iSearch Malaysia – Business Podcast for Entrepreneurs

In this episode of the iSearch podcast, Benjamin Lim (iSearch) discussed with Tan Aik Keong (Agmo) on Agmo's journey from a startup to IPO. The areas of discussion include: 0:00 - Introduction 1:03 - The idea of starting Agmo 3:19 - Current programmes like Shark Tank for aspiring entrepreneurs in Malaysia 4:42 - How Agmo got their first few clients 6:38 - Evolving from SMEs stage to bigger companies 9:37 - Marketing internationally 10:59 - The biggest challenge of running Agmo 14:58 - Platform recommendations for entrepreneurs to get started 18:42 - Advice for entrepreneurs aiming for IPO 23:14 - Future plans for Agmo #tanaikkeong #agmoholdings #agmo #startup #tech #technology #entrepreneur #entrepreneurmalaysia #sme #smemalaysia #isearchmalaysia #isearchpodcast #isearch

In this episode of the iSearch podcast, Benjamin Lim (iSearch) discussed with Dr. Selina Chew (Disruptive Doctors) on her journey from being a doctor to establishing a startup, and how they have been impacting healthcare in Malaysia differently. The areas of discussion include: 1:03 - The idea and inspiration behind Disruptive Doctors 9:24 - How doctors can impact healthcare differently and benefits from joining Disruptive Doctors 10:54 - Disruptive Doctors’ community and events 12:06 - A real life example of impacting healthcare differently 13:19 - The best marketing strategy that has worked well for Disruptive Doctors 14:38 - How Disruptive Doctors got their first 100-500 users 16:48 - How Disruptive Doctors makes money and their future plans 20:08 - Free vs. paid membership on Disruptive Doctors 20:43 - Dr. Selina’s vision for Disruptive Doctors 22:20 - Advice for those facing setbacks in their career and wish to pivot Check out Disruptive Doctors here: https://disruptive-doctors.com/ #selinachew #disruptivedoctors #startup #healthcare #healthcareinnovation #entrepreneur #entrepreneurmalaysia #sme #smemalaysia #isearchmalaysia #isearchpodcast #isearch

In this episode of the iSearch podcast, Benjamin Lim (iSearch) discussed with Raymond Chou (Owners Circle) on hiring and retaining a team of A-players, and preventing burnout as an entrepreneur. The areas of discussion include: 0:48 - Common challenges faced by entrepreneurs when building a high-performing team 2:30 - How entrepreneurs can overcome these challenges 4:06 - Breaking away from the mindset of not delegating 8:12 - Determining the right time to hire 11:39 - Burnout among entrepreneurs 13:39 - Creating the right environment for employees 17:08 - Providing a path to growth for A-players 19:38 - Identifying A-players during the interview stage 25:33 - Some ways entrepreneurs can find support and guidance Check out Owners Circle here: https://ownerscircle.asia/ #raymondchou #ownerscircle #entrepreneur #entrepreneurmalaysia #hiringstrategy #hiringemployees #hiringtips #sme #smemalaysia #isearch #isearchmalaysia #isearchpodcast

In this episode of the iSearch podcast, Benjamin Lim (iSearch) discussed with Eric Siew (Choobub Creatives) on his journey from being a doctor to establishing a marketing agency, and some effective tips for SMEs to build their online branding. The areas of discussion include: 0:00 - Introduction 1:18 - The story behind Eric's interesting career change 3:19 - Why Eric chose the marketing field 5:55 - How Eric navigated his decision with his family 7:40 - The challenges Eric faced and the mindset shift needed to go from employee to entrepreneur 9:57 - Finding a business partner 11:27 - How long it took Eric to land his first client 14:48 - 3 marketing strategies for SMEs to stand out and build their online branding 18:23 - Eric's advise for shy people who want to build their branding 20:25 - How to get started with content writing 22:23 - Eric's thoughts on creating organic content vs. running ads 24:31 - Boosting organic content as ads 26:17 - LinkedIn as a platform for B2C businesses 28:16 - Style of content writing for B2C businesses on LinkedIn 30:47 - How businesses can measure performance of their content 32:45 - How Eric overcomes a creative block 35:32 - Building a personal brand vs. building a corporate brand 37:42 - How entrepreneurs can join Eric's community Check out Choobub Creatives here: https://choobub.my/ #ericsiew #choobubcreatives #choobub #digitalmarketing #marketingagency #marketingtips #branding #entrepreneur #entrepreneurmalaysia #sme #smemalaysia #isearchmalaysia #isearchpodcast #isearch

In this episode of the iSearch podcast, Benjamin Lim (iSearch) discussed with Mark Chong (Big Tiny) on how to invest in tiny homes and the couple of ways to earn monthly passive income. The areas of discussion include: 0:00 - Intro 2:24 - Experiences at tiny homes overseas 4:42 - How to invest in a tiny home and what to expect 12:09 - Co-owning a tiny home without buying 16:22 - The negative connotation on passive income 18:41 - How BigTiny sustains during off-peak seasons 21:16 - BigTiny’s co-ownership programme 24:16 - How you can get more information from BigTiny 25:30 - Mark shares more on BigTiny 27:29 - BigTiny’s upcoming event Check out Big Tiny here: https://www.bigtiny.com.sg/ #bigtiny #tinyhouse #tinyhousemovement #tinyhomes #entrepreneur #entrepreneurmalaysia #businessmalaysia #startup #startupmalaysia #isearch #isearchmalaysia #isearchpodcast

In this episode of the iSearch podcast, Benjamin Lim (iSearch) discussed with Jeff Yeo (Big Tiny) on the brand's story and key strategies and challenges of their rapid expansion from 2 tiny houses to 450 tiny houses in 7 years. The areas of discussion include: 0:00 - Introduction 0:59 - The story of Big Tiny 3:37 - Design of Big Tiny houses 4:54 - Big Tiny team's prior experience 6:22 - Big Tiny's business model 10:21 - How you can book a stay with Big Tiny in Malaysia 11:33 - Key strategies of Big Tiny's rapid growth 14:13 - Assembling a tiny house and Big Tiny's mantra 15:35 - Popularity of Big Tiny 16:17 - Safety and security in Big Tiny homes 17:02 - Key challenges during Big Tiny's expansion 20:21 - How Big Tiny stands out against bigger booking platforms 22:32 - Sale of Big Tiny houses 24:50 - Future plans for Big Tiny Check out Big Tiny here: https://www.bigtiny.com.sg/ #bigtiny #tinyhouse #jeffyeo #entrepreneur #entrepreneurmalaysia #businessmalaysia #startup #startupmalaysia #isearch #isearchmalaysia #isearchpodcast

In this episode of the iSearch podcast, Benjamin Lim (iSearch) discussed with Sam Shafie (pitchIN) on what Equity Crowdfunding (ECF) is and how businesses can raise funds via ECF in Malaysia. The areas of discussion include: 0:00 - Introduction 1:14 - The story of pitchIN 4:37 - What is Equity Crowdfunding (ECF) and how it differs from other types of funding 8:28 - Prerequisite for companies to raise funds via ECF 11:25 - Do’s and Don’ts of ECF 15:24 - How to value your company 23:28 - Equity distribution on pitchIN 27:28 - How investors can sell off their shares 31:33 - Caveat on investing via pitchIN 32:01 - Accessing companies’ financial statements 32:47 - Types of businesses that are suitable for ECF 37:41 - An important tip for investors 38:56 - Success stories of fundraising via ECF on pitchIN 44:17 - How companies can get started with the pitchIN platform Check out pitchIN here: https://www.pitchin.my/ #pitchin #equitycrowdfunding #raisefunds #entrepreneur #entrepreneurmalaysia #businessmalaysia #startup #isearchmalaysia #isearchpodcast

In this episode of the iSearch podcast, Benjamin Lim (iSearch) discussed with Wayne Yap on buying a boring business and making it profitable, where Wayne bought a boring business and turned $2,500 to $380,000 a Month! The areas of discussion include: 1:17 - Wayne’s definition of a ‘boring business’ 1:54 - Examples of ‘boring business’ 2:40 - Key considerations before Wayne buys over ‘boring businesses’ 3:43 - Strategy on buying over ‘boring businesses’ 4:31 - The process of buying over a business 7:27 - Having relevant experience before acquiring a company 8:56 - Document requirements to conduct due diligence 9:58 - How Wayne approaches potential sellers 11:01 - Wayne’s due criteria for buying businesses 15:18 - Changes made and lessons learnt from Wayne’s successful business 17:41 - Wayne’s thought process before acquiring a beauty business 19:33 - Wayne’s strategy to go from $2,500 to $380,000 per month 22:19 - Wayne’s current portfolio of businesses 24:17 - Evaluating the price of a business for acquisition 26:08 - Marketplace to find businesses for sale 27:14 - Engaging a consultant for inexperienced buyers 28:11 - Hiring a lawyer for the acquisition process 29:45 - Wayne’s current personal projects Check out Wayne Yap here: https://www.wayneyap.com/ #boringbusiness #businessmalaysia #businessgrowth #businesstips #businessstrategy #businessacquisition #entrepreneur #entrepreneurmalaysia #startupmalaysia

In this episode of the iSearch podcast, Benjamin Lim (iSearch) discussed with Richard William (RW William) on the implementation of e-invoicing in Malaysia and how businesses can prepare for it. The areas of discussion include: 1:06 - What is e-invoicing and how it’s different from the current invoicing structure 4:11 - E-invoicing timeline and regulations 7:20 - E-invoicing regulations for B2C businesses 8:55 - Further explanation on e-invoicing regulations 11:17 - The purpose of e-invoicing 13:47 - E-invoicing for imports 14:41 - Obtaining invoices for services like Google Ads, Facebook, etc. 18:18 - How businesses can start implementing e-invoicing 24:25 - E-invoicing for individual agents 25:27 - Average cost for accounting software 27:36 - Final piece of advice Check out RW William here: https://rwwilliam.com.my/ #einvoicingmalaysia #einvoicing #entrepreneur #entrepreneurmalaysia #businessmalaysia #startup #isearch #isearchmalaysia #isearchpodcast #rwwilliam

In this episode of the iSearch podcast, Benjamin Lim (iSearch) discussed with Venon Tian (Zus Coffee) the story behind the brand and how it grew from 0 to 360 outlets in a short span of 4 years. The areas of discussion include: 1:33 - How the idea of Zus Coffee came about 2:52 - Key strategies in Zus Coffee’s rapid expansion 7:19 - Zus Coffee’s goals for 2024 8:19 - How funding was secured to boost Zus’s growth 10:11 - The biggest challenges and lessons from running 300+ outlets 15:54 - Zus Coffee’s hiring philosophy 19:03 - The ultimate vision for Zus Coffee 21:44 - How Zus maintains quality and consistency across their outlets 25:52 - The role technology has played in Zus’s growth 31:22 - A valuable lesson for aspiring entrepreneurs Check out Zus Coffee here: https://zuscoffee.com/ #zuscoffee #venontian #entrepreneur #entrepreneurmalaysia #businessmalaysia #startup #startupmalaysia #isearch #isearchmalaysia #isearchpodcast