In this episode of the iSearch podcast, Benjamin Lim (iSearch) discussed with Venon Tian (Zus Coffee) the story behind the brand and how it grew from 0 to 360 outlets in a short span of 4 years. The areas of discussion include: 1:33 - How the idea of Zus Coffee came about 2:52 - Key strategies in Zus Coffee’s rapid expansion 7:19 - Zus Coffee’s goals for 2024 8:19 - How funding was secured to boost Zus’s growth 10:11 - The biggest challenges and lessons from running 300+...

In this episode of the iSearch podcast, we have compiled the top business advice from our 2023 guests. The areas of discussion include: 0:00 - Diversify your investments if you're a busy investor 0:58 - Raise funds to grow, not to survive 2:06 - Providing value is the best TikTok strategy 2:52 - Careful planning is a MUST 3:28 - Rest drives productivity and efficiency 5:06 - The best branding platform is where your customers are 5:45 - Build a team that you can work...

In this episode of the iSearch podcast, Benjamin Lim (iSearch) discussed with Jeevan Sahadevan the 8 keys that entrepreneurs can apply for incredible success in their business. The areas of discussion include: 0:46 - Important advice for business owners 2:22 - Setting goals for your business (The 1st key) 5:34 - Generating prospects (The 2nd key) and effective strategies to do so 9:29 - Important tips for prospect generation 11:48 - Sales conversion (The 3rd key) 13:53 - Tips...

In this episode of the iSearch podcast, Benjamin Lim (iSearch) discussed with Kevin Brockland (Indelible Ventures) on the potential of startups and entrepreneurs in Malaysia, and building a startup that can scale globally. The areas of discussion include: 1:23 - Why Kevin left the U.S. to settle in Malaysia 8:08 - Key strengths and weaknesses of Malaysian founders 10:50 - Kevin’s thoughts on Malaysians’ mentality for taking risks 13:06 - Current opportunities in Malaysia for...

In this episode of the iSearch podcast, Benjamin Lim (iSearch) discussed with Eric Lam (Recast Ventures) on how entrepreneurs can start a business, scale, and exit in 36 months. The areas of discussion include: 1:18 - The reason startups fail and how to avoid it 4:13 - Validating a product or service before working on your ideas 7:26 - How to proceed when your product has little traction 10:57 - Finding a different angle for your product 14:15 - Best and worst type of businesses...

In this episode of the iSearch podcast, Benjamin Lim (iSearch) discussed with Sasha Tan (Dear Hustlers) on her unique branding blueprint to help brands stand out against competitors. The areas of discussion include: 1:02 - Definition of a brand 1:47 - How Sasha discovered this unique branding blueprint 2:49 - How the blueprint works and how brands can start implementing it 3:29 - The C.A.C blueprint explained 7:04 - Sasha’s practice of effectively prioritising 8:15 - Advice for...

In this episode of the iSearch podcast, Benjamin Lim (iSearch) discussed with Azran Osman Rani (Naluri) the common signs and symptoms of burnout and how entrepreneurs can strengthen their mental resilience to tackle it. The areas of discussion include: 1:31 - Burnout among entrepreneurs vs. the general population 2:36 - Signs & symptoms of burnout and how normal stress is different from a burnout 5:21 - Identifying burnout through the 6 categories 6:58 - Some ways to overcome...

In this episode of the iSearch podcast, Benjamin Lim (iSearch) discussed with Sam Dogen (Financial Samurai) on some personal finance tips for entrepreneurs to achieve financial independence. The areas of discussion include: 1:06 - The definition of financial independence 1:51 - Being financially independent in the 40s 5:27 - Achieving 80k annual passive income 6:54 - Thoughts on entrepreneurs investing in real estate 9:39 - Stocks investment 10:27 - Sam’s background story and...

In this episode of the iSearch podcast, Benjamin Lim (iSearch) discussed with Brandon Lee (Padan Social) on how businesses can build branding and generate leads on TikTok. The areas of discussion include: - Strategies for businesses to grow on TikTok - How brands can leverage on TikTok trends - Finding quality influencers on TikTok - Nano influencers vs. Major influencers - Thoughts on TikTok ads to generate leads - Why so few Malaysian brands have succeeded on TikTok - Common...

In this episode of the iSearch podcast, Benjamin Lim (iSearch) spoke with Aaron Sarma (ScaleUp Malaysia) on fundraising tips for Malaysian entrepreneurs and startups. The areas of discussion include: - Key areas investors look into before deciding to invest - Traction needed before raising funds - Bootstrapping vs. raising funds - The fundraising process in Scale Up Malaysia - Equity taken by Scale Up Malaysia - Criteria for a startup to apply for accelerator funding - What...

In this episode of the iSearch podcast, we have Jazz Tan from Youths Today to share how brands can target Malaysian youth in their marketing. The areas of discussion include: - The current online behaviour of youth and the platform with the highest potential - Best platform for brands to target younger audiences - The difference between Xiaohongshu and TikTok - Key differences between marketing to youth and older audiences - How brands can leverage the Youths Today platform to...

In this episode of the iSearch podcast, we have compiled the top business advice from our 2022 guests. The areas of discussion include: - Set a common goal and communicate it clearly - Ensure your tax agent is licensed - Have a plan and find joy in running your business - Know your customer journey - Ensure effective communication in your company - Contribute to your employees' growth - Hire for attitude and motivation - Think bigger, go global - Leverage NFT to enter the...

In this episode of the iSearch podcast, we have Ziet Invests to share about investing in the US market. The areas of discussion include: - The current state of the US market - Things to consider before investing in the US market - Strategy to start investing for beginners - Passive investment for busy investors - Returns from S&P vs. Bursa Malaysia - Malaysian economy under the new government and investing locally - Steps to start investing in the US market for...

In this episode of the iSearch podcast, we have Ren Yi from myBurgerLab and Hong from Grub to share things to know before starting an F&B business. The areas of discussion include: - Things Hong & Ren Yi wished they knew before starting their businesses - Hong’s experience in Burgerlab before venturing into his own F&B business - Cost to start an F&B business and how long it takes to breakeven - Major pivot that turned their businesses around - Key considerations...

In this episode of the iSearch podcast, we have Ross Stephenson from Luno to share about investing in crypto as a beginner. The areas of discussion include: - Things to know before investing in crypto - A piece of advice for investment - Cryptos for beginners to focus on - Brief background of Bitcoin - Overcoming the highs and lows as a crypto investor - Crypto as a long-term investment - Example of the DCA Strategy - Ross’s take on the current market - Avoiding crypto...

In this episode of the iSearch podcast, we have YB Tony Pua to share about the Langkah Sheraton NFT Project launching on 31 August 2022. The areas of discussion include: - YB Tony Pua's journey with art - Process to completing the artwork - Benefits and utilities for owners of the Langkah Sheraton NFT - Pricing of the NFT project - How YB Tony Pua painted the characters with accuracy - Will fundraising through NFT be a trend among political parties - Minting date and things to...

In this episode of the iSearch podcast, we have KC Low to share how anyone can start and grow an online consulting, teaching, and training business successfully! The areas of discussion include: - Steps and criteria to get started (any level) - The 4th and 5th crucial step - How Covid has made scaling easier - Recommended strategy for those getting started with Facebook and Youtube Ads - How to target a specific group of people for Facebook ads - Overcoming the "camera shy"...

In this episode of the iSearch podcast, we have Nicole Yap from 8SIAN to share how brands can successfully launch their own NFT. The areas of discussion include: - Things to know before entering the NFT space - How NFT has enabled brands to enter the global market - How brands can create hype during the pre-launch stage and marketing strategies that were effective for 8SIAN - The role of Discord in the Web3 space - The type of ads that have been effective for 8SIAN - What to...

In this episode of the iSearch podcast, we have Deric Yee from Sigma School to share the number 1 skill set to develop to work with global companies. The areas of discussion include: - The value of coding as a skill set - Deric's thoughts on the difficulty of learning coding - Expected timeframe to pick up coding for beginners - Pros and cons of self-learning how to code and hiring external programmers to build an app - Tips for finding good programmers - Evaluating a programmer...

In this episode of the iSearch podcast, we have Roshan from Leaderonomics to share some tips to build high-performing teams in 2022. The areas of discussion include: - Tips for SMEs to build a high-performing team - The right time to start building a culture - Ensuring effective communication - Common challenges and mistakes when building an A-Team - Ways employers can contribute to their employees' growth - Managing employees who are hesitant to leave their comfort zone -...

In this episode of the iSearch podcast, we have Jan Wong from OpenMinds to share the hottest marketing trends in 2022 that can help you stay ahead of your competitors. The areas of discussion include: - Top digital marketing trends in 2022 that brands should take note of - Should brands start using Tiktok - Good total experience for users - Using data to provide specific ads for customers - How retail companies can implement these marketing trends - How restaurants can retrieve...

In this episode of the iSearch podcast, we have Alvin Poh from Super Scaling to share about scaling your business fast and achieving RM100,000 in monthly profit. The areas of discussion include: - Common challenges when trying to scale a business - The 5 E's to achieve RM100k monthly profit - How entrepreneurs can find resources to evolve from 6 figures to 8 figures - How Alvin overcame the limiting belief - Envisioning and setting a common goal within your company - Finding and...

In this episode of the iSearch podcast, we have Sean from @iherng on the show to share about property investing as an entrepreneur. The areas of discussion include: 0:00 - Introduction 0:54 - The impact of Covid on property investment 5:00 - Sub-sale properties investment 6:50 - Investing in property using own name vs company name 9:16 - Loan percentage for personal and company properties 9:52 - Should entrepreneurs buy property for their own stay or for investment 13:08 - A...

In this episode, we have Irsyad Saidin from Pentas.io on the show to share on what NFTs are and how businesses can start selling their own. The areas of discussion include: - What an NFT is - Why people are buying NFTs and is it a bubble - The justification behind the purchase of high-value NFTs - How businesses can get started with NFT - NFT's effect on the environment (debunking myths) Check out Pentas.io here: https://www.pentas.io/