“I do not want entrepreneurs to go through what I had gone through. I went through hell but luckily survived to tell my tale. And I have been telling my tale for the past 19 years.”
This statement by Andrew Wong, the founder of E3 Hubs & E3 Capital Sdn Bhd, during the launch of the E3 Empowers programme at Masco in Prangin Mall yesterday noticeably perked up many attendees.
Because of his 27 years of experience as an entrepreneur, Wong said he understands what it takes to be an entrepreneur and wants others to avoid the pitfalls he encountered.
“Entrepreneurship is a very, very lonely journey. In the old days, I never had a mentor or coach. No entrepreneurship education.
“I learned from all my failures. Imagine going through seven years without business, in debt, and borrowing money from my father. I came from the school of hard knocks,” Wong said.
Wong, hailing from Kuala Lumpur, along with his E3 team, were in Penang for the launching ceremony of the E3 Empowers Program. The event was attended by former state Entrepreneurial Development, Trade and Industry Committee chairman Datuk Seri Abdul Halim Hussain.
Subsequently, they shared their mission and vision with Abdul Halim’s successor, Rashidi Nizol, at the latter’s exco office in Komtar.
Wong said E3, which stands for Entrepreneurs Empowering Entrepreneurs, has initiated a free two-year mentorship programme (E3 Empowers Programme) in Penang.
Funded by entrepreneurs, the programme aims to help the next generation of entrepreneurs. They have successfully raised RM250,000 to fund the programme.
“This is our spirit, our DNA, our culture. We want to nurture them. We continue to develop new entrepreneurs.
“This programme is highly sustainable because successful entrepreneurs will give back through membership fees. Eventually, our goal is to establish E3 Empower Programs not just in Malaysia, but also in the Philippines, Indonesia and the Middle East.
“So, you can imagine the kind of market access opportunities our Malaysian entrepreneurs will gain by collaborating with counterparts in different countries,” Wong explained.
Wong said E3 plans to expand the programme to five more countries, especially in Asean.
He firmly believes the E3 Empower Program is a game changer capable of bringing humanity back into entrepreneurship, enabling anyone with a desire to be an entrepreneur to do so.
Claiming that an individual can even start a business without money, he said E3 will be able to help the individual with the resources E3 provides.
“Start a business, get the market, and eventually the money will come. That is the most important thing.”
He started incubating entrepreneurs in 2005. For almost 20 years now, he has incubated more than 10,000 entrepreneurs, not just from Malaysia but also from other countries.
The E3 Empowers Program operates on a tiered system, from Tier 0 to Tier 5 and categorized by annual sales cycle. They are Tier 0 (0-100,000), Tier 1 (101,000 – 500,000), Tier 2 (501,000 – 1,000,000), Tier 3 (1,001,000 – 5,000,000), Tier 4 (5,001,00 – 15,000,000) and Tier 5 (>15,001,000).
Entrepreneurs who meet the programme’s minimum requirements will receive RM10,000 worth of E3 Entrepreneurship Development services.
E3’s objectives are to train one million entrepreneurs within three to five years, and 10 million entrepreneurs within 15 to 25 years.
Wong said the programme is open to first-time entrepreneurs or those who have encountered obstacles and require assistance.
“We have the methodology; we now need new entrepreneurs to join us. That is why we have developed E3 Empowers,” he said.
Explaining why Penang is the first choice for starting the E3 Empowers Program, Wong noted that E3 began its entrepreneurial programme in Penang, supported by the state government through Abdul Halim in 2021.
However, Wong cautions that the entrepreneurial journey is not easy.
“People think it is easy because they can start a business and call themselves entrepreneurs, but the reality is far from easy. Ninety-five per cent of entrepreneurs fail, yet I can confidently say that 95 per cent of our entrepreneurs succeed.
“We offer them support, market exposure, and funding. But perhaps most importantly we focus on mindset. I understand many of us have limiting beliefs, it’s our responsibility to help break through that glass ceiling,” Wong said.
Rashidi thanked E3 Capital and other collaborative partners for organising the E3 Empowers Program tailored for women, start-ups, single parents, those within the M40 and below income bracket, and youth entrepreneurs.
“I believe through this programme, we can inspire entrepreneurs to look beyond borders, exporting their products or offering services internationally,” Rashidi said.
Abdul Halim advised aspiring entrepreneurs to embrace hard work, innovate with new ideas, and adopt a mindset of continuous learning.
“Continuous learning is essential. Otherwise, we risk being left behind. What’s equally crucial is passion,” he said.
Those interested in joining the E3 Empowers Program can visit the landing page www.e3hubs.com/E3Empowers
Also present at the launching ceremony of E3 Empowers Program were Angkasa Pulau Pinang chairman Mohd Jamil Othman, Penang Women’s Development Corporation chief executive officer Datuk Ong Bee Leng, E3 Hub & E3 Capital chief executive officer Calvin Quah, E3 Capital Group general manager Jack Tan Chew Lian, E3 Empowers Programme director MK Paul, E3 Digital Marketing Automation director Finn Chow, YB Rashidi’s special assistants Muhammad Muaz Iskandar and Muhammad Farhan Isyraq Rasdi, F&B Power Team Vice President (Northern) Vilson Hoo and F&B Power Team director Ms Hon.
Story by K.H. Ong
Pix by Alissala Thian