Monday June 9, 2014
Situated at the corner of Sunsuria Avenue in Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya, Coffee Famille is like a home for coffee enthusiasts.
The cafe features a simple interior because its owner Ving Lim prefers to create a homey atmosphere for her customers to enjoy a cup of coffee.
“I did not spend a lot on the interior design due to the limited money I had to start the business.
“In any case, I believe the cost-efficient, uncomplicated layout appeals to the public,” she said.
Lim started thinking about starting her own coffee house a long time ago, mainly because of her passion in making a cup of nicely brewed coffee.
“At the time, there were only a handful of coffee houses around.
“But after three years in business, more and more of coffee houses are mushrooming all over the city.
The trend of owning a coffee house is fast catching on and people are quickly warming up to cafe culture.
“Over the last few years, many students who were studying in Taiwan or Australia were exposed to all kinds of coffee houses.
“This knowledge and understanding of the business triggered more and more people to take up the challenge and try to establish their own coffee outlet,” she says.
It all started when Lim completed her studies locally and continued her education for two years in Taiwan.
While there, she took a part-time job in a coffee house and learnt how to properly make a cup of well brewed coffee.
“After finishing my studies in Taiwan, I returned to Malaysia and started familiarising myself with the local coffee market
“Comprehensive research on the market and detailed planning should be vital preparation before starting a business.
“Eager entrepreneurs who have dreams of starting a coffee house but do not understand the market will find themselves facing unexpected challenges — starting a business is not easy as it seems.
“If there is a huge gap between expectations and reality, then it becomes quite difficult for the business to continue.
“A lot of people starts a business for the sake of starting a business, but this is not the way to succeed.
“I always believe that doing something that you are passionate about is more important than doing it for the sake of earning money,” she said.
Lim, who believes that the essence of coffee comes good beans, says it was no walk in the park to start her own business.
“I faced a lot of obstacles and setbacks before opening this outlet.
“My parents did not really approve of the idea of setting up my own coffee house as they believed that working a stable job would ensure a secure life.
“But even though they tried to dissuade me, I managed to see my dream come true,“ she said.
From business administration work to the selection of coffee beans and brewing, Lim does her best in each area.
“I thought about giving up the business when it was not stable, but due to my previous experience working in a coffee house, I had knowledge of the obstacles that might crop up and decided to persevere to the end.
“However, a lot of unexpected setbacks still cropped up, such as financial setbacks and getting appropriate approvals for the bringing in raw coffee beans.
“The coffee house is just part of the business as I also wholesale coffee beans to other coffee shops.
“Nowadays, a lot of people know how to make a cup of nicely brewed coffeeeven at home.
“As for the younger generation, when they go for a break, they actually mean going to a coffee house and having a nice cup of coffee,” she says.
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