1st --> Make IT new

Innovation is key when a second- generation SME owner successfully transforms its core business for the digital age, writes Rozana Sani

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“When I wanted something, I had to work hard for it. This meant either doing well in school — which would take time but I was too impatient — or having to go and make money,” says the spirited 35-year-old with a sparkle in her eyes.

Nadira fondly recalls her first business venture in Standard 1 where she bought sweets in bulk from the neighbourhood grocer and sold them to classmates for a handsome profit.

The effort resulted in her being able to buy her first Barbie.

“When I did my bachelor degree in electrical engineering at UTM (Universiti Teknologi Malaysia) in Skudai (Johor), I found time to give tuition to schoolchildren. I also had small business ventures with friends.

“During my third and final years, I even found time to work in Singapore — I would head down to the city-state in the evening and return to university at night, in time for my classes in the morning. I did sales and with what I earned, I bought myself a car — while still studying,” she says with glee.

Upon graduation, she entered the engineering field. But that stint lasted only three years, in part because of her outgoing nature.

“When my father asked me to take over the family business at the age of 25, I welcomed it with open arms,” she says with a smile.

Read more: Make IT new - Tech - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/life-times/tech/make-it-new-1.74315#ixzz20eu7FxOh

THINKING out of the box and finding a solution to a problem that works, and works well, is second nature to ICT entrepreneur Nadira Mohd Yusoff.

From a very young age, she had learnt that thinking creatively, studying trends, having the right strategy and having the guts and will to pull it off are what’s needed to achieve one’s target in business. She is, after all, the daughter of a seasoned businessman.

The eloquent and energetic CEO of Nadi-Ayu Technologies Sdn Bhd says: “My father had always been doing business and as a family, we went through the ups and downs with him. He wasn’t easy on us and he expected us to appreciate what it means to earn a living.

“I was hooked on business ever since. I later offered car wash services to the neighbours.