As one of the most popular segment in abangabu.com , Abangabu will bring it live again week by week with young and old , aspiring and experienced entrepreneurs to share with us their journey in entrepreneurship. From this AbangAbu believes that many of us can learn many new things that can be a great help for us.

This week one of MAP untuk KAYA participant who been successfully started few ventures share her views and journey. So lets learn from it…..

Here goes the interview……

1)What kind of business do you have? What inspired you to become an Entrepreneur business owner?

I have a tuition agency which I call MyTutor Agency. I was a school teacher and is currently doing free-lance teaching. In 2006, when I was doing part-time teaching scheme in a mainstream school, I realized I needed extra cash to pay for my son’s chemotherapy treatment. I tumbled upon a tuition company which taught me the ropes of doing this business at a low cost of using it’s database. I was excited but the business comes with it’s own set of challenges. What’s important to me though is, this business does not take too much of my time and it does not give me any pressure…..I do it “Just for fun and to help others”.

This business is my side-line which could very well be my next BIG THING!

2)Did you need to have a certain mindset to achieve success?

It’s the hunger to earn more and live in abundance. Of course, there are setbacks that can put you down and pull you back from moving forward but I get composed fast enough to get back in business. I’ve learnt not to dwell on failures but to pursue successes at all times.

3)Have you noticed certain advantages to being an entrepreneur business owner?

Being my own boss, it’s up to me to decide how much earnings I want to get for myself. If I need extra pocket money for a period of time, I will work hard to achieve my goal.

For example, if I need $3000 this month for a vacation 3 months later, I’ll make plans to get that by setting achievable daily targets. This is my side income anyway but to set a goal and be able to achieve that, to me, the feeling is ….FABULOUS.

4)Is it difficult to get financing for businesses? If so why and are there any solutions?

Mine is a small scale business so I do not need to get financing help from anywhere. I can start this business with NOTHING, just guts and that winning mentality.

5)Did you have a mentor to help you get started?

Initially I did not. So for 3 year, my business was left unattended and I had very low morale and no intention to revive the business. I read so many books on self-motivation and building own business but it never happened. I was high in spirit and hopes but don’t know where to start. So, on retrospect, those times reading and building castles in the air becomes pointless and a waste of time to the point that I thought all these rich people are saying are pure crap.Talks of the capitalists!

Things took a change after attending Abang Abu’s MAP untuk KAYA in early 2009.

Abang Abu’s simple tips stick vividly in my mind until today. I like his theory of making $1 grow most. During the course, I was skeptical that a $1 can multiply exponentially. To me, that was IMPOSSIBLE. Now, looking back, it was possible and believable that $1 can multiply with certain strategy, effort and God’s help, mix into one. From that, I learnt that Abang Abu is trying to make us see that intangible existence can be a tangible achievement if we see the big picture of knowing your business.

6)Approximately how much money did you invest before your business became profitable?

Not much. I registered my company in 2006 with little money and then, I engaged a friend’s help to secure the domain name and do up a simple website at about $300. Twice a month, I’ll put up advert in the papers. That’s all. I get at least 20 times the profit from there.

7)What resources were most helpful to you when you were starting your business?

I come into the business with nearly 10 years of teaching experience.

That in itself is a plus point for parents to believe the kind of advice or consultation I give them as well as to tutors with regards to making the tuition effective and parents money spent worthwhile. I live by my belief in keeping the “edupreneur” spirit in me alive. I also have a committed and experienced pool of tutors whom I can rely on.

8)What ways have you found to be most effective in marketing your product or service to get sales?

The best marketing tool I have is my 800 pool of Facebook friends of whom, some are my clienteles, be it MyTutors or tutees. I believe that if you do a good job, clients will come back to you and spread the good word about your services and this will live by many years to come. I attribute 60% of my sale profits to this group of clients.

9)What tips can you give others who want to embrace their dream but, don’t have the confidence or feel they don’t have what it takes to succeed?

It’s totally ridiculous to believe that only those who can “ra-ra” and “who-ha” will survive in the business industry. There are many “Jutawan Senyap” lingering around us. You may choose what you want to become. All it takes is the first step to achieve success and the formula will run in your head somehow. If you follow this believe with me, I believe ANYBODY CAN BE RICH!

10)How do you manage juggling the responsibilities of being a entrepreneur?

Doing tuition coordination is a hobby. I treat is as spending my time wisely since I get to earn from it. Most people pay for their hobby but I get money to do my hobby and the feeling’s SUPERB! What’s interesting is, my 8 year old daughter is into this business. She gets to earn by helping me to work on the database following my instructions. She has been so successful to the point that my other 3 kids, aged 7, 5 and 4 years old are green-eyed and eager to learn this simple rope as well.

Sometimes, I have to crack my head a little when the request is complicated, something happens to the tutor or tutee during the course of the tuition or when there are no tutors willing to take up an offer. Time is money in this trade since once late, I’ll lose the business. So, I have a personal SOP for closing the deals.

11)What’s next for you?

I intend to strengthen MyTutor’s pool and only maintain the tried and tested tutors. With the great interest I see in my children in doing this business, I want to make this a family hobby which brings in side income in multiples.

I have plans to produce a book soon, insyaAllah. This book is about how my family is able to come out from the ordeal of hardship to the point of poverty where we were deeply in debt with the hospital of $60,000 when one of my son was diagnosed with cancer of the blood, leaukemia in 2004. It tells about the resilience we can be to overcome hardship and turn it into a life lesson and fight to pursue life to the best we can.

AbangAbu believe that you can learn lots of things in this interview. Abangabu.com would like to thank Azidah for this interview and wishe Azidah all the success in her journey and new ventures.

If you too want to create a successfulful business do attend the POWER MAP untuk KAYA workshop…..

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BENGKEL MAP untuk KAYA December 2009 Preview Percuma Daftar Sekarang