Open For Business
Episodes
Making Spots Cuter With Dododots
08 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We all have our insecurities, and we’ve all gone through awkward periods of life where we feel ashamed or worried about those insecurities. Maybe, i...
Unearthing Treasures From Unused Furniture
07 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Throwing away used furniture that’s still in good shape is a waste, but giving it away gets you nothing. On the flipside, what if you’ve got an un...
Baking Made Quick, Affordable and Easy
06 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Bake with Yen has become an established name for baking supplies, especially as they offer lower prices for baking ingredients in the market. Bake Wit...
No Child Gets Left Behind
03 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Project ID is a social enterprise that designs innovative student-centric experiences. They aim to empower students, particularly those from underserv...
From B40 to Top 10
02 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tymba Education Group is a privately-owned Bumiputera Professional Accountancy Training Centre, led by founder, Airil Razali and his team of Chartered...
From Gliding To Grilling
01 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Many people unfortunately found themselves out of a job when the pandemic hit, with areas like the travel & tourism industry being especially affe...
Humanistic Healing
31 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Shahnaz Interiors is dedicated to transforming the nation’s healthcare facilities from monolithic concrete blocks to inspiring and contemporary spac...
Because Fashion Matters
30 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Founders of Bash Clothing, Cecilia Ooi and Maxine Khor, have been running their e-commerce clothing business since 2014 with more than 1,400 products ...
As Far As The Eye Can See
27 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
2007 marks the birth of Eyez Optometry. In a span of 15 years, it has grown with 13 outlets across the country. Its mission is to be the revolutionary...
Community Driven Live Commerce
26 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Even though selling through Facebook Live has been gaining popularity in Southeast Asia for years, many vendors are still going through their comments...
A Decade of OpenMinds
25 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It takes a lot for a business to stand the test of time, especially given the comings and goings of the past decade. Jan Wong and Daryll Tan, co-found...
Packtica Solutions For Reducing Business Risk
24 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Packtica started out as a security printing company providing security solutions for businesses through variable data printings (VDP) as well as onlin...
Empowering Global Learning With ReSkills
20 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Education should be affordable and accessible to anyone, anywhere. ReSkills is a platform that connects students and educators via interactive online ...
Securing Checkpoints
19 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tin is a former marine and FBI agent. He’s very much aware of what the term ‘risk’ means. Now he runs his own cybersecurity firm, Polaris Infose...
The Lemon Sky Is Not The Limit
18 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Media has gotten a lot of us through the ups and downs of the pandemic, and for many, watching shows and playing video games were a useful outlet. But...
Bring Out Your Inner Cool
17 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Innersejuk prides itself on striving beyond convention through the power of fashion technology with its proprietary material DriChill® material in th...
Bringing Back Film and Photography With A Bang
16 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Bang Bang Geng is a camera and photography shop that started its operations in 2013 at Publika Shopping Gallery; founder, Chin Koon Yik, shares his jo...
Do It With Property
13 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Founded in 1995, Homefield Real Estate has grown from a small setting establishment in Subang Jaya to a privately owned real estate company in Klang V...
BeautyFoo Mall
12 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Relationships are never easy; it takes communication, work and compromise. This is doubly so when that romantic relationship also morphs into a busine...
Giving The Jewellery Industry A New Sparkle
11 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
During the pandemic, the focus for shoppers stayed primarily on either absolute necessities or creature comforts - items that didn’t break the bank....
Knowing What You’re Buying In Your Insurance
10 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever felt confused when looking into different insurance plans, not knowing which one works for you? Online insurance platforms like PolicySt...
Developing The Bridge That Connects Commerce, Consumer, & Society
06 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As the world grows increasingly connected, the distance and boundaries that used to separate us are becoming a thing of the past. This shows especiall...
The Wood Of The Gods
05 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Agarwood or also known as “The Wood of the Gods” is one of the most expensive fragrant dark resinous components of the Aquilaria tree. This unique...
Making Malaysian Miniatures
04 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We Malaysians love celebrating our culture at every opportunity, especially our food; we love eating it, talking about it, and even collecting food me...
Education For All
03 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Education brings a brighter future. Ideas Academy aims to provide high-quality, affordable education to students in Kuala Lumpur by bridging technolog...
Growing A Business Organically
02 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Louise Chu, the founder of Claire Organics, started creating handmade soaps with all natural ingredients back in 2012. After operating for a decade, L...
Making It Easier To Comeby Retail Data
29 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s ultra-competitive retail market, granular data is just as important as making a sale. Comeby has managed to integrate data collection wit...
Store N Go
28 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Store N Go, a local eFulfilment service provider, is hoping to tap into Malaysia’s RM1 trillion e-commerce market by being the first warehousing pla...
Helping Malaysians Get Payd Easier & Faster
27 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Unfortunately, with the cost of living rising and salaries still fairly stagnant, many Malaysians are living check-to-check. But life can throw curveb...
Bee Responsible
26 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As we know, plastic is one of the major pollutants on the planet. Beebag is a smart, reusable bag that was created to help eliminate single-use plasti...
In The Bees-ness Of Scents
25 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
One thing that the pandemic taught us was about the importance of self-love and self-pampering. When Anne and Boh lost their jobs during the pandemic,...
Laboratory For Foods
22 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Chef James Won, the founder of METTA Foodination, talks about his latest adventure in combining Japanese cuisine, modern French techniques, and local ...
Learning By Doing With WORQEX
21 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
WORQEX, a Malaysian work-based online learning programme, provides real-world working experience to its learners. Doing away with theory-based and aca...
Looking Through The Smart Glass
20 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Most of us saw our electricity bills skyrocket during the pandemic, what with the sudden surge of having to work from home as well as the recurring he...
Darlings, Honey, Care For Your Health
19 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Did you know that honey has some great healing properties? Darlings Honey started when one of the founder's family members was struggling with cancer,...
Making Your Dreams Come True in A Sandbox
18 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Are you a person who loves to work from home but sometimes home might not be the suitable environment for you to concentrate in? A coworking space mig...
To Cloud Kitchens, And Beyond!
13 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Cloud kitchens boomed during the pandemic, with food delivery spiking high as all of us stayed dutifully at home. However, now that we're moving into ...
Change Through Education
12 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In Malaysia, refugee learning centres have limited funds to hire quality teachers and many centres are having difficulty providing quality education t...
Gelato Makes The World Go Loco
12 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Do you know what the real difference is between ice cream and gelato? And is gelato the healthier dessert option? You can find the answers from gelato...
Rebult Keyboards: By Enthusiasts, For Enthusiasts
09 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The rise in popularity of custom mechanical keyboards in Malaysia is driven by a pretty healthy marketplace that's serving the community. As one of th...
Shaking Up The Gym Business
08 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the middle of the pandemic, Randall Wong found that his boutique gym business was slowing down. And like many other entrepreneurs Randall had to th...
There Is Strength In Sweetness
07 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Many F&B entrepreneurs were brought down to their lowest during the pandemic, but for Arieni Ritzal, founder of Gula Cakery, the challenges only s...
Keeping Customers Connected
06 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
YesHello is a software that built for the SMEs, benefits the employees and customers with a shared team inbox and manage all Customer Service and Sale...
Phil-ling Good with Phil’s Pizza
05 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Phil’s Pizza started in August 2020 with its first outlet in Bangsar selling pizzas. This pizza place is founded by Sara Rashid and Phillip Dominic....
Discover Joy With Snackfood
02 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Snackfood closed down back in 2020, and has found itself back in business, in a brand new location: Centrio at Pantai Hillpark. This charming gift emp...
Sneakerlah!
01 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We catch up with Bryan Chin, founder of the Malaysian sneaker community leader, SneakerLAH which was recently valued at RM35.2 million from NAVER thro...
Stretching Further
30 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Started in 1969, Getha is a lifestyle brand, featuring 100% natural latex. Inspired by the native word – getah, the brand name was thoughtfully chos...
Keeping The 'Huat' Traditions Alive
29 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In conjunction with Merdeka week, we’ll be speaking to local family businesses that thrived for generations. Chai Huat Hin was established back in 1...
Creating Custom Batik Wear That Lasts
26 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We tend to associate batik with formal or traditional wear, but it's undeniable that batik has been making a comeback, as more local brands put a new ...
By Now Pay Later? No, Save Now Buy Later!
25 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Back in 2019, we had so many questions for Dylan about Split’s proposition to “pay for the customer first”. We then had so many questions about ...
The Spiciest F&B Business Opportunities
23 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes coming up with your own idea and company is a struggle, and you want a helping hand. Enter MyLaksa, a local F&B outlet dedicated to shar...
Riding On Being Environmentally Conscious
23 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Eclimo is Malaysia’s own EV motorbike maker that have been in business since 2008. They have worked with a myriad of clients which includes KFC, Pol...
Turning Agriculture Waste Into Superfood For Plants
22 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
No, it’s not just a bag of mud! In an effort to encourage sustainability, Shamrock Botanics puts agricultural byproducts and waste through a multi-s...
How to Keep the Lights On Despite the Headwinds
19 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When it comes to opening and running an F&B outlet, the word passion is often heard but what are the challenges and is it a lonely, hard slog? Yeo...
Piccoli Lotti Is Growing, One Scoop At A Time
18 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When Chong Nge Seng decided to pursue his dream of owning an ice cream business, he had to quit his job and go to Italy to learn the art of gelato-mak...
Lookin’ NIUD, Feelin’ Good
17 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Women’s fashion unfortunately still faces a level of stigmatisation, especially when it comes to our undergarments, where certain styles are deemed ...
Keep It Clean
16 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
SmartClean is a Cleanliness & Hygiene Intelligence company, building AIOT & SAAS powered Intelligent Cleaning management solutions. Lav Agarwa...
Wanna Meet Your Forever Doggo?
15 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
My Forever Doggo isn’t a shelter for strays. And it isn’t a non-profit organisation. Founded by Elisa Khong and run by a small team of passionate ...
Drum Lessons On Demand
12 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The presenters & producers of BFM 89.9 are coming together to highlight some of their personal favourite local companies for the "BFM Collective"....
The Unorthodox Business of Inking Skin
11 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What does it take to run a tattoo business? For Fin T, founder of FinTattoos, it’s about blending her passion for art and ink with a sense of entrep...
Zero Waste Isn’t So Difficult After All
10 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Malaysia is notoriously not fantastic at reducing waste - we generate about 38,699 tonnes of garbage every day, or about 1.17kg per person. But for th...
CFO In A Box
09 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Founders Kalyana Mohan and Rouvin Thiruchelvam have created Swipey, an all-in-one SME expense management platform for your business needs. They discus...
Honestly? This Is A Card Game About Connections
08 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
There are no winners and losers in But Honestly, a card game that gamifies talking and fosters deeper connections between players. The cards encourage...
La Qumar Foods' Special Sauce
05 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Remember how everyone took their love for food to the next level during the pandemic? The husband and wife duo behind La Qumar was no exception to thi...
The Barbershop Inside A Working Minibus
04 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When Muhilan and his brother, Arvind, lost their jobs due to the pandemic, they had to think of something low-risk to help keep things afloat. After f...
Just The Two Of Us, Weddings Can Make It If We Try
03 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The wedding industry in Malaysia is one of its most lucrative, being valued around RM7 billion in 2018; but it was also one of the hardest hit during ...
All Shucked Up
02 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The pandemic brought a wave of disruption with it, and while F&B outlets were still considered essential services during periods of lockdown, they...
Making Sense of Solid Scents
01 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When we last had Adrian Cheong on the station, his company was still called The Apothecary and not Analogue Apotik. So, why the name change? It has pl...
A Sustainable Way To Go With The Flow
29 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Although menstrual cups have been around for decades, historically, they have been less popular compared to sanitary pads or tampons. Why is that? The...
“Print Is So Yesterday!”, They Said
28 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Wedding invitations over WhatsApp are perfectly convenient, but there’s just something about the tactility of a finely printed invitation insi...
Find a way to BetterPay!
27 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Online transactions have never been more important, especially as we move into a more contactless, wireless world in the wake of COVID-19. Joe Kamil A...
JomSettle your Payment!
26 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Mazer Fintech aims to develop and implement services that bridge the gap between paying expenses and cost overhead fees. They created jomSETTLE as the...
Wearable Art, Oh Dayang
25 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Oh Dayang handcrafts jewellery & accessories, from batik earrings to phone grips, trying to bring Malaysia’s textile art to a whole new level by...
Studio Three, Designing With A Purpose
22 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The presenters & producers of BFM 89.9 are coming together to highlight some of their personal favourite local companies for the "BFM Collective"....
What Retail Looks Like In 2022
21 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The last time Vernon was on Open For Business, it was during the peak of the first Movement Control Order in 2020. A lot has changed since then, from ...
The Fruitiest, Freshest, Funkiest Ice Creams
20 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
For those who have a little bit of a sweet tooth, indulging in desserts can get a little guilt-inducing thinking about the potential impact that has o...
MyGuru the New Guru?
19 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
MyGuru is an online education platform that aims to help students from primary school to secondary school improve their academic performance. Establis...
It’s A Wrap! Literally!
18 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Clear plastic cling wrap might be the cheap and convenient way to keep leftovers, but it contributes to plastic pollution to the environment, especial...
BoomGrowing Your Vegetables Indoors
15 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As conventional agriculture becomes no longer sustainable, all eyes have turned to look for sustainable farming practices, and one of which is vertica...
Batik Can Be Casual, Too!
14 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Batik isn’t the first thing you’d associate with words like “casual”, “contemporary” fashion, but that’s exactly what fashion designer J...
If The Shoe Fits, Wear Machino
13 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Co-founders of local shoe brand Machino, Esther and Amy Tai, discuss promoting Malaysia’s diverse culture in their branding and marketing, using bat...
Spelling Our Children’s Future Out Loud
12 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Yelaoshr is an education provider which provides one-to-one lessons to help students and children aged 3 to 12 who face obstacles when it comes to rea...
Table & Apron is All You Need
08 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In conjunction with Table & Apron’s 8th year anniversary, its founder Marcus Low joins the conversation. He is here to share its journey on how ...
Coworking, Camping, and Colonial Aesthetics
07 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
2022 has completely changed consumer behaviour in regards to coworking spaces. In the last two years, coworking brand Colony launched Castra, a roofto...
The Art Of Kopitiam Art
06 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
One of the pillars of Malaysian culture is the humble kopitiam. Somehow, despite the fancy cafes and restaurants that pop up with increasing regularit...
Sipping Coffee with Joyous Returns
05 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sipjoy is a cafe-focused mobile app platform that connects local independent cafés to coffee drinkers and café goers with one-flat-price coffee pa...
Interior Design, Done Virtually
04 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Renovation, interior design, and remodelling are crucial stages when moving into a new home. One challenge during this time is visualising, in 3D, wha...
Incorporating Education with Entertainment
01 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The importance of STEM education has increased significantly for our children. A lot of schools have been implementing this system into their syllabus...
A New Showing For Shoyu
29 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ley Vin Khoo and Bryan Tan, co-founders of local artisanal soy sauce brand Shoyu Bros, talk about the art of making this delicious elixir from scratch...
Fabulous Sunview
28 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Climate change is no longer a ‘when’, or an ‘if’. It’s here. We might not be able to roll back the damage that’s been done – but we migh...
On The Right Snack
27 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Gini and Michelle, the second-generation business operators of Mum Mum Snacks, talk to us about convincing the founders of the traditional snack retai...
Harvest Your Own
24 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If you do a search on Rooftop Farms in Malaysia, you’ll find less than 20. Why has this concept not been more widely adopted, and what does it take ...
The Healthy Tasty Drink: Zenboocha
23 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
During the pandemic, we saw many trends emerge. Whether it was Korean coffee, home baking, or even plant collecting. Some people switched it up ...
Kooky Cream
22 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How long has it been since you had really good cake? The people behind Kooky Cream are a passionate bunch striving for handmade, handcrafted, baked fr...
The Future For Quick Serving Food
21 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Incite Foodtech is a food-tech venture leveraging on a "plug-in & scale" model, as well as mergers and acquisitions. Chairman Vincent Kok discusse...
Your Friendly Neighbourhood Kadei
20 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
From the creators of Aunty Manju’s in TTDI, comes a new go-to Indian banana leaf joint in PJ that’s slowly building a reputation for its flavours,...
The English Language Makes The World Go Round
17 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The world’s most spoken language is English. Whether in academia or entertainment, there is doubt of its importance if we are to compete globally.&n...
Soul Warming & Stomach Rumbling Souvenirs
15 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It’s safe to say that one of the few truly uniting factors for Malaysians is our pride in our food. But how much do we, and the rest of the world, r...
Becoming A Xifu In Investments
14 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Xifu is an investment platform which aims to become a one-stop app that streamlines market analytics, trading functionality, fundraising deals and mor...
JJ Comes Clean About WashUpp
12 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Former radio host JJ Fernandez jumps back in the studio with us to talk about his latest venture - The Washupp Lifestyle Laundry. How quickly is there...