Although Naim Mustafa, founder and CEO of Naim Mustafa Academy Sdn Bhd exudes a quiet confidence, his entrepreneurial vision goes beyond the ordinary. In a recent interview with Top 10 of Malaysia, the dynamic Naim talks about his background, career and the enterprise he created that provides budding entrepreneurs the spring board to achieve their own success.
The Penang-born Naim Mustafa’s late father worked in the army and moved around the country frequently while he spent most of his time in Setiawangsa, Kuala Lumpur. When it was time for college, Naim opted to major in accounting in information system. “Deep down inside me I know that these skills would come in handy in the future,” he says. After working for a while as an auditor and accountant during the early years of his career, Naim knew that it was time for him to venture out on his own.
Naim had it all worked out when he put his business plan into action. The company he established, Naim Mustafa Academy, provides the platform and advantage for budding entrepreneurs to link up directly with businesses and producers in China without having to go through middlemen. “China has the world’s biggest factories and coupled with their comprehensive lists of products, price advantage and quality, they are hard to beat,” says Naim.
It is for this reason that Naim believes budding entrepreneurs can also exploit this vast pool of resources for their own business endeavours and aspirations. “Although the initial start for Naim Mustafa Academy was slow, it now provides services to over 1,000 entrepreneurs,’ reveals Naim. With its headquarters based in Johor Bahru, it doesn’t come as a surprise that his clientele comprise international entrepreneurs from around the region, including Brunei and Singapore.
Business endeavours are made easier and more profitable with the services that Naim Mustafa Academy provides, and one of such service is educating people on how to get the best deals from China. “This process can be quite daunting given China’s size and complexity but through proper guidance, budding entrepreneurs find themselves on the spring board to a profitable business venture of their own,” he explains. Naim also provides services in educating clients on how to effectively sell through e-commerce. “It is a truly comprehensive service beginning with the setting-up right through to operations,” he says. In addition, Naim has also launched a website, www.thecutebabybunny.net which offers a baby clothing range for newborns to 18 month-old toddlers. This is also part of his strategy to diversify his portfolio and to serve as a greater platform for him to provide more comprehensive services for potential clients.
Success may have finally landed on Naim’s lap but all this did not come easy for him where he had to overcome many hurdles along the way. He was devastated when he lost his father during the time he was graduating from college and it was a time of great personal struggle for Naim. Among other challenges that he and his team faced in their business undertakings was the reality that some older clients struggle with technology. Despite the obstacles, the joy that Naim derives from giving people a chance to be self-employed and his ability to work for himself makes it all worthwhile for him.
Naim is currently putting exciting business projects in place and one of them is his joint venture with MARA Johor. His knowledge of China’s industries, interpersonal skills and leadership style are some of the reasons he is much sought after in the business community. In the next 5 to 10 years, his focus would be on the lucrative Singaporean market. Come March 2018, Indonesia will become the target market for the company’s next move in its international business expansion plans. “Before that, I have planned to conduct a workshop on the mastery of the website later this year,” says Naim.
It is not hard to see how internet has permeated every single facet of our life and Naim knows how to get the most out of it. He wants to help others be just as savvy and competent. “I believe that the future holds a great and exciting potential for all of us in this arena and I am more than inspired to continue to be on board,” he says with a sparkle in his eyes.
