On The Digital Path
Welcome back to an all-new Head’s Up. In collaboration with Satu Creative, we are bringing you the journey of food truck entrepreneurs who share the challenges they face and what it takes to overcome and strive ahead.
This week, we are featuring Mohd Nujhan bin Zulkifli, Founder of Abe’s Nasi Kukus and Muhammad Hazrin Bin Herryson, Founder of Herryson’s Pizza. These two food truck entrepreneurs share their digital journey and how it helped them to not only a overcome obstacles but also make the best out of a situation.
We would also like to take the opportunity to also thank all our readers and partners for sticking with us and supporting our work as Head’s Up turns 1 Year on Nov 9 , 2021. We aim to continue featuring SMEs, Startups, Social Enterprises and Entrepreneurs.
While we started with an aim to only publish once a week, it has now become 3-times per week newsletter and with the support of our readers, and partners, we are looking at establishing a website by the end of the year.
We are also working on more partnerships to enhance our content and reach , so stay tuned! If you would like to share your thoughts on Head’s Up and ways we can improve quality, let us know what you think to headsupnewsletter@gmail.com
Till our next issue, stay safe and stay healthy!
News & Announcements
1337 Ventures in collaboration with Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) is searching for seed-stage Fintech and related sector firms with the potential to disrupt the financial services industry and digitalise financial solutions for people and small businesses.
1337 Ventures successfully:-
🙌 Co-created over 100 fintech startups in the past
🙌 30 startups raised a follow-on total funding of US$354,000,000
🙌 Ran 4 fintech-focused pre-accelerator programmes with partners such as Maybank, MDEC and Bank Negara Malaysia
Application Criteria:
🎯 Fintech startups or adjacent verticals with the solution on Financial Health & Inclusion OR SME Digitalisation.
🎯 Startups with an MVP, already in the market & looking to raise Seed funds.
The programme starts on 29 Nov 2021. Registration closes on 22 Nov 2021.
Great fit for this programme apply at https://lnkd.in/gPmZmmBD
NEXEA & Corporate Accelerator 2021 Announce Five Tech Startups As Finalists For Corporate Accelerator Programme
The five startups were selected from a pool of over 1100 applicants. These startups will be provided mentorship, investments, corporate support, and up to RM2 million in additional benefits-in-kind.
The top five startups that were selected as finalists this year are:
Entrusol is a firm that creates one-of-a-kind, high-quality health goods that will improve their customers’ lives
Running Man is a food delivery company focusing on popular food
Payex Venture is a payment gateway that offers online money collection services to freelancers, Facebook Live and Instagram sellers.
Riipay is a consumer-centric buy now pay later platform that exists to transform the way shoppers pay for their purchases by offering simple and convenient payment methods.
TalentCloud.Ai is a technology firm that develops software for human resource management and business management for companies of all sizes.
Biji-biji Initiative Partners with Yayasan Hasanah on an Environmental NGO Accelerator Programme Targeted To Non-Profit And For-Profit Orgranisations With A Presence In Perak
The programme aims to assist environmental NGOs in scaling up their organisations while also accelerating their environmental-impact projects, which will function as a catalyst for revolutionary ecological change.
A total of RM150,000 in seed funds will be granted along with RM120,000 value in digital brand presence to NGOs that demonstrate and pitch a long-term strategic plan to scale their organisations.
For more information, visit https://www.biji-biji.com/ngo-accelerator/
“Throughout 2021 the best achievement for my company in our steamed rice business was reaching RM30,000 sales per month,” says Nujhan. Despite it being a challenging year, the key to secret , is expanding digitally online in order to ensure the business survives and is able to continuously make sales.
As for Hazrin, it was a good year as he tapped into opportunities to gain more knowledge of the business and went through a game changing experience moving his business from offline to online.
“I kept a positive mindset throughout the year, for me it was no longer blaming and making excuses when the business is down and look forth to different solutions,” he says.
Hazrin further shares that he pivoted by making sure his products were available online and the learning curve he experienced from SATU and other entrepreneurs proved to be valuable.
Digital was also the way forward for Nujhan as he utilised marketplace platforms such as Shopee food, foodpanda and Grab Food to attract sales and create profit. He also managed to acquire new customers as well as opportunities to market his products on these platforms.
“My advice to entrepreneurs out there who are having problems during the current pandemic is not to give up quickly. Keep on trying and think of ways to stay on in the industry,” he urges.
On a similar note, Hazrin says the way forward is to do so without turning back. “If you ever want to give up, think of why you started in the first place.”
Both entrepreneurs is also hoping for the government to introduce more grants and easier opportunities when it comes to obtaining licenses that allows them to kick off a business much faster.
Hazrin is also urging financial institutions to offer businesses loans with a flat rate of 3.5 percent and make available opportunities to apply for grants.
As for their guidance under Satu Creative, both Hazrin and Nujhan says sessions such as the Business Sharing Session has helped them to share and learn from one another. The Zoom coaching sessions further helped in strengthening their business and achieve more sales.
Whether it’s a feedback or if you’d like us to put your story out there, reach out to us via headsupnewsletter@gmail.com