BECOMING A LEADER
1992 OWN BUSINESS
Eager to build my own business, I started a partnership company in 1992 called Yolanda Group of Companies. My partner Amuthavalli and other family members were our backbones to our company, they ensured that our business is successful, our employees and constituents are happy doing their daily task. A positive work-life balance means your business is stable and successful enough to function without you from time to time.
The company supplied construction material for in building and infrastructure works ranging from piling & foundation works, road construction, educational buildings, factories, school, apartments & condominiums, shopping complexes, and markets. These works are complemented by industrial building systems, steel fabrication, and reinforced concrete structure. Through our years of experience, we had established sole distributorship for various kind of international industry. Companies like Hatzaki’s Marble Industry for sole marble distributor, Helioakmi for the sole distributor for solar panel industry, and Isotemia for the sole distributor for dielectric and anticorrosive coating and underground steel pipes and replacement of welding points
I introduce the entrepreneurial culture in our organization. The entrepreneurial culture is made up of qualities and attitudes that reflect a desire to wholeheartedly undertake and see through to completion whatever enterprise one chooses to be involved in; they include independence, creativity, initiative, self-confidence, leadership, team spirit, assiduity, responsibility, solidarity, and perseverance.
Visitation through countries like Italy, Greece, Germany, England, Canada and the United States allowed me to meet entrepreneurs and learn about his or her work environment. This allowed me to come into contact with individuals who may serve as positive role models, and provide useful tools for our future organization. It also provides an opportunity to bring the business back to Malaysia and broaden our network of contacts.
Our business faced financial difficulties during the recession period in 1997, where our clients could not pay us back the money for our constructions supplies provided to them to complete their projects. Many of our clients closed their company because they could not sustain their construction business. My own business made me learn that trust and loyalty do not have a good impact on business, improper documentation and agreement are needed to succeed in business. The betrayal of trust and loyalty, with the global recession, made me close this company.
“Keep on going, and the chances are that you will stumble on something, perhaps when you are least expecting it. I never heard of anyone ever stumbling on something sitting down.”
1999 KEEP MOVING FORWARD
Moving forward to 1999, I decided to start a consultation service for Rekal Jaya Security Services Sdn Bhd. The field of security made me engaged with high profile government and private individuals. My development in consultation started through various consultations for as many as 35 security companies on security administration, insurance policies, K9 unit services, anticipating on fire response, bodyguard services, and related services. The biggest issue in this security industry is arranging the manpower, we were always short of the right security personnel.
My ability to secure tenders from government and private sector, made my clients believe in all my action. I always need to decide on the two or three unique factors that will persuade your client that yours is the best proposal to meet their needs.
“Knowing how your strengths might compare in your client’s marketplace against others, as well as against their priorities, is the first step in determining your ‘win themes’. ”
2002 WHAT LIFE MEANS TO ME
My passion for quality product manufacturing made me venture into new horizons. I decided to become a distributor for Dolphin Healthcare Sdn Bhd where Dr. Colin Chong gave me an opportunity to distribute Pathol antiseptic spray, hygiene spray, and other Pathol products. My perseverance and achieving my crucial performance index (KPI), the organization gave me the sole distributorship for promoting and selling all Pathol products in 2006.
I decided to create a new company called Refresh Hygienic Corporation Sdn Bhd to handle the sole distributorship for 5 years. Dr. Colin Chong has guided me on research and development on products to ensure quality. This made me see quality from a different perspective. During this era, there were a lot of virus and bacteria cases in Malaysia. Through his guidance, I learned how to do a diagnosis of disease what type of chemical, laboratory test and studies needed to cure this type of problems. Intense meetings with doctors, researchers, and lab technicians through various Universities throughout Malaysia gave me a practical inside how a quality product can be created and how it can be valued.
Upon the expiry of my contract, the decision was made that we should join venture for the betterment of the organization. On 2010, we decided to create a joint venture company between Dolphin Healthcare Sdn Bhd and AHybrid Sdn Bhd. After some time, I had to withdraw from the joint venture due to some misconception created within the two organizations. The misconception started when a third party got involved in the joint venture.
The experience thought me that you should never allow a third person to be involved in a business.
The knowledge on forming a joint venture was accepted as a learning curve and I decided to change the company name to Hybrid Holdings Sdn Bhd. To have a new look, we restructured this company and appointed Dato Jusoh bin Awang as our company new Chairman. Through this appointment, I got the privilege to meet with Dr. Ayal Jayatilaka from Daintee Ltd, whose company is one of the largest confectionary product manufacturer in Sri Lanka. After our acquaintance, we did a lot of laboratory analysis to make our product a quality product. To do the analysis I used my savings with help of family and friends financial contribution to complete the relevant tests for the products. A strategic decision was made to rebrand our company for a new era, the new name was Akthina International Sdn Bhd.
Akthina International Sdn Bhd was investing a lot in Research and Development work to enhance the product quality. Due to financial constraint, we had to engage with high profile partners who funded the organization. These accumulated into many funds and we had quite a big group as partners. The partners with the interest in the company started to intervene in the company management, this disturbed the progression of the company. These were difficult times because my savings were impaled into this organization and I had to decide to follow through or let go this organization.
With a heavy heart, I decided to let go of the business, my family struggled for nearly for a year, there were a lot of people requesting for their money, I had to explain to them my situation. Some listened but most of them did not. Deep down I always believed that God has given me a path to learn and move on.
Keep moving forward, never pull your handbrake that was the motto I embarked in my brain. I thank god for the opportunity and the learning curve he provided and decided to prepare myself for the future.