MONIZONE RESOURCES SDN BHD

Founder: Tn Hj. Mohamad Nizam bin Mohamed

Pn, Ruzanifah Husnin

BRIEF BACKGROUND

1. Can you introduce a little bit on the company profile and background
 In 2010 Encik Nizam founded a small business called Monizone Resource
that sell eyewear products. (sblm upgrade Monizone Resurce Sdn Bhd dia
ada mention something tapi xjelas)
 At first, the business just manage to get income around RM5000-RM7000 per
month. But then the sales grow well and Encik Nizam upgraded and
registered Monizone Resource as a private company with the title of Sdn Bhd
in 2013.
 He actually start his career in business since his early 20s where he’s first
experience was working as a network marketer or multi-level marketing
(MLM).
 Before this, he did learned on sales skills for the business. Besides, he once
tried venturing in some other business sectors such as conventional and
agriculture business but sadly these business went down and he suffer losses
almost around RM2 million.
 The business selling sunglasses is a success for En Nizam. Until now, this
eyewear business is in the market for 10years. (10th celebrations on 12.12.20)

GENERAL

1. Why did you choose Jalan Abd Kadir Adabi as a location to run your business?
And do you have any plan to open another branch at other location?
 First office was located at Lundang then was moved to KB Cyber Plaza (now
is known as UTC which located beside KBMall). They were moving during
that time because Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) asked them
to join incubator program (collaborative program for start-up companies) as
they start the business online. After the floods in 2014, KB Cyber Plaza asked
him to vacate the unit as they going to construct UTC. Then finally, they move
to Jalan Abdul Kadir Adabi.
  He chooses this location because it ease the employees to find foods for their
break time such as during lunch as the location is strategic which is near to
the town and the employees will not need much time to go out for break and
come back to the work on time.
 The business used to have another branch which is located at Seri
Kembangan, Kuala Lumpur. The branch hold out just for 3years which in
2014 to 2016. Due to difficulties in handling employees and stocks, he
decided to fully close the branch and just focus on Kota Bharu.
 The company had rented 4 units of office lots in KB for the purposes of office
for admin, store to place the inventories, office for employees’ training and
office for internet marketers.

2. Why did you choose an Eyewear Manufacturing Business?

 Monizone Resource Sdn Bhd is an eyewear trader not a manufacturer.
Eyewear is manufactured by China factory then it is rebrand and sell in
Malaysia.
 Encik Nizam also tried venturing in eyewear business and unexpectedly
success, not like other previous business venture that went down.
 He had created a business proposal, study all things that related to the
competitors, leaders and also procedures in managing business.
 In simple words, eyewear is counted as rare business which could be found in
20 years ahead. Not many people do.

3. How and when your businesses start to flourish?

 The business start flourish in 2012 when the Facebook introduced the FB
ads, at that time they start promote through FB ads.
 After that, the business booming and they start handle parcel 300-400 per
day.
 They still maintain using FB ads till now.

4. Where did you get your funding from? Own saving or loan from bank?
 Start-up use own saving (RM2,500)
 Find agent investor (inject money to the business) in return, he give them
some of the profit.
  Capital from bank (BCGC, Guarantee Corporation, Subs of Bank Negara,
Perbanan Usahawan Nasional Berhad - PUNB, Commercial Bank through
ECER initiatives)
 Most of the funding, they try to get the lowest rate as possible.

5. Did you face any difficulties/challenges while training your staff?

 Yes he did have difficulties in training the staff.
 As the solution he try to get close with his staff by remove the gap between
them (he asked the staff to call him Abe Zam, so that the staffs feel
comfortable with him)
 He said to the staff that he is not just their boss but he is also a person who
would lead and teach them like a big brother.
 However he still put a little gap between him and the staff even though they
call him only Abe Zam but the staff still kept their respect up on their boss
where they properly done their tasks as in the office they need to be
professional when it comes to work.
 He removes the “bossy attitude” and maintain a good leadership in order to
handle the staff wisely.

SALES/MARKETING/FINANCIAL

1. How company advertise the business and the product?

 FB ads but early on he start the business, he use forum (around 2009 or
2010) – G1Forum, Lower go Forum and so on.
 Now he try to find new medium other than FB Ads like Instagram, TikTok, ( to
attract X generations)
 Offline advertisement such as Billboard but did not received a good response
as much as FB ads.

2. Does your company use any system, eg: to record sales? If yes, what is the
system? It is updated? Do you think that the system is effective and efficient?
 use ‘BS App’ to record sales, track performance, tracking number that given
to the cust.
 SQL for the acctg system (Cash inflow and outflow, Balance sheet, Profit &
Loss)
 HR.my system for example staff will check in using this system as a proof of
attendance.
  Stock use SQL

3. The business is generally known to have face-to-face consultation with

potential customer to sell the product(s); as we are having pandemic
nowadays, do you think it is still an effective way to market the product (s)?
And why?
 Actually they have both online & offline marketing
Offline – open kiosk at market or mall then if people passing by, and then will
try to stop them and start the presentation. Even though during pandemic,
people still go there to buying their necessities and they still can do the
marketing as usual. This is because the marketing that they use in traditional
way doesn’t change even though they are using it 10 years before and its
different with online as it change as the time flows.
 Before pandemic, offline marketing contribute 60% revenue but then after
pandemic, only 20% revenue.

4. Which design of eyewear did achieve the highest/slowest sales of the

company? And why do you think it happened? Is it because of Trend,
Promotional campaign or etc?
 They follow the leaders for example what Ray Ban do, they do. They just
follow the trend. But then, in knowing which product gives the best
performance, they using Ansoff matrix. By using the matrix, if the products
star now, it doesn’t mean star in 3 years from now. There will be a change in
the matrix. For now, Polorice product is the star product as it using by drivers.
The more people buying car, the higher demand in buying this product.

5. Have your company achieve the target sales and if yes how you maintain it
especially in this pandemic condition?
 People spend BSH through shoppe, Lazada and also FB. So during that time,
they have achieved their target about 3 to 4 months but then after 2 nd wave of
pandemic (Sept, Oct, Nov) their sales drop
 They target on Jan, their sales will booming again as 6.4 Million KWSP or
Government will give moratorium for another 6 months.
 During normal day not pandemic, 1 bulan bahagi 4 minggu. Cth target
RM500,000, so setiap quarter capai 170,000 sebulan. Then 170,000 bahagi
kpd each sales marketer. Break down into small target then only boleh capai.
 6. Did you send your staff to any training?
 Send their top management to leadership training (emotional spiritual training,
Hr Staff to Labor law training, Sales staff to sales skill training)
 Mainly training was done by him; he went to Japan, London to study. Even
now he is pursuing master at UnisZa in Entrepreneurship and Business
Innovation.
 They gain knowledge and teach their own staffs so that they know their leader
do have so many knowledge in business.

7. How much cost did you company incurred during this training?
 Company mencarum dgn HRDF, which 1% drpd salary contribute kpd HRDF
 Company offer grant for training and training os through online.
 Training bila perlu sahaja.

COMPETITORS

1. What makes your company different? / What makes your product(s) special
and unique from other similar eyewear in the market? / What are the
differences between your product and the competitors?
 Look what segment that they in. (Average segment)
 Use Blue Ocean Strategy- less competitors (competitor just try to enter but
not to stay in the market.
 When problems come, they overcome by get info from customers and
improve the product in the same niche.

2. Who is your main competitors?

 In their segment, not many competitors (Ray Ben, Oakley) basically all
glasses are their competitors.
 But in the market he cannot see there is so much competitor because they
sold the sunglass around RM200 and below but other brand sold at higher
price which around RM500 so they have competitive advantage in pricing.

3. Do you have any advantage over the competitors?

  Their product (sunglasses) is mainly for driving people, people who drive the
car especially would need their product.
 The purpose and function of their product (sunglasses) is significant however
other branded and expensive brand is the other way around where people
buy it to show off their wealth yet they would seldom use the sunglasses as it
is expensive and would be bad if it is ruin or lost.
 Their product (sunglasses) is affordable to buy and if it is broken or lost, the
customers would not felt too bad as they can afford to buy a new one.

CHALLENGES/RISK/OPPORTUNITY

1. What are the challenges that the company facing in the business? / Is there
any other issues or challenges that you have been facing throughout the
business operation?
 Management team-Staff creates their own clan, so teamwork will not
happen.
So he shuffles all of them and automatically they will try to fit in with everyone
not just with their own clan.
 Sales team- over-bonding
During pandemic, China couldn’t produce the product as the factory is close
and also to ship as shipment only for face mask. (Feb, March, April)

2. What opportunities and risks do you face?

 Goal- sales team grow to 100 people, 1 person get RM5, 000 sales so total
up can get RM500, 000 sales per month.
 They will open to outsiders to gain more income such as housewife

FUTURE PLANS

1. How do you plan your company's future during covid-19 crisis? / If the COVID-
19 in Kelantan is getting worse, do you think you will be able to survive? And
what is/are your future plan in facing this pandemic? / What company's current
plan (during pandemic) n future plan (after pandemic)?
 They have to change their way of doing the business.
 First need to adapt the changes. Using GM to connect with staff.
 Maybe they have to close down the offline outlets and 100% online business.
 All offline agent need to change to online.
PANDEMIC/NATURAL DISASTER

1. Challenges during pandemic to deliver eyewear as before this pandemic

customers may come to pick up the product and some other may receive the
product through courier but in the present of this pandemic, customers cannot
come to pick up the product and the shipment by courier may be delayed?
 During the first wave, Government give a moratorium hence the sales boom
but then factory in China cannot produce the product so they need to make
pre-order where it take time to supply and deliver the products to the
customers. Subsequently, there also an issue arise when the company faced
a problem to post out the parcels of products where the courier (Poslaju) does
not accept a huge amount of parcel such one (1) million per day throughout
Malaysia. Furthermore, the other courier like J&T’s branch in the red zone is
closed due to pandemic. Besides, sometimes the parcels of product is
defected and also missing without trace. So, customer service will responsible
to take action and explain the real condition and status of their product so that
the customers would be aware.

2. Did the company suffer loss during this pandemic? / How much losses you
had been incurred during this pandemic especially at the time when all the
business being ordered to be temporary closed?
 Company has no losses.
 Push staff to double the effort since rev drop.

3. How can you ensure sustainable financing and stable cash reserves during
this pandemic?
 To control expenses, avoid additional losses.
 Double or triple the efforts in business, at least there is a small profit and not
just on par.
 Solve internal problem first, only then the organisation’s problems can also be
solved.

4. During this pandemic, how does it give impact to your business? Do you still
operating the business as usual or is there any new normal for the business?
  WFH. Meeting through GM.
 Monitor through meeting and daily report. Every evening submit report
 Reduce F2F conversation
 Office staff work F2F by shift. (Acctg Dep & Hr Dep need to take turn with
Marketing and Inventory Dep) But Packaging Dep everyday F2F.

5. Do you have any backup plans when something happens unexpectedly

(natural disaster eg: flood, earthquake & pandemic)
 If the factory in China cannot produce and supply the products, they need to
take the initiative bought the products from other business such as his friend
business for a while until he can get back the supply from China.

6. Do you see the covid-19 pandemic as your business opportunity or threat?

Why?
 For him every threat is an opportunity.
 They see some people having difficulties to drive during night and rainy day
so that is why he sell this eyewear product to help this people.

EXTRA QUESTIONS

1. Specific area that we (student) can do research or contribute to his company.

 What is the fresh graduates’ attitude on become an entrepreneur? Nowadays,
fresh graduates prefer to work with other people and received monthly pay
payrolls instead of becoming an entrepreneur that create their own income
and profit. What is actually their preference? Is it becoming a job seeker or a
job creator?
 Government’s aspiration is to promote the fresh graduates to become an
entrepreneur or a job creator.
 This research may ease him to groom and hire some new agent and staff for
Monione Resource Sdn Bhd and also for other businesses.

2. What about in marketing strategy?

 Tiktok
 What is the suggested or brilliant content that can be included in this social
media medium (Tik Tok) especially for marketing purposes.
 What is the speciality of using Tik Tok compare to other platforms?
3. Any online platform to do the marketing instead of FB Ads
 FB Marketplace
 2 or 3 marketer using web page.
 Create chat box where customers can made direct order or purchase there.
 FB: Ibnu Sina Eyewear Official

4. How to handle problem with courier when it arisen?

 Sign up or deal with other couriers so if J&T courier is having problem, there
is other courier can be used to deliver the products to the customers.

5. The method that company used to convince the outsider to join company’s
business?
 Advertisement – he asked them (potential employees such as fresh
graduates) to make business opportunity preview (BOP) to identify and
highlight the different between working with other hence received monthly
salary and work by own or in other words start a business ? He wanted to see
their attitude whether they are qualified or have potential to become an
entrepreneur after finished their studies. There are benefits of becoming an
entrepreneur.

6. Company select new recruitment based on their background studies

(marketing, business) or just open to all
 Open to all because based on current company’s agent there is actually
engineering graduates and many other different background studies not only
business graduates that become the employees in the company.

7. Problem to follow and regulate the SOP for business during F2F work
 First they need to disinfectant use blue light or hand spray
 Follow SOP given by the Government

8. Do you have any intention to create new product?

 They just stick to the niche “keindahan pandangan”
 Every 6 months there is a new products being launch and introduce however
some of it failed to impress and attract customers.

9. Do you have any intention to open own factory?

  No because there are many costs needed to open a new factory incur such
as labour cost, operation cost and other related cost. Besides outsourcing the
product from other factory is much cheaper and save more cost for business.

10. New recruitment of fresh graduate

 Hire about 20 person per month as if recruiting more than that, the company
might not be able to control and manage all of the employees at one time.