Open For Business

The pandemic has changed the way we watch movies. Blockbusters have been postponed, cinemas have barely opened, and everyone is relying on streaming services for their entertainment fix. But there was a time when people would watch movies on the big screen from the comfort of their cars. That’s what M-Junction Drive-In Cinema is bringing to the Malaysian market. With everything prepped and ready to go, we speak to founders Arvin Randahwa and Jack Gill about modernizing this retro concept for an audience that needs it now more than ever. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Failing Forward features real-life stories from entrepreneurs who have failed and are stronger for it. On this episode, “Forklift-preneur”Nicholas Gan talks to us about his 10-year long battle to take over the reins at his family business EGAN. We also discuss the broad challenges in the changings of guards, how to step into the shoes of giants, and the importance of data in making these top-level transitions successful. Click here for more episodes of Failing Forward. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Failing Forward features real-life stories from entrepreneurs who have failed and are stronger for it. On this episode, “Forklift-preneur”Nicholas Gan talks to us about his 10-year long battle to take over the reins at his family business EGAN. We also discuss the broad challenges in the changings of guards, how to step into the shoes of giants, and the importance of data in making these top-level transitions successful.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Flexiroam, a provider of global data roaming, has shifted gears to look into other ways to serve customers with their superconnector platform. One of the opportunities is the rise in the number of virtual conferences, now that social distancing measures are in place. For the first time, the International AIDS Conference was held virtually and Flexiroam was selected to be the connector of choice by the organisers, linking 800 delegates across Africa to the online international gathering of AIDS activists and researchers. Whilst this may be a great success for the company, it came at a cost - having to let go of 80% of the staff.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Imagine that you’re a startup during a pandemic. Now imagine that you’re a startup that focuses on co-living and property management during a pandemic. It’s almost enough to make you think about whether you’re going to have any business left at all. At a time when they were due to scale up, LiveIn (formerly known as Hostel Hunting) were forced to make some tough decisions, we talk to them about those decisions, and how it’s affected business in the lodging/hospitality industry.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the last 6 years, Epic Food Hall has grown from being a single F&B outlet to the operator of a multi-brand cloud kitchen, with 21 internet restaurants under its belt. We speak to Co-founder Wick Kee about the smart kitchen business model and its potential for growth, now that Covid-19 has sped up the adoption of food delivery apps.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Modeled after Cameo, Goceb touts itself as the first personalised celebrity shout-out platform in Malaysia. But different markets have different kinds of celebrities, and with influencers and social media superstars boasting larger fan-bases these days, it’s an interesting time for personality-driven services. We speak to founders Neo and ZiKang about adopting a successful model for the local market, onboarding celebrities and talent, as well as who gets more requests - actors and musicians… or Tik Tok superstars. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Going digital has been the number one priority for many companies, big and small. However, the smaller enterprises may not have the resources or equipment to effectively and efficiently put their digital transformation into effect - so what can they do? Joshua Chin, founder of IT equipment rental company SMARTRENTAL, speaks about how they’re helping SMEs with their technology troubles.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every one of us has a camera in our pocket capable of capturing high-definition videos. Yet despite this democratization of content creation, many brands and companies aren't aware of the potential of "micro films". Gary Chong hopes to change all that with the Micro Film Academy - a space that trains SMEs and businesses to create their own in-house video content. The academy also teaches children, today's digital natives, how to use those default content-creator settings for future jobs and possible monetization. We speak to Gary about the importance of video content for brands, as well as the demand for this specific skill set during the recent MCO. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With an abundance of dairy-free milk alternatives on the market, which one do you choose? Do you go with Coconut, Almond, Soy, Hemp, Flax? All of these are healthier more sustainable alternatives to dairy. However, they still leave an impact and a carbon footprint. There is however another contender to the market, the humble pea. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.