Cultivating Young Entrepreneurs

by Graduan

Growing up, Michael Teoh was never the sportsman, but rather than lament his shortcomings in the sporting arena, he decided to develop his soft skills. So, while his peers did well in sports, Teoh excelled in public speaking and event management.

It was at secondary school – Sekolah Tinggi Bukit Mertajam in Bukit Mertajam, Penang – that Teoh realised youths needed a platform to showcase their talents and for their ideas to be heard. This understanding was the seed that led to the setting up of Youth Entrepreneur Malaysia (YEM) in 2009. A dash of daring Inspired by the Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) movement, YEM is a collective of successful and soon-to-be successful entrepreneurs from all around Malaysia.

Michael Teoh, Co-Founder of YEM

YEM is aimed at bringing together some of the best young entrepreneurial minds in Malaysia to create an army of worldclass businesses and start-ups, says the co-founder of YEM.

Calling itself a ‘youth catalyst’, he says the collective promotes two distinct principles: entrepreneurship among youths, and cultivating enterprising youths for employment.

“We started YEM because we saw a gap in the market and wanted to give a platform for youth entrepreneurs,” he says, adding that in the past, such initiatives were championed by training companies and not youths themselves. This is something YEM aims to correct. This collective of young entrepreneurs offers a sense of belonging to those who are just starting out on their own.

“It gives them an opportunity to meet like-minded individuals, share opportunities and network, it’s a kind of support group.” In galvanising the youth entrepreneurship movement, YEM initiates and supports business clubs, conferences and forums. To date, YEM has supported some 100 events, such as AIESEC SEED Social Entrepreneurs Forum. YEM also collaborated on the SEAforCHANGE and the Youth Engagement Summit held in November 2009, both of which are recognised as GEW Youth Catalyst Signature events.

Business unusual

To sustain itself, YEM has come up with two business models: content provider, and a sort of match-maker between enterprising youths and the private sector. Elaborating on the latter, Teoh says YEM has been approached by private corporations, under their respective corporate social
responsibility programmes to consult and craft youth development projects.

YEM is also in the midst of creating products to help youths accelerate their businesses. “We’re planning a survey across the country to find out the challenges in setting up a business and the incentives needed. Most surveys ask what industries one would like to be involved in, but they don’t address the challenges involved.”

It is perhaps this omission that has led to many youths to assume that setting up and running a business is easy. “Youth entrepreneurship is looked upon as something trendy. Even rock stars call themselves entrepreneurs. Everyone wants to be an entrepreneur, believing they will then have a glamorous lifestyle. But entrepreneurship is a way of life; it’s tough and far removed from glamour. “

“Very often, youth entrepreneurship is made to look very glamorous, but in reality it’s tougher than being an adult entrepreneur because youths lack the experience, the communication skills and the platform to succeed.” Teoh says that while Malaysian youths are technology-savvy and are exposed to the latest trends, they lack the drive to succeed. “Malaysian youths do not know how to capitalise on opportunities. Often, they are lazy and come up with excuses not to excel.”

Success stories

Shamsul Nazriq, MD of Motiofixo Sdn Bhd

Still, there are youth entrepreneurs who do possess the determination and have succeeded in carving a niche for themselves. One such example is Shamsul Nashriq and his team at Motiofixo Sdn Bhd. “We are a team of passionate, energetic designers specialising in visual communication. We have expanded our knowledge in developing brand image strategies for our SME (small and medium enterprise) clients,” says Shamsul, who is the managing director.

Starting out as freelancers while still undergraduates at the Multimedia University in Cyberjaya, Shamsul and his team developed marketing collaterals and campaigns for clients. This was back in 2005. Today, the company has five designers, aged between 22 and 25, working part-time and full-time.

With MSC Malaysia (MDeC) as a major client and as a registered vendor for PETRONAS, Motiofixo is certainly a success story in youth entrepreneurship.

Recalling the early years, Shamsul says the path to growth was not without its challenges. “Setting up (the company) was easy, but to win projects was the hardest part for a newcomer. There were some projects we actually did for free because we were desperately in need of portfolios for future pitches and marketing. The early stage of the business wasn’t about money, but giving our best to our clients.”

He also credits MSC Malaysia for Motiofixo’s success and its confidence in the young start-up. “We believe the idea of doing business is about conducting a close-knit relationship with people in a form that is mutually beneficial. Poesy Liang, who has been an entrepreneur since she was 14, agrees. Now 34, Liang has been a talent booker, location manager for production companies, futures trader and interior designer.

Poesy Liang, Poez Jewellers

Her latest venture is as an up-market jewellery designer. In all her entrepreneurial ventures, Liang has had the good fortune of having the support of friends and clients willing to give the young entrepreneur a chance. Her latest venture, Poez Jewellers, for instance, got off the ground thanks to someone believing in her talent and investing in her. “I’ve always designed my own jewellery and people have always stopped and stared, so when the time came for me to think of something to do, I decided on this,” says the bubbly entrepreneur. Liang’s background in architecture – she did a three-year foundation degree in it – and design also stood her in good stead.

Today, four years after setting up Poez Jewellers, Liang has an international clientele for her exquisite pieces. Branding, she believes, is vital, as is having a longterm vision for the brand. “In 10 years’ time, I see Poez Jewellers as a mini-Cartier. My plan is to have a presence in Tokyo, Monaco and Las Vegas.”

Zachary Ng, Founder of ESP

Zachary Ng also concurs with Shamsul. The founding member of Electronic Sports Professional (ESP), an events company specialising in organising electronic sports and cyber gaming events, says, “It’s always good to get to know more people when you’re in business.”

Having failed in his first entrepreneurial venture – a food and beverage business, Ng believes it’s important to seek advice from others. “You can learn from those who have been down the same path. For example, we met Michael Teoh and he guided us on the basics of setting up a business, rounded off the rough edges in our plans and tossed in goals which we could work towards.”

Although the challenges are plenty, Ng is fired up about setting the benchmark for electronic sporting events through his company. “We’ve been to far too many badly managed events,” he laments. “We’re on a crusade to right the wrong!” He’s driven, he says, by a firm belief in his vision for the business. “If you don’t belief in yourself, in what you are doing, then you’ve already failed.”