The
preliminary stage and challenges...
I
was not so sure on what exactly I can sell when I left SEDA Malaysia in
February 2012. I received several job offers with different positions and
expectation but almost all of them were about selling energy efficiency
solutions and products and securing projects and services.
I
finally accepted an offer from my business partners today where they agreed to
set up a company and allowed me to have the freedom to explore business
opportunities using whatever skills, expertise and strengths that I have. I wanted
me to be a business partner where we can work together to grow our business in
long term instead of just being an employee with them. I felt so grateful for
the faith they have in me and risks that they were taking to offer the
opportunity to me.
While
thinking of what exactly I could offer and sell to the market, I helped them to
develop the existing business of the group which was doing business development
and marketing works to secure new projects. The group has been very established
in providing total energy management solutions in reducing energy costs through
energy performance contracting business model in Malaysia and other countries
in this region. Technically, the group has all the resources in energy
engineering for energy saving projects identification and implementation in
term of equipment and personnel for projects delivery.
So,
my idea was to leverage of the existing strengths and capability of the group
with services that will complement technical solutions that have been offered
for existing and future clients.
It
took me about six months for me to conduct some personal market researches
through my communications with contacts within the industry, extensive online
materials readings and observations on current development of energy efficiency
initiatives in Malaysian market by government and private sectors.
Weighing
my options and getting prepared...
I
have decided to specialize in the management and strategic elements instead of
technical or engineering of energy efficiency since I was in Energy Commission.
With that I mind, I have managed to get some much exposure through various
training and other capacity development programs between government and other
government in topics that are more on energy management system, policies and
regulatory works in the last 4 years of my service in the government.
By
the time I rejoined the private sector, I have less interest in exploring the
technical parts of energy efficiency but I believe all my technical experiences
would be very useful too when it matters as I move forward.
With
some advice from my partners and mixed with experiences and expertise that I
have developed over the years, I know I would become an energy management
consultant rather than an energy efficiency technical expert.
That was mainly
due my interests are more matched with skills that I have already possessed and
very comfortable especially in public speaking and training. On top of that, I
love interacting with people and always thrilled by the challenge to convince
them about how good is energy efficiency for all of us as an individual,
companies and also for the our country.
My
first few steps in preparing myself to enter the market again as an industry
players mainly involved:
1.
Informing all my relevant contacts and friends in the industry that I have left
the government and returned as an industry player. At that point, I did not
share much on what I was doing exactly when asked but I did inform them that I
will be doing something on consultancy and training together with energy saving
projects. In the same time, I updated all details of my contacts and classify
them into their ranks and industry where I can possibly contacting them again
later.
2.
Maximizing my presence online using platforms and networks such as LinkedIn, my
blog and Facebook by utilizing all works that I have been involved together
with various organizations that I have properly documented with basic write-ups,
photos and also videos.
3.
Asking around and talked to my contacts especially among players from the
industry for me to obtain first information on the current environment of
energy efficiency related businesses.
4.
Simultaneously with all the above, I have managed to get myself registered as
an electrical energy manager with Energy Commission, completed my training to
be certified as a competent trainer by HRDF and enrolled in the locally
organized energy management system expert training program under United Nation
Industrial Development Organization(UNIDO).
5.
With basically zero background in running a business on my own, I have learned from
the basics too on how to operate a business with management strategies,
financial and human resources cash flows, pricing, marketing, services delivery
and etc. I have been blessed and lucky enough that I have received so much
guides and advice from my experienced partners.
6.
To test the market, I did try working with some contacts under joint proposals
to offer services related to energy management consultancy. My main objectives
were to learn on how to structure the proposal, preparing and rationalizing the
costs, packaging elements in the proposal, how to work with strategic partners
to propose and then to deliver the services and etc. The most important of all
of that was how the prospects assessed and responded to our proposals because
from their responses, I could see potentials areas to make the better if I were
to do it on my own.
7. Continued to accept offers to speak EE seminars/conferences or invitations for meetings/discussions on EE issues under the industry association.This was for the purpose of to keep updating my contacts that I am still around in industry and would offer something to market soon.
Honestly,
there were some doubts in my mind while trying to create my products that I
wanted to introduce to the market. That mainly due to several factors and
questions that suddenly appeared in my mind frequently that I could not deny
that really worried me so much such as...
I
was new in the market and need to compete with more established names in the market.
Information that I gathered told me that many have given up and moved into
other industry due to the very slow take-ups of energy efficiency solutions in
the market.
Would
anyone buy my service?
Would
I be good enough to convince them?
There
were also moments where I did think about reconsidering my decision to run a
business and to look for job with fixed monthly salary again. However, I did
receive a lot of supports from my family members, contacts and friends too and
they kept telling me I could successfully in my new adventure. Most of the were
also offered their helps whenever possible for me to grow with them in the
industry.
"You
will never know how successful you can be unless you try!?
"Failure
is assured unless you do or try something to stop it!"
"If
you don't believe in yourself, who will?
"If
you don't want to take some risks, who will take it for you?"
Finally,
after about six months I have managed to get myself prepared to sell my self-developed
services. All are new to the group and it took me some time for me to get my
partners on the same page with me on what I would like to offer under the new
company.
To
enter the market as an industry player, I decided to offer the following under
my energy management system consultancy services:
1.
Energy management system development and implementation based on ISO50001
Standard;
2.
Program designs and expert trainers service for in-house capacity building;
3.
Registered electrical energy manager service: Expert guidance and compliance;
and
4.
Energy management policy studies and strategic implementation proposals.
All
the above are areas that I believe that I had enough knowledge and experiences
to sell and then to deliver.
To
add values and to strengthen to the above services, are expertise and resources
in providing technical energy management solutions by the group are also
offered to the prospects. I believe by making the prospects aware about our
capability to become a one-stop center for energy management services provider
that offered technical and management solutions for them.
After
all the basic elements on all those services sorted out, the challenges awaited
me were to detail out each service in the form of business proposal, budget and
fees to be charged and expected deliverable. As a newcomer with no
company's track records yet, I need to ensure that my entrance into the market
to be notified and could be differentiated from existing players.
But then the big question
was...."How could I do that?
Next,
The breakthrough...
Next,
The breakthrough...
