VENTURING into a new business during an economic downturn be seen as risky. However, as the saying goes, behind every cloud there is a silver lining.
In this two-part interview, seasoned businessman Andy Goh shares with FocusM on his upbringing, early venture into business and a new e-commerce platform he has embarked on amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Below are excerpts of the interview with Goh, a multi-talented local businessman:
FocusM: Please tell us more about yourself.
Goh: I was born in Ipoh. I’m just an ordinary kampung boy from the silver state. I spent my early days as a student at Poi Lam High School.
In terms of work, I started off really young. My very first job was when I was nine years of age.
I was then, in current terminology, the fancy barista at my grandparents’ coffee shop named Nam Heong, located at Concubine Lane, Ipoh.
This went on for quite some time until my secondary education ended. Later, I spent a few years in Germany to complete my tertiary education and returned to Malaysia.
FocusM: Tell us about your family.
Goh: My family is everything to me, so we are quite tightly knitted between grandparents, parents, siblings and children.
Hence, being abroad for such a long time was difficult to me. I find myself missing home most of the time.
That is why once I completed my education, I quickly returned to draw out plans for the family business and build a family for myself.
Today, I am married with three lovely kids, who are an inspiration to me.
FocusM: What inspired you to start your own venture? Did anyone like groups, family or friends trigger that interest in you?
Goh: I must say that I must be one of the lucky ones as I started off my business venture back in the days when my grandfather operated the kopitiam in Ipoh.
I must admit that loathed the task but I had no choice. It was my responsibility back then as I had to assist my aged grandfather to run his shop.
But what I did not realise was, the more practise I had, the more I learnt to build strength, knowledge and passion in what I do.
So, if I need to credit someone for my success in the business world, it would be my dear grandfather. He is the bedrock of whatever I have built for my family today.
FocusM: You seem to have been a founder of many food & beverage chains, including Old Town White Coffee and Nam Heong. Please tell us about your business journey.
Goh: Every business has its risks and opportunities. My journey was, no doubt, a tumultuous one but I was lucky as I had the right people and partners to help me.
Old Town White Coffee is a classic example of a typical manufacturer’s journey which grew rapidly, while Nam Heong took a slow and steady approach.
Old Town, in many ways, became successful as there was a lot of strategic thinking that went behind it.
The struggles were abundant as we were constantly engaged with issues such as logistics, price wars, tough competitions, economic instability and others.
And when we decided to expose our brand abroad, there were border red-tapes, huge forex exposures, logistics expenses, language barriers, diverse business culture and countless barricades that we hit before we managed to get it right.
It took me a long time to achieve success with Old Town, but I am proud to say that we made it to become the No.1 coffee in China.
To me, I was only beginning to get inspired, which motivated me start my current business, MeCan Trade.
My new venture’s objective is to provide an ecosystem, where everyone can trade and win.
My vision is for these entrepreneurs coming under MeCan Trade to elevate their journey to a global standard, as how I have positioned Old Town.
FocusM: Please tell us about your interests.
Goh: In my leisure time, I spend my time golfing. For some reasons, golfing opens up my mind and perspective as wide as the fields and helps me set a target.
I relate golfing to a business strategy. It requires a wide space and spectrum, you set a target and you try your best to meet it. – Dec 5, 2020
