Entrepreneurial Traits of Faiza Bayumi Sayed Ahmad

Initiative

Hajah Faiza is a very initiative person. Even though Hajah Faiza is 60s, she is not the type of people that only will remain silent. She always has her own strategies and initiatives in order to strengthen and expanding her businesses. She has a diploma in sewing field and started to involve in tailoring embroidery and selling the groceries. What is more interesting is with only RM4 of tailoring, she manage to be a successful rice entrepreneur. With RM4 that she got, she started to start her business and sell from one home to another home. Besides taking the sewing orders, she also tried his luck to sell her own brand of spices to the neighbouring houses and shops. She named her brand of spices as “Bunga Raya” that is blended from a variety of spices that she bought in the market. This shows that Hajah Faiza has put so much effort to ensure his business can be expanded. All her initiatives have been paid off until today when she has become a successful rice entrepreneur.

Versatility

When Hajah Faiza realized that her spices business was very encouraging by that time, she started to find another business chances. This shows that Hajah Faizah is a versatile entrepreneur. She tried to find another chances so that she can get involve in another business. From there, she notices that the manufacturing of rice was done by other races. By the chance, she started her small scale of business in manufacturing or rice. She also started to learn about the types of rice existed by that time. Besides that, Hajah Faiza also go from one shop to another to get feedback from them whether they will buy the rice from her is she sell it. She received a positive respond and the she spread her business by applying for a licence to supply the rice. She sold various types of rice including fragrant rice, basmati rice and siamese rice. Her versatility makes she reach the level and stage where she is now.

Decisive

Hajah Faizah is also a very decisive person. She did not afraid of making decision but she confident in it. She took the risks when she decided to involve in rice manufacturing. At the earlier of her business, she was deadlocked when she saw a trailer with full of rice is placed in front of her house. But, she decided to pack the rice with “Bunga Raya” brand and stored it all over Johor. In nine years, Hajah Faiza rice products has gained the place in the heart of the fragrant rice fans. Her business has been spread all over Johor, Malacca and Kuala Lumpur by that time. Then, her business has been converted into a corporate company named Syarikat Faiza Sdn Bhd (SFSB).

Perceptiveness

Hajah Faiza has a very high degree of perceptive. She knows that Malaysia by that time has lived in a not very healthy eating. When she realized the thing, she decided to produce a product that is healthy for Malaysian. Her perceptive was right. She also think that one of the ways to improve the economic in Malays in Malaysia, is by strengthening the relationship between Muslim and Malays. One of the reasons why she built this business was because she realized that the manufacturing of rice has been monopolised by non-Malays and non-Muslim by that time. By building the business, she can contribute something towards her race and religion.

Foresight

In the year 1998, the unhealthy diet among Malaysian has pushed Hajah Faiza to promote the ponni rice from India. Ponni rice is good for health especially for those who have diabetes, obesity and hypertension. This shows that Hajah Faiza is a foresight person. She knows how to make her rice business stay in a long term. To prove the benefit of the rice, she cooperated with Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) to make a test and she got the positive result. She invested a million ringgit for Taj Mahal rice products and ask for an exclusive right from Bernas. The existed of Taj Mahal rice was one the new revolutions in the healthy living of Malaysian. Her company was known as a high quality of product but also all of the products are halal and 100% made by Muslim. Her company nowadays has distributed over one of the 21 branded rice that well known which is “Herba Ponni Taj Mahal”. 

Biography Of A Successful Entrepreneurs: Faiza Bayumi Sayed Ahmad

Name             : Faiza Bayumi Sayed Ahmad

Origin             : Egypt

Position        : Managing Director Faiza Ltd

Education     : Diploma in sewing

            Hajah Faizah’s actual name is Faiza Bayumi Sayed Ahmad. Her origin was in Egypt. She has diploma in sewing. Hajah Faiza is the owner of rice wholesalers Faiza Company Ltd. In 1964, after she was married to her husband, she decided to follow her husband coming back to Malaysia. By that time, she can speak Malay language very fluent in only three months. Her Malay is very fluent because she was very friendly and sociable with her neighbours. Even though she is 60s with seven children and 32 grandchildren, she still active in planning strategies to strengthen her business position all over the country.

            Faiza Bayumi Sayed Ahmad was actually born in the family who is involved in business. She has been in business when she was child, she was the cashier’s in her father’s shop. Because of the experienced she got, she seriously wanted to involve in business too. She followed her husband back to Malaysia after they get married and have the first son by that time. All of the success she got was not easy. She has faced all the difficulties and challenges over her 43 years career in business. 

Foresight

Generally, foresight is the ability to predict what will happen and needed in the future. In entrepreneurship, foresight is one of the most important traits in order to ensure the successful of any business. A foresight entrepreneur will allow him or her to strengthen and expand their business. As an entrepreneur, that kind of seeing is important for their success. Foresight can give a significant impact in a company or organization. The ability to have foresight is by analysing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Besides that, many tools and techniques can be used to consider the possible future that might happen. 

One of the foresight entrepreneurs is Dato’ Aliff Syukri Kamarzaman. He managed to establish his business in a very short period of time. After 4 years, his business has improved a lot. The concept of his shop has attracted many peoples. Foresight is definitely important in any business. 

Ethical Consciousness

Ethics is refers to the do’s and don’ts in entrepreneurship. The concepts of ethic itself involve good and bad, noble and ignoble, right and wrong, and also justice and virtue. Ethical consciousness is very essential to all the entrepreneurs. Without the existed of ethical consciousness, all the actions in our life will be random and aimless. The same thing applies in entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurs need ethics in life because it gives them guidelines for what is wrong and what is right. Besides that, ethics also help entrepreneurs to really understand on how to give reaction to certain situations before it happens. Ethical theories consist of meta ethics, normative ethics and applied ethics. First ethical theory is meta ethics. There are three part of meta ethics which involve metaphycal issues, psychological issues and linguistic issues. Second ethical theory is normative ethics. Normative ethics refer to something that guides and controls. So, normative ethics is the ethics that guide entrepreneur. It identifies several moral standards that help entrepreneurs to determine what is right and what is wrong. There are three parts of normative ethics which are teleological ethical theory, deontological theory, and virtue ethics. Last but not least is applied ethics. Applied ethics are ethics that deal with specific, often controversial moral issues in different fields such as medical field, business fields and others. 

For example is Dato Seri Vida who is the founder of Pamoga Beauty in Malaysia. Ethical Consciousness is one of the important factors in her business. She thinks that everyone has different tastes. Recently, she created her own tagline for her new products “Qu Puteh”. However, there are several peoples keep insulting her just because they do not like the tagline. Without ethical consciousness, she will never stand with all those insults. She realized of the ethical needed in business so she just accept what peoples said about her business. She also said that she cannot tell everyone about the key of success but the key of failure is trying to please everyone. 

Ability to Learn From Mistakes

Learning from mistakes is another essential aspect that an entrepreneur must have. In entrepreneurship, an entrepreneur will definitely face the failure phase many times and they do not even count how many times they have failed. An entrepreneur will accept failure as an opportunity to learn and forge ahead. The ability to learn from mistakes is one of the important factors in their success. 

For example, Dato’ Ramly Mokni. The ability to learn from mistakes make him stay until now. It has been 30 years when he started his burger businesses. At the earlier stage of his business, his burger not really gets attention by the peoples. Maybe burger is kind of new food existed by that time. Burger seems to be a western food and Malaysian not really use to it. However, they never give up. He slowly ran his business until he reach the stage where he is now. Burger Ramly is one of the well-known products produced by Muslim today. 

Perceptiveness

Generally, perceptiveness is the ability to understand things very good. Perceptiveness also enables someone to figure things out. Perceptiveness is one of the most essentials qualities in entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurs do not avoid problems. A good entrepreneur will see a problem as opportunity and challenges. An entrepreneur is a risk-taker and it is a quality of a successful entrepreneur. A perceptive entrepreneur must know how to guide the businesses by looking at all the important aspects including politics, socials and economics. Entrepreneur’s perception of success is very important in entrepreneurship. Perception and knowledge of entrepreneurs will shape their businesses’ subjective. Perceptiveness in entrepreneurship will help entrepreneur to explain better and determine which path that the business will go through in the future.  

For example, one of the perceptive entrepreneurs in the world is Warren Buffet. He is an American business magnate, investors and philanthropist. In the 20^th century, he was the most successful investor. Buffet is the chairman, CEO and largest shareholder of Berkshire Hathaway. As a perceptive entrepreneur, he knows to be fearful when others are greedy and be greedy when others are fearful. He is one of the most influential people in the word in 2012 and the third world’s wealthiest people in the world.

Time Competence

Generally, time competence means the ability to do something efficiently and effectively. As a business owner, an entrepreneur must show to their customers that his or her company or organization is the best of getting the job done on time. Time competence is very essential that lead to a successful entrepreneurship. There are few tips that can be applied so that an entrepreneur can manage their time wisely. First of all, entrepreneur must ensure all the jobs will be done according to priorities. This means that the most important job must be done first followed by the other job. Next, scheduling is also important. Prepare the schedule and it can help and guide the entrepreneur to get their job done. 

For example Mark Zuckerberg who is the founder of facebook. Time competence is one the most essential aspect to lead to a successful entrepreneurship. Zuckerberg said that if we have any products that we are happy with, we should centralize all the things like a growth team. In Facebook, there is one team that also known as “Spread Facebook” team. The team’s job is only to get people sign up and use the Facebook.

Decisive

Decisive means that having the power or quality of deciding. If someone can make decisions quickly, then they are known as decisive. To be a good and successful entrepreneur, decisive is one of the important characteristics that one’s must have. Uncertainty in any organization or company is a killer. If an entrepreneur takes too much time or period to make a decision, it creates anxiety in the employees. Entrepreneurs need to be comfortable in making any decision and taking decisive action. Besides that, leadership requires an entrepreneur to make key decisions effectively. Sooner or later, an entrepreneur will come to the point where he or she has to make a very tough decision. A successful entrepreneur has to stand by them no matter what happen and decisive actions are really needed by that time. 

For example is Tan Sri Dato’ Azman Hashim. He is one of the richest people in Malaysia. Decisive was definitely is important traits for him. There must be yes and no in making decision, not in the middle. Tan Sri Dato’ Azman Hashim is the heads of Ambank Group. He started in 1976 as the Arab-Malaysian Merchant Bank. In order to be a successful entrepreneur, making decision is an important stage. 

Versatility

Versatility enables someone to adapt in many kind of different situations. For example if you are involve in sports means that you can play in many types of sport games at the same time such as soccer, tennis and basketballs. While in entrepreneurship, versatility is one of the most essential aspects to ensure the successful of a business. A versatile entrepreneur allows him or her to open the doors of opportunities than those who are not. Learning about different cultures and languages also is considered as a versatile entrepreneur. These allow entrepreneur to communicate with their customers in order to build strong relations with their clients. A versatile entrepreneur will be able to his or her business tactics with the changing happened in market and fill multiple roles at the same time. A versatile entrepreneur also not only limited to one function in an organization. For example, they can be an operation manager, accountant, marketer, logistician, and human resource manager. 

Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary is one of the richest peoples in Malaysia. He involve in many industry in Malaysia. This shows that Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary is a versatile entrepreneur. One of the industry he is involves is manufacturing industry such as rice and sugar manufacturing. Today, he is leading the three main companies which are MMC, Tradewinds, DRB-HICOM and others company. He also involves in charity activities through Yayasan Albukhary such as build the mosques and gives the scholarship to students. 

Initiative

Generally, initiative is refers to the ability of someone to turn all the ideas into action. Creativity, innovation, risk taking and also the ability of planning and managing projects are including in order achieving the objectives. The higher the initiatives mean the higher the results. Targets of a company cannot be achieved without the existing of initiatives. To win a game, even an athlete must have a lot of initiatives. They push themselves by practicing hard to successfully reach the finish line. In entrepreneurship, initiative is very important to both the manager and staffs. Initiatives can increase the level of motivation in staff. Much of initiatives that have been shown by the manager to attain the results can inspire and encourage the staff to do the same thing. Besides that, initiatives can improve the profits of the company. For example, initiatives to perform and do better in company will give good results in company’s profit. So, the staff will perform well too. With the existing of initiatives, all the targets of the company can be achieved. To achieve all the targets, an entrepreneur must have a substantial initiative. Initiatives bring in new ideas to generate more business and it can improve the performances of the entrepreneurship. 

For example, Bill Gates is one of the world’s wealthiest persons. However, he did not earn all the fortunes in a straight line to success. At first, he watched his company crumble. He tried to sell the idea alongside his business partner but the product did not worked. However, he put so many initiatives to explore new opportunities and few years later he managed to create his first Microsoft product and found a new way to success.

Integrity and Reliability

According to Wikipedia, integrity refers to the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. Reliability is the quality of being reliable, dependable or trustworthy. Integrity and reliability are very essential aspects to ensure the successful of an entrepreneurship. Without integrity and reliability, an entrepreneurship cannot build and sustain trust and confidence. Entrepreneurs must have high integrity and reliability traits in order to establish their business or entrepreneurship. These two traits can help entrepreneurs to begin build a loyal followers and good names among both suppliers and consumers. Integrity and reliability have become the part of the entrepreneurship cultures because without these two traits there is no guarantee whether a business can succeed or not. So, an entrepreneur must understand these important characteristics and the value of integrity and reliability itself.

For example, one of the most famous and richest entrepreneurs in Malaysia is Datuk Mokhzani Mahathir. He is doing a business in gas and petroleum industry. His expertise is in petroleum engineering. Integrity and reliability definitely are two of the most vital aspects in ensuring the successful of his business. He has faced all the ups and down of life before he reach his level now. He has his own principles and strategy for ensuring his business went well.