As far as Mariam is concerned, handling human resources the right way is vital too. "They help to make or break the business. There must not be a hierarchy where the boss is on the top and the employees below but it must be an equal working relationship. They must be able to come in and see you anytime they like to discuss issues freely. It doesn't mean that you are the owner you know everything. Entrepreneurs have vision but they are not able to do everything themselves. That's why they hire people. So they must recognise and respect the expertise of their staff and let them participate in management." She also believes in leadership by example. "They see me carrying boxes or servicing customers and when they tell me they can't do it I tell them it shouldn't be difficult for them as I've done all those things too." Mariam is all for a more casual and relaxed atmosphere in the office and she professes to be very flexible with her staff as long as they deliver what they're supposed to do. After selling her shares to her partner last year Mariam is on to tackle a new venture on her own with her recent acquisition of IBC Your Office franchise. "Like the Body Shop when I first started this is something totally new to me so it's all very interesting and exciting." IBC Your Office offers executive business suites for short or long term leases whereby clients need not bother about renovations, fittings, equipment or even employing secretarial staff. The first of such business centres will be ready in mid-May at Centrepoint Bandar Utama. "This is the answer to any entrepreneur's nightmare," says Mariam. "If you are just starting out, you might not have the budget to equip an office and hire staff. But with us, it is affordable as by only renting a room you will have access to the secretarial pool and all the other facilities that we provide." The business centre offers telephone answering and mail receiving services but this is of course a more sophisticated set up than some existing companies who are doing the same thing. It being an international franchise means that Mariam will have ready clients in foreign companies who want to set up representative or project offices here. "They know what to expect of us, the type of service, the kind environment. And this is not only ideal for foreigners but also locals. There are a lot of people who are working from their homes but there are times when they need an office to meet clients. Or the facilities at your office is already utilised is optimum and you need to rent a conference room. Image is important in business and that's what we are offering, together with professionalism." No doubt she believes this venture will work as well as the Body Shop as she gave it a lot of thought before taking on the franchise for the Klang Valley. "I was offered the master franchise but I didn't want it and the Johore SEDC has taken that. The reason was I'll be running around like mad and after twelve years of doing that with the Body Shop I've had enough. So I'm happy with concentrating on the Klang Valley because that's where the market really is and I'll be opening a few centres in this area." She hopes this will be a stepping stone to greater things as she will be exposed to international clients at least initially. "I am opening myself to any business proposal and I might find a partner among them," she says. Talking about looking ahead, this lady certainly knows what she wants. Yet she claims that she is not overly ambitious. "I feel being a woman I've got other responsibilities as well. I don't want to be successful at the expense of my family. I want to have a balanced life." As for being a woman in a world that's still very much a male domain, she is of the mind that women need not compete with men. "We should use our qualities and do the best we can. I work well with both men and women and personally I've never encountered problems just because I'm a woman, because I've never looked as myself as a women but an entity, a business person. I don't expect preferential treatment. Men are changing too. It's the results that matter and not who is behind them." Partly because of her role as President of the National Association of Women Entrepreneurs in Malaysia (NAWEM), she feels she can help more women. "I always encourage them to go into business as they are more in control of their time than working for others. Women are also more meticulous, more caring and are good listeners. These are all good qualities that will benefit a business. For too long, men have controlled the business world and they have dictated the way business should be done. But I feel there is no specific way business should be done. It's subjective." Mariam observes that companies are down-sizing and that's the global trend. And at the end of the day, it's the small and medium-sized businesses that would help a country's economy. Hence, the need for more women to start their own small businesses. "If it's your own business, you put in more effort and productive wise, it becomes more efficient. Such business don't have to grow very big and they are actually the best places for women." In case she might get offended I deliberately leave to last the question of whether it has been any easier for her to make it to where she is being the daughter of prominent businessman Tan Sri Sulaiman Ninam Shah. Then at least I can make a quick getaway if she decides to hurl the ink pot at me. I had nothing to worry about. "I like that question," she answers with a big smile. "I had a fairly comfortable life growing up but I'm very down to earth. I'm not lavish. In my student days, I never asked for more than what was given to me and I worked to supplement my allowance. Until today I have not depended on my family and I am proud of that." She adds that she showed her father the working paper on the Body Shop and he threw it away saying it wouldn't work here, but she has certainly proven him wrong. "I borrowed some money from my brother to start the business and from then on I didn't borrow a single cent from my family. I worked within that budget to what I am today. So what privileged background are we talking about?" She insists that neither she has received help from her ex-husband nor the doctor turned businessman she is married to now. "When I went to the bank they wanted my husband to be the guarantor but I said no way," she asserts firmly. "That's one of my principles. You get me the loan based on my credibility and capability alone. I asked them 'Aren't I good enough for you? For all you know I may be better than my husband.' They just assume that your husband is better off financially and it just doesn't make sense." She subtly drops a hint that being better than her husband could have been one of the reasons why her first marriage failed. "It's the ego problem and a lot of women face that." This time round, she is very glad that her husband is supportive and accepts her for what she is, for better or worse. She might consider having another child as hubby wants one of his own. But for the present, her mind is very much on her career. "I'm testing new ground but at least now I can talk with authority with the bankers," she says happily. And with her bankers behind her, she'll probably go on to chalk up another milestone in the heady world of big business.
	| the full story | top | main | potpourri | back to mir | back | other people |