At 24, Si Yu Wei has transformed her early passion for sales into a thriving dumpling business generating six-figure monthly revenues. Her entrepreneurial journey began at 16, selling snacks to classmates, driven by a desire to avoid financial worries.
While still a student, Yu Wei juggled three full-time jobs during university, gaining valuable business experience and saving startup capital. After experimenting with various products, a chance encounter with dumplings during Malaysia’s Movement Control Order inspired her to start making and selling them.
With an initial RM300 investment, she later flew to China to train in dumpling-making, spending RM25,000 on skills and equipment. Overall, her investment reached RM50,000. As a solo operator, Yu Wei works around 15 hours daily handling production, packaging, and deliveries.
She faced significant challenges, including overwhelming demand during her first group buy that exceeded RM50,000 in sales over three days. Supply delays and quality issues led to some customer complaints, but support from buyers encouraged her to persevere. Additional setbacks, like a power outage destroying RM20,000 worth of stock, tested her resilience.
In September 2024, Yu Wei opened a physical stall but struggled to manage both the store and production alone. After eight months, she closed the shop to focus on her online business, which has since stabilized.
Her business now consistently earns around RM100,000 monthly, though growth is limited by manpower shortages. She pays herself RM5,000 monthly and reinvests the majority of profits into expansion.
Reflecting on her journey, Yu Wei advises aspiring entrepreneurs not to overthink or fear failure. “Failure isn’t the scariest thing. Losing your dreams is. So don’t be afraid. Take that step. Keep going,” she said.
This story was exclusively reported by WeirdKaya with the consent of Si Yu Wei.