Moving up the ladder to success

1 July 2025

KOTA KINABALU: Most successful entrepreneurs start from scratch. For instance, Juana Kail opened a bakery called Syikin Bakery, specialising in cakes and desserts. However, she didn’t dive straight into the business right away. Instead, she began by selling cookies sporadically, using it as a way to test the market and build her reputation. Alongside this, she also offered catering services from home.

She has plans to eventually move into a shoplot at Kingfisher Plaza. 

“We started this journey during the challenging times of the pandemic, when our income was initially non-existent. We did all the baking and cooking from home. I recognised the need for support, so I actively sought assistance from government agencies such as the Department of Industrial Development and Research (DIDR) under the Ministry of Industry and Development (MID),” she said.

Juana Kail

According to her, she was granted a grant from the establishment comprising 10,000 units of packaging. 

She said she is very grateful for all the support she received during her entrepreneurial journey and hopes that her brand will become one of the more well-known brands in the future.

Noorziah Laugan Terki

Noorziah Laugan Terki owns her own company, Kinabalu Handmade Chocolate, which produces the Famles Handmade Chocolate brand. She is renowned for her variety of flavoured homemade chocolates. 

As the founder of the Famles Handmade Chocolate brand, she values opportunities to display and showcase her products at various events. Such occasions are invaluable for her business. As one of Sabah’s local cocoa and chocolate entrepreneurs, she sources her ingredients locally. 

Noorziah has been participating in chocolate exhibitions since 2005 and now offers a variety of flavours. Her best-selling creations include chocolates infused with bird’s eye chilli, durian, tiramisu, mango, mangosteen, almond, and mint. Her products are sold at souvenir shops, mostly catering to tourists. 

She mentioned, “In addition to taking part in local events, I’ve also joined international cocoa festivals in China, the Philippines, and Brunei. I even had a three-year collaboration with a chocolatier in Guangzhou, China, where I produced my own line of chocolates.” 

She emphasises that quality is key. She sources her chocolate from local farmers and the Cocoa Board.

Nurhuda Yusop

Nurhuda Yusop is one of the producers of murukku with various flavours. Murukku is a popular snack, a crunchy, spiral-shaped savoury snack made primarily from rice flour and urad dal (black gram) flour, along with various spices and sometimes sesame seeds or ajwain (carom seeds). The dough is shaped into spirals or coils and then deep-fried until golden and crispy.

“My company name is Rezeki Company, and I am the founder of Borneo Murukku. We specialise in producing delicious, high-quality murukku with four unique flavours: original, spicy, cheesy, and pineapple. All of our products are carefully baked and crafted in Kg Warisan Inanam, where I personally oversee the production process to ensure the best taste and quality.”

“Since starting the business two and a half years ago, I have seen steady growth and increasing demand for our murukku. Business has been especially good during festive seasons, with Ramadan being our peak period, when sales tend to rise even further due to the increased demand for traditional snacks. Our goal is to continue expanding and to bring more delicious options to our customers while maintaining the authentic taste that makes Borneo Murukku special.”

These entrepreneurs were met at the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Awareness Seminar organised by SME Corp in collaboration with UMS. 

Regarding the event, they all agreed that the seminar was very beneficial, as they learnt something new and found it a helpful refresher from all their previous courses.