Sales revenue of 52 Sabah entrepreneurs increased thanks to INSKEN

24 December 2022

By Wartawan Nabalu News

KOTA KINABALU: The National Institute of Entrepreneurship (INSKEN) which is one of the agencies under the Entrepreneur Development and Cooperative Ministry (KUSKOP) managed to increase the sales revenue of 52 Sabah entrepreneurs through its Bumiputera Business Coaching (IBBC) programme.

The programme, conducted for four months, was participated by entrepreneurs from the sewing and market sales (food and beverages) fields.

Entrepreneur Development and Cooperative Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick said the 52 entrepreneurs also managed to create 26 new jobs aside from successfully increasing their sales revenue to up to RM370,000.

He said the breakdown of the increased sales revenue is divided into two - RM267,000 from 27 participants (market sales) and RM103,000 from 25 participants (sewing).

Both of the programmes were a collaboration between INSKEN and Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia (AIM) Sabah.

“It turns out that this coaching programme has yielded results. Not only was it a one-off training but it also managed to mould extraordinary, quality and competitive entrepreneurs.

“In an effort to realise the Unity Government’s mission, in accordance with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s mandate, our main focus in Sabah is to empower the economy through digitalised economy and agro tourism,” he said in his speech.

He was speaking at the 2022 INSKEN Coaching Programme Graduation Ceremony at the Palace Hotel here yesterday.

The ceremony was also attended by Deputy Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperative Deputy Minister, M Saraswathy Kandasami; KUSKOP Deputy Secretary General (Entrepreneurship Development), Datuk Haji Zamri Salleh; UDA Holdings Berhad Chairman, Datuk Norliza Abdul Rahim; Bank Rakyat Acting Chairman, Datuk Mohd Irwan Mohd Mubarak; INSKEN Chief Executive Officer, Muhd Firdaus Azharuddin; and Sabah Federal Deputy Secretary, Dr. Muharrir Kamarudin.

According to Ewon who is also Penampang MP, INSKEN’s initiative to provide training and coaching programme is needed to support several new approaches which will be lined, including additional focus on entrepreneurship development in Sabah.

“Digital economy, agro tourism, social and petty trader enterprises are among the new approaches that will be focused on here. There are many tourism products in Sabah and these will surely help realise this effort.

“At the same time, I also hope that all entrepreneurs approach the agencies under KUSKOP because these agencies have various initiatives and beneficial programmes,” he said.

Meanwhile, Firdaus stated that INSKEN is always ready to help and support these new approaches for the betterment of entrepreneur in Sabah.

He is confident that INSKEN’s coaching programme can contribute to entrepreneur development in Sabah.

“I also call on more entrepreneurs in this state to join future training and coaching programmes by INSKEN,” he said.

One of the excellent participants of the IBBC (market sales) programme is Rosalinda Calleja who runs a bakery business.

After joining the programme, she obtained the HALAL and MESTI recognition certificates, added vendors and generates twice the increase in her sales.

On the other hand, sewing programme participant Suzianah Matungguyang managed to increase her sales by more than 150 per cent.

The factors that affect the increase in sales after following this programme is when she strengthened the branding of the company and products, created a more organised business SOP and turned the layout of the premises more systematically.