We’re joined by Toh Kean Wee, the Founder and Managing Director of TPE, one of the largest whiteboard and writing instrument manufacturers in Malaysia. Starting from humble beginnings in a 1,000 Sq. Ft. cottage in 2008, TPE has grown into a modern 50,000 Sq. Ft. manufacturing facility, meeting high export market demands.



Mr. Toh has navigated the competitive whiteboard manufacturing industry, establishing TPE as a significant market player. His entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen have driven TPE’s growth in both domestic and global markets. As the whiteboard industry evolves, Mr. Toh shares valuable insights into emerging trends and TPE’s future role in the industry.

We’re joined by Toh Kean Wee, the Founder and Managing Director of TPE, one of the largest whiteboard and writing instrument manufacturers in Malaysia. Starting from humble beginnings in a 1,000 Sq. Ft. cottage in 2008, TPE has grown into a modern 50,000 Sq. Ft. manufacturing facility, meeting high export market demands.Mr. Toh has navigated the competitive whiteboard manufacturing industry, establishing TPE as a significant market player. His entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen have driven TPE’s growth in both domestic and global markets. As the whiteboard industry evolves, Mr. Toh shares valuable insights into emerging trends and TPE’s future role in the industry.

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.

Writing Success: TPE’s Whiteboard Journey

We speak with Ann Sze Pang and Tan Jin Xue, Co-Founders of Neo Livin, a tech-driven DTC furniture platform changing the way people shop for furniture. Neo Livin offers high-quality, affordable products through a unique community showroom model, integrating technology and sustainability. 


With over 1,000 homes served and multiple awards, Neo Livin has transformed from a small startup to a leader in the industry. We discuss their journey, the challenges of scaling a homegrown business, and their vision for the future of sustainable furniture shopping.

We speak with Ann Sze Pang and Tan Jin Xue, Co-Founders of Neo Livin, a tech-driven DTC furniture platform changing the way people shop for furniture. Neo Livin offers high-quality, affordable products through a unique community showroom model, integrating technology and sustainability.&nbsp; With over 1,000 homes served and multiple awards, Neo Livin has transformed from a small startup to a leader in the industry. We discuss their journey, the challenges of scaling a homegrown business, and their vision for the future of sustainable furniture shopping.

 Transforming Furniture Shopping with Neo Livin

"If you can build your company without raising money, do it because then you're in control. There's this idea that you're really cool if you've got some venture money. And I want to say the coolest is if you own the whole thing yourself." Robin Chase, Co-Founder of Zipcar, GoLoco, Buzzcar, Veniam, and NUMO.


In this episode of "Open for Business," we speak to serial entrepreneur and transportation innovator Robin Chase. Robin is co-founder and former CEO of Zipcar, the largest car sharing company in the world; Buzzcar, a peer-to-peer car sharing service in France (now merged with Drivy); and GoLoco, an online ride sharing community. She is also co-founder of Veniam, a network company connecting vehicles to the cloud.  More recently she established NUMO, a nonprofit aimed at leveraging new urban mobility technologies for sustainable city development.



From starting Zipcar back in 2000, Robin has decades of experience in revolutionizing urban mobility and entrepreneurship, and she shares her unique insights and the key lessons she's learned along the way.



Among other things, Robin discusses:




Her motivation for diving into urban mobility and the challenges she faced along the way.


The importance of timing and being at the right place at the right time in business.


The concept of the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and its critical role in launching successful ventures.


Navigating the complex dynamics of fundraising and maintaining control over your company.


Her vision for the future of transportation, including the rise of electric bikes and smaller vehicles.



There’s a lot to learn from Robin's experiences over the last 24 years, including practical advice on how to approach entrepreneurship, the importance of innovation, and how to adapt to ever-changing market conditions.

"If you can build your company without raising money, do it because then you're in control. There's this idea that you're really cool if you've got some venture money. And I want to say the coolest is if you own the whole thing yourself." Robin Chase, Co-Founder of Zipcar, GoLoco, Buzzcar, Veniam, and NUMO. In this episode of "Open for Business," we speak to serial entrepreneur and transportation innovator Robin Chase. Robin is co-founder and former CEO of Zipcar, the largest car sharing company in the world; Buzzcar, a peer-to-peer car sharing service in France (now merged with Drivy); and GoLoco, an online ride sharing community. She is also co-founder of Veniam, a network company connecting vehicles to the cloud.&nbsp; More recently she established NUMO, a nonprofit aimed at leveraging new urban mobility technologies for sustainable city development.From starting Zipcar back in 2000, Robin has decades of experience in revolutionizing urban mobility and entrepreneurship, and she shares her unique insights and the key lessons she's learned along the way.Among other things, Robin discusses:<ul><li>Her motivation for diving into urban mobility and the challenges she faced along the way.</li><li>The importance of timing and being at the right place at the right time in business.</li><li>The concept of the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and its critical role in launching successful ventures.</li><li>Navigating the complex dynamics of fundraising and maintaining control over your company.</li><li>Her vision for the future of transportation, including the rise of electric bikes and smaller vehicles.</li></ul>There’s a lot to learn from Robin's experiences over the last 24 years, including practical advice on how to approach entrepreneurship, the importance of innovation, and how to adapt to ever-changing market conditions.

Serial Founder Robin Chase: Don’t Raise Venture Funding

“My mum said to me, stop playing with cars or turn it into a business. So I turned it into a business.”



Established in 2004, Automotive Synergy started life as Malaysia’s distributor of satellite navigation systems with Garmin, as satnav became more popular, Automotive Synergy’s business expanded, developing key connections with car manufacturers such as Toyota, Mitsubishi, and BMW, as well as oil and gas companies like Mobil and Shell. However with the rise of the smartphone and apps such as Google Maps and Waze, satnav as a standalone product lost prominence and faced ‘Blackberry Level’ disruption.



Thankfully the business had shifted its focus to providing car care chemicals, before distributing other automotive care products and establishing export markets in various countries for its own in-house products.



With all that in mind, we explore the origins of Automotive Synergy, how the company pivoted as the satellite navigation business changed, and the ambitions ahead for this company.

“My mum said to me, stop playing with cars or turn it into a business. So I turned it into a business.”Established in 2004, Automotive Synergy started life as Malaysia’s distributor of satellite navigation systems with Garmin, as satnav became more popular, Automotive Synergy’s business expanded, developing key connections with car manufacturers such as Toyota, Mitsubishi, and BMW, as well as oil and gas companies like Mobil and Shell. However with the rise of the smartphone and apps such as Google Maps and Waze, satnav as a standalone product lost prominence and faced ‘Blackberry Level’ disruption. Thankfully the business had shifted its focus to providing car care chemicals, before distributing other automotive care products and establishing export markets in various countries for its own in-house products.With all that in mind, we explore the origins of Automotive Synergy, how the company pivoted as the satellite navigation business changed, and the ambitions ahead for this company.

Writing Success: TPE’s Whiteboard Journey

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