefore it willneed a sufficient amount of networking to get your product across andpenetrate the market to your benefit as well as theirs. 25

ECOMMERCEImagine being able to operate 24hours without having to pay the fees a physicalstore requires? Well, the Internet is a store that never closes. It operates 24 hours aday, seven days a week and gives a business with an online presence a globalaudience. The E-world grows your potential customer numbers and gives yourcustomers greater flexibility and accessibility.It help your company proudly proclaim it’s The online portal is beneficial for your businessenvironmental conscience with it’s decrease in because it lessens operation costs (no need forpaper waste, and allows you to manage your a fancy office, you can work from your garagebusiness from absolutely anywhere in the and nobody cares).world, this will allow you to hit the chocolate Internet marketing is a lot more affordableindustry internationally and give your small than traditional marketing and Internetbusiness idea a global vision. marketing in this era is a lot more effective andThe 21st century customers tend to “google targeted than traditional marketing.search” their inquiries more than look through Since the operation costs are low, the savingsthe papers for the local directory, they even can be passed to the customers and customersprefer to visit your website to find out about like saving money. Making your small businessyour products and services, instead of visiting idea, a go-to solution for its customers.you in person.Due to the introduction of the ever so smart –smart phones, every day people use theinternet more and more to find products theywant to buy and services they want to hire. 26

ECOMMERCE3 KEY WAYSOTONLSIENLEL: CHOCOLATE(1) Chocolate for YOUR network If you are good at making chocolates, your network is the first place to test the waters. You can start selling your creation to your friends and family, and a good platform to promote this would be through the 2 most common social media platforms: Facebook and Instragram. The people within your network know you personally and targeting them first is a good foundation of your new venture, as word of mouth will spread. Keep in mind that you are not starting a business to penetrate the 7 billion people in the world, a more effective way to look at it, is the penetration of 7 billion worlds.Everyone has a network, and penetrating yourown network with your yummy creations willopen doors to your friends and families respectfulnetworks as well. The other method is to collaborate with community events or fundraising projects that can feature your work during their online campaign. This will give your work some exposure and allow you to receive more orders prior to the day of the event. Back in the day, people make posters. In today’s age, posters are as effective as graffiti - they merely exist. But now with the Internet, you can create a webpage containing your contact information and a simple catalogue featuring your chocolate creations. Promotional work is done through “sharing” link on social platform and allowing them to go viral. Chocolate selling in a small scale will not make you a lot of money, but it can certainly showcase your skills to family and friends, and set that reliable foundation for your future endeavours. 27

ECOMMERCEThe first thing that you (2) Chocolate for a Global networkneed to do is to createa business website and Why WordPress? Well, it’s a free publishingin this article I will be platform that comes with a variety of pluginsrecommending – and widgets that can customize a site the wayWordpress. you want. In addition, you can create an online store, which then enables visitors to make orders and have you proceed to ship them directly to the buyers for convenience.It gets even better.As a small business, you want Listing your business on Googleto be listed in the local directory so that offers a lot of advantages such as;whenever someone searches for “Chocolate customers being able to easily findshop in Selangor” for example, your shop will your website and allow easy accessshow up in their result page. for mobile users.To understand if you are listed all you have to You will be able to share videosdo is type “chocolate shop (your locality)” on and photos for your customers toGoogle Search and see what comes up. build trust and confidence in yourSometimes, your business could be featured product, and bring in more traffic tobecause some customers have mentioned your online store.about it on the web before. However, to get abetter control, you as the owner will need toclaim the listing by clicking on this tab that says“claim this business”(3) Chocolate for Reviews If you can master the technique of bringingWhat if you don’t own any business, but just good quality traffic tolike tasting a variety of chocolates? Well, you a website, you cancan write reviews online and still be working earn a pretty decentfrom home. income as an affiliateAll you have to do is find an existing chocolate marketer, full-time.company on the web that offers such servicesand provide them with content thatrecommends them to online readers and whensomeone makes a purchase through your link,you earn a percentage of the sales.This is called affiliate marketing and believe itor not, there are a lot of chocolate companiesthat offer lucrative commission for your work. 28

SALESThe term ‘small business’ might vary from country to country. Here in Malaysia, SME Corpdefinite it as businesses that generating annual turnover between RM300,000 up toRM 3.0 million ringgit , employing between 5- 30 workers for the services sector.The New SME Definition adapted since 2013 The government aims to push the SMEs sector GDPdefine manufacturing based small business as contribution to 41% by 2020 from current 36% rate.those generating annual turnover between This means that small businesses play a key role inRM300,000 up to RM 15 million ringgit, generating and vitalizing economic activities inemploying 5-75 workers. Malaysia.Small businesses are very important because of the role they play in helping to generateHowever, it is a true fact that also 96% of all new employment and inspire consumer spending.business registered in the country falls either under Probably it’s time for people like us to realize thatmicro or small business classification. small businesses are really huge engines of growth for the economy.As per data from Company Commission of Malaysia, a Time has come for us to realize chasing a dream oftotal of 1,203,319 companies was registered in being own Boss would not be sustainable if we failedMalaysia as of 31st December 2016 , with only 4,727 to increase our sales and grow the business.foreign companies. We at MiBrand.my have list out some doable tricks to boast your business even with tight budget. Here are some of them:1 KNOW YOUR INDUSTRY This is very, very important. Surely, most of us will not start a business without any prior experience or know how about the business. Some starts a business with technical knowledge, while some get motivated with their sales and marketing skills. Your business growth depends on how well you understand the industry. Share your industry knowledge with your team members so that they aware situations and improve their marketing works. By knowing your Industry small business owners able to identify an unique niche not served or remain in vacuum. Should you have the expertise find a solution and tap the market. Don’t forget to share the goals for your company and what you are aiming for with your employees as well as with your family members. 29

SALES2 PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS One of most challenging task for a new entrepreneur particularly small business owner is reaching out prospect customer and retaining them. Furthermore, it is costly endeavor that most of time put small business owner down due to lack of result compare to their available resources. Despite the rise of cheaper alternatively online promotions, the usage of promotional leaflets, wristbands largely used to boost your company profile and get your business noticed by potential customers. Leverage e social media channel as one of channel to promote your business and get people talking about you.3 TAKE A COURSE There are so many online courses that you can take these days that will really help you in running your company. Check out Free courses available offered by qaasoo.com. Government agencies in Malaysia such as SEDIC and SEED to either sponsor free trainings or conduct short courses. Some universities in Malaysia do offer weekend classes or part time courses. Taking up courses or attend industry related events will give you the confidence to manage your staff and company successfully, as well as help people take you seriously.4 IRRESISTIBLE OFFER As a new entrant to your prime objective should be gaining customer loyalty than profit. A number of small businesses have found great success by making irresistible offer such as bundling their products or services as package. Irresistible offer mostly offered after taking out manpower cost but your business still able progress as it keep winning new customers.5 WORK IN A TEAM Again the problem of escalating cost surely running around your mind. However, trust me you cannot go far by working alone or without any team members. You need to become a team player, ask your team for help when you need it. Discuss with your team when an important issue or problem occurs so that you could identify solutions together rather than waiting for the issue to escalate. Asking and listening is vital for a small company to progress.6 RESPECT YOUR TEAM Gone are the days, where boss act as he knows everything and only that person can make decision. Current, business trend needs friendly and honest leader whom people can work together not someone whom dictate or be in command. Always remembers should you fail to respect people, they won’t respect you. CONCLUSION As more and more people venturing themselves in starting up small business, largely to chase after their passions and dreams. Chances of succeeding in your venture could diminish if the owner simply focus on higher profit making or his/her own development. The simplest way to boast your business is to be known in your local market or industry, make irresistible offer and respect your team. 30

FOUNDERS & MOVERS START SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL TOGETHER Mr G Thirumurugan Managing Director Petal Florist Sdn. Bhd What first drew us to Mr. Thirumurugan was his description of the floral industry –“The Wild Bunch Industry”. A die-hard entrepreneur at heart, Thiru helps people define what true entrepreneurship is and what it takes to be a leader, and helps people dispel the myths of businesses. We are grateful for his valuable time as he shared his successes to inspire other young entrepreneurs around Malaysia. Born in Klang, raised in Dengkil and schooled in Puchong, Thiru got to taste the hardship when he started to help his family make ends meet by working on their little farm. “Just go out and do that; nothing comes without hard work and sacrifice.”, he was told. 31

FOUNDERS & MOVERSThe Floral exports are not a majorWild Bunch contributor to the MalaysianIndustry economy, but the rapid growth rate exceeds that seen for most otherMalaysia focuses production major commodities in recent years.primarily on two main floral This has caught the eye of policyproduct groups: temperate flowers makers who identified cut flowers(particularly chrysanthemums) as a priority crop group for thegrown in the highlands areas of country, according to an FAO report.the country and exotics likeorchids that thrive in the hot, The floral industry essentially consists ofhumid lowlands. three major components: the growers, who cultivate the flowers, the wholesalers, who isThe floral industry is one of the higher the middleman, and the retailers, who sellsindustries in many developing and you the flowers at the local flower shop.underdeveloped countries.Floriculture as an industry began in the These roles are becoming quite intermingledlate 19th century in the Malaysia, where with recent trends more towards eliminatingflowers were grown on a large scale on the intermediaries, the wholesalers so thatthe vast estates. the flowers are made available atThe present day floral industry is a considerably lower prices.dynamic, global, fast-growing industry,which has achieved significant growthrates during the past few decades.In the 1950s, the nation flower trade wasless than RM 20 million. By 2000, it hadgrown to appropriately RM380 million.In recent years, the floral industry hasgrown at six percent annually. It has beenestimated that at least 75,000 floristsand floral suppliers are involved in thefloriculture industry that contributed RM600 million to the economy in 2016.Orchids contributed 40 percent of totalvalue of production, followed bytemperate cut flowers (33 percent) andornamental plants (27 percent).A Glance at Malaysian Floriculture Industry 40% 33% 27%Orchids Cut Flowers Ornamental Although most of the produce are the plants bestselling flowers such as roses, tulips, sunflowers, carnations, iris, daisies, orchids,RM 600 million Economic contribution in 2016 lilacs and lilies, many growers are starting to explore hybrids and other indigenous crops. 75,000 FLORIST 32

FOUNDERS & MOVERSIn general, the area of When flowers are ordered from a wholesaler or acultivation of cut flowers grower, they take various routes to the buyer,in Malaysia is determined depending on the flower type, the area where theyby the climate and are grown, and how they will be sold.topography of the land. Some floriculturists cut and pack flowers right at the nurseries and send them directly to the buyerFor instance, highlands such as the through mail.Cameron Highlands are the major Some flowers are sent to a packing company thatgrowing areas of temperate flowers. grades them and organizes them into bunches to deliver through mail or sends directly toOther cut flowers adapt better to the supermarkets or flower shops. Some growershot humid conditions in the lowlands grade and sleeve the flowers themselves beforewith orchids constituting the major selling them to wholesale markets.share of the production. The wholesalers then sell the flowers to florists who prime and arrange the flowers for theirMalaysia has the advantage of developing and customers. If you know where to go, you can buyadvancing its floriculture industry which could flowers at wholesalers even if you aren't a florist.generate decent income to producers and tradersand contribute to the national income.Floriculture production value recorded anincrease of 23.3%; from RM 417 million to almostRM 514 million from 2011 to 2015 - MARDI. 33

FOUNDERS & MOVERSWhat KeepsThiru Motivated?For Mr. Thirumurugan, His vision for the Malaysianmentoring and learning Indian business scene ismeans a lot, he learns summed up as follows:-from everybody and isalways learning. “First, to do the stuff you want to do, but you have to deliver value and do it“Some of the things that have really consistently, and second, you should behelped me are that I always seek help. I able to have a clarity of thought. A trueknow I am not perfect so I am shameless entrepreneur can explain what they do inabout asking for help. And I don’t take any language that his stakeholders need tomyself seriously. We are going to die and understand it. You should be able togo – the question is what are you holding explain it to yourself and have clarity.”on to?”, he says. “From an Indian context, we need more“Forget all your limitations, this is all Indian entrepreneurs. It is important notI can do. Tell your own mind to shut only for economic well-being, and that itup! We are so scared if we have makes business sense, but also from aeverything – the talent, the will, so societal perspective. If children have awe use that as an excuse and business family, they treat their familiessometimes become lazy.” very differently, with a lot of respect.”Listen to him talk:- “It’s better when a Malaysian born Indian can be a role model for their community. It“I don’t believe you have to leave changes a person’s life forever and they havesomething meaningful for generations to something to look forward to. We have a longremember you. You have one life to live. I way to go for economic empowerment inhaven’t planned out my life and I think Malaysia, but it will create a wholethat’s why I’ve been so successful. generation of citizens who are more inclusive in their thoughts.I believe that if you plan your lifecompletely you’re not letting your mind Right now, we are behind on creating thethink about other stuff going on around generation that could be thinkingyou. I learned and faced a lot, once you differently forever, so this is verypick up something you have to focus on it. important to me that we are changing lives more and more in that way.”Otherwise, you will have a personalitycrisis because you are trying to do somany things. Something I’ve believed isthat we are more scared of our successthan of our failure. Forget all yourlimitations, this is all I can do.Tell your own mind to shut up! We are soscared if we have everything – the talent,the will, so we use that as an excuse andsometimes become lazy. I want to besuccessful and create a difference. It isnot about me, it’s about the jobs Igenerate and the jobs I can help with.” 34

FOUNDERS & MOVERS Blooming Opportunities Should you intend to open your own flower shop, you must enroll under the empowerment program that Thiru has started at Petal Florist Sdn Bhd. It is ideal that you start at an entry-level position and work your way up to the top so you know all the intricacies of running a flower business. He arranges to provide the necessary mentoring and guidance to ensure your success. There are many different kinds of careers open in the flower industry. Among the entry-level occupations are: i. floral shop helpers, who perform various duties in a flower shop ii. delivery people, who deliver flowers right to the home of the customer iii. floral designers, who create floral arrangements for events such as weddings, birthdays or funerals iv. salespersons, who sell fresh cut flowers and other floral related goods at the shop Mid-level occupations include: i. the assistant manager, who is responsible for coordinating sales, design, delivery and the office ii. the owner entrepreneur or manager who is in charge of merchandising, management and operations. The Success Mantra • Do the stuff you want • Deliver Value • Do it consistently • Have clarity of thought 35

FOUNDERS & MOVERS Business is Always a Bungee Jumping Challenge Thiru describes his start-up:- “My brother was the one who triggered this Florist business idea since he had some working experience in the fresh flower industry”. We wanted to get it started immediately, but I was scared off as it was a purely unknown business for myself. We took the first step, but the next few steps become difficult, especially when we faced challenges to get continuous supply.As newbies, we are very Coupled with lots of learnings fromjudgmental, even of bad experiences, blessings from myourselves, we are family, friends and partners, weself-critical and we tend rebranded and energized Petalto carry a lot of baggage.” Florist Sdn Bhd at Taman Tenaga, Puchong Jaya in 2012.“Without much knowledge or information,my younger brother and I, started this “Even the simple stuff likebusiness in Pusat Bandar Puchong. handling documentation, weWe were about to fail, because of had to seek external feedback –inconsistent customers and limited this made us see what is notknowledge but it didn’t take us long for good! I don’t know why, weus to find our niche.” have put on a resolve to be“We did some big hotel functions and perfect all the time”.weddings, we did fail there too but myinterest pushed me to learn more”. I remember Buddha’s quote ‘Look inside yourselfAfter a few attempts and you will find all yourand lots of counseling, answers…You are yourespecially with friends, own best motivator. ListenI identified a niche to your mind……DREAM.’business model. At the end of the day, we are 36 just human beings, with one life to live; I decided to reinvent the business model.” Those inspiring words remain the foundation and building blocks for Petal Florist to venture further into the “The Wild Bunch Industry”.

FOUNDERS & MOVERS Direct Answers to Probing Queries Q: Who are your main consumers? A: Malaysian Indians do have a lot of functions, we do business with them on daily basis, but almost 70% of our business is contributed by our Chinese and Malay customers. The main reason is, the amount. Q: Who will be your referral point for good supply? A: It is still hard to find a good and better floral supplier, till now. After a long struggle and with the help and support of my childhood friend, Datuk T. Mohan, we do have 3 branches in central region now. Q: What is your current direction and vision? A: As I told earlier, we had identified our own niche and I always wanted to do something different. To get this started, we are planning around 15 wholesale shops around the nation thru our entrepreneurship program. We will be giving training for them to extend their knowledge and improve delivery; also, how to manage the finance as well. This will add vertical business to the industry. We are also planning to start a flower boutique, to concentrate more on floral arrangement and gift wrapping. Our wholesale network will serve the entire retail chain of between 80 to 150 kiosks located strategically and operated independently by budding entrepreneurs. Q: What is the backbone of your organization? A: Plans will remain as plans, if we have no one to take orders, execute it innovatively and achieve our objectives. After years of struggle, Petal Florist is currently being steered by 20 strong staff members. Our staff are our ambassadors, thanks to them for their support. The company has an ambitious plan to expand staff numbers to 200 in next 3 years to steer our overall Malaysian operations. Q: What makes you proud? A: My primary strengths are self-confidence and knowledge; my shortfall for the time being is lack in marketing activities. After a few years, most of my competitors learned to follow my patent initial business model. That make me proud but, ironically, finding another method will be really helpful for me. Yellow Chrysanthemum is one of most in-demand flower, offered for prayers not only by the Hindus but also by the Buddhists. Scientifically, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has found that Chrysanthemum Indicum is able reduce indoor air pollution. 37

Malaysia has the reputation of being the \"food paradise\" in the region as it offers a diverse and exotic mix of multicultural cuisines. However, as the country move towards knowledge economy many Malaysian deserted low income and “dirty hand” jobs.Despite, being the food paradise the food service industryespecially of those owned and operated by MalaysianIndian continuously face manpower problem.Nat Nat Other race restaurant can’t simply take Manogaran Vellayan foreigner or local. For foreigner they must pay levies and permit per person is RM3000, let’s Indian Culture just wanted to invest in say 10 people would be RM30,000.00.The restaurants and become boss only. Most of boss must give from his own money. If 1 or 2 them won’t do the restaurant works. If workers run away, he must suffered the loses. investors don't like such work, what about For local, lets say this small restaurant open in other Indians? How many Indians have very unpopular area. So the local demanding ambitions to become restaurant workers? RM3000 but this restaurant boss can offer Ever since I know 40 years ago RM1.5 with 8 hours working time. Will the Bharathamatha, Mohana Vilas and Jai Hind local agree? I’m not downgrade locals, but this restaurants in Jalan Tengku Kelana, Klang is the real facts people facing nowadays. operates with foreign workers from India. Indian restaurants mostly rely on foreignRubi Navaratnam workers. These operators don't even spend on training their staffs. That is the problem? (i) Chinese Restaurant operators hire any The only solution is to stop bringing foreign people to work , locals and foreigners. As workers into the country that cause long as there is a mutual agreement unresolvable social problems to our society. between the both parties work is carried out. (ii) Chinese Restaurant operators pay well. Even the locals are willing to work. The same pay given to foreigners is a jackpot to them. So it is a long time contract. (iii) Chinese Restaurant operators take good care of the staff welfare. They are willing to absorb many payments as long as they know the ROI by employing these workers. (iv) The working hours are very specific and staff are given day off on certain days of the week according to the schedule 38

We seek the public Govin Rajview by posting aquestion on Facebook... They too have the problems, but smart in“Chinese restaurants managing it. Further their working time never face labour limited. Mostly work for few hours only while problem, why?” many are does part time. Our Indian operators work 6am to 11pm using same people. Some mamak restaurant worse they operator 24 hours nonstop.Batu Cendolah Janagken Yohayindra Kumar Commenting and pointing finger is easy but Mostly family orientated. We can easily note contributing and practicing to a solution is not their children as young as 10 will be helping coming from many of us. their parents. This is one way to cultivate Talk is cheap. Let us talk about food industry, it entrepreneurship among the younger involves food science, food technology and generation innovation with long term goals. That's reality. Indian entrepreneurs don't invest in food Subramaniam Chinnathamby innovation areas to improve their business so stop blaming and comparing others. They are very hard working, commitment in I have been advising a lot of Indian restaurants to every undertaking, self confidence in their change and move into cook chill and frozen food ability, family support and no subsidy concept 20 years back but most of them failed to expectations, besides other merits. understand. Today frozen food is a way of life and fetches a high commercial value. Indian food is Ramesh Munasamy well accepted for its herbs, medicinal values and taste etc. worldwide but other races are Their business associations and political manufacturing it and marketing with concept. parties are doing very good training Whom to be blame? Without change there is no ,development and provide guidance to them to innovation, creativity, or incentive for get the foreign workers, even for small stall in improvement. Those who initiate change will Hawker centres they still get the workers true have a better opportunity to manage the change outsourcing company which is managed by that is inevitable. their Business Association. But you know how our business associationMukuntan Warathan and political party working and there concentrate on how much they can gain from Because they respect their labours and giving the approval from the allocation given by the good salary and accommodation, Indians try to government. cut as much as possible salary of labour and not giving proper accommodation and not keep their words. 39

FEATURED1M0alMayossitaTnaIlnkdeidanAbBoraunt dsThe Malaysian Indian or Indian Malaysian is an individual who may be of complete orfractional Indian descent. They are descendants of the people who came from India amidthe British colonization of Malaya. Most were conceived in Malaysia while some havemoved into the country since independence. In 2015, there were just over two millionindividuals distinguished as \"Indian\" with Malaysian citizenship or permanent residence.Even though they are only the third biggest ethnic group after the Malays and Chinese,they still dominate some sectors and are popular brands in Malaysia.Below are the top 10 Malaysian Indian Brandsand a little of their history.MAXIS COMMUNICATIONSMaxis Communications is part of vast business empire. In 1996, the company launched Malaysia's firstthree satellites; MEASAT 1, 2 and 3. Maxis is a communications service provider in Malaysia with about11.6 million subscribers, about a third of the population. Headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia,Maxis provides a variety of communication products, applications and value added services forconsumers, large enterprises as well as small and medium business owners.The majority company stakeholder is billionaire Ananda Krishnan. He is currently estimated to have a net worth ofUS$11.3 billion, MYR37.3 billion making him the second wealthiest in Malaysia and number 129 in the world. AK, ashe is known is a force to be reckoned with a presence in media, satellite, oil and gas, to telecommunications andleisure; he has made it big in the world of business from his humble beginnings in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur.Ananda Krishnan shuns public exposure and is known to maintain a low profile for a person of his stature. Severalhigh-profile celebrities like Siti Nurhaliza and Jessy Wong have signed on as spokespersons for Maxis; theMalaysian reality television show, Akademi Fantasia contestants are all on board. Maxis was the first company tolaunch 4G services in Malaysia on 1 January 2013. 40

FEATUREDLOTUS GROUPLotus Group was initially established in 1988 as a restaurant at Jalan Masjid India, Kuala Lumpur. Itbecame a popular eatery for the Malaysian Indians and other ethnic Malaysians alike. The founder of thisgroup, Renah Doraisingam Pillai is a dynamic personality who gained much of his valuable experienceand business acumen from his late father Philanthropist N. Rengasamy Pillai.Lotus Group moved to Petaling Jaya in 1990, another dynamic locality, under the name Lotus Family RestaurantHoldings. This grew into a chain of 15 outlets throughout the Klang Valley and beyond. Lotus Group alsoestablished convenience stores and went on to be the industrial caterers for leading industry players andgovernment functions.Dorai, meaning “boss” as he is fondly known, remains the CEO of the Lotus Group which include music shops,cinema theatres, star hotels and holiday resorts. He was awarded the Malaysian Indian Entrepreneur of 2005 byMalaysian Associated Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry. With 13 companies within the group and growing,his current worth is near the half billion mark; the name, Lotus, is on everyone’s lips.AirAsia Berhad WestPorts MalaysiaAirAsia Berhad is a Malaysian low-cost airline Westports Malaysia is a leading port in the worldoperating from KLIA 2, the second biggest airport supported by superior productivity and waterin Malaysia. It is the largest airline in Malaysia by depth of 15 to 17.5 meters. This makes it thefleet size and destinations. preferred hub port for the shipping lines in this region.The company vision is to be a successfulAirAsia operates scheduled domestic and international gateway for the Malaysian trade inventory andflights to more than 165 destinations in 25 countries. become the pride of the nation in terms ofIts affiliate airlines operate from the neighboring employee relations, customer satisfaction andcountries, while its sister airline, AirAsia X, focuses on corporate citizenship.long-haul routes. AirAsia's registered office is inPetaling Jaya, Selangor while its head office is at Kuala The mission to achieve 12 million TEUs and 12 millionLumpur International Airport. AirAsia has managed to tonnes of cargo by 2020 is at grasping distance, This ishit the best operative figures in the industry and is translating into excellent returns for the employees,described \"pioneer\" of low-cost air travel. shareholders and customers while making the country proud.Most of this has been made possible by its founder, the G. Gnanalingam is a prominent Malaysian Indian figureflamboyant businessman Anthony Fernandes who known to almost all Malaysian businessmen, nearly allbought an ailing and heavily in-debt airline for imports and exports have to be thru his WestPort.US$0.27. He declared, “Everyone Can Fly”. That attitude He is the current executive chairman. Born inhas grown him into a net worth at US$650 million and Singapore, raised in Port Dickson and Kuala Pilah andearned him the award as the world's best low cost of Sri Lankan Tamil ancestry, he was instrumental incarrier for 8 years in a row in international travel and steering the port into a leading cargo and freightairline awards until 2016. The Air Asia Group stated player in Asia.vision to be the largest low cost airline in Asia and He stands at number 18 on the list of Malaysia’sserve the 3 billion people is becoming a reality, truly, richest with almost US$ 1 billion. Although he is anow everyone flies Air Asia. man of few words, he has been praised for his wit and great leadership skills that inspire his team. Similarly, the WestPorts is on a high-rise path to surpass all forecasts. 41

FEATUREDPetra Group Lowyat.NetThe Petra Group, through its subsidiaries, Lowyat.Net started in the early 2000s as a simpleprovides financial and management support for website publishing the price list of computers andearly stage technology businesses. It engages in gadgets from Low Yat Plaza founded by Vijandrenresearching and commercializing in the field of Ramadass. In 2011, Lowyat Networks obtainedbiophotonics for applications in agricultural, MSC status and expanded its portfolio with themedical, food technology, green technology, launching of Lipstiq.com, a women lifestylecommunication, entertainment events, stage portal.productions and financials. Lowyat.net is the 17th most visited website inThe company is based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia with Malaysia with over 2.22 million visitors monthly.operations around the globe. The Petra Group operatesas a subsidiary of The Sekhar Foundation. Vijandren Ramadass is a Malaysian Indian entrepreneur who founded the oldest, largest andVinod B. Sekhar founded Green Rubber in 2001 and most influential online community. He also serves aslater the Petra Group serves as its Chairman and Group the CEO of Lowyat Commerce snd Lowyat MSC. HeChief Executive and President. holds a degree in computer science.He is associated with the Standard Malaysian Rubber The domain boasts a lively forum community thatScheme used worldwide among producers and hosts a combined of over six million visitors to itsconsumers of natural rubber. Sekhar received the sites. Wanista.com, hype.my, storekini.com,Corporate Leader of the Year award for his efforts in autofreaks.com, buildupmalaysia.com andthe field of corporate responsibility and is a leading fourthofficial.com are some of the booming webentrepreneur and philanthropist in Malaysia. operations on the same platform.Baba'sAs the Malaysian Indian premier spice brand BABAS has transcended the cultural and culinaryboundaries in the Malaysians multi-cultural, multi-ethnic society over the past 39 years.Its range of over 33 different products in 59 sizes can be found on almost every retail shelf nationwide.R. Pagalavan, now the chairman of Baba Products, Malaysia, started out in the late 70s with his mobile sundry shop;a van full of cooking essentials that catered to multiracial Malaysian customers.Demand escalated but Pagavalan never compromised on the quality of his curry powders perceived and developedfrom constant customer feedback. Sheer hard work and grit grew the business into a spice empire with a globalmarket presence, wherever Indian food is served.Baba Products, the company, puts the values high, to provide its customers the best products made from finestquality ingredients, at the best possible prices and its vision to become the trusted brand with a definitivemouth-watering edge to all food served on Malaysian plates is almost a reality. The young man in a van hasevolved into the BABAS brand! 42

FEATUREDGreater SpringfieldGreater Springfield Development is a suburb of Ipswich City in Queensland, Australia. It is the firstprivately built city in Australia and it is the the largest master planned community in the country atnearly 2,860 hectares with a population of 30,000 and growing fast.Maha Sinnathamby is the entrepreneur behind the Greater Springfield Development. Born in Rantau, NegeriSembilan, Malaysia in 1939, he grew up on a rubber estate during the Japanese occupation of then Malaya. Mahamoved to Australia, studied civil engineering, worked as a civil and design engineer in South East Asia beforeembarking on the multi-billion-dollar project at Greater Springfield.Maha Sinnathamby whose wealth is estimated at US$650 million, has won an award for the design and engineeringof his development from University of New South Wales, the world’s best master-planned city at the 61st WorldCongress of the International Real Estate Federation at Bali and was the award recipient for the Gopio InternationalRenowned Entrepreneur Excellence Award 2010 for his achievement. The developer, who remains passionate aboutMalaysia, feels that the country has the potential to grow further. He has plans to design a community that can beexpanded into a truly Malaysian multi-racial city.The Asian BankerThe Asian Banker, established in 1996 provides strategic intelligence on the financial services industry,helping decision makers develop creative solutions around research to achieve tangible business goals.The long list of self-description starts with the statement that they strive to be amongst the best in theworld for what they do; it is a proven fact too. A wide range of products and services as laid out in theircorporate website are testament to how to add value to your business.Emmanuel Daniel, the chairman and founder of The Asian Banker served as a committee member in theEntrepreneurs Organization, a grouping of young business owners worldwide and is an associate member of TheAsia Society, New York He was awarded the prestigious Citibank Excellence in Journalism Award for the Asian regionfor his work in determining the impact of the Internet on banking.Emmanuel is also a highly regarded speaker and provides consulting advise to leading institutions and governmentagencies on developments in the finance industry.The above visionaries just got it going by doing what they thought would work. Although most of them were fromgrassroots, they have created well-known brands that are talked about at international forums.Many more Malaysian Indians who have also ‘made it’ will be featured in later issues of MiBrand.my magazine. 43

HEALTHSahCohuirldopyroauctvoisr?it The need for treatment can arise from injury at the workplace or business premises. Chiropractors treat conditions such as back and neck pain, headaches and a wide of range ailments in the skeleton and muscular systems of the human body. 44

HEALTHMusculoskeletal pain affects the bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and nerves.Many adults seek treatment as a result of aging, repetitive use of limbs orsomething that may have happened while at work; sometimes it may be due to aninjury while on the way to or back home from the workplace.Adults involved in stressful occupations and activities and repetitively strain thespine and its supporting ligaments and muscles. It is noticed that in Malaysia,such need has increased with more people seeking chiropractic care.As a new chiropractic patient, you may be Chiropractic treatment, physiotherapy and gym trainingwondering how it will work out. The first spinal, or are quite similar. All include regular visits, at least oncechiropractic, adjustment may be scary. a week, and the use of specialized equipment whileMany people are anxious because they associate a attended to by professionals.spinal adjustment with old, painful crackingtechniques. While the old fashioned popping technique The combined beneficial impact is the number oneis not preferred, highly effective methods will surely reason one chooses the offered care collaboratively.improve your spinal health and reduce nervous system Proven methods of effective procedures areinterference. incorporated into a holistic treatment plan to achieve desired results.Because the healing process affects each persondifferently, there is no proven way to know for sure how Physiotherapy or chiropractic treatment is provided byyour body will respond to your first treatment. But take regulated practitioners, who often work as asolace in that the relief and healing effects of multi-disciplinary team in hospitals, clinics, gymchiropractic care are most often felt almost centers and sometimes, the workplace. They helpinstantaneously after your first chiropractic adjustment. improve the health and wellbeing of workers so that they can do their jobs efficiently and effectively.A chiropractor takes note of the medical history,performs a physical examination and may order some They have a role in proactively promoting health andlab tests or diagnostic imaging to determine the well-being in the work environment and can improveappropriate treatment for the reported ailment. the safety, comfort and performance of the working population. This reduces accidents and sicknessThis may involve one or more manual adjustments in absence, and helps to improve productivity andwhich the joints are manipulated, in some cases by performance.using a controlled sudden force to improve the rangeand quality of motion. Many chiropractors also There are significant benefits for both employers andincorporate nutritional counseling and exercise into employees in suitable facilities in the workplace. Bythe treatment plan. tackling problems or potential problems early on, the likelihood of them becoming long lasting is reduced.Chiropractic care includes rehabilitation process torestore the function of the affected part and prevent This improves the health and wellbeing of the workingfurther damage. Chiropractic care is generally population, helps people stay at work and translatesconsidered a safe, effective treatment for into cost saving for companies. The cost of medicalmusculoskeletal injury leave sickness absence to businesses and the economy has always been of concern.We Malaysians are becoming increasingly sedentary,especially at the workplace. Using computers to do The Malaysian SOCSO scheme provides coverage andnearly everything makes us ‘sitting ducks’! The modern protection for employees who suffers fromlifestyle includes less exercise and more eating – employment injury. This means that a personal injury tosumptuous Malaysian food is available round the clock. an employee caused by accident or an occupational disease in the course of his employment in an industryHanging on to the overhead rail everyday while is covered.commuting to and back from work can be a majorcontributor to back pain, that will need the attention of Many medical insurance plans also providea chiropractor. Long hours in the car, especially in the similar but enhanced coverage. It would be adriver’s seat negotiating the perennial traffic is another good idea to choose one that applies toreason for the visit to the chiropractor. chiropractic needs as well. 45

QUOTESMbFayimBArkoaiunosdT:QoyuoodteasEveryone says Toyota is the best companyin the world, but the customer doesn'tcare about the world.They care if weare the best in town, or not.That's what I want to be. 46

QUOTES To me, executives and staff who are my direct reports are like my children, it's the responsibility of a parent to protect his children and, if a child causes problems, it's also a parent's responsibility to apologize. We pursued growth over the speed at which we were able to develop our people and our organization, and we should sincerely be mindful of that. When consumers purchase a Toyota, they are not simply purchasing a car, truck or van. They are placing their trust in our company. “Recalls are not about concealing problems we find. It’s about improving the product and coming up with countermeasures,” “It is getting more and more important to handle recalls by seeing things from our customers’ point of view.” “Now, I think it has become whether the products can assure customers peace of mind.” \"What matters to Toyota is that more and more people understand what I do on the roads\" I would like to point out here that Toyota's priority has traditionally been the following: First; Safety, Second; Quality, and Third; Volume. These priorities became confused, and we were not able to stop, think, and make improvements as much as we were able to before, and our basic stance to listen to customers' voices to make better products has weakened somewhat. I believe that only by examining the problems on-site, can one make decisions from the customer perspective. One cannot rely on reports or data in a meeting room. Hard Lesson Learned: You can have millions of customers and no one on your side. 47

BUSINESS TOOLSFtoreMeaTnoaoglse BusinessesDoing business does not mean you need to toss cash around. A prudent businesssupervisor can get some helpful tools and applications with no expense. There are onlinetools that can handle everything from customer relationship administration to web basedbusiness, websites to email accounts, client mailing records to preparing businessadministration processes.In a thorough study of the internet, we have discovered many free business tools that can help you take care of yourbusinesses. Many involve just Internet get to, a web program, and a couple of minutes of your time for clientenlistment. Others oblige you to download and introduce some product to get to their capacities. Most have paidversions that offer extra features and higher limits. All the online tools listed below are free for Malaysianbusinesses to take advantage.HIGHRISE for Customer Relationship ManagementCustomer Relationship Management [CRM] helps your business to monitor contacts, with intent tochange them over into prospects for your business.Going to www.highrise.com could be exactly where you have to begin to utilize CRM successfully and keep up withyour clients. The virtue of this application lies in its straightforwardness. You can enter client contact data or importexisting contact records. After that point, you can make new tasks, set due dates, and allocate tasks to classes.It gives you a chance to unite related contacts and tasks. When you sign in the dashboard shows recent movementand upcoming tasks. You can have a day by day task list to help you remember what you have to finish that day.Highrise is clear and does not offer plenty of add-ons, however, it is a convenient route for you to consummate whatyour clients need. The free version is constrained to only two clients and 250 contacts; more prominent limits areaccessible with paid arrangements.MS OFFICE LIVE BASICS for Web and email HostingMicrosoft Office Live Basics gives an independent venture a chance to build an online presence byproviding the means to create a domain with a reasonable size website and a few email accounts. MSOffice Live Basics can help you get started on a web only if you don't have a web page; you can't transferany material from an existing website.Even though it is a restricted format, some convenient segments and up to 500 MB of information can be loaded tothe pages. Administration for up to 25 email accounts with 2 GB of capacity each is a bonus! The features make itless demanding to build up a basic web page regardless of the possibility that you know literally nothing aboutHTML code.Paid releases of MS Office Live offer more noteworthy limits and extra possibilities, for example, transferringinformation from a current website, record sharing and enhanced contact administration. 48