Founded in 2019, Malaysian food supplier Just Sear moved operations to a central kitchen in March 2020 to cope with increasing consumer demand. But a week later, lockdowns were announced. Owner Nur Saheran bin Abdul Hamid had to figure out how to scale production and maintain quality in the new space. He also realized he needed to set up an online store and double down on digital marketing efforts.
Saheran quickly moved his inventory management system online and built his website for a more convenient customer experience. He spent time building his Google Business Profile so he could easily be found on Search and Maps. And he invested in digital marketing to reach more customers, which helped him maintain a consistent revenue.
In less than three years, Just Sear went from selling frozen, pre-cooked steaks from home to managing an online inventory of up to two tons of meat each month. Saheran credits his company’s swift digital transformation for its ability to scale so quickly amid the pandemic.
“Having an online presence and using digital tools is a must for most businesses that are serious about expansion and growing,” he says. “The pandemic certainly accelerated our company’s digitalisation plan. It is important for businesses to be flexible and pivot when needed.”
Despite the pandemic and limited resources, the company doubled its sales within 6 months of implementing SEO best practices, upgrading its Business Profile, and using Google Ads to drive people to the website.
With 8 in 10 digital merchants such as Just Sear predicting over half of their sales to come from online sources in the next 5 years, we can expect to see businesses in Malaysia and across the region continue to grow with digital tools in the decade ahead.
