Name : Thet Su Hlaing
Position : Managing Director of Su Shwe Nadi Company
Thet Su Hlaing received her MBA in Germany and has worked for some German companies. After living 15 years in Australia, Japan and Germany, she came back to Myanmar as a country manager of a German Pharmaceutical Company. She set up her own company Su Shwe Nadi Trading and Consulting in 2012. She became official Representative of world’s second largest Trade Fairs and Exhibitions Organizer, Messe Frankfurt GmbH Germany since three years and has had many years of working experience as freelance senior advisor for German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the Centre of the Promotion of Imports from Developing Countries (CBI) Netherlands.
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What does Su Shwe Nadi Company do?
Su Shwe Nadi is basically a trading and business consulting company. For trading business, we represent and distribute Dental and Medical Products in Healthcare sector. For business consulting, Su Shwe Nadi provides business advisory services to local companies, joint ventures or foreign investment, startups or established ones. Through our expertise, competent consultants and international partner-companies, we give services in market analysis, business analysis, market intelligence, business matching and trade promotion of Myanmar products to regional and global markets.
What are the company’s objectives?
My company operates in two parts, one part is trading and another part is consulting. In trading, we want to bring safe and high standard dental and medical products in Healthcare and teaching and training aids products in educational and consumer sector. In consulting, we would like to gain projects in cooperation with international government agencies in economic development. For private sector and trade fairs business, we would like to achieve bringing Myanmar pavilions to some major regional and global trade exhibitions to represent our nation and introduce products of Myanmar. These are the objectives for 2017.
Please let our readers know about becoming the official representative of Comasia MEGA SHOW 2017.
After three years as Representative of Messe Frankfurt GmbH Germany, I have been approached by some international companies for trade show business. In order to set up such business, you need experience and good relationship with customers and most importantly need to know about the global market and local potential trade products. Comasia offered me to become official Representative for Myanmar and I started working with Comasia since a year ago and also visited this year MEGA show in Hong Kong in October. I found it is very suitable for Myanmar businesses to go and participate the fair. The main objective of this show is to introduce regional products from Asia to Global markets. In terms of investment, it is also cost effective compared to other major trade shows in Europe. In cooperation with Comasia, we could send twenty jewelry makers and shops from Yangon and Mandalay as the first time ever exhibitors to this year International Gems and Jewelry Festival in September in Hong Kong and all of them exhibited their products in the show. I recommend Comasia MEGA SHOW to some Myanmar companies according to the nature and potential of their products. For some Myanmar companies with sufficient production capacity and are ready for export business, it is the right show to get in touch with global buyers. Every year 40,000 international trade buyers from 128 countries visit the show and next year MEGA Show 2017 will be the 26th years of the show. Su Shwe Nadi helps Myanmar potential businesses for good preparation and self-presentation in the show by giving technical advices on regional and global markets, international buyers, product design and pricing strategy for their targeted markets and also consults about organizational development and business analysis of those businesses.
Please let the readers know your plans to expand the business to Education sector?
This year in 2017 starting from March, I will have a new business in Education sector; official student agent for those waiting to study in Germany. As I lived and studied in Germany I know how it works. My goal is to achieve at least 5 university students in 2017 as pilot project to send for studying in Germany. Young generation should have this opportunity to study in Germany as Germany has free education system to all international students. For those who are eager to learn, enthusiastic and willing to take challenges, the door is opened to get quality education in Germany. It is available for everyone in the world.
What are the challenges your company is currently facing?
The most challenging factor I faced when I set up the company was the start-up capital. Of course there is SME loan available with high interest rate of 13% annual. If you look in EU countries, you can get the loan with 4% interest rate as standard. So I wish that in future, a small company like Su Shwe Nadi can get a loan with business-doable interest rate 4% annual from global aid, international government agencies or from our government has opportunity to grow its business. In our consulting business, we need to invest first to understand about the market and customers and build-up our business. We can say that we are successful only when our customers achieved their goal and have success and then we earn for our service and can have a sustainable business with our customers.
What are your future plans?
Until now we are an out-bound trade exhibitions organizer but in 2017, we want to organize in-bound trade fairs in the country with our global partners. For consulting, we will extend our services in trade promotion of Home-Textile, Home-Decoration and Gifts Sectors by analyzing most potential export products from Myanmar to export market with focus on European Markets. We will nominate some companies and through mutual agreement with those companies, we will provide coaching and training programs for Global Markets and preparation of trade fairs and exhibitions and business matching with global buyers in these sectors.
Any advice for people planning to set up their own business?
Firstly, I would like to advice them to start with a small capital and learn the business by doing. Never get a large amount of start-up loans. Secondly, before they start a business, make a good preparation. They need to know the market, conduct good market analysis; business plan and should have some expertise in what they are going to do. If they need to take risk, it should be calculated and acceptable risk. Discipline is also crucial in starting an own business. We need to upgrade not only our businesses but also our ethics and integrity to be able to lead a business and achieve what we wish for. Lastly, we should not only work for a business in life but also believe in and enjoy what we are doing.
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