Perseverance, the key to success
22 November 2023
By AVV
KOTA KINABALU: Norsiah Ahidin's success story is a testament to the power of hard work, determination, and the right opportunities.
Born into a poor family that lived in a longhouse, Norsiah had a strong desire to provide a better life for her family.
She wanted her parents who were farmers to have a comfortable house and a vehicle to allow them to move around.
The fifth child of eight siblings, her one interest was to make cosmetics, especially skincare.
So she started her entrepreneurial journey by creating homemade skincare products with leftover coffee grains, virgin coconut oil and vitamin E among other ingredients.
She started her business with a capital of RM200 for her homemade skincare products and coffee crafts. She used the leftover coffee as a scrub ingredient, mixed with virgin coconut oil containing vitamin E and essential oils.
Initially, she sold her products online through pre-orders, earning around RM300 to RM1,000.
In 2016, Norsiah joined the SME Corp Bumiputera Youth Entrepreneurship Programme (Tunas Usahawan Belia Bumiputera) TUBE 2016 programme.
Through this programme, she learned about business licenses, current accounts, and business planning. She received financial assistance of RM15,000, which was a pleasant surprise for her as she did not expect to receive the money.
The funds gave her the motivation to continue.
In 2017, she started production from her own home. In 2018, after improving the packaging, she presented her products to other agencies such as Teraju / Sedia and won RM100,000.
The money was used to build a factory, purchase office furniture and laboratory equipment, and buy containers for her cosmetics. Initially, only two people were working with her.
"In 2019, I received assistance in the form of laboratory machines, such as mixers, and herbal extracting machines from Department of Industrial Development and Research (DIDR). In 2021, we focused on documentation and renovation. In the same year, we obtained a Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) cosmetic license from the Malaysian Ministry of Health."
In terms of awards, in 2019, she won several awards, such as the 100 Most Outstanding SME Award from the Ministry of Industrial Development and the Sabah Best Product Award. Norsiah was also recognised as the Best Youth Entrepreneur in Sabah by the Ministry of Youth and Sports in 2021.
She received the Young Successful Farmer Award from the Kudat Farmers Association in 2023 as she was also involved in contract farming to support the supply of raw materials used in their cosmetic products.
Currently, they provide support to other cosmetic entrepreneurs by producing cosmetics according to their clients' orders. Norsiah's company, Norcy BeautyLab Sdn Bhd, now produces 26 types of cosmetics and has 10 workers.
Their gross monthly income is RM800,000, which is a significant increase from the previous monthly earnings of RM300 to RM1,000.
In her journey to success, Norsiah attributes her achievements to hard work and perseverance. She believed in her products and in her capability to achieve her dreams.
She will always be grateful to Datuk Ewon Benedick, the now Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives (MEDC) who contributed to her success through assistance towards the processing premises as the Minister of Rural Development.
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