Ling's Focacceria operated on an incredibly focused business model: one type of dough, transformed into a menu of focaccia loaves and sandwiches featuring Malaysian flavors like otak-otak, and vadai. Built by a former corporate communications and copywriting professional with zero F&B background, the Mutiara Damansara shop survived a brutal first year of poor management and severe debt. By tightly restructuring the business, founder Choy Ee Ling successfully cut payables, grew year-two revenue by 12 percent, and entered her third year completely debt-free. By the time the shop’s lease was up for renewal, the bootstrapped business was generating over six-figures in revenue and sitting firmly in the black.

Then, she shut it down.

Ling joins us to discuss the mechanics of digging a retail shop out of vendor debt, how social media fundamentally changed her customer acquisition, and exactly what happens to a company's sales when a founder announces they are closing a profitable business for good.

Ling's Focacceria operated on an incredibly focused business model: one type of dough, transformed into a menu of focaccia loaves and sandwiches featuring Malaysian flavors like otak-otak, and vadai. Built by a former corporate communications and copywriting professional with zero F&amp;B background, the Mutiara Damansara shop survived a brutal first year of poor management and severe debt. By tightly restructuring the business, founder Choy Ee Ling successfully cut payables, grew year-two revenue by 12 percent, and entered her third year completely debt-free. By the time the shop’s lease was up for renewal, the bootstrapped business was generating over six-figures in revenue and sitting firmly in the black.Then, she shut it down.Ling joins us to discuss the mechanics of digging a retail shop out of vendor debt, how social media fundamentally changed her customer acquisition, and exactly what happens to a company's sales when a founder announces they are closing a profitable business for good.

The flagship entrepreneurship show on BFM, featuring personal business stories from early stage start-ups, all the way to billionaire octogenarians in Malaysia and abroad. Notable guests include Martin Cooper (father of the mobile phone), Julian Assange (founder of WikiLeaks), Ralph Henry Baer (father of video games), Tony Buzan (Mindmap Guru), Isaac Tigrett (Hard Rock Cafe founder), Robert Kiyosaki (Financial Guru), Nick Vujicic (motivational speaker) and more. Tap into this valuable resource of shared experiences for the SME industry, which also touches on news, issues and trends affecting the business community and beyond.

Open For Business

Discover fresh concepts, tackle obstacles, and unleash growth - Open For Business is the dynamic show where BFM engages with entrepreneurs, business leaders, and industry trailblazers, igniting inspiration, sparking success, and exploring new business models.