December Entrepreneur Events

Dec 29
PAN final business meeting of the year + holiday gathering with lunch sponsored by madam chairperson. Attendees are encouraged to bring a gift each (worth minimum RM20 or more, if you wish) for the holiday gift exchange and to spread cheers.

We shall be meeting at PAN new shared premise in One Precinct Penang in Bayan Baru.
The address is: 1A-2-02 @ One Precinct (1147),
                        Lengkok Mayang Pasir.

The sharing session at noon shall feature member Linda Cheoy, speaking on 'choosing a good loan.' Come learn some tips...most businesses can benefit from loan at some point in time :)

The agenda is as follows:

10.00am - 12 noon  Committee meeting

12 noon -12.30pm   Sharing by member/guest (non-members welcome)

12.30pm - 1pm        Q & A

1pm - 2.30pm          Lunch-cum-networking

Dec 13
NAWEM has 20 seats at today's Chairman Power Breakfast with the Prime Minister in Kuala Lumpur. NAM Institute for the Empowerment of Women (NIEW), an agency under the Ministry of Women, Family and community Development, is the event organiser.

Dec 7
Inaugural Meeting for the "Staying Connected" Committee of the Malaysia In-Country APEC Forum 2012 in NAWEM office at Rumah Puspanita in Kuala Lumpur.


Dec 4 - 6
8th World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) in Johor Bahru. NAWEM has 5 complimentary seats for the WIEF Business Women Forum on Dec 5 that features several intriguing sessions including on:

Women in Technology: Fostering Interest and Overcoming Obstacles.

Business Innovation: Chasing Success on a Shoestring

CEO Panel Women Entrepreneurs: Catalyst for Change


Dec 1
Full day seminar titled ‘Merancang Kejayaan Perniagaan dari Aspek Kewangan dan Undang-Undang’ in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan. NAWEM has invitation for 20 members. This is a Ministry of Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism event, organised together with Peniagawati Malaysia.

Sharing by Women Entrepreneurs

For November sharing, PAN member Jacqueline of La Herballe beauty care will relate her company's experience participating in numerous expositions.

This is Jac

Most recent, La Herballe was among the exhibitors at last week Gift, Premium & Stationery Fair as well as the Penang Career & Post Graduate Expo held at the Penang International Sports Arena (PISA). By now, for sure her team are experts at getting the most out of such events, what are the do's and dont's when you are promoting products, building brand and franchise, etc.





New PAN member Jace will also be sharing on the topic of 'choosing the sex of your baby.' Jace is the director of Choice Baby Family Planning, a company that provides baby gender selection services.

Jace Lim

The company uses what is called the 'Choice Method', which Jace said is simple, safe and 100% natural for both mother and baby, without genetic manipulation, any clinical or surgical treatment. It has been used by thousand of mothers with over 98% success rate.

Aren't you curious now?
 




We all can learn much from these two growing women entrepreneurs. Come and meet them.

Kindly take note that NAWEM-PAN sharing session follows its monthly committee meeting, held every LAST SATURDAY of the month, and the Agenda is as follows:

10.00am - 12 noon  Committee meeting

12 noon -12.30pm   Sharing by member/guest (non-members welcome)

12.30pm - 1pm        Q & A

1pm - 2.30pm          Lunch-cum-networking with guests

Note the venue below and be part of PAN sharing & networking. 

C-5-1, Bay Avenue, Lorong Bayan Indah 3, 11900 Bayan Lepas, Penang.

(next to Eastin Hotel, near Queensbay Mall)

Also, starting December PAN official meeting venue will move to One Precinct Penang - a new seven-storey office-cum-retail complex in Bayan Baru (near Suntech). Our shared premise is at Precinct East 2nd floor. The address is 1A-2-02 @ One Precinct (1147), Lengkok Mayang Pasir, 11950, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia.

November Events

NAWEM-PAN member Wendy Wong at PenExpo Events is super busy nowadays with two up coming back-to-back expositions her company is holding at PISA (Penang International Sporst Arena) this month.

A tired & still smiling Wendy at the last expo.

PenExpo is known for its big expos that draw crowd of 20,000 - 30,000 people, and the exhibitor booths cost several thousands Ringgit each. Thanks to PenExpo and Wendy, women entrepreneurs from NAWEM often get to participate for free in such expos.

The two coming up events are the second Gift, Premium & Stationery Fair 2012 from Nov 15-17 and to be followed by the 12th Penang Career & Post Graduate Expo on Nov 17 & 18. Come find us among other Malaysian and international exhibitors at the events ya!

Participating PAN members at a previous expo.

...and the visiting crowd

Of course, you can just come for the expo daily top lucky draw prize of the new iPad, and to earn one or two of the 10,000 free Firefly Air tickets on offer.

If you or someone you know is looking for a job or want to change career, the career expo brings to you some 10,000 opportunities including for overseas postings...there must one or two that meet your preference.

If you rather take a break from work and go for further study, the expo post graduate section also let you easily browse through the different options available.

Company functions normally peak towards the year-end. Some functions require that you prepare unique gift items and souvenirs. Pick and order yours at the Gift, Premium & Stationery Fair.

Details of both expos, the list of exhibitors and their detail offerings are posted on https://www.facebook.com/penexpoevents and www.penexpo.com.my. Btw, PenExpo will also hold the Johor Career & Post Graduate Expo on Jan 12 & 13 next year.

* * *

There are more up coming events that offer business opportunities and learning, networking, training, etc. Some are free to eligible entrepreneurs while others charge substantial fees. However, many of them have free seats allotted to NAWEM members via our secretariat.


Nov 20
Half-day Street Smart 'MBA' for Entrepreneurs (SME CEO Forum 2012) in Petaling Jaya - for clearer understanding of how business works holistically, how to take complex decisions and operate in fast moving and competitive environment. NAWEM has 2 complimentary seats.


Nov 25
Entrepreneurship Programme with SME Bank in Kuala Lumpur - provides exposure and information about the role and financing opportunities offered by SME Bank to women entrepreneurs. NAWEM has 25 seats. 

Nov 26-30
Women as Creative Tourism Players, a regional course organised by NAM Institute for Empowerment of Women (NIEW) and to be held in Bali. NIEW is sponsoring the course except for air fare. NAWEM is allotted three applicants. 

 
Nov 28
Incoming Buying Mission: Intrade Malaysia 2012 in Kuala Lumpur for new and active Malaysian exporters. It is organised by MATRADE (Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation) with expected presence of some 500 international buyers.

Nov 29
Creativity & Innovation 
Key to Survival & Growth of SMEs
HRDF-sponsored programme in Petaling Jaya.

PAN is 3 Years Young!

Come November 2012, Penang Affiliates of NAWEM will be three years old and members had an early anniversary celebration in Kuala Lumpur recently, together with fellow women entrepreneurs from NAWEM headquarters.

And what a celebration it was for PAN members during that three-day two-night trip! We much appreciate that many NAWEM members, busy business women that they are, had made time for us and on week days too. They graciously became our tour guides, committee meeting coaches, lunch and dinner hosts and party pals.

We felt their generosity, camaraderie, warmth and sisterhood, which made me think of bunch of proud mamas showering gifts on her only child's birthday. Ah! it's good that PAN is NAWEM's first child, so to speak :)

At the end of the trip we were left feeling like children pampered on their birthday; from the various treats, bagful of wonderful souvenirs and fun prizes to take home and the warm, happy memories made. There were also lessons learned and inspiration taken, friendship forged and strengthened.

NAWEM President Sarojini Ruth addressing the gathering.

Fun and camaraderie at the Monkey Bar... anniversary dinner party hosted by NAWEM deputy president Puan Sri Dr Susan Cheah.

We sang, we danced, we had fun contests and won prizes, talked like only women could and made friends, ate and drank...and waited for the host to turn up. She was held back by work and bad traffic and couldn't make it. We had loads of fun anyhow!

Puan Sri Susan felt bad for having missed the party and made it up by treating us the next day to lunch. Awesome. A relaxed and leisurely meal, plus great conversation, at the Atrium, Sunway Pyramid certainly left many in joyous mood.

PAN chairperson Swe Ee was especially pleased that, with this anniversary trip, all in her committee had finally visited NAWEM Secretariat. The office is very cozy and has a feel of that of a home especially in the kitchenette.

It was serious business though when come to the meeting proper. We thank president Saro and her exco for sitting through the meeting with PAN committee, and for the coaching so as to better standardise the procedure. Also, thank you Mayi of the Secretariat for the professionally prepared minutes. We all learned and shall strive to do better.

Perhaps the greatest learning curve during the trip occurred while visiting Ken-Rich Chemical factory in Shah Alam. 

This CEO dresses very comfortably to work.

NAWEM member Hooi Lai Lin fascinated and inspired with recount of her success story; building the business with just RM5,000 in pooled capital amidst the mid-80's Malaysian economic crisis.

Her factory makes household and personal care products and today it supplies, among others, the house brands for international supermarket and retail outlet chains. Ken-Rich Chemical has also recently expanded to Penang to start making new personal care product lines.

Waiting for lunch to be served at South Sea Seafood in Subang.

 After feeding our mind and soul, Lai Lin took us out and fed our tummies as well. She sent us off with bagful of goodies each. 




Like Wendy said, the generosity we received was very encouraging, made us want to achieve more and grow as entrepreneurs, and take our turn at being gracious host and equally encouraging to other fellow women entrepreneurs.

For now, it has just gotten easier for the PAN members to answer that question of 'How have I benefited from NAWEM?' : ) What say you, gals? Comment below or leave some words in the cbox at right.

Business Grants to Beef Up Your Company?

Beauty care entrepreneur Jacqueline Goh started her business from a single table in a Penang shopping mall. Five years later, the La Herballe brand she created had begun distributing products throughout Malaysia, and even the world via online mall.

This year the brand celebrates its 8^th anniversary with Jac as the company group managing director and licensor for the La Herballe skin/beauty salon, which uses Japanese products first formulated over 30 years ago. She studied business in Japan as well as trained as a skin therapist and beauty consultant there, and naturally had since moonlight as a Japanese translator too.

La Herballe currently has 1 outlet on Penang Island, 2 in Seberang Prai and 2 in Selangor. It also actively distribute products through clinics, pharmacies and other salons.

The brand differentiate itself as the natural skin care/facial quick fix for urban lifestyle, attracting people with its effective, light and easy facial/spa experience at affordable prices.

La Herballe's latest concept of beauty kiosk

We are proud to have Jac as vice chairperson of NAWEM-PAN since its inception. Last year she was a recipient of NAWEM-HSBC skill training grant worth RM30,000. This allowed 10 eligible women in Penang to receive La Herballe beauty care training to enable them to at least start a home-based business, beauty kiosk or salon.

Certainly Jac has under her belt enough business experience and acumen to inspire other women. She had a regular job when she first started her business. “I would get up in the morning and go to my normal job as a PA/translator in factory uniform, and in the afternoon change into my skin therapist/consultant attire... in high heels.” For La Herballe, it had taken courage, effort, determination, belief in the products and the right image to succeed, Jac added.

A proud sponsor of Star Walk 2012...Jac @ centre

She recently applied for another NAWEM grant and hopes to train the next batch of deserving women entrepreneur wannabes. Jac has also been mulling on writing a women entrepreneur's guide titled 'The Warrior In Me...in High Heels.' We only wish she would get to it soon so more women can benefit from the La Herballe experience.

Meanwhile her company has, through NAWEM assistance, also received a SME Corp grant for La Herballe to obtain Franchise licence and ISO 9001 certification. For some immediate sharing with Jac, come join PAN sharing session this month on 'How to maximize your benefits being a member of NAWEM?' 

Jewellery talk, not on gold, this Saturday

The topic for PAN July sharing session has changed from gold to jewellery; both are favourites with us women, entrepreneurs or not. The earlier designated speaker, PAN member Monica, has a family emergency so another member Amee Philips has step up to take over the rostrum.

Yes, the speaker is the Amee Philips of the famous Penang jewellery house that has gone national as well as international as of this year. So free up your Saturday afternoon tomorrow to listen to and spend some personal time with this rising entrepreneur.

At the 6^th Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards earlier this month, Amee won the Most Promising Entrepreneur Award 2012. This particular award requires for the nominees to be entrepreneurs leading a registered business for no less than one year, and with a turnover of no less than USD1 million in the past one year.

The Most Promising Entrepreneurship Award is for entrepreneurs who have displayed promising accomplishments in the past and present and have the vision and potential to advance their companies to be leading businesses in the near future. They are deemed to hold the potential to make it big and inspire the young minds to follow their footsteps in becoming successful entrepreneurs in the future. 

Amee (L) receiving her Most Promising Entrepreneur Award

And Amee has been judged to fit that bill. So come prepared with questions to ask her over a cuppa. PAN sharing session is normally quite intimate with just 20 women or less chatting together.

Here's some Amee's basics to entice you further. 

She hailed from Nibong Tebal and got into the jewellery business by accident. She was in Germany and received a gemstone in the mail from mom, who asked Amee to send home more of the same.

At the time Amee could only afford costume jewellery to wear. “I didn't even know what gemstone my mom had sent. I took it to a crystal shop and look for its look-alike and bought some to send back home.”

Her mom shared the gems with friends and soon was asking Amee to get more, who then started sourcing them for much cheaper from wholesalers.

That was how her gems wholesaling business took hold, supplying to the jewellery shops along Pitt Street (now Lebuh Masjid Kapitan Keling) in George Town. “I walked door-to-door asking them to buy but they only agreed to sell the gems for me on consignment.”

“I develop good eyes for the good gem stones as I go through thousands of them daily. And I started designing jewellery too and was lucky enough to have sold every piece.” She opened her jewellery production studio in 1992.

 

With the 1997 Financial Crisis, the wholesaling business took a dive. Amee shifted her focus entirely on producing jewellery and hasn't look back since. Year 2012 brought the Amee Philips brand to the international arena through a smart partnership with Zhang Toi, a fellow Malaysian who is now a world renown fashion designer based in New York.

Amee Philips became an international brand overnight with Zhang Toi, she said. It all began with them meeting as participants in the George Town Festival 2011. She counted that among the lucky moments or breakthroughs in her business.

 

Amee Philips is looking forward to become a world renown brand in no time because, she said, “I'm the best in coloured gem stones, I love them, I believe in innovation and creativity, I'm a big dreamer, a doer, and have no worries about making mistakes.”

Awesome words and resolve; don't you wish to hear more from her in person?

 

July Sharing: Gold Intrigue

Are you noticing that lately gold is talked about quite often?

Yes, the shiny yellow metal has been gaining more attention than usual, at least for the past two years that I've noticed in Malaysia:

• My friends sell gold bar and promote the gold dinar and coin on FaceBook.
• Banks offer free gold wafers when you open an account and gold coins to win when you grow your balance.
• You can open gold account easily at any bank; two years ago only 2 or 3 banks have such facility. You have option to keep your gold bullions in the bank or take them home.
• There are also new companies dealing in gold bullions.
• 'Cash for your gold' event held in major city hotel and advertised in major papers.

PAN sharing session this month shall present some answers to the gold intrigue. Member Monica Toh wants to spread awareness of gold bullions as a good hedge against inflation and preserver of wealth.

People place their savings mostly in the bank, property or stock market, hoping to grow their wealth. Is now a good time to diversify and put some of your savings in the precious metal too?

Monica had joined the manufacturing sector right after school. After more than 20 years there, she left to go into financial planning and unit trust investment. Two years ago she expanded into trading of gold bullion.

She said gold bullion is providing her income regardless of the market movements, and helping others to do the same has been very financially rewarding as well.

 

Other Upcoming Events

26 & 27 July: NAMWEM  has 2 complimentary seats at the 16th Malaysian Banking Summit. Themed 'Charting the Future Direction of Banking and Finance in a New Era', the event is organised by the Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (ASLI) and held in Kuala Lumpur. Register with NAWEM Secretariat by noon, Friday the 16th, if you want to attend.

Sept 11 & 12: Join some 1,400 employers at the HRDF Conference & Exhibition 2012 this coming September. This annual event by Pembangunan Sumber Manusia Berhad (PSMB) will take place at the Sunway Pyramid Convention Centre in Kuala Lumpur.

The Human Resource Minister will give the keynote address. There will be other prominent speakers plus information-packed workshops to intensify information exchange pertaining to theoretical research and practical developments in HR development.

For details, contact NAWEM Secretariat at 03-2142 3325 or email secretariat.nawem@gmail.com

or visit www.hrdf.com.my.

Earlier Events

July 11: NAWEM is alloted 4 seats at a full day "International Population Conference on Population Ageing : Issues and Challenges" in Kuala Lumpur, held in conjunction with World Population Day 2012.

Expected attendance is about 230 representatives from government agencies, private sector, universities, international agencies as well as non-governmental organisations.

They are to discuss issues and challenges of the ageing population in Malaysia and other ASEAN countries in general. There will be Malaysian and international speakers, presenting a total of 13 papers.

Their top task is to evaluate the financial needs and family support for the older persons in view of the changing family scenario and current social economic situation.

Apart from sharing of information and experiences internationally, the conference would help programme managers and policy makers in the formulation of a more comprehensive policy for the
older persons.

The Social Security Research Centre, Faculty of Economics and Administration, University of Malaya (UM) is jointly organising the conference with the National Population and Family Development Board under the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development.

July 5 & 6: NAWEM had 2 complimentary seats at the e-commerce workshop "Versatile Innovation in Doing Business in the Global Market” held in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysian International Chamber of Commerce and Industry organised it in collaboration with the Confederation of Asia Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry & Secure Online Shopping Association, Taiwan.

July 2-8: NAWEM had 2 complimentary seats at the forum and networking session held during the Economic Cooperation Development In Private Sector Between Malaysia & Iran in Kuala Lumpur. The organiser was SME Corp.