EXPANDING NATIONWIDE: Chai stands with a wide range of Issa Jaya door gifts on display. While Sarawak accounts for 70 per cent of the overall business volume, the company is truly a national operation as business dealings are with clients in West Malaysia and Sabah as well.
KUCHING: The digital age bodes well for young entrepreneur Wilfred Chai as his business, Issa Jaya Wedding Door Gifts and Favours (Issa Jaya) has taken off to become a rapidly growing enterprise with the potential opening of a new branch in the pipeline.
With a supply more than 50 types of products including keychains, favour boxes, handkerchiefs, candles and glassware, the company makes door gifts with about 90 per cent of the business catering to the lucrative wedding industry.
The accounting graduate reflected, “I started the business in late 2008 with my sister to supplement my income while I was still a student. The hours were flexible and operating the business was not stressful or overbearing.
“The biggest challenge was the start-up capital and uncertainty about particular segments of the markets we planned to penetrate such as Malay weddings.
“However, a little data collection, stock procurement, networking with suppliers and study of the competition really helped overcome the initial difficulties,” he recalled.
Soon enough, he became quite confident of the company’s potential as it offered important extra details to customers such as customisation of products in design with colour schemes, client names and event dates.
Relying on the Internet as a marketing and sales platform, Chai revealed that 60 per cent of the business transactions stemmed from the company’s Facebook page whereas the remainder came from walk-ins and referrals.
In terms of materials, the costs were kept low despite being sourced from West Malaysia and China (a 50:50 mix) as they were in bulk quantities and have a greater range of creativity and variety.
“With individual unit prices starting at 80 sen and ranging up to RM5, the units are mostly ready-made with the designing and packaging done here by the company,” he added.
Other than weddings, Chai noted that Issa Jaya catered to other market segments such as corporate functions, company functions, institutions of higher learning, and full month celebrations for babies.
As such, these keeping it relatively busy with more than 10 events per month while being the sole supplier for a leading hotel here. Chai set a target of five events per week for this year.
Expanding beyond the Sarawakian home ground which accounted for 70 per cent of the overall volume, the company was truly a national operation as business dealings were with clients in West Malaysia and Sabah as well.
Encouraged by the good response so far, Chai plans to open up a branch in north Kuching in order to expand the company’s business operations and to reach out to the Bumiputera market.
Included in the growth strategy are expansion into wedding cards as well as collaborative networking with florists and photographers, he said.