David Brownies - Management Skills and Entrepreneurship

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Legal wise as per Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM Mar 2016for a company with a share capital of less than rm400,000 a fee of an estimated MYR 2000 needs to be paid and in return the company would be given an SSM number which would further put the company under a trustworthy light and at the same time allows David Brownie to establish a good reputation. Reputations set a precedent in terms of perception with Malaysia’s community

We have also considered the best option with regards to how we intend to distribute the goods to our esteemed customers. We have initially considered methods such as using a van, a sedan and even a food truck- however post a feasibility studies the management at David Brownies has concluded that a motorcycle would best serve our operations. We have attained a popular economical Yamaha FZ 150 motorcycle which is renowned for its fuel saving properties. It is a 2011 model which costed MYR11,000 when the model came out. However since the management is already using the vehicle to commute to work- we have been able to secure the vehicle free of charge. David Brownies have been blessed with an economical climate that has low crude oil prices, at time of print the Crude oil Petroleum price in Malaysia is USD 32 per barrel which brings the RON 95 price in Malaysia to MYR 1.60 (Petrol M’sia 2016). Hence David Brownies estimates the petrol price monthly consumption for operations would set us back around MYR 150.00 per month.

Amongst the requirements for a new business start-ups would also be solid management skills. Without saying one of the most crucial elements is time management. David Brownies realizes early on that one would not be able to get by this business without a clear outline of how much time it takes for setting up the bakery, responding to customers and ultimately distribution. We have identified the lead time to produce a batch of brownies would take approximately half and hour. For each production due to the three tiers available in our 66 litre TEKA Hydroclean oven we are able to come out with 3 batches of brownies for every half an hour. Hence we would need extreme discipline to keep to this schedule. Some times during production we might be hindered by intrusion hence we can manage these intrusions by not responding, responding later, to delegate or to do it now. This all depends on the level of urgency of the matter at hand and to whose interest would it best serve if the matter was attended to as soon as possible.

Another management skill to inculcate would be the ability to adapt to change. There’s a very famous saying that “change is the only constant”. This holds true especially in the field of entrepreneurship today where variable factors come into play and swipe the unawares to the floor on a daily basis. For instance a Locksmith in the yesteryears need not bother himself with technological entrepreneur skills such as being social media savvy. All relationships were based on handshakes and word of mouth. However with the exposure to the internet, modern phone applications and social media, a locksmith is now able to reach a massive audience untapped prior due to lack or resources to reach the physical location of the locksmith shop. Now he can set up appointments and engage in doorknob replacement procedures long before he even meets the customers.

To pick on the change perspective further the management at David Brownies also recognizes that there needs to be a two pronged attack on changes. One being prescriptive measures whereupon a pre empted counter measures have already been outlined. The other being a proactive where we tackle unaccounted changes head on. Pre empted changes can range from stiff competition in the market, new technological approach and massive reduction of prices by competitors. Hence David Brownies has contingency plans in place should any of this pre empted changes prop up. For proactive changes David Brownies would adapt proactive counter measures which would be dealt with as and when the problem is encountered.

Proposed business model to explain how the new venture will work to achieve positive financial results and by when

Both of the founding fathers of David Brownies are currently practising Licensed Aircraft Engineers and we have a dream of one day being able to finance our dream without having to become full time salary men. We dream that one day we would be able to realize our dream of baking the whole day and engaging with customers at our own time of choice as opposed into getting ourselves covered in grease and hydraulics day in day out. We understand that bakeries are hard work, but at least at the end of the day you are covered with flour and not oil.

This business comes from a unique location whereupon we believe that we can provide for Subangites an exquisite experience. Majority of Subangites that we know will not hesitate to pay extra cash for a dining experience that is different from any walk in bakeries. For instance take the Upstairs café in SS12/b. On paper you wouldn’t say that Upstairs Café is any different from all of the other ‘hipster’ café that that been prepped up in the Klang valley this past two years however it is the ambience that keeps the people coming. The choice of correct furniture, layout and timing (it only opens at night) is a very important prerequisite in order to ensure that people keep coming. We know that being an online business we are not able to provide such an ambience from an online platform but the experience that we give to our customers from the moment they comment “PM best price” in our social media is what we intend to harness in order to keep them coming back.

This business is primarily for ourselves to satisfy our needs to become entrepreneurs. Secondly we believe that the customers are always right hence making the number one priority in terms of a business perspective. This business is for them because we believe that what they taste out there is second to ours and it is their absolute right to be served with delicious brownies. It might be for an office event, a birthday or simply a night in but we believe that all of the brownies suppliers out there currently are doing it wrong and we are providing the customers with a product that they did not know they wanted but once they do they will never be able to let go.

We are differentiated from the competitors in 2 points namely: Hershey’s chips and ultimate price. David Brownies aim to be the Malindo Air (a full service low cost airline based in Malaysia) of online bakeries as opposed to the Air Asia (a low cost no frills airline based in Malaysia). That is essentially where we are coming from. Most Subangites and residents of Kuala Lumpur in general at one time in