The beauty of life is in how unpredictable it can be. Each time we feel like we have it all figured out, it takes us in a whole new direction. Noor Raudah Hussin found herself steered away from where she thought she was going after graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Accountancy (Hons) from Management and Science University (MSU) in 2010. Although not completely off course, Raudah never thought that her world would be surrounded by vibrant colours and all of the glories that add layers and textures to her professional life as an aspiring entrepreneur in the textile industry.
“Hilo Textiles started as a small enterprise in 2015. As the prospect of our business grew, we were finally registered as a private limited corporation in 2018. The road leading to where we are today has had its fair share of challenges. Facing competitors is never easy, especially being among the very few Bumiputera corporations in this industry. However, we let nothing undermine our growth. Instead, we decided to take up these challenges and improvised to take Hilo Textiles to the next level,” shared Raudah.
It is quite easy to be overwhelmed when figuring out the next action plan to take in moving the business forward. Good guidance from a mentor could be a game-changer but eventually, education reigns supreme. Raudah finds the significance of all the knowledge and experience obtained from her past learning experiences at MSU in navigating her entrepreneurial journey and insists that the learning process will never stop for her as she builds rapport with more business-savvy people over the years while constantly acquiring as much knowledge as possible from them.
“My background was in accounting, but I jumped into the textile and fabric industry which knew right from the start is a vastly different sector. I always believe that we can learn anything from scratch. I learned from my experiences and fed my curiosities by asking questions, scouring through the Internet and even YouTube to educate myself on topics concerning this industry. Back then, it was something very foreign to me but my passion grew with time. It has driven my passion and hunger for knowledge,” Raudah explained.
Similar to what she learned in accountancy, her current days are filled with numbers. What she learned at MSU back then about costing, bookkeeping and sales management has all been proven helpful in running her textile business. On top of her excellence in these lessons, Raudah recalled participating in a lot of events at MSU and how much experience she managed to gain from it.
Through participation in these events, she learned a lot about event management and complemented her social skills by liaising with key individuals throughout the planning process. These experiences equipped her with all the right skills needed in dealing with customers, handling public relations matters as well as preparing proper documentations throughout her business practice. Raudah is grateful for the entrepreneurial skills gained outside of the classroom during her study at MSU that are helping her now as a business owner.
“I was a part of the Kembara Club which was my favourite club when I was in MSU. I liked how much being a member of the club encouraged me to challenge myself. I was always up for it and ready to try something outside of my comfort zone because I was very fond of challenges. We also had a subject on entrepreneurship as part of the accountancy syllabus. We were required to start our own small businesses. It was my first discovery of what being an entrepreneur is all about. Looking back now, I find it very useful for my business today,” Raudah reminisced.
Raudah encouraged the younger generation to prioritise their education above anything else because there is nothing that can be more useful in the future than knowledge. Even with good qualifications, what is out there in the real world is not the same as what is written on the pages of all the textbooks.
“If there is one piece of advice that I could offer to the up-and-coming entrepreneurs out there, I would tell them to upskill and complete their studies as knowledge always comes first. Never stop learning because everything that you learn is only theories but you have to apply them when you enter the workforce. Thus, you must continue to acquire new skills and knowledge. Finish what you started. As for starting a business, if you already have the passion and are given the opportunity, the most important thing to do is to remain focused,” she advised, ending the conversation on a hopeful note.
Discover Raudah's unprecedented journey in the textile industry only on MSUPop:
The beauty of life is in how unpredictable it can be. Each time we feel like we have it all figured out, it takes us in a whole new direction. Noor Raudah Hussin found herself steered away from where she thought she was going after graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Accountancy (Hons) from Management and Science University (MSU) in 2010. Although not completely off course, Raudah never thought that her world would be surrounded by vibrant colours and all of the glories that add layers and textures to her professional life as an aspiring entrepreneur in the textile industry.
“Hilo Textiles started as a small enterprise in 2015. As the prospect of our business grew, we were finally registered as a private limited corporation in 2018. The road leading to where we are today has had its fair share of challenges. Facing competitors is never easy, especially being among the very few Bumiputera corporations in this industry. However, we let nothing undermine our growth. Instead, we decided to take up these challenges and improvised to take Hilo Textiles to the next level,” shared Raudah.
It is quite easy to be overwhelmed when figuring out the next action plan to take in moving the business forward. Good guidance from a mentor could be a game-changer but eventually, education reigns supreme. Raudah finds the significance of all the knowledge and experience obtained from her past learning experiences at MSU in navigating her entrepreneurial journey and insists that the learning process will never stop for her as she builds rapport with more business-savvy people over the years while constantly acquiring as much knowledge as possible from them.
“My background was in accounting, but I jumped into the textile and fabric industry which knew right from the start is a vastly different sector. I always believe that we can learn anything from scratch. I learned from my experiences and fed my curiosities by asking questions, scouring through the Internet and even YouTube to educate myself on topics concerning this industry. Back then, it was something very foreign to me but my passion grew with time. It has driven my passion and hunger for knowledge,” Raudah explained.
Similar to what she learned in accountancy, her current days are filled with numbers. What she learned at MSU back then about costing, bookkeeping and sales management has all been proven helpful in running her textile business. On top of her excellence in these lessons, Raudah recalled participating in a lot of events at MSU and how much experience she managed to gain from it.
Through participation in these events, she learned a lot about event management and complemented her social skills by liaising with key individuals throughout the planning process. These experiences equipped her with all the right skills needed in dealing with customers, handling public relations matters as well as preparing proper documentations throughout her business practice. Raudah is grateful for the entrepreneurial skills gained outside of the classroom during her study at MSU that are helping her now as a business owner.
“I was a part of the Kembara Club which was my favourite club when I was in MSU. I liked how much being a member of the club encouraged me to challenge myself. I was always up for it and ready to try something outside of my comfort zone because I was very fond of challenges. We also had a subject on entrepreneurship as part of the accountancy syllabus. We were required to start our own small businesses. It was my first discovery of what being an entrepreneur is all about. Looking back now, I find it very useful for my business today,” Raudah reminisced.
Raudah encouraged the younger generation to prioritise their education above anything else because there is nothing that can be more useful in the future than knowledge. Even with good qualifications, what is out there in the real world is not the same as what is written on the pages of all the textbooks.
“If there is one piece of advice that I could offer to the up-and-coming entrepreneurs out there, I would tell them to upskill and complete their studies as knowledge always comes first. Never stop learning because everything that you learn is only theories but you have to apply them when you enter the workforce. Thus, you must continue to acquire new skills and knowledge. Finish what you started. As for starting a business, if you already have the passion and are given the opportunity, the most important thing to do is to remain focused,” she advised, ending the conversation on a hopeful note.
Discover Raudah's unprecedented journey in the textile industry only on MSUPop: