ONE PHOTO EVERY WEEK

PASAR JELAWAT, BACHOK Marketplaces(Pasar) are vital to rural economies, serving as hubs for connecting producers and consumers, facilitating trade, and boosting agricultural productivity and economic activity. They also provide a focal point for social interaction and access to goods and services not available in smaller villages. Here is one such an example of a vibrant market called Kedai Jelawat,the best marketplace in Bachok. There are a few thousands of Pasar  scattered all over the country.  Based on the numbers of our MPs, I estimated we have nothing less than 2000 pasar. From my observations, the local authorities only manage the allocations of business and taking care of premises but not nurturing and scaling up the small business enterprises located in each pasar. That is why, most of them remain as they are and the market is not growing significantly. If we select 10 enterprises from each Pasar, we shall have 20,000 business persons to help them grow their business....

  On the way back home from my business coaching at National Art Gallery KL, I will take my MRT at Hospital KL Station. There, MBG Fruit Stall will be waiting for me. I will stop, buy one or two packs to bring home. It is like the stall comes to me offering fruits for me take home to my family. The keyword is conveniece at reasonable price. As a business coach, I would recommend potentional specific products entrepreneur to learn the success story  of my neighbour Adnan Lee. How he started the business in 1994 and have 450 employees. From my calculation, he now owns at least 100 fruit stalls in KLang Valley. From my observation in the last twenty years, Adnan successfully identify his target consumers of urban people and offer them selected good quaity fruits.  He also selected the right locations and provide good service. That is not record science but it requires planning ,patience and hard work. The keyword is FOCUS. From my experience, profits generated from business ...

  I first developed a taste for modern cakes and pastries when I joined the private sector in 1984. At that time, quality pastries and cakes were a luxury, available only in hotel restaurants, coffee houses, and exclusive clubs. If I wanted to enjoy a good croissant, I had to travel to Singapore! The variety and accessibility we have today were unimaginable back then. Fast forward to the present, cakes and pastries are available in all major towns and cities across Malaysia. The café culture has flourished, and dedicated pastry shops have become a common sight. However, looking at the rapid growth of these businesses, I sometimes wonder if they can all survive the intense competition—especially with the dominance of big players. Major Players in the Market One of the most widespread bakery chains is Baker’s Cottage, which has expanded aggressively with over 160 outlets nationwide. Their business model caters to the mass market, making them the go-to neighborhood bakery for everyday...

ONE PHOTO EVERY WEEK 10/52/2025- INDIE BOOKSHOP My top two places in any airports or shopping complexes are cafe and bookshop. The habit started way back in the 1990's when I discovered a cafe inside ETC Bookshop and The Foyle in London where the bookshops also have cafe inside. Later, I used to go to MPH Damansara, Borders and Kinokuniya in Kuala Lumpur. I love both the corporate big bookshops and independent small/specilised bookshops. Big bookshops cater for every genres of books and stationery and the small bookshops for their niches market segmets. Both big and small suffered badly due to the online books in the early 2010s and the Covid19 in ealry 2020. i bought a few books to learn how to run a bookshop and visit a few indie bookshops. From my observation in BB Bangi, It is more profitable and sustainable to own a cafe than a bookshop. However, due to my interests in special books , I always visit indie bookshop like Riwayat in KL. Talking about big and small bookshops, ...

DOBI MAMMY LAUNDRY BUSINESS Here is a new kid on the block in BB Bangi. I am impressed by the good design and facilities provided. Let us support our local businesses. One of friends owns two outlets and he is doing very well. Cleaning business is a never ending story. Personally I never like to do laundry for my own clothes. When I was in primary school, our house maid did the laudry.Later, when I was at full boarding schools for eight years, I sent my soiled clothing to School Dobby. My first encounter with a laundrette was in Sheffield in 1973. That was a God send for me. Nowadays, most of us have a washing machine in our house. Why laundry business? The automated laundry business in Malaysia, particularly self-service laundromats, has experienced significant growth in recent years. This expansion is driven by urbanization, increasing disposable incomes, and a growing preference for convenient, time-saving services. In 2024, the Home & Laundry Care market in Malaysia was projec...