Ask Chin about his Gurney Drive venture and he begins to talk enthusias-tically about how the MBA programme he is pursuing has positioned him well to launch his business.
"Manchester Global MBA gave me the competitive advantage in the F&B industry. From industry analysis, brand concept, positioning, key success factors, business proposal, funding, pre-opening preparations, business launch till business fine-tuning, we applied lots of practical concepts learnt from the MBA course," he says, adding that the programme has sharpened his business acumen and practical skills.
Yes, he is forced to juggle full-time work with the demands of a business venture, family and a rigorous MBA programme but he is taking it all in his stride. "Time management is crucial. I remember the moment when my wife was about to give birth to my daughter and yet I was still in the MBA workshop while my mind was on the restaurant business!"
Chin, who’s into his second last semester with MBS, says flexibility was an important factor for him when deciding on the MBA course to take. The fact that Manchester Business School offers a part-time Global MBA programme suits his busy work schedule, he says. "As I have a family to support and could not afford to study full time, MBS offers the flexibility, and it has a good reputation and ranking."
Chin’s entrepreneurial spirit began at a tender age. He recalls dreaming about starting his own business, having been strongly influenced by his parents who own a small retail shop in a small town in Kedah.
"The book Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki further inspired me to set a target. I wanted to have my own business and be financially free one day."
In 2008, while still holding a full-time job, Chin started pursuing his Master’s in Business Administration. It was only last April that he set up Gurney Drive with his business partners.
"It took us about half a year of planning and another half year to find a retail location. Our first outlet is located at Jubilee Entertainment Complex in Ang Mo Kio, Singapore."
Gurney Drive, named after Sir Henry Gurney, is a famous food paradise by a seaside promenade in George Town. Chin’s Gurney Drive restaurant serves authentic and delectable Penang dishes prepared by renowned chefs. He describes the concept as "unpretentious hearty meals, cosy ambience and impeccable service in order to present customers a memorable dining experience to bring home".
And how has the response to his restaurant been so far? "During our first week of opening, the response of the crowd was overwhelming," he says, adding that "expansion plans are definitely in progress".
"We aim to open three company-owned outlets in two years’ time before starting to franchise the business locally and overseas. Our next outlet is targeted to open at the end of the year at Suntec City."
Chin says his decision to take up Manchester Global MBA was important for him as he felt he needed to learn practical skills that could be applied in the F&B business.
"Manchester Business School has enabled me to look at the F&B industry with a different perspective. During the course, the modules that I find extremely useful in starting up a business are Strategic Management, Supply Chain Management, and Management Accounting. These practical modules are essential to any business and although they are mostly designed for managing large corporations, with a little twist, the concepts can be adapted to new startups like mine."
The journey of an entrepreneur is never an easy one. Chin reflects on the continuous challenges he faces: "It has never been easy to study part time, work full time and start a business at the same time. An entrepreneur has to be a generalist rather than a specialist. Unlike an MNC where you can easily get help from your colleagues to settle issues relating to their department, for entrepreneurs every problem is their problem."
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