I’m an engineer with 14 years of experience, but I’m clueless about business. I want to start a service-based company in a field I care about (let’s just say it’s something I’ve personally needed and noticed is WAY too expensive). My goal is to make it affordable without cutting corners. I have somewhat created a business plan that includes salaries (jobstreet, LinkedIn), shop rental (propertyguru), utilities, 3 year plan with adding 2 more shops at end of year 3, number of client progression and occupancy rate, possible revenue streams based on my experience as a customer. My observation, the demand is quite high, I almost had to wait 5 months to get a slot, and as a returning customer need to wait for a month, the fact that they are packed despite only operating on weekdays from 9am-6pm is impressive.
Ive been to other shop that open weekends, always busy with customer coming in.

My situation:

Skills I have: Process improvement, automation, quality control, problem-solving.
Skills I don’t: Marketing, sales, hiring, or anything business-related.
Budget: RM 50k (my hard-earned savings).
Plan: Hire a technical expert to handle the “core service” while I focus on systems, efficiency and goals.

I need your help with:

Finding mentors: Where do I even look? No one in my circle runs a business.
First steps: Do I rent a shoplot first? Hire someone first? Panic first?
Hiring: How do I find/pay someone to lead the “technical” side, would they want to join me when I don’t know the industry (though I'm ready to learn)?

Why I’m posting:
I’m tired of overthinking and ready to take the leap. If you’ve started a business with no experience, please share:
What you wish you’d known.
Where to find mentorship.
How to avoid wasting money early on.

Thanks in advance

How long can your 50k last you if you want to do all that?

What kind of service? Does it need highly skilled? If highly skilled, kinda hard for the technical person to take a leap of faith.

If not high skill, I think possible.
Another way is if you decide to full time from the get go. Maybe you can think of working on that industry for a few months first?
I’m Not a biz owner though.

Something not right. You are tired of overthinking and yet you want to start a business ?

If this is your problem statement u are in for a ride. Running a business is harder than makan gaji. U will be hyper thinking mate especially in angles u have no clue

1st things 1st...is 50k even enough? If you are going to rent a ground floor shoplot... That alone may take up 20% of yr 50k...depending on location la. And how about renovation cost?

I remember dumping in ard 40k to start a metal fabrication workshop nearly 20 yrs ago... And that with 0 customer base.. Haha crazy times.. I was so gung ho... Went around my honda ex5 to look for customers.

How long to get your first customer? Is the business still going on?

when you mention you are an engineer but you didn't mention which field you are in - software, mechanical, electrical, etc ?

my suggestion:
-sales: try to learn some basic marketing first and get your first sales, setup a simple free website to get leads and sales
-office: with 50k, can do virtual office first (either from home or co-working space)
-hr: if you want to hire technical staff 1st, maybe offer something better than salary like company share? later can buy back the share
-hr: you can get freelancer 1st, don't hire permenant/contract for the time being, hiring and people manage is a very tedious & headache process

hope the above helps

Within the week of starting.... Ronda ronda at nearby taman and look for any renovation works ongoing.. Had to be thick face and ask if want to do gates or grilles.

Sold off biz 10 yrs ago. Now easier to just sub out jobs than to deal with having own factory, workers etc... Now I'm doing renovation.

Never start a business by thinking. Your business proposal sounds good in terms of paperwork, but not practical for realistic usage. 50k not enough to cover for rental, 2 staffs, unknown expenses. That's where the question of #2 came from.

Yeah, that's a leap, alright. The leap of death.

Nowadays 50k want to start a proper hawker stall also a challenge, let alone a technical service-based company.

Your info is too limited, how to expect us to provide useful feedback?
At least tell us what kind of business ma

Grok glad to help

Taking the leap into entrepreneurship with your engineering background is a bold and exciting move, especially with your goal of making a service more affordable without cutting corners. With 14 years of experience in process improvement, automation, quality control, and problem-solving, you’re already bringing valuable skills to the table. However, since you’re new to the business side—particularly marketing, sales, and hiring—I’ll focus on addressing your specific questions: finding mentors, figuring out your first steps, and hiring someone to handle the technical side. I’ll also share insights on avoiding early money waste, which is critical with your RM 50k budget.

### Finding Mentors
Since no one in your circle runs a business, you’ll need to seek external mentorship. Here are some practical options:

- **SCORE.org**: This is a free resource offering business advice through a network of volunteer mentors. You can connect online, and they’ll pair you with someone experienced based on your needs. It’s a great starting point for general guidance.
- **Local Business Associations in Malaysia**: Look into organizations like the **SME Association of Malaysia** or local **chambers of commerce**. They often host networking events or mentoring programs tailored to the Malaysian market, which could give you region-specific insights.
- **Online Communities**: Platforms like **LinkedIn** or even **Reddit (e.g., r/Entrepreneur)** can connect you with entrepreneurs willing to share advice. Post about your journey or reach out directly to people in similar industries for informal mentorship.

Mentors can help you bridge your knowledge gaps in marketing, sales, and hiring, and provide a sounding board for your business plan. Don’t hesitate to ask—even seasoned business owners love helping passionate newcomers.

### First Steps
You’re eager to start, but jumping straight into renting a shoplot or hiring might burn through your budget too fast. Here’s a smarter sequence to minimize risk:

1. **Validate Your Business Idea**:
Your observation of high demand—5-month waits, packed weekdays, busy weekends at competitors—is a strong signal, but confirm it with data. Conduct **market research**: survey potential customers about their needs, pricing tolerance, and preferences. Study competitors’ offerings, pricing, and weaknesses. This will solidify your assumption and help you find a unique edge.

2. **Test with a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) or Pilot**:
Instead of renting a shoplot right away, test your service on a small scale. Could you offer it part-time, from a temporary space, or even online (if applicable)? This lets you gauge customer response, refine your process, and build confidence without a big upfront investment.

3. **Refine Your Plan**:
Use your research and test results to tweak your business plan. Ensure your 3-year roadmap—adding two shops by year 3—accounts for scaling costs like extra staff and locations. Only move to renting a shop or hiring full-time once you’ve proven the concept.

**What NOT to do first**: Don’t rent a shoplot or hire someone immediately—those are big commitments. And definitely don’t panic! Your engineering mindset thrives on solving problems step-by-step—apply that here.

### Hiring a Technical Expert
Hiring someone to lead the “core service” while you focus on systems and efficiency is a smart division of labor. Here’s how to approach it:

- **Where to Find Candidates**:
- **JobStreet** and **LinkedIn**: You’ve already used these for salary research—post job listings there too.
- **Professional Networks**: Ask industry contacts or post in relevant online groups.
- **Competitor Recon**: Observe staff at similar businesses (discreetly!) and consider reaching out if you spot talent.

- **Attracting Talent**:
Your RM 50k budget may not support a high salary yet, so get creative. Pitch your vision—highlight how your engineering skills will make the business efficient and scalable. Offer **equity** or **profit-sharing** to entice skilled candidates who believe in your mission. Emphasize the chance to shape a new venture, which can appeal to ambitious professionals.

- **Would They Join You?**:
Your lack of industry experience might worry some, but your 14 years of engineering expertise and clear passion are compelling. Be honest about what you bring (systems, process optimization) and what you’re learning (the business side). To evaluate candidates, focus on their technical track record and problem-solving skills—ask for examples of past work. If possible, involve a mentor to help you assess hires.

The right person will see your potential and share your goal of affordability without compromise. Take your time—hiring is make-or-break.

### Avoiding Early Money Waste
With RM 50k, every ringgit matters. Here’s how to stretch it wisely:

- **Prioritize Essentials**: Spend on **market research**, your **MVP/pilot**, and that key technical hire. Skip non-essentials like fancy decor or big ad campaigns until you’re generating revenue.
- **Bootstrap**: Do what you can yourself—set up a basic social media presence or handle admin tasks. Your process improvement skills can keep costs low.
- **Alternative Funding**: If RM 50k falls short, explore **grants** (check SME Corp Malaysia) or **crowdfunding**. Small business loans from banks like CIMB or Maybank are another option.

### What I Wish I’d Known (From Others’ Experiences)
Since I’m AI and haven’t started a business, I’ll share wisdom from entrepreneurs:

- **Failure is Part of the Game**: Many first ventures stumble—expect setbacks and treat them as learning opportunities. Your problem-solving skills will help you pivot.
- **Legal Stuff Matters**: Register your business, secure licenses, and understand Malaysian tax rules. A local accountant or lawyer can save you headaches—budget a little for this.
- **Marketing Isn’t Optional**: Even a great service needs customers. Start small with a **basic website** or **social media**, and offer introductory deals. You don’t need to be a pro, but learn the basics or lean on someone who knows.

### Final Thoughts
Your engineering strengths—process improvement, automation, quality control—are a solid foundation for an efficient, scalable business. By validating your idea, finding mentors, and hiring strategically, you can overcome your lack of business experience. Entrepreneurship is a journey of learning—embrace the challenges, ask for help when needed, and stay focused on your mission to make this service affordable without cutting corners. You’ve got the skills and drive—now take it one smart step at a time. Good luck!

alamak.. with 14years experience, you only have rm50k to start your business?..
bro.. deposit for a place and utilities is 1+2 months… then minor renovation and furniture.. then your staff…
next is business… assuming you have clients on first day… you need 3x capital to operate… meaning stock in hand, stocks at clients place waiting for payment, stocks on order..

next your salaries…

think , then decide

Ppl that want find mentor memang gila better don't start do business . U want make money but want other ppl help u without paying them , if yr boss as u to work without paying u , u want ke ?

If u are ok with bending the law and occasionally doing things in grey area, then welcome to the business world. But if u are an honest, law abiding person, I suggest not to go into business in Malaysia. Good people with high moral grounds will rarely succeed in business. It's like finding a needle in a haystack. Government officers will give u hardship unless u bribe, clients and customers will coerce u into doing dodgy stuff and unless u comply, they will bring their business to someone else who does. Workers and staff will tell u all sort of sob stories to get ur sympathy and extra paid leaves etc... Unless u have a heart of steel, all these circumstances will continue to beat u into submission and lose yourself, or persevere to become a good guy until u eventually lose ur business

1) but I’m clueless about business.

NO bro. no.

Passion is not equal to business. and if you dont like overthinking, business doesnt fit the bill


2) Skills I don’t: Marketing, sales,

Fark liao. this 2 is the most important. if you have the best product but duno how to sell, its a goner.


Try to find other competitors in this field. see whether they wanna open branch or what. work with them on equity or profit sharing basis. learn first how to run the thing


This post has been edited by pisces88: Feb 26 2025, 10:25 AM

Your initial capital of RM50k is too low. How much is your shop rental per month? What is the monthly operation cost? (manpower, utilities, rental, all the fees etc etc)

Maybe you can offer someone with the technical background requires to run your business and also sales/marketing to invest and venture into your business. Just remember you have to take the controlling share (ie. min 52%).

Also you have to have enough cash flow to at least cover min 6 months of your business with an expectation of 0 revenue. Without knowing your business it's hard to gauge or say. But usually for myself i will set 1 year with 0 revenue. There will be alot of misc costs incurred without you knowing.

Need enough cash flow for at least 12 months.

Good advice above delay shoplot first

Macam R&M saja. Really need a shoplot? Maybe can JV or link with others considering of their network and you become their subcon. All your tools, just buy a nice van with customized storage system for you to move around.

^ This.

Continue to work 9-5 .

You have no business in business until you're ready to
put in ALL your hours into it thinking TWICE as hard and often as what you are thinking now to solve problems.

You can always burn the 50k for experience though, and many would suggest otherwise.


Just to answer your question, first finds a mentor, else you're just burning money.

This post has been edited by BelaCHAN: Feb 26 2025, 02:05 PM

TS, sales & marketing is the "spring of life" for the business. Without sales/revenue, no business will survive. Regardless of whether a small, medium, or big entity, if you pay close attention to it, you will notice all the business owners put a lot of weight on their sales & marketing team. Those who set up their own businesses normally were from sales & marketing before they ventured into their own business (they already knew how to secure sales orders on an irregular basis before they decided to go full-fledged).

You should not continue to limit yourself to technical roles only if you have the intention to start your own business. The trick to sales & marketing (networking) is that you do not have to meet everyone; you just need to stick to a few super networkers who can link to other contacts/resources. Stick to these few high-performing networkers; you can leverage their networking.

Whether these few super networkers are willing to allow you to access their "world" depends on what value you can bring to them. If they think you have the value they want, they will "utilize" you. If you do not have the "value" they want, you will not have the access to their world.

Until you build your network or start to learn how to build your network, it is safer to stay put first at the moment. If you can afford to burnt the 50k as learning, no harm to gain the hard experience through the market force.

~~~

Be forewarned, you will meet a number of conmen while attempting to do networking. It is part and parcel of the learning. These conmen will try to exploit your desire to start a business/become a business owner. After a few rounds of banging on the wall, you will be able to distinguish them easily.

This post has been edited by nihility: Feb 26 2025, 02:56 PM

Your business is service-based company.
If no need to have a permanent place for customer facing, no need to rent shop lot for now.

Run your business from home at the beginning.
Wait until your business have steady income then only rent shop lot.

50k nowadays not much, very fast dry out if cannot find sales & need to pay rental some more. Try this 1st

AI is d future, if u hv tis skills then go into biz…

Look likes everyone had spoken - Don't jump cos you're uncertain.

All the successful business owners i know are action takers, not thinkers/planners. If there's one thing common among them it is their speed of implementation. Do first talk later, fall already try again type of attitude.

If you're the thinker/planner type, you need a business partner who's good at implementation, otherwise it is almost guaranteed to fail.

This post has been edited by cucumber: Feb 26 2025, 05:37 PM

50k not enough if you factor in business cost

A good technical support whom almost can do almost anything, pump, valve, electronic, electrical, industrial label, IT, network, server, desktop and laptop, unified communication, tapelib, storage , VM and system integration etc

How much can you offer?

assume worst case.. then x2 it.

hire "Expert"? very red flag. if they can do it. why they want to risk with a small company like you?

rm50k u cant survive paying for others.

try freelancing/moonlighting. if u have proper clientele. then only leap

No need shoplot. Just start from your house first. When the business stabilize, then consider rent of the cheapest available shophouse unit such as those on 1st or 2nd floor in the suburbs.

If you are in your mid 30s, you only have 15 years before you turn 50 years old.

starting a business is hard now, but not as hard as when you are 50 years old with many mouth to feed.

Life is short. But make sure the reason you venture on you own is valid.

What business is that? Why cant u tell us so we can estimate how much u need and if you can start small without quitting your job?

You crosspath a mentor by doing business. I have some business mentors that are sifus at many different areas. But my first mentor i met by joining same events. One day my mentor rope me in to do events by sharing costs together. I set next to my mentor getting told off all the wrong things i have done. My mentor loan equipments, pull me in good events. You dont get to choose your mentor, they come to you. They want to teach out of the goodness of their heart and because they enjoy having you around them.

I am in engineering field and it’s a wide vast of field , so I met lots of solo freelancer like u

There’s no such thing as u think current service too expensive that u can be cheaper, my advise u must make appropriate profit that matches your time n expertise to sell it , expertise n experience can be more expensive then items u sold

Ask yourself , you wanna do cash paying customer or hutang term customer ? Can u survive if they being late on your payment???

Since you going solo, are u good at your reputation that ppl actually have problem that will call u personally to solve problem ? Will them introduce u to other ppl that looking gfor same thing? If u are good to then ok else u need to jalan jalan do marketin sales

Going back office now , later type more again

I have a much longer experience in the engineering & manufacturing field. Currently retrenched & looking to break into B2B copywriting in the engineering niche. What I come to learn is that, business knowledge & skills are very important if you want to sell anything.

My wild guess. Automation kua

I am into desktop automation

Provide solution on doing repeatitive task like
From data from program app A to app B
Example, data from ERP software migrate to another through repeatitive copy and paste 1 by 1

Or automation in handphone

This kind of service got market ?

clinical therapy

well, I get what you mean - you need to get into the circle first before you can find one, or they find you.

the plan is to start small with 1 experienced, the rest freelance if needed.
not planning to quit my job. Wife who left her HR career to be home maker few years ago, willing to help manage doing admin/HR/logistics.

I asked my therapist during one of the session

1. how much they pay for this work and how far can you go?- 1800(starter) to 5000(supervisor) can go higher if you get into bigger corporate brands
2. whats your future plan, are you going to be a therapist forever? - I want to open my own center
3. How much to start? - Its not much, about 20k, monthly supplies are cheap - most opex is salaries
4. Well if its not much, why don't you start one already - Well if I have the money, I'll do it.
5. Where is your boss (husband & wife) - well they manage admin and payroll for 3 centers (each at different states) - but in the process of giving that to 3rd party.

These answers kind of pushed my interest further to think of starting one

The setup is simple. Nothing fancy, probable 2nd hand furniture - place looks clean and pleasant. 3rd floor shoplot, you wont know they exist. Only way to contact them by sending your contact in the company website, and they will contact you for initial verbal queries, then set appointments.

i checked around my area, 3rd floor shoplot is around rm1200-1600.

what do you think? 50k enough?

This post has been edited by Kakistok: Mar 1 2025, 04:16 PM

good point.
I think there are two situation that you would see these traits. 1. if they are desperate, say no job, no money, they have to give it a go 2. they have more than enough, they can rectify any mistakes from their action.
Thats why statistically many SMEs fail ~60% (from what I read) as they never get to point 2.

initial plan is to go with one "expert" then the rest freelance.

I believe there are experts out there who want to run their own but don't have the funds. I had a conversation with one of them.

I agree. I just do not know where to start but I've made my first move. Contacted 2 freelancers from a website for a free session. I needed the service plus I could get more info from them for the business side of things.

I dont have experience in this line, so i cant advice. Have you check out any licensing requirement, dont you have to be a member of a registed body?


But you are an engineer, is there any business you can do within your subject matter expert? I see many therapist provide service online, can u do that first without giving up your job? I think 50k will go fast like water. Especially on payroll. Count first how much sessions need to cover payroll, marketing. What is your plan to get people to switch terapist to you? Can you throw price? Is the price controlled by registed body?

This post has been edited by forgotoldlogin: Mar 1 2025, 05:08 PM

yes I think I need permit to run, I've seen that cert in the the center hence why I need an experienced (certified) member on board. Those online ones are freelancing, hence they may not need a center unless they want a stable income or a proper place to conduct their session.

It's funny that I have no interest in doing a business related to my line of work XD
1. the capital cost is high
2. you need to find a big contract to cover cost
3. my company contracts are all from abroad, local companies cant afford.
4. I can do online freelancing for clients abroad but you have to compete with people from pakistan/india who are 2-3 times cheaper.
4. there is one local company that I know doing something similar but the owner used to have ties with a former PM - so sapu all local n gov, now struggling to pay his employees because cant land contracts as former PM out of the game. One of the employees now works under me. The employee (n others) had to sue the company for not paying his salary and epf - almost a year court case before settlement.

This post has been edited by Kakistok: Mar 1 2025, 05:57 PM

well, if u done the due diligence. hope u all the best. careful on human-staff-workers relationship that i mentioned though, try have backup plans if they leave

yeap, that's one of the risk I'm trying to figure out as I would need their certification to apply the permit.

what do you meant by get your first sales? Do you mean like do a dry run to see how much demand is out there?

the plan is to go for a small place first, 3rd floor shoplot, those small office lots in apartments. Ive surveyed some places already within rm800-rm1600 price range.

yeap I thought something like salary + profit sharing. I'm trying to list down what other methods are available, the risk with the technical staff is you need a "certified" person to get permit. if they decide to leave, then we cant run the business - so what would be the backup plan?

50k? Open wan tan mee stall better.
If the project drag for years no payment come in can you survive?

Service based and yet you have no technical expertise? Kinda red flag.

Might as well get to know some people who are technical and willing to do some FL for extra income. Try to land small project from home and outsource the technical part to those who are interested to FL. If good then only start a shop or something.

You dont need a shop when you have no physical product to sell. One should at least have a base they could land something consistent and branch out from there. If there's nothing like that, might as well just be a FL.

I dont have much advice anymore, but many good luck to you. Hope you can make it work.

TBH, if i were you, i would do easier business like carwash in condos/apartment area, food, buy bulk from farmer resell somewhere, tuition, daycare, sell If you are stuck, easy for someone to help you, want to sell your business to recoup half costs also possible. Please think a lot about it. Good luck

this is your biggest risk. Rely on other for certification . Other pretty much on your execution , sales and marketing.
I am SME owner myself, if you have wife help u on admin, basic accounting etc , it helps a lot to lessen your burden.
Have you count how much sales you have to do per month for breakeven, that's very vital question in order your business alive.

Things most likely won't go as you expected especially in term.of sales at the beginning year of business.
Let's say if.the business making loss on the month, how would you cover it? Sales also won't come naturally without good marketing plan especially you can distinguish yourself from your competitors.

You made the right choice.not quitting.your.current job. Anyway good luck for.your business

This post has been edited by foofoosasa: Mar 1 2025, 09:12 PM