Enterprise Explores

Environment, Social and Governance or ESG has always been seen as something only MNCs or public-listed companies do. But is this true? The Department of Statistics Malaysia recorded roughly 1.2 million MSMEs which accounts for 97.4% of the total establishments in Malaysia. This translates into a contribution of almost 40% of Malaysia’s GDP with SME exports recorded at more than RM 117 billion for...

While many organisations are growing aware of the threat of cyberattacks and are strengthening their security, a successful attack is almost inevitable, resulting in system downtime, loss of customer trust and most critically - loss of important data. This is why data backup and recovery is considered a crucial part of cyber hygiene, however over 40% of Malaysian businesses don't practice this. We...

Are Malaysians paid fairly for the work they do ? That is the question many Malaysians are asking after an article on World of Buzz highlighted the large wage disparity between Malaysia and Singapore. While there are many factors such as cost of living that might have been a factor here, there are other granular reasons that also play a role in enlarging the gap. We speak to Tan E-Hun from REFSA t...

Local lingerie brand Jujumello closed down their business last month after 6 years of operations. Mel Chai, the Co-Founder of Jujumello joins the conversation as we dive into pitfalls that might lead a business to cease its operations or “fail” and how entrepreneurs could overcome and learn from failure and overcome the fear of failure. Image Credit: Shutterstock | Supamotion See omnystudio.com/li...

Last week, more than 1,700 people were employed on the spot on the five-day job expo Jamin Kerja Keluarga Malaysia Career Expo 2022 . Some say job fairs are like speed dating for recruitment, some say that it feels like window shopping for a job. But the main objective of job expos is still recruiting the best people for companies, and candidates to join the best companies. What can businesses do...

The ACI Worldwide in the Prime-Time for Real Time 2022 report states that Malaysia has achieved remarkable speed in the nationwide implementation of real-time payments, and its rapid adoption by banks. This comes as little surprise, especially as the pandemic forced many businesses to rethink their approach to finance and technology. How can SMEs continue to adapt with the changing fintech space?...

The recent crypto crash has once again put a spotlight on the volatility and future of cryptocurrencies . Bitcoin, the grandfather of all cryptocurrencies, has lost roughly 70% of its value from a high of nearly USD $69,000 back in November 2021. Various crypto exchanges and lenders have since fallen into bankruptcy or downsized to deal with the downturn. We speak to Vincent Fong, chief editor at...

The recent crypto crash has once again put a spotlight on the volatility and future of cryptocurrencies . Bitcoin, the grandfather of all cryptocurrencies, has lost roughly 70% of its value from a high of nearly USD $69,000 back in November 2021. Various crypto exchanges and lenders have since fallen into bankruptcy or downsized to deal with the downturn. We speak to Vincent Fong, chief editor at...

On top of the Crackhouse Comedy Club’s suspension due to its infamous video, there was another issue about its licences. It was found that the outlet has been operating in TTDI with only a restaurant licence, not an entertainment licence. What kind of licences are needed for restaurant owners? And what will happen to your licence if something of the same sort happens to your business ? We speak to...

All industries are in desperate need of workers at the moment to recover their businesses in order to aid Malaysia’s economy, but despite the lifting of the foreign labour freeze, slow and delayed government approval is halting the process. When can this prolonged labour shortage be resolved? Can we see light at the end of this seemingly pitch black tunnel? We speak to Khor Yu Leng, Independent Po...

As business costs rise due to many factors ranging from rising price of goods to inflation , many of them have decided to raise prices to . A Grant Thornton research has indicated that 82 percent of Malaysian businesses have opted to do so. To get a clearer picture of what’s going on, we speak to Professor Geoffrey Williams, an Economist from Malaysia University of Science and Technology. Image Cr...

Debate continues to rage on about exactly how bad Malaysia has been impacted by “The Great Resignation”, but it’s clear that for better or for worse, the demands and expectations of the current and incoming workforce has changed - and employers must adapt accordingly. Nurul A'in Abdul Latif, Deputy Executive Chair, PwC Malaysia, shares the findings of the PwC’s Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey 202...

We see governments and business entities globally pledge to achieve net-zero carbon status by 2050. However, the United Nations Environment Programme’s report revealed that many of these plans are scant with ‘vague’ promises and inconsistencies with the 2030 national climate commitments. And one of the biggest contributors to carbon emission is the logistics industry, with airfreights producing so...

Selling your business is not a simple 2-step process and can get nerve-wracking if you’re not prepared beforehand . There are many factors that must and should be considered . To get an insight into the whole process, we will be speaking with Sashie Kumar, founder & CEO of global fintech enabler, ATX, who sold his startup last year, on his thoughts and how to go about this.  Image Credit:...

According to the most recent BrioHR Employment Index, Malaysian owners of small and medium-sized enterprises are optimistic about their future economic and business growth prospects and have been hiring aggressively. Is this the right move? And how are SMEs strategising their aggressive talent acquisition? Benjamin Croc, Co-Founder and CEO of BrioHR, Avinash Kumar, Managing Director of Monroe Cons...

The past 2 years have been undoubtedly tough for many businesses due to the pandemic. With economies gradually reopening and as the world slowly transitions towards endemicity, a new danger looms on the horizon, the threat of a looming recession . We discuss how companies can build resilience in these trying times with a special look at the startup space where we have Tay Shan Li, Managing Partner...

Most countries have opened their borders, visitors have been flying in and out of countries these past months. We speak to Hannah Pearson, founder of Pear Anderson and Regional Director at Adventure Travel Trade Association to recap on how the travel industry has recovered over the first half of the year across the South East Asia region.  Image Credit: Shutterstok | Popartic See omnystudio.c...

As the world grows more connected each day, we leave ourselves more exposed to cyber attacks that have compromised data and left people in power, embarrassed by the revelations. The latest data leak that made the headlines was from Uber . It has revealed a story of denied justice, secretly lobbied governments and violence against their own drivers. So where is the ethical line in the sand drawn wh...

With only 18% of EPF’s total members having accumulated the minimum recommended retirement savings of RM240,000 at age 55, many could no longer afford to retire but might be forced to retire because they had reached retirement age. What could these retirees do to continue to earn and support themselves? Will hiring retirees be a solution? We speak to Hire Seniors to discuss more on tapping into th...

The hard truth we have to accept as a result of the pandemic is how some of us were forced to pivot careers. Some even needed to find additional income streams in order to be more financially secure, and to combat the uncertain future of our global economy. And as many have embarked on diversifying their skill sets, the phrase "multi-hyphenate career" became more popular and this career canno...

The discussion surrounding chicken and egg supplies has unveiled the vulnerability of Malaysia's food supply chain ; is our poultry supply actually sustainable in the long run? A potential solution could be found with alternative proteins, which may allow space for food security to bounce back, especially when Malaysia's inflation has shot up at its fastest rate in nearly five years. We speak to A...

If you’re feeling sadder, more worried and anxious over the past few years, you’re not alone. With uncertainty continuing to make the future feel bleak and unpredictable, Gallup's Latest Global Emotions Report shows that our Negative Experience Index has been pushed to a new high in 2021. Can we bounce back from feeling negative? How does it affect our work? Can we recover from stress and Dr Anasu...

Hundreds of workers from tech start-ups in Southeast Asia have been fired in the last few months, proving that the fast-growing industry is not immune to the global economic slowdown. These startups are being more cautious in scaling their team fast and turning their focus on optimising their resources as their costs increase. For more insights, we speak to Rene Menezes, President and Co-Founder o...

When the Flexi Work Arrangements announcement was made to be put in place coming September 1, different concerns have arisen - what should employees look for when making an application for flexi work arrangements? What should employers look out for? Can businesses adapt to this ‘sudden change’? We discuss this from a legal perspective with Lawyer Henn Xhen Low of Thomas Philip Advocates & Soli...

Less than 40% of marketers employ consumer research to drive their marketing decisions, and it’s a massive misconception that consumer researc h is simply a luxury. In fact, consumer research should serve as the foundation of every business. Consumers are no longer affected by mass marketing approaches. How do you keep on top of ever-changing consumer behaviour and preferences after nearly three y...