- Empayar Kotak was founded in 2008 by a husband and wife, Mohd Fadzlee Mohd Khalid and Suriani Tomingan.
- After 14 years in the printing industry, Empayar Kotak has developed into one of the top players dominating the local printing industry- offering top-quality printing services.
- Their projections have grown tremendously every year since inception from 30% to 60%.
If the owner of the printing shop that I shared while operating my handphone business hadn’t offered me the opportunity to take over his business, I don’t think there would be a story about Empayar Kotak.”
The major incident that occurred in 2008 marked a turning point for Empayar Emier Sdn Bhd. Mohd Fadzlee Mohd Khalid, the founder of Empayar Kotak, has a long story to share about how the company was founded after experiencing several business failures.
As the name suggests, Empayar Kotak plays a significant role in the startup ecosystem. They provide printing and packaging services for local businesses. Without them, local businesses would likely have to outsource boxes from other countries like China, resulting in longer delivery times and higher costs.
Empayar Kotak: In the right place at the right time
Empayar Kotak was one of the early players that dominated the packaging printing industry. They were the only Bumiputera player when they first ventured into the industry back in 2008. This gave them extra benefits to cater to Bumiputera businesses.
After 14 years of continuous evolution, Empayar Kotak has developed into one of the top-quality printing-packaging companies in Malaysia. Most likely, local startups that you are supporting all this time have been outsourcing boxes from Empayar Kotak – that shows how big they are now.
The turning point
However, it all started with a small step from an ordinary man. Fadzlee wasn’t exposed to the printing industry from the start – he worked as a forestry consultant for a couple of years. As someone who always dreamed of being an entrepreneur, he then decided to start a business – selling cellphone accessories and postpaid mobile plans in Shah Alam.
“I shared a shop lot with a printing shop. We were doing great until the prepaid mobile era was over. People started to switch to postpaid, and our sales dropped badly,” Fadzlee shared.
Suddenly, the owner of the printing shop decided to let go of his business. After a long and deep conversation with his wife, Suriani Tomingan, who is also the co-founder of Empayar Kotak, they decided to take over the printing business.
Fall seven times, get up eight
We foresee that the business will do well because we have a huge customer base since our shop is located in Seksyen 7, near the UiTM Shah Alam campus. The business did well for a couple of years. However, it didn’t last long when UiTM students relocated to the Puncak Alam campus. 2017 was a sorrowful year for us, as customers decreased and business slowed down.
Fadzlee knew he had to do something promptly. He couldn’t rely on UiTM students alone. He needed to diversify the business – his target customers now are the whole community of Shah Alam. “What else can we do apart from printing textbooks for students?”
It so happened that his wife was running a side business selling cardigans. She asked her husband to print boxes for her business. That was their very first box made by Fadzlee. Eureka!”
Expand aggressively
Empayar Kotak was founded in late 2017. They spent almost a year exploring printing services from A-Z. It was a challenging period for both of them, but they aced it. The company was founded at the right time when the e-commerce trend was booming.
“A lot of startups just started in 2017-2018. I took advantage of this to promote my business. We went very aggressively by providing specialized printing packaging for them. We listened to them and provided according to their needs,” he said.
From operating in a small shop lot, they took a bold move in acquiring a 3-storey shop lot in Shah Alam. “Have you ever doubted if nothing goes as well as you planned?” Fadzlee calmly answered, “Of course, I doubted at that time. If it didn’t go as we planned, I would be running out of money. But, I had fallen a few times before, so I believe we can survive.”
More plans for Empayar Kotak
In 2018, their customers started to grow. They began receiving orders in large volumes, and their projections increased every year from 30% to 60%. Currently, Empayar Kotak has 31 staff and one factory in Serdang. It is safe to say they are in a comfortable position right now. However, for Fadzlee, he has a target to achieve before he reaches 50.
His winning formula in running Empayar Kotak is by taking a different business approach. Empayar Kotak doesn’t prioritize production – they focus on sales. Others might have a different mindset to go downstream in manufacturing, as it involves producing goods and servicing them to boost their profits.
“To be a good leader, you need to be different. Be unpredictable – until your competitors cannot predict your next move”
However, Fadzlee believes in his approach. He invests more in marketing and sales. He has a mindset that if they generate sales, they can outsource the orders to any production facility they choose. This gives them the freedom to obtain the best price and not be tied to any specific manufacturer. Looking at where they are now, this approach has proven to be the right move for them.
Tips for husband and wife running a business together
As a husband and wife running a business, both Fadzlee and Suriani need to be professional in handling the company. They focus solely on the business and set aside their emotions.
“It’s not easy to run a business with your partner. You need to have a mindset that business is business, and any personal issues stay at home. Set boundaries and don’t mix personal issues while working,” Fadzlee emphasized.
Suriani believes that they complement each other. “We both have different departments to handle. I manage the management aspect while Fadzlee handles operations, sales, and marketing. So, we don’t interfere in each other’s job scope. Sometimes, we discuss and ask for opinions.”
Next Steps for Empayar Kotak
Discussing their next move in business, Fadzlee shared that they will focus more on logistics. They also aim to establish their production. Additionally, they plan to expand by adding more retail shops nationwide to cater to customers from different states.
“We are proud of what we have achieved. However, it’s too soon to say that we are in a comfortable position. We want to build an empire that will last forever. Undoubtedly, competition is becoming tougher year by year, so we are seeking an identity to differentiate ourselves. That’s our next plan, but we can’t elaborate more on this. Perhaps, we will meet again to share this news?” both laughed.
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