(From left) Leong, Chuah, Lee and Tan at a pop-up booth in SEGi University. They run Soles Union, a sneaker reselling company. (Right) Sheriffah with her handmade resin keychains.
AN increasing number of students are taking charge of their financial future by harnessing their skills and resourcefulness to generate incomes for themselves.
Among them is Universiti Malaya (UM) student Chuah Yong Xiang.
The 23-year-old student from Kuantan, Pahang, completed his degree in June and graduated with first-class honours in actuarial science.
Before Chuah started a sneaker reselling business called Soles Union in 2019, he had held several part-time jobs since he was 16 to not only top up his pocket money but also gain valuable working experience.
He said his job experiences helped him to understand the finer points of dealing with people and how to close sales.
He started a resale business in 2019 to earn money for his living expenses.
“I had just entered UM at the time and the living expenses in Kuala Lumpur are high,” he said.
The Soles Union founder said they serve as a market for users to buy and sell sneakers.
“There are a lot of commerce reselling sites, but no marketplace in Malaysia, which is why I started Soles Union,” he said, adding that the marketplace provided transparency in pricing.
Chuah said it would authenticate every pair of sneakers before selling them and provide an official receipt as they wanted to prevent scams.
Asdaque (centre) took on multiple part-time jobs to earn an income and be independent.
“When I first started selling online, I saw people getting scammed elsewhere or buying fake sneakers at a higher resale price,” he said, highlighting that Soles Union was trying to solve such problems.
His friend, 23-year-old Jordan Leong, a final year Bachelor of Marketing student from University of South Australia (UniSA), had supported him since the beginning of Soles Union, making Leong the co-founder.
Chuah said the company recently recruited two teammates, UM student Lee Quan, 23, and Tunku Abdul Rahman University College student Cherry Tan Yen Yi, 22.
Chuah, currently doing an internship at Allianz Life Malaysia Sdn Bhd, said he reached out to Lee, a close friend and computer science student, to develop their website.
The Soles Union team head said that while in university, he dedicated about 80% of his time to studies, especially whenever there was an upcoming exam.
“I couldn’t afford to lose focus while juggling these roles, so I had to give up my social life.
“I’m a goal-oriented person and graduating with first-class honours was one of the goals I had set for my life,” he added.
Chuah said he would continuously learn about the business process by reading articles and books as well as joining classes on entrepreneurship.
“Those interested to start up their own business should set clear goals for themselves and not merely make plans.
“Be focussed in your studies too because you will grow, and your skill sets and attitude will definitely develop after your university education,” he said.
He also advised business-minded students to boost their learning from the market and observe how companies operated.
“Study how other companies are operating and try to think of ways to do it better, so that you can tap into and build something to fill the market gap,” he added.
Third-year UTM Kuala Lumpur chemical engineering student Asdaque Danish Abdullah, 21, is also earning his own money by taking on multiple part-time jobs while being a full-time student.
“I was in the student representative council for the 21/22 session in UTM KL.
“At the same time I had to balance my studies and work multiple jobs, which were a huge challenge for me,” he said.
Asdaque worked three jobs at the same time – being a math tutor for primary school pupils, a sales promoter and a waiter at a restaurant in Suria KLCC.
“I am currently doing part-time jobs as an emcee for events, modelling and a brand ambassador for small businesses.”
He said personal development, time management, academic pressure and financial constraints were some of his biggest challenges as a university student.
“Food and university expenses are the two major expenses.
“I do not want to burden them with any additional costs,” said Asdaque, who is from a middle class family.
“Although I work several jobs, I am not losing sight of my main goal which is a university degree,” he said.
His advice for managing finances is to spend wisely while ensuring financial stability.
“I track my monthly income from my part-time jobs and scholarships by distinguishing between my essential needs and wants,” he said.
He also allocates a portion of his income for savings.
Asdaque said his family was his primary motivation to persevere and to go far in life.
“My family has been taking care of me since I was one month old, so I want to make them happy and be there for them as they have been for me all these years,” he said.
Meanwhile, fourth year Universiti Teknologi Mara dentistry student Sheriffah Nur Athirah Al-Idid, 23, has been selling handcrafted resin accessories and hand sanitisers since 2020.
“I got bored during the movement control order (MCO) and felt like I needed to do something instead of being idle at home.
“So I scrolled through videos on arts and crafts and got inspired,” she said.
She stayed awake all night planning and purchasing the items needed to establish her business.
Sheriffah said she was able to learn more about marketing, dropshipping, leadership, shipping, and managing a team of dropships from her business.
“I was also able to enhance my creativity in designing posters and editing photos of my items,” she said.
She now sells her handmade resin craft products physically at her faculty’s store, called “Dentpharm” for RM12 and RM15, depending on designs, as students are now back on campus.
Being new to the business field was another challenge for Sheriffah.
“I don’t have many entrepreneur friends to guide me, so I have to look at every single detail of my business and manage it by myself,” she said.
“My university has an entrepreneurship club and that was where I was able to start selling my items on campus,” she said, adding that her parents have been a source of support in giving her sound advice.
Sheriffah said students who were interested in establishing their own business should just take the leap of faith.
“Don’t think twice if it’s really what you want.
“When you put yourself and your products out there, it has a ripple effect which in turn attracts and draw in more support.
“The capital may seem high at first, but do your calculations right and you will get good profits,” she shared.
Sheriffah said the key to a successful business was consistency and perseverance.
“So don’t give up too soon.
“Be unwavering in your pursuit even though it may be hard at first.
“Once you start to get the hang of it, you will see results.
“All good things take time,” she assured.
