Open For Business

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...

Fueling the Knowledge Gap

10 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

OGEd is an Ed-Tech venture that provides a centralised e-learning experience for the oil and energy industry. It makes upskilling in the industry easi...

Drive A Car? All You Gotta Do Is ParkIt!

09 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We’ve all felt the frustration of driving round and round an area or a parking lot, desperately searching for that coveted empty space with bright y...

Kombucha: The Healthy Soft Drink?

08 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

When it comes to the world of soft drinks, one alternative in particular is taking the world by storm - kombucha. Gillian Chen & Zech Pharamond, c...

iCares For Your Safety

07 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

iCARES Tech provides a convenient yet secure visitor control system to the client which intends to eliminate the duplication of access card issues, pr...

Life Is Like A Box Of Chocolates

03 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Inspired by George Harrison of The Beatles, Harriston Chocolates started out in 2005 in Malaysia as Cocoa Boutique by SC Teng. Taking the brand furthe...

Repotlah!

02 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Our roads here in Malaysia are not without problems. No matter where you live, whether it’s the Klang Valley or elsewhere, there is no doubt that yo...

From Handbags To A Healthy Lifestyle Empire

01 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Sister duo Sim Li & Heidi Aw started off selling handbags and accessories, but with the launch of their multifunctional fitness bag came a wave of...

Life Origin: Farming Flies For Food?!

31 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Embracing the gifts of nature, biotech company Life Origin focuses on producing environmentally friendly and sustainable protein by using food waste a...

Boss Boleh, Indeed.

30 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

BossBoleh is a digital company secretary platform that helps entrepreneurs incorporate Sdn Bhd companies online. We speak to CEO Billy Lee about using...

Down to Earth for the Environment

27 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

EcoQueen is a marketplace that gathers sustainable beauty, personal care, and sells lifestyle products made by eco-conscious and ethical local brands....

Curating The Perfect Gift

26 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

From a two-person team receiving and packing orders from their kitchen tables and living rooms in September 2019, Wishful have now grown to a team of ...

The One Stop Batik Shop

25 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

When it comes to sustainability, it is about preserving the environment, of course, but also about preserving elements of culture, art, and design for...

Pioneering Enterprise Mobility

24 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Recently winning Asia's Most Promising SMEs at the Asia Corporate Excellence & Sustainability Awards (ACES 2021), Complete Human Network is an ent...

A Better Parking Experience

23 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

KERB is a marketplace/platform business connecting car park space owners with drivers. It began in 2016 in Australia as a mobile app to optimise under...

Next Source Of Energy

20 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Next Generation Oil (Group) is a Malaysian based company that has developed a commercially viable process for the cultivation of microalgae and the ex...

VickedGood

19 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What do two café owners do, stuck in the middle of a pandemic, unable to just sit still and wait it out? Why, they open another F&B venture, of c...

Fully Covered With Fatberry

18 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

One thing’s for sure, the pandemic has taught us you cannot be prepared for everything. However, you can most certainly try your best to be prepared...

Eat Your Veggies

17 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Research found that 50.1% of adult Malaysians are either overweight or obese. PB Health is a social enterprise aiming to improve Malaysians’ health ...

Super Trooper

13 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Troopers was founded in 2017; since October 2021, they have achieved an average turnover of approximately RM5 million and a total headcount of 130,000...

Pineapples, Principles & Price

12 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Cultivated from the passion to save the environment, Palmy is a lifestyle brand that specialises in beautifully handcrafted paper and textile goods ma...

A New Life For BUKU

11 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Book lovers know the feeling well - there are certain paperbacks you’ve read time and time again that are falling apart, hardbacks with the pages sl...

A Little Farm On The Hill

10 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Pete Teo & Lisa Ngan, Founders of A Little Farm On The HillDescription: Husband and wife team musician-filmmaker Pete Teo and architect Lisa Ngan ...

Wrapping Designer Clothing Around Your Finger

09 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Ai Phing Goh, Founder of Florette The Label, has been trying to change the designer landscape, breaking old stereotypes, and making fashionable clothe...

A Healing Park

06 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Established in 2010, WQ Park Health & Rehabilitation Centre is a one-stop centre providing comprehensive rehabilitative services following injury ...

MyFarmLab, Microgreens & Malaysia.

05 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

MyFarm Lab is a social enterprise that empowers socio-economically disadvantaged communities through sustainable agro-technology solutions. They’ve ...

Flora & Fauna For The Skin

29 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Combining science and nature and working together Asian skin scientists to sustainably utilise this Asian flora, B&B Labs unlocks the magic of the...

Guard My Ride

28 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted every industry and person in the world. While most have been negative it has also certainly led to some interesting...

Turning Over A New Wondaleaf

27 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Unfortunately, there are many unnecessarily gendered products out there. From razors to toys to even pens, it seems like anything can be strangely stu...

Open Up Your Scentses

26 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Scentses + Co. is Malaysia’s designer perfume subscription service that allows subscribers to discover different designer perfumes every month. Sadi...