Nur Farah Nuha: UMPSA's Student Entrepreneurship Icon

GAMBANG, 23 January 2024 - Coffee has been the main beverage in Malaysian society for ages. While it used to be served plain without sugar and black, coffee has evolved, now offering various aromas and additional flavours such as latte, americano, brew, and others, attracting diverse groups of buyers.

The high demand and extraordinary profits have drawn many entrepreneurs to venture into the coffee business. Nur Farah Nuha Umav Majid, a Year 4 student from the Faculty of Industrial Science and Technology (FSTI) at Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA), is one such student entrepreneur who has embarked on selling coffee.

She began by franchising Rollie Cafe, offering a variety of drinks such as coffee, tea, and soda, starting on October 18, 2022, at the UMPSA Amphitheater, Gambang Campus. 

The cafe operates from 9.00 am to 8.00 pm on Monday to Thursday and from 9.00 am to 11.00 pm on Friday to Sunday, targeting UMPSA citizens, especially students, as its customers.

Farah became interested in entrepreneurship while in university after facing financial difficulties and earning pocket money through part-time work whenever an opportunity arose. However, she found working for an employer exhausting and realized she preferred managing her own business. 

Despite coming from a family with no entrepreneurial background, she bravely ventured into this field, driven by the realities of life.

Apart from being a student, Farah also shoulders the responsibility of being a daughter and sister to seven younger siblings. 

Hence, she sought her own initiative to earn extra pocket money by starting a business selling drinks at Rollie Café.

She shared, "Working part-time not only stabilizes my personal finances but also eases the burden on my parents without relying on them for monthly expenses.

Over the past year, her business has achieved four-figure sales monthly, and she has hired three workers to assist with operations. She is now in the process of opening another branch, Brew Lab, at UMPSA Pekan, introducing her own coffee brand.

Moreover, she has assisted in the establishment of several ice cream entrepreneurs operating at the UMPSA Amphitheatre, Gambang Campus. 

The main catalyst for her success in this field is Kaharuddin from Plantika Groups and the Creative Entrepreneur Development Centre (PUPUK) at UMPSA, who provided her with the opportunity to venture into business.

Farah emphasized the importance of UMPSA in creating an ideal entrepreneurial ecosystem by establishing a centralized entrepreneurial area accommodating many student-run shops. 

She suggested UMPSA relax site rental prices to facilitate student entrepreneurs and increase promotion by organizing campaigns for young entrepreneurs. 

She also proposed inviting the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) periodically to facilitate student registration for business licenses.

By: Halizan Mohmood, Centre of Creative Entreprenuer Development

Translation by: Aminatul Nor Mohamed Said, UMPSA Career Centre (UMPSACC)