Feature
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Inspiring Women Entrepreneurs: In the New Normal In the wake of COVID-19 and the resulting MCO which has impacted businesses across Malaysia, MRCA features 3 inspiring women entrepreneurs who share their stories in keeping their SME businesses afloat. he webinar, held on 17 April 2020 via Zoom, featured inspiring panel speakers, Alisa Lamlertkittikul, Executive Director of Sedap Corner, Tan Soo Hui, Director of Tea Garden, and Daphne Teh, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of MuzArt International. The session was moderated by Dato’ Bruce Lim, Deputy Secretary General of MRCA and Executive Director of Skills Johor Sdn Bhd, as well as Prakash Nagarajan, Vice President of Business Ecosystem, Iskandar Regional Development Authority. Also in attendance was Michael Liew, Chief of MRCA Southern Chapter and Business Director of Marrybrown Sdn Bhd. The live online session was attended by 80 participants.
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OFFLINE TO ONLINE In sharing her experiences and thoughts, Alisa Lamlertkittikul of Sedap Corner said the announcement of the MCO was indeed an unexpected move where her business was concerned. She and her team faced a dilemma as 6 out of 7 Sedap Corner outlets were located in shopping centres, and had to be shut temporarily. With only 2 days to prepare for the temporary closure, Alisa and her team had to worry about cash flow and managing take-aways. With 95% to 97% of Sedap Corner’s income derived from the lunch crowd, the MCO had a big impact on Sedap Corner’s business. Making an analogy of being pushed off the cliff and forced to dive, Alisa shared how this led to her decision to focus on the “offline to online” (O2O) business model. The next course of action was meetings with food delivery partners
Malaysia Retailer Vol 8 No 2
“Stay calm. Stay positive. When one door closes, another one opens. The opportunities are out there. You’ll just need to fight for it!” – Alisa Lamlertkittikul, Executive Director of Sedap Corner
which resulted in Sedap Corner positioning itself on the online food delivery platform within a span of 2 weeks, creating an online revenue stream to sustain during this “new norm”. Financial constraints were addressed through negotiations with suppliers and employees, while only a few malls offered Sedap Corner rental waivers. In addition to that, the government’s announcement on the 6-month moratorium on loan repayments was a great help. Alisa says that the ability to stay calm and think is important. “Basically, a lot of thinking is involved. After overcoming the first wave of the shock, it was time to settle in – there’s no point looking back. It’s going to be different because, in the past, customers will come to us, but now, we have to reach out to them,” she says.
The MCO has helped Sedap Corner gain a new business perspective and embrace the “new normal” by diversifying its online channels. “Stay calm. Stay positive. When one door closes, another one opens. The opportunities are out there. You’ll just need to fight for it!” advised Alisa who also acknowledged that she managed to navigate the storm with advice and delivery contacts shared by Tan Soo Hui, (Executive Director of Tea Garden and fellow panellist) and other fellow MRCA members. She also benefitted from MRCA legal forums and live chats.
HARNESSING AI Another entrepreneur that has an inspiring story to tell is Tan Soo Hui of Tea Garden, who like Alisa, faced the brunt of the MCO. Upon the announcement of the MCO, Soo Hui spent a lot of time in the office attending emergency meetings, and making urgent decisions for the survival of Tea Garden’s chain of outlets. Tea Garden, a restaurant chain which serves local as well as traditional Nan Yang cuisine, has several outlets in Malaysia.
