CREPE ENTREPRENEUR GRATEFUL TO MADA FOR HELPING HER BUSINESS GROW

PENDANG, Jan 17 (Bernama) -- Leaving her dream career proved to be a blessing in disguise for Suriza Samsudin as it paved the way for her to become an entrepreneur, ultimately enhancing her quality of life.

Sharing her experience, the 48-year-old Suriza shared that she resigned from her job as an information technology officer at a public higher education institution after moving to Kedah with her husband 17 years ago.

"Since I was used to earning my income, I explored ways to earn money. In 2010, I started by baking and selling cupcakes with a recipe provided by my cousin.

"To enhance my skills, I participated in various courses, including those at the Community College," she told Bernama when interviewed at her home in Kampung Padang Temuchut.

She then registered as an entrepreneur with the Muda Agricultural Development Authority (MADA) in 2016, receiving grants such as ovens and work equipment. She was also regularly guided and monitored to ensure the continuous growth of her business.

Suriza later had the opportunity to undergo training at the Institut Keusahawanan Negara (INSKEN) and considered herself fortunate when selected to receive guidance from a business expert specialising in crepes.

"Orders for cakes were inconsistent and the income was not substantial. However, crepes had consistent demand; people wanted to buy them every day. From there, the idea to venture into crepes emerged, and I was fortunate to receive coaching from a crepe business expert who already had a significant market.

"I started my crepe business on a small scale, working alone, unable to afford an assistant. The crepe business began to show satisfactory results around 2021," she said.

Suriza added that she frequently participated in MADA programmes that greatly helped promote her business. She joined booth exhibitions at supermarkets or entrepreneur carnivals.

"MADA consistently guides me, and I also received the Change Upgrade Product (CUP) matching grant specifically for MADA-coached entrepreneurs in 2022." 

"The CUP assistance has enabled me to expand my crepe business. I improved the workshop space and acquired new equipment such as a chiller, freezer, shelves, work tables and all of these have streamlined the process of producing more crepes.

"Now I have four permanent employees and every month we can produce up to 4,000 packs of crepes with various flavours, especially durian crepe, which has become a favourite among many," she said.

Suriza said that her crepes are not only marketed in the state but also reach places like Penang, receiving encouraging orders from various business premises, including gas stations.

"The most popular orders are for durian crepes. Many say that the taste of my crepes is different and more delicious than others. I am grateful and always strive to improve the quality of my products," she said.

CUP is an initiative by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (KPKM) using allocations from the Entrepreneurial Development Programme for Agriculture and Food Industry, distributed for implementation by departments and agencies under KPKM, including MADA.

The programme is designed for food industry entrepreneurs and basic farmers in the Micro Category with annual gross sales below RM300,000.

-- BERNAMA