In an exclusive interaction with SCIKEY, Gerald speaks about how the education landscape will look like in the next 10 years in Malaysia, share some advice for people who are thinking of starting their own company, challenges faced in the business & much more.

1. Could you first tell us a little about 3Quantum Consultancy, its main aims, and your value proposition in the education sector?

3Quntum Consultancy or commonly referred to as 3Q is a business development and marketing consulting firm. 9 years ago, we started off with the education sector as it is close to our heart and the team collectively has more than 150 years of experience in various capacities in the sector.

Our core services are establishing partnerships and collaborations, business growth strategies, international market entry, talent acquisition and learning & development. Over the years we have grown to not only represent reputable clients in the education sector, but also in the finance, accounting, banking, engineering, healthcare and hospitality sectors to build their brand, positioning and presence and ultimately create an effective pipeline of growth in ASEAN.

2. What are the challenges you faced in the business?

Throughout the 9 years, we faced many challenges. In the initial years, the challenge was building a brand for ourselves as 3Q was new. For the first 6 months of the business, we did not have a single client. But that period also gave us the opportunity to refine our vision and mission as well as, our value proposition.

People whom we thought would give us a chance and a break never did. These were people that worked with us when we were part of a bigger brand but. Not all but most. So we literally had to build our network and on the 7th month, our first client came on board and is still a client. Since then, we have had the privilege to work with some of the best clients who helped us build our brand and positioning.

Fast forward 9 years, we still face challenges, for example the Covid-19 pandemic that has hit the world. Nobody expected it and overnight we had to decide, from a business perspective, how we overcome it.

We take all challenges that is thrown to us positively as each and every challenge that we have faced has made us only stronger, more agile, and pushes us to strategies and be at the top of our game.

3. What are your plans for the coming months?

The pandemic has been here for 17 months now and we do not foresee it ending anytime soon. As a business we have invested our time, effort and money into using the right technology platform to provide the best to our clients, across all services that we offer. We will continue to provide only the best in the coming months and when the borders are opened and safe to travel, we will start to build our business across ASEAN. 

Yes it has been tough but on the flipside, the pandemic has made us explore areas that we never thought we would and pushed us out of our comfort zone to achieve greatness.

4. What do you think the education landscape will look like in the next 10 years in Malaysia?

As the late Nelson Mandela quoted, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”. I totally agree with this quote and believe that Education is key to the success of a nation.

In the next 10 years, the education landscape in Malaysia will only get better than what it is today. Malaysia has come a long way and today we have some of the best schools and universities in the region. Technology will play a big part in the education landscape and we will see new areas in tech emerging. For those who are ahead now, implementing and changing according to the needs of the industry will benefit from it. Areas such as data science, data analytics, blockchain technology, bitcoin, financial literacy and other tech based will be in the forefront.

However, the traditional programs would always be relevant too and F2F teaching, training and facilitation will always be preferred. Hence, I see a greater shift in blended learning, further collaborations and partnerships in delivering some of the best programs. When it comes to acquiring knowledge and information, it is all with a click of a button. There are many complimentary programs online and what seemed impossible before, we could do now, for example, pursuing a program from leading universities without stepping foot in it.

Hence, the education landscape will evolve to get stronger and better. The danger is if we stop learning and able to grow at the same pace as the world. We must never stop learning and as remember that education is key to changing the world, for the better.

5. What’s the most rewarding part of what you do?

After being in the corporate world for close to 20 years, starting our own business was to give me a sense of purpose and addressing my WHY factors. There are many rewards; being able to spend more time with my family and friends, the utmost satisfaction when we achieve to build growth and success for each of clients, the ability to break barriers and achieve greatness for ourselves and our clients and many more. We own this and there is no better rewards and satisfaction. We are blessed.

For me the happiness level of each of us in the organisation is key.

6. What advice do you have for people who are thinking of starting their own company?

My first advise would be, go for it. You will never know until you try and the worst that could happen is, you fail. At least you tried and it gives you a perspective.

However, do keep in mind that starting a business is never easy. You must have an offering or a value proposition that is strong and what the market requires. People are key and having the right partners and employees is so crucial in determining whether the business succeeds or fail. Each one brings different strengths and being able to identify the strengths of each and marrying them together is crucial. Attitude is equally important; being strategic, humble, honest with high integrity, practical yet having a growth mindset, being prudent and only spending on what is required keeps the business afloat when tough times kicks in, for example the pandemic. And always upgrade and learn from the best to get better.

Your only competition is yourself, hence, always be better than who you were yesterday.

About SCIKEY:

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