SMEs advised to be more inspired - Exim Bank

Source From (The Star Online): http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/6/11/business/11454692&sec=business

Published: Monday June 11, 2012
By WONG WEI-SHEN
weishen.wong@thestar.com.my

PETALING JAYA: Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) need to manage their businesses with a bit more inspiration if they want to distinguish themselves from their competitors.
Island Landcap Properties Group executive chairman Oon Weng Boon said inspiration was a unique, yet subjective key element in any business, but it was a much needed factor.
Oon is a guest speaker at the upcoming The Star Business Awards (SOBA) Learning Series workshops.
SOBA was established three years ago to promote excellence and stimulate positive competition between SMEs.

Submission of entries to participate in SOBA stared in May and will remain open until August.
The entries will then be judged in September leading up to the awards presentation in November later this year.
The Learning Series workshops will be held in four different cities over a one-month period starting June 15.
“With inspiration, we seek to be different from others and thus, avoid direct competition,” Oon said.
While competition among other SMEs is inevitable, SMEs are able to distinguish themselves not only in their products, but also in various areas.

“SMEs are able to transform with inspiration cultivated as its core value,” he said.
In regards to his topic “Building Inspiration From Within”, Oon said he would be sharing his personal experiences in building both his career and business, and “the push factors and the success factors that I apply.
“These factors have guided me all this while as the key elements in products offering, as well as managing the company,” he said.
He said SOBA was a recognition for the winning companies and would further encourage them to strive further.

“Being the winner of SOBA, companies will carry themselves in a professional manner and serve their customers better,” he concluded.
This year's SOBA sees some significant enhancements.
The awards will be divided into two broad categories - the top-of-the-class awards and outstanding achievement awards.
There are eight sub-categories for top-of-the-class awards and three for the outstanding achievement awards.

In its third year, the awards will reward winners with almost RM1mil worth of advertising space and airtime.
Exim Bank is the presenter of the awards, which are supported by Bursa Malaysia.
The Royale Chulan Kuala Lumpur is the official hotel partner.
Red Tomato is the official Chinese newspaper, while the official radio stations are 988FM and RedFM.
The awards auditor is BDO.

For more information on the SOBA awards and the workshops, please call 03-7967-1388 ext 1244/1237/1475.