6 minute read
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 T 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.
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 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.
– Alisa Lamlertkittikul, Executive
Director of Sedap Corner
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.
“MCO has certainly fuelled an increase in online orders especially among the elderly, hinting on the narrowing gap between the digital world and physical retail dynamics.”
During this trying period, Soo Hui embarked on planning ways to keep the business alive while keeping costs low and negotiating payments with vendors and landlords.
With a deep concern for her employees, many of whom were unable to accept unpaid leave after the first 14 days, Tea Garden launched a “Delivery Hero” programme to keep staff gainfully employed with food delivery errands. In the wake of the MCO, Soo Hui has resorted to harnessing opportunities in the supply of frozen food, which now makes up 10%-15% of Tea Garden’s daily sales.
Based on trends in China, Soo Hui was able to surmise that, Tea Garden will have a new business model that requires some investments such as renovation, furnishing and fittings. She said that the MCO has certainly fuelled an increase in online orders especially among the elderly, hinting on the narrowing gap between the digital world and physical retail dynamics.
She intends to merge both the online and offline experience by harnessing Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology which offers personalisation and promotion opportunities; and consolidates the business’ supply chain.
She also offers her managers and employees constant moral support. “We have constant meetings to keep our people informed, and in these meetings, we tell them that they are not alone and we are surviving this together.”
She stresses that “as
– Tan Soo Hui, Director of Tea Garden
businesswomen, we need to be positive and have a fighting spirit inside us.
Remember also that you are not alone, and we can get through this together!”
BEING ONLINE CREATES OPTIONS
With over 50 outlets across Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Philippines, Daphne Teh of MuzArt said that her outlets faced rapid shutdown as a result of COVID-19.
However, she soon realised that this proved to be a “blessing in disguise” as she started to go live on social media, thus reaching out to many people and viewers during this difficult period.
While enjoying her time with family, Daphne has kept busy with her business through online sessions with her team students. In fact, MuzART even launched “Monet” ahead of schedule – an online learning programme. “Monet” activities come in 2 categories namely, daily free craft, and professional instruction.
Parents are welcome to join the former for free, and both activities are interactively delivered online. Daphne says “Monet” has been receiving good feedback.
She likens the MCO climate as “the report card moment” – admitting to being in tears in front of her team when “receiving her report card”. However, she has nothing but praises for her employees who launched Monet in record time, and for their commitment to the company during this trying period.
She is now driving the company’s online journey through digitalising offline and manual routines, which include report cards and class schedules. Daphne believes being online creates options for everyone, and presents “Monet” as a solution for
“I believe being online creates options for everyone, and presents “Monet” as a solution for employees who wish to stay at home and still earn money.” – Daphne Teh, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of MuzArt International
employees who wish to stay at home and still earn money.
“We’ve already overcome so many obstacles, and the Covid-19 should be no different. Manage your time too, and you’ll be sure to win this game,” she advises.
In closing, Michael Liew, Chief of MRCA Southern Chapter, expressed his admiration for women entrepreneur who excelled in business while juggling family commitments.
“It is very inspiring to hear the three ladies share their journey and coping very well. They’ve also been at the forefront of digital transformation, adapting to the new environment and the different consumer right now,” he said. “If digital transformation kicks in, your business will have a huge coverage in future. In the whole of ASEAN, there are over 600 million people. That is your nearest ‘big ocean’,” advised Michael as he concluded the session.
