Since the pandemic, traditional businesses and industries have had to navigate a multitude of uncertainties. There has been much anxiety in not knowing when the new normal will end, waiting for the economy to open up again, being unsure of where the next paycheck will be coming from, navigating work from home adjustments, and ramping up vaccinations despite the contradicting perspectives on the efficacy of vaccines.
In the new normal, to pivot and survive challenges, digitalising has become a necessity. However, the transition may not be as seamless and easy for many as choices became abundant over the last year.
For Kendrel Tan, transforming digitally was as easy as taking the next step forward. Tan was already on his way towards implementing this new norm within his SME consulting company, aptly named Connect THINK Sdn Bhd, having provided his staff with company laptops for their remote work needs and applying work systems that allowed staff to work effectively and remotely even before the pandemic started.
“We are witnessing the highest adoption of digital access and engagement of remote work in services across every domain. I am lucky as I have already started the process because I am a firm believer in adapting to the fast-moving times,” he says.
Early Adopter of Digital Technology
Connect THINK Sdn Bhd is an SME telecommunications consultation services provider. Starting the company to provide awareness of digital tools for SMEs, Tan started the business at home in 2016. When he secured a huge client in 2017, the company expanded to a physical office.
Now, with 10 office staff, Tan says many people think they are resellers and dealers for telco products; however, he begs to differ.
“The laymen term for what some people think we do is reseller or dealer but Connect THINK doesn’t act like a reseller- we provide higher-level services. We offer comparisons based on data, analyse the domestic market customised to our client’s businesses and suggest the right connectivity requirements or digital business systems according to the unique needs of our clients,” he says.
Describing himself quite similarly to a digital nomad, he is an ambitious, restless soul who loves to travel and not stay for too long in one place.
He believes that a good employee doesn’t have to be at the office to perform well and produce results. Being an equal opportunity employer, he advocates for employees who have the high capability to work but don’t have the mobility, such as single parents, or caregivers to ageing parents or highly talented youth who live in remote areas.
“During the pandemic, I have already implemented mobility tools for my team, such as Office 365, mobile phones, work laptops, and high connectivity. When the restrictions and movement controls started, we were already prepared for a remote work situation.
Tan finds satisfaction in being able to provide remote working opportunities for such employees and to be able to help his community quickly adopt the new norms of the digital and high-tech era.
Multiple Opportunities For SME Growth
As an SME business consultant, Tan found that there are so many useful tools in the market that a large number of SMEs are not aware of. Personally, having experienced and used the various tools himself for his own company, he has experienced the various pain points and can see the vast potential of these digital tools to assist business owners in scaling up.
“I aim is to provide SMEs with the awareness of using technology in business and show them the many modern opportunities available today so that they can be more successful and efficient in future,” he says.
He explains that the vast array of flexible mobile and office software for business plans and connectivity packages with competitive rates today are highly affordable for many businesses and communities to take advantage of. By using these systems, business owners can now encourage out-of-office employees to stay connected, work efficiently and effectively, share files seamlessly, and enjoy built-in enterprise-grade security, all while working from home.
Even for people in very remote areas who don’t have access to network connectivity infrastructure, various tools and services can be used like SIM cards for online mobility, Tan says.
“The best part about technology like WIFI SIM card technology or portable modems are once you plug in your SIM card, and you switch it on, it will connect with a base station nearby so that it provides more stable connectivity,” he adds excitedly.
With technology, he says people from anywhere in Malaysia can pick up receiving incoming calls and outgoing calls from any phone line wherever they are. He adds that for business owners who have been out of the office due to the pandemic restrictions, customers can call their office number, and it will route it back to the business owner’s mobile phone.
“It’s like having an office number without actually having to pick up the physical desktop telephone at the office,” he says.
Advice From A Seasoned Digital Nomad
Tan advises SMEs to hop on the digital bandwagon as soon as they can in order to future-proof their business.
“We really need to digitalise our business for us to actually sustain. Now is the best time to adopt various digital services as the government has provided multiple incentives in partnership with various agencies and corporations,” Tan urges.
Another thing SMEs can do, he says, is to take advantage of video applications as well, such as live streams and video conferencing tools.
“Video conferencing platforms are the best thing for us to reach the market and gain customers instead of travelling one to two hours to client premises which can be so time-consuming. You can actually do a lot in the comfort of your home office, and reduce the hassle of physically commuting for events,” he adds.
“My dream is to garner a nationwide team who can work remotely from various regions and countries, in providing consultations and helping local businesses transform digitally. With all these tools available, I believe that this dream may one day become a reality very soon,” he says with conviction.
Support Connect THINK Sdn Bhd by clicking on their company website at www.connectTHINK.com.my
A homegrown business highlight by Celcom Business.
Looking to digitalise your business? Discover the Celcom Business range of solutions and enjoy three months of free access at https://business.celcom.com.my/sme/business-suite
