A mother always has to think twice in any circumstances – once for herself and once for her child. One such example is Jessica Chia, founder of JCTech Holding Sdn Bhd – a business management company whose most successful trademark is investing in SMEs and startups. She started her business in 2003, following a 6-year career in an employment agency and the birth of her daughter.
“I got fed up when I barely don’t have time with my only daughter. I was busy with work, letting my daughter growing up without a mother. So I decided to open up my own company to have more time with her.” Her decision to set up a company further strengthened when she lost a unit called family. Despite her marriage crashed, she never had once judged herself as a failure – more as a person who’s gradually blooming like a flower; mentally, physically and spiritually.
Gathering valuable experiences
Jessica Chia is a flexible person, she never limits herself and always ready to explore new thing. She lost her job in a QS company when a huge global economic crisis struck in 1997. “As I was searching for a new job opportunity, I came across a job offer in an employment agency. So I took it without any hesitation.” She spent almost six years serving in the company – collecting valuable experiences, knowledge and also capital because she had the vision to open up her own headhunting company one day.
“As a single-parent, Jessica Chia has always prioritised her only 19-year-old-daughter. The inception of JC Tech Sdn Bhd was solely made because of her daughter.”
But, after spending 10 years in the industry, she found herself losing the spark. “The job has turned into a routine; the same task, the same problem, the same solution. I need to escape from this fixed routine. So I challenged myself to explore a completely new field and I chose e-commerce,” she said.
The idea to start JCTech
Her first attempted in e-commerce was declared as unsuccessful. She sold scuba diving equipment to the US but due to her limited knowledge and experience, she lost quite a lot of money and ended up downsized the company for good. Later in 2016, she found her way back again and it was considered as a new point in her life. Turning a new page with a fresh start, she gets back to e-commerce and started to understand more how to run a business. Once the business was growing, she decided to commence her own company, called JCTech Holding Sdn Bhd.
Seeing potentials in local SMEs
JCTech is a business management company that helps its clients to transform by implementing the right solution to improve the company’s performance. Thus, help them turn areas of stagnation into growth to achieve sustainable results.
“In life, you can choose to do the thing that you could do best or thing that you could do better. Or do the thing that you like, or thing that you really like – it’s your choice.”
“At JCTech, we do small investment on SMEs or startups based on their potential. We invest in term of finance and manpower too. We offer solutions in term of management. Meaning, we will handle the management department comprising of admin, HR, account and management and we’ll do everything from strategy to planning in order to help the company to grow,” adding that JCTech has helped a few companies such as Budayang Sdn Bhd, Quantum Mare Sdn Bhd and Sekawan Travel and Tours Sdn Bhd to name a few.
Guiding new and young entrepreneurs
“I don’t call myself as a risk-taker. I rather call myself as going out from my comfort zone. I don’t want to live doing the same routine every day to the extent I don’t feel happy to do it anymore.”
Based on her view, most SMEs are very good in operation and they have great ideas that could sell-off. But, they’re lacking in one thing; which is the know-how to run a business. “Armed with my diverse experience in business, I know I’m capable to share my experience and knowledge with them (entrepreneurs). What I can see it, the major problem faced by most new entrepreneurs is capital. Having insufficient capital will impede the business’s growth and might as well resulting in them losing the company. This is where JCTech plays a role in guiding and supporting SMEs and startups.”
The future of JCTech
In tackling the question regarding the plan and strategy for the company, she said that JCTech is planning to bring in more affiliates or associates onboard. “We want to expand and to do so, we need more professionals in different areas such as financial, HR or marketing to share valuable ideas that could help boost the company’s profit.”
She then concluded the interview by sharing her definition of success. “For me, success is when you’re able to find happiness, not only for yourself but people around you too. Create a life story that could inspire other people and that my dear is the real definition of success,” she ended.
