Page 11 - From Zero To Hero

fromzerotohero |11
the pressure will leave. Hence , the Management
should not and cannot be demoralised by this
movement.Thus, the recruitment will be ongoing
and learning and growth is part of our culture.”
THE MAN BEHIND THE VISION:
DATUK ABDUL RAMAN SAAD
IndeedARSA’sFounder,AbdulRaman isaseasoned
businessman with religious duty at the centre of
his business universe. He said: “Wewent into these
areasofservicesastherewasuntappedpotentialand
also as part of my religious obligation as a
Muslim.” Most of ARSA’s current global clients
are in Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and Luxembourg.
Its global offices are based in these three locations
too.
Abdul Raman is also focusing on penetrating
potential markets in the Phillipines, Bangladesh,
Sri Lanka, India, Turkey and China.
He adds: “Entering foreign markets is a long-
term commitment that demands a lot of time,
effort and money. There are many issues which
ourManagement teamneeds to consider and they
must be committed to the efforts and understand
the impact that the venture may have on our
operations.
“Hence, the most difficult part is to find the
right strategy ingaining international clientele.We
need to consider several options including forming
alliances with the companies within our sector
so as to reduce our market-penetration costs.
Finding a foreign partner is much like recruiting
a new employee.
“We want someone whomatches our company
profile and represents us well, and of coursewe do
notwant tocompetewithour ownpartners, hence,
the issues such as what are the complementary
products that may give the parties a competitive
edge will have to be discussed in detail.
“We need to define our partner’s responsibili-
ties, and how profits between us and the partner
will be shared. As such, a proper contract will have
to be drafted on a ‘win-win situation’.”
Besides this, there are also other factors to be
taken into consideration, which are important in
formulating its strategies such as the market, the
culture and the lawand regulations in the country
ARSA is penetrating.
Entering the international market requires not
only qualified personnel but also strong financial
resources.The gestationperiod is obviously longer
with higher financial risk for it takes time for the
market to recognise the company’s services.
Datuk Abdul Raman Saad ... ARSA’s Founder