Shanti says MSMEs can immediately reduce their cost by embarking on Unifi's cloud storage solution. — SAMUEL ONG/The Star
GOOGLE Cendol Kampung Hulu and there will be a string of suggestions for where to go.
From a humble drive-through stall opened by Farizal Mustafa, the entrepreneur who started the business in the northern suburbs of historic Melaka in 2018, the business has now grown to five outlets.
In a Tik Tok video, Farizal shared how the business, which used to store data in hard disks, switched to digitalisation by adopting cloud storage.
“We were always losing our hard disks, the storage space was limited, or we didn’t know where to keep the hard disks, so cloud storage is very effective and practical for us,” he says.
Shanti Jusnita Johari, Unifi’s chief commercial officer for consumer strategy and business says this is where awareness of what digital solutions can do, comes in.
TM’s Unifi Business is the preferred digital partner to micro, small and medium (MSMEs) enterprises nationwide.
It goes beyond just offering connectivity through data and internet, but also a suite of services including cloud storage secured within Malaysia and digital marketing solutions.
Shanti says going digital is happening even among micro enterprises as they grapple with challenges such as managing customer interactions, storing data and growing their business.
Alongside these challenges, many MSMEs struggle with cost and capacity to scale their business.
Take for example Dinie Hazwan, whose Seremban-based automotive repair business, which started in 2020, has grown by 60% and is now busy with the opening of a second outlet in Shah Alam.
Dinie says Unifi Business’ digital marketing solution has helped with his marketing outreach.
Cendol Kampung Hulu, a drive-through stall in Melaka partnered with Unifi Business to drive its growth via digitalisation.
In a video, he explained how he used to spend up to RM13,000 annually on advertising but now spends only RM2,400 annually through Unifi Business, which includes access to professional talents and various online platforms.
“When they were talking about the benefits, I didn’t believe it because they said the maximum budget is RM200 monthly (for advertising) whereas I used to spend RM1,000 monthly and only get five customers.
“Before, I had to do the copywriting and visuals by myself. Unifi Business’ digital marketing solution package provides a campaign manager, copywriter and designer,” he says in a Unifi Business video.
The impact on his business revenue has been positive, as he is now making RM500,000 annually from RM100,000.
Butterfly effect
MSMEs who are successful and prosper are not just helping themselves, but are also vital for growth and jobs, as a 2024 McKinsey Global Inst report noted in a survey of 16 countries with different income levels, accounting for more than 50% of global GDP.
Unifi Business hopes that successful MSMEs can help foster community development through employment opportunities within their localities.
This will help improve living standards and reduce poverty rates; while economic diversification from robust micro-enterprises contributes to a more diversified economy, one that has a reduced dependence on larger industries and enhances economic resilience.
It can also foster innovation and competitiveness when they introduce unique products and services to the market, fostering a diversified environment that can lead to overall economic growth.
Shanti says to convince MSMEs to adopt digitalisation, there needs to be an understanding of their pain points. Unifi Business does this through engagement sessions.
“We make the effort to understand their business and their challenges.
“Cloud storage for businesses by itself means nothing, it is only meaningful when packaged together with applications that can track sales for e-invoicing purposes and solutions such as digital marketing, which is critical for them to gain the reach and awareness for their products,” she says, adding that follow-up reports are provided on how the marketing campaigns have performed.
Seremban-based Dinie used Unifi Business’ digital marketing solution to grow his automotive repair business.
Total package
MSMEs who leverage Unifi Business’ digital marketing solution are also supported by search engine optimisation and social media strategies to increase their visibility, as well as tools for engaging with customers across digital channels to foster loyalty and repeated business.
A comprehensive approach ensures they can effectively navigate the digital marketplace, reaching a broader audience and driving growth.
Unifi Business’ cloud data storage on the other hand, meets global security standards and is hosted in TM’s sovereign data centres.
These are globally recognised with green building certifications for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, receiving the silver rating for long-term sustainability.
Knowing full well that the financial constraints of micro enterprises is crucial in their digital adoption journey, Unifi Business offers cloud storage services that are considerably cheaper than other well-known cloud storage providers.
“With the cost of doing business rising, it’s quite a compelling pitch to them that they can immediately reduce their cost by embarking on our cloud storage solution,” Shanti says, estimating that on a per-gigabyte basis, global cloud storage providers’ cost is likely four to five times that of Unifi Business’.
To make the adoption more seamless, there is also a mobile application to transfer business data easily from one site to another.
Unifi Business’ digital marketing solution is also the country’s first-ever zero-interest instalment-based marketing plan, through which entrepreneurs get access to a full advertising budget upfront, with monthly instalments across 12 months that allows them to maximise their advertising budget.
“Marketing is expensive, and money is usually needed upfront. Unifi Business offers to run campaigns first, enabling entrepreneurs to generate sales while they pay off their commitment over a 12-month period.
“It’s more palatable to micro-SMEs on a cashflow basis,” Shanti says, citing Hari Raya Aidil Fitri campaigns where the boost in sales can be considerable, but entrepreneurs need to spend money upfront that they may not have.
Creating business leaders
Beyond solutions, Unifi Business is also dedicated to nurturing entrepreneurial talent through comprehensive leadership and development programmes.
Shanti says these programmes under the Unifi Business Club are organised with partners such as SME Corp, the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation and other leading organisations, co-hosting physical events as well as webinars for entrepreneurs nationwide.
These also offer networking opportunities among participants.
Other initiatives such as the Value-Added Reseller (VAR) programme empowers local businesses with digital tools and solutions to enable them to grow their businesses and become part of Unifi Business’ network.
Moving forward, Unifi Business is looking to incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) into its digital solutions for MSMEs.
One area is in customer interactions, in which Shanti sees AI-powered bots assisting entrepreneurs in their customer experience through automated messaging and scheduling applications that will help MSMEs grow and retain customers.
“These upcoming solutions address real-world challenges, ensuring that MSMEs succeed in today’s digital economy.
“Unifi Business remains committed to making technologies accessible for MSMEs of all sizes, reinforcing TM’s Digital Powerhouse aspirations to enable a truly Digital Malaysia,” she concludes.
