SINGAPORE, 21 NOVEMBER 2008 — The vibrancy of Choong Kar Weng, the founder of Macy Home Furnishings, reverberates through the conference hall as he eagerly greets the delegates with enthusiasm and passion. A lawyer by training, he acted on God’s call to be an entrepreneur and founded the company that has impacted the market in Malaysia. This is the man who has successfully build a company that won the Super Brand Award in 2005.
Starting with the basics, he expounds on the essentials in building a business. It all boils down to planning. “If we fail to plan, we plan to fail”, Choong said. As such it is important for budding entrepreneurs to understand their motivation and values when starting a new business. It is also crucial for them to differentiate their business as well as having the right business partner who shares the same value and beliefs system. By pairing each point with an experience of his own, he communicates and engages effectively with the delegates.
Align with the City Harvest Church’s values, Choong emphasizes the importance of the company to “find a need and meet it, and to find a hurt and heal it”. As such, meeting a need in the market is one of his core business strategy which helped to grow Macy Home Furnishing into one of the leading companies in Malaysia.
He also peppered his presentation with inspiring quotes from an array of successful and famous individuals such as the likes of Mark Twain, Richard Branson and Dwight Eisenhower to encourage the delegates to take risks and be creative.
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| PHOTOS: Maggie Chng |
Choong’s wife, Sharon Seah, continued to share insightful and profound business tips while encouraging eager delegates to keep their feet on the ground. “Major on the major and minor on the minor”, she tactfully said. In as much as passion is important, a good focus in business is equally crucial in ensuring a successful business. Yet, one must also understand the crucial role that business finance plays in supporting the growth of the business. She sagely reminds the delegates that a business must be able to make a profit in the end.
Choong also generously shared 3 secrets of his success — 1) to have a group of mentors whom we can be accountable to, 2) have people who can support us, and 3) be a faithful steward of God. All in all, the delegates were left inspired and full of faith in embarking on a new venture in the marketplace. Indeed, as Choong firmly believes, it is truly possible to be a Christian businessman, having the values of God and impacting the marketplace to bring His glory to the world and to fulfill the cultural mandate.
