Business Lessons from OK and OldTown White Coffee
Assalamualaikum and greetings to all of you. I’m Datuk Wira Dr Azizan Osman.
Today I don’t just want to tell you a story. I want to reach your heart. I want to wake up the fighting spirit in you — the one that may have faded after so many business challenges that never seem to let up. I want to take you through the story of two kopitiams, Oriental Kopi (OK) and OldTown White Coffee, because their journey is a mirror of ours.
Picture 2020. The whole world was under a pandemic. Businesses were closing down everywhere. And in Johor Bahru, two young men opened a coffee shop.
They called it Oriental Kopi, or OK. In less than a year, they made RM5 million! Yes, they lost RM500,000 — but that was only the beginning. That’s the spirit of young people. Brave. Not afraid of a challenge!
OK didn’t just dream. They acted! They saw opportunity where everyone else saw a squeeze. Empty shops, cheap rent — that’s where they planted the OK flag.
The result? In three years, 14 outlets standing tall, RM133 million in revenue and RM20 million in net profit!
In fact, OK is going even further now. They’re preparing for an IPO — not to show off, but to grow their business empire even more. With the company valued at a projected RM300 million, this is more than a success story. It’s proof that with the right strategy, a small business can become a giant!
But let’s not forget the OldTown White Coffee story. They started with a 3-in-1 product in 1999, then opened cafés and became the place everyone hung out at by 2005.
In 2011, they listed on Bursa Malaysia with 175 outlets and a market capitalisation of RM412 million. Then in 2018, they were taken over for RM1.4 billion. Why? Because they got complacent with early success. They lost focus on quality and innovation.
That’s the reality of business, my friends. Early success is no guarantee you’ll keep succeeding. We have to keep innovating, keep reading the market, and most importantly, never forget who our customers are.
Many of us feel stuck. We feel like we’ve hit a dead end in our business. Maybe we feel we’ve tried everything and the results are still small.
Maybe we feel we’ve run out of new ideas, we don’t know what else to do. But remember — inside every challenge there’s an opportunity. Go find it. Grab it. Never give up!
If you want to grow, you have to be willing to change. You have to step out of your comfort zone, try new things, and keep learning. Don’t be afraid to dream big, but don’t forget to act.
Don’t depend on just one product or one strategy. Always look for ways to diversify your business.
Here’s why you need to know about Business Growth Transformation:
- Understand your business’s real potential: You may not realise your business can grow much bigger than you think.
- Learn growth strategies that are proven to work: From digital marketing to financial management, there are plenty of strategies you can use to grow your business.
- Get guidance from experts: My team and I are ready to help you plan and execute the right growth strategy for your business.
If you feel stuck, if you feel you need guidance, don’t be shy to reach out to me. I’m ready to help. I have a free consultation session you can join. Let’s rise together, let’s succeed together!
Remember, success isn’t for the great. It’s for those who put in the work. Let’s become more successful entrepreneurs — and remember, your competitors never sleep.
Remember, success isn’t for the great. It’s for those who put in the work.
Prof. Datuk Wira Dr. Azizan Osman
Business growth strategist, mentor and TV & podcast host – guiding founders and MSMEs through expansion and scale.