LCB students keen on running businesses

STUDENTS from the Laksamana College of Business (LCB) have said they felt enthusiastic about setting up their own businesses in the future in a bid to contribute to the development and economy of Brunei.

Some of the students voiced their enthusiasm of becoming business people during their visit for the first time to the I-Centre yesterday.

Andy Chia, 20, told The Brunei Times that although he would not take the risk of setting up a business in the future as a sole trader due to unlimited liabilities, he would rather join partnerships as there would be a pool of expertise to rely on.

He said: "After visiting this centre, I have thought of an innovative idea of setting up security systems. Perhaps in the future, I could introduce the technology of using thumb-prints or face detection to enter into premises instead of using keys."

When asked why he was interested in this idea, he said that no one would be able to imitate people's faces and hence, security would improve for our country.

Another student, How Min Yi, said that she is also thinking of setting up her own business, however is not sure what to venture into at the moment.

"I aspire to be like my dad who sells furniture because he is successful,"she said.

She added that if private industries comprising of businesses in the future emerge, this could provide employment opportunities for Bruneians and hence, people will be less reliant on the government.

How said that self satisfaction would be gained for an individual if one's business is successful.

"Having one's own business means it's private and if your company or business does well, not only will one gather self-satisfaction but at the same time develop a good reputation for the business," she added.

Business student Jovan Shim said that he hopes to achieve what his dad has been doing over the years. "My dad is my role model because of the success of his business in producing souvenir T-shirts. I want to be able to concentrate on producing gifts and souvenirs in the future because there are a lot of new technologies to aid the processing aspect of its production," he said.

He added: "If I could acquire the latest and most effective technology to produce the gifts and T-shirts, the cost of making the T-shirts might be cheaper than producing them now. If the cost of production is cheaper, I would be able to sell them at a cheaper price and more people might buy the products as well.

"Hence, this would maximise benefits to customers in Brunei because they will be spending less on purchasing the products."

Shim hopes that he will be able to further contribute to Brunei's growing economy by expanding this business once he starts working, so that there would be opportunities to export his products.

He also said that if future business owners keep up with technological advancements, they might be able to compete with other businesses on an international level.

This point was re-emphasised by 17-year-old Darren Wong, who said that he also aspires to be like his father and hopes to take over his construction business in Brunei one day.

"As Brunei is developing, there will be much needed construction for more buildings. Furthermore, with the advancement of ICT today, I hope that we would be able to export our building materials on a mass scale."

During the visit, the students were informed by Brunei Economic Development Board (BEDB) officials on Brunei's current economics through a detailed presentation, and nevertheless, got them thinking of innovative ideas for future businesses. The Brunei Times