Participating local businesses noted that the recently-launched MSME Festival provides an ideal trading avenue to market their products and services to the public.
In an interview with The Bruneian, stationery business owner, Ezza Ruslan said that attending the festival can help expand her business on a bigger platform.
“I am both nervous and excited at the same time as it is my first time joining an exhibition. In the past, I only joined pop-up events but it was not as big as this exhibition,” said the founder of ‘Ezza Made This’.
Image: Azrina Zin
She also said that she has been in the business for almost three years. The passionate illustrator and graphic designer started with her first stationary collection dubbed “Resting Teach Club” on Teacher’s day in 2021.
Now, the online business has grown to 24 collections of lifestyle products from fluffy 90s-themed keychains to every shade of pink-inspired motivational stickers.
During the MSME Festival, ‘Ezza Made This’ is showcasing their women’s day collection products which include shaker keychains and stickers and also their latest pop-culture-inspired air fresheners.
Image: Azrina Zin
She further said that platforms like the MSME Festival have helped boost exposure to online and home-based businesses like hers, adding that the event like the festival will help improve her products’ visibility in the international market.
“It is good that they offer to small businesses like mine, a sole proprietor and running a one-man show to have our products be seen by people who are not yet aware of how creative our locals are and also have potential to export,” she shared.
“I hope to make more repeat customers and more collaboration with local businesses not limited to just the creative industry and companies that would want to buy wholesale from Ezza Made This,” she added.
Image: Azrina Zin
For local company The Scent Shop, on the other hand, hopes that the event would give them a chance to network and meet local entrepreneurs as well as get an understanding of the type of consumers who visits and purchases.
The local company offers products ranging from hotel-inspired aroma essentials to aroma diffuser machines.
The local brand recently launched the latest series of aroma essentials namely, The Wood Series which features rich, comforting aroma with earthy top notes; and a series of scents, Oriental Sunset, Midnight Musk and Golden Oud.
“The market has not been the same since the pandemic in Brunei. Many are price-conscious and since the reopening of borders, people tend to shop outside of the country instead of shopping locally. So it is challenging for us to scale and sustain our business,” said the business founder, Muhammad Safwan Hj Mohammad Saidi.
Image: Azrina Zin
He added that the MSME Festival is an important marketplace helping entrepreneurs to explore more business opportunities.
“We are super thankful for this MSME Festival Event as this helps us with exposure and creates opportunities for us local SMEs,” he added.
Another participating vendor, Volco Venture specialises in hot sauce – a recipe created by the owner’s mother that turned into a generational business.
Mohammad Vol said that they are excited to join one of the many Darussalam Enterprise (DARe)-organised events with hopes to participate in more future events.
Customers can indulge in their signature Lanun hot sauce available in a range of flavours from their best-selling Tom-Tom Lemongrass to Pineapple Sunrise.
Image: Azrina Zin
The local business will also be introducing the two new Lanun Hot Sauce flavours – Golden Pumpkin and Srirachia Sri Renjana at the MSME Festival.
Moreover, the local business shared that DARe’s developmental programmes have helped the business make its debut internationally including participating at the ASEAN Trade Fair 2022 in Korea and Singapore’s biggest F&B trade show Food&HotelAsia-F&B (FHA-F&B).
More than 200 local micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) had the opportunity to showcase and market their products and services to potential markets at the festival conducted by DARe.
The four-day event saw vendors from food and beverage to the beauty and healthcare sectors showcase their brands, products and services, learn from industry experts, and have a chance to participate in business matching sessions with local and foreign buyers.
Image: Azrina Zin
THE BRUNEIAN | BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
