In this episode of the iSearch podcast, Benjamin Lim (iSearch) discussed with Venon Tian (Zus Coffee) the story behind the brand and how it grew from 0 to 360 outlets in a short span of 4 years. The areas of discussion include: 1:33 - How the idea of Zus Coffee came about 2:52 - Key strategies in Zus Coffee’s rapid expansion 7:19 - Zus Coffee’s goals for 2024 8:19 - How funding was secured to boost Zus’s growth 10:11 - The biggest challenges and lessons from running 300+ outlets 15:54 - Zus Coffee’s hiring philosophy 19:03 - The ultimate vision for Zus Coffee 21:44 - How Zus maintains quality ..read more

In this episode of the iSearch podcast, we have compiled the top business advice from our 2023 guests. The areas of discussion include: 0:00 - Diversify your investments if you're a busy investor 0:58 - Raise funds to grow, not to survive 2:06 - Providing value is the best TikTok strategy 2:52 - Careful planning is a MUST 3:28 - Rest drives productivity and efficiency 5:06 - The best branding platform is where your customers are 5:45 - Build a team that you can work with 6:46 - Demonstrate that you can win 7:10 - Business is all about capturing and keeping your customers 7:52 - Great startups ..read more

In this episode of the iSearch podcast, Benjamin Lim (iSearch) discussed with Jeevan Sahadevan the 8 keys that entrepreneurs can apply for incredible success in their business. The areas of discussion include: 0:46 - Important advice for business owners 2:22 - Setting goals for your business (The 1st key) 5:34 - Generating prospects (The 2nd key) and effective strategies to do so 9:29 - Important tips for prospect generation 11:48 - Sales conversion (The 3rd key) 13:53 - Tips for creating a solid sales conversion process 14:59 - Repeat purchases (The 4th key) 16:30 - A simple structure for rep ..read more

In this episode of the iSearch podcast, Benjamin Lim (iSearch) discussed with Kevin Brockland (Indelible Ventures) on the potential of startups and entrepreneurs in Malaysia, and building a startup that can scale globally. The areas of discussion include: 1:23 - Why Kevin left the U.S. to settle in Malaysia 8:08 - Key strengths and weaknesses of Malaysian founders 10:50 - Kevin’s thoughts on Malaysians’ mentality for taking risks 13:06 - Current opportunities in Malaysia for aspiring entrepreneurs 16:50 - Advice on finding good developers 19:26 - Equity sharing with developer 21:00 - The minds ..read more

In this episode of the iSearch podcast, Benjamin Lim (iSearch) discussed with Eric Lam (Recast Ventures) on how entrepreneurs can start a business, scale, and exit in 36 months. The areas of discussion include: 1:18 - The reason startups fail and how to avoid it 4:13 - Validating a product or service before working on your ideas 7:26 - How to proceed when your product has little traction 10:57 - Finding a different angle for your product 14:15 - Best and worst type of businesses for entrepreneurs planning to exit within 36 months 21:10 - Working solo vs. having a co-founder 24:22 - Eric’s expe ..read more

In this episode of the iSearch podcast, Benjamin Lim (iSearch) discussed with Sasha Tan (Dear Hustlers) on her unique branding blueprint to help brands stand out against competitors. The areas of discussion include: 1:02 - Definition of a brand 1:47 - How Sasha discovered this unique branding blueprint 2:49 - How the blueprint works and how brands can start implementing it 3:29 - The C.A.C blueprint explained 7:04 - Sasha’s practice of effectively prioritising 8:15 - Advice for businesses with a wide target audience 12:03 - A benchmark for startups 13:06 - How businesses can validate their pro ..read more

In this episode of the iSearch podcast, Benjamin Lim (iSearch) discussed with Azran Osman Rani (Naluri) the common signs and symptoms of burnout and how entrepreneurs can strengthen their mental resilience to tackle it. The areas of discussion include: 1:31 - Burnout among entrepreneurs vs. the general population 2:36 - Signs & symptoms of burnout and how normal stress is different from a burnout 5:21 - Identifying burnout through the 6 categories 6:58 - Some ways to overcome burnout 10:00 - The importance of rest 12:06 - The science of sleep 13:54 - What to expect when consulting a psycho ..read more

In this episode of the iSearch podcast, Benjamin Lim (iSearch) discussed with Sam Dogen (Financial Samurai) on some personal finance tips for entrepreneurs to achieve financial independence. The areas of discussion include: 1:06 - The definition of financial independence 1:51 - Being financially independent in the 40s 5:27 - Achieving 80k annual passive income 6:54 - Thoughts on entrepreneurs investing in real estate 9:39 - Stocks investment 10:27 - Sam’s background story and its role in his financial independence 12:45 - Entrepreneurship vs. investment banking 13:43 - Common financial mistake ..read more

In this episode of the iSearch podcast, Benjamin Lim (iSearch) discussed with Brandon Lee (Padan Social) on how businesses can build branding and generate leads on TikTok. The areas of discussion include: - Strategies for businesses to grow on TikTok - How brands can leverage on TikTok trends - Finding quality influencers on TikTok - Nano influencers vs. Major influencers - Thoughts on TikTok ads to generate leads - Why so few Malaysian brands have succeeded on TikTok - Common misconceptions of TikTok - Posting TikTok content - Success stories on TikTok - No.1 tip for brands looking to get sta ..read more

In this episode of the iSearch podcast, Benjamin Lim (iSearch) spoke with Aaron Sarma (ScaleUp Malaysia) on fundraising tips for Malaysian entrepreneurs and startups. The areas of discussion include: - Key areas investors look into before deciding to invest - Traction needed before raising funds - Bootstrapping vs. raising funds - The fundraising process in Scale Up Malaysia - Equity taken by Scale Up Malaysia - Criteria for a startup to apply for accelerator funding - What happens if a startup’s revenue is low but has a lot of users - Why the success rate for startups in Malaysia is low - Cur ..read more