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Rehanstat - a German corporation? On the contrary, this marketing research company is the brainchild of Datin Dr Rehana who creatively coined the name from her own combined with `statistics'. A lecturer turned entrepreneur, Dr Rehana is a whiz with figures that might not figure with the lay man but which are magically transformed into
meaningful mines of knowledge at her expert hands. |
Founded in 1992 after Dr Rehana's optional retirement from Government service, Rehanstat had a humble beginning as a one-employee operation in the back room of her home. Today its smart office at a prime location in the Klang Valley has a workforce of six full-time researchers and statisticians, supplemented by outsourced staff, serving customers from both the public and private sectors. Rehanstat
offers a rather comprehensive range of services including outsourcing, customised surveys, information sourcing, sampling consultancy, database development and knowledge management audit.
Knack for stats
"In 1965, why I chose statistics for my career was in part due to my late brother who said I should do something in stats since I like mathematics. He showed me a newspaper advertisement for statistical officers." True to form, Dr Rehana was one of the few Malaysian girls in those days who passed the professional test set by the Institute of Statisticians, United Kingdom.
On top of her domain expertise in statistics, Dr Rehana is a specialist in knowledge management who firmly believes in the power of data, information and knowledge. She highly recommends the use of surveys as a means to get ground information that would enable policy makers or leaders to make intelligent, informed decisions.
"Everyone does research, formally or informally, whether they realise it or not. From the nasi lemak vendor to large corporations and government agencies, research is conducted to gather data such as competitors' pricing, customer expectations, et cetera," attests Dr Rehana.
In the public sector, it is not uncommon for governmentlinked corporations to collect data as a basis for policymaking. Dr Rehana recalls one case in point - the Direct Selling Act 1963 in Malaysia was reviewed only after a careful study on the industry had been conducted.
Pet projects
More recently, Dr Rehana became involved in a survey on the handicraft industry of Malaysia which is aimed to assess and help those in this industry. Dr Rehana enthusiastically describes the four main sectors associated with handicraft: firstly, forestry from where natural resources are acquired; secondly, earthenware or ceramics; the third sector is textile, where batik has been elevated a few
echelons, thanks to the unflinching efforts of our late first lady; and finally, the metal sector in which pewter ware is a major contributor.
As evident from her attitude, Dr Rehana is not merely technically engaged in her research and consultative business, but she is also very passionate about the vast implications of her work especially when it promotes the betterment of society and provides long-term benefits to the nation.
"More than 90 per cent of corporations in any country are SMEs. Understandably in Malaysia, the Government wants big companies to help the SMEs."
Currently, Dr Rehana is also involved in a multinational research survey under the auspices of London-based Global Entrepreneur Monitor (GEM), in which she is charged with conducting research on the adult population in Malaysia.
Traits of an entrepreneur
Having run her own business for the past 15 years, Dr Rehana discusses the important traits in the making of an entrepreneur.
"Firstly of course, you must have knowledge and interest in business in order to run your own business. Your business should be linked to something you have a passion for. Moreover, having domain expertise is very critical in your business. So be knowledgeable in what you are involved in. In addition, you must have a high level of confidence; believe in yourself! And that will drive you to
persevere in all fronts no matter what hardships you endure. Perseverance is a very critical trait."
She continues, "You must also be creative, innovative and a risk taker. On the people relationship side, you must be honest and trustworthy. Be friendly, sincere and receptive to suggestions while being mindful of other people's concerns."
Dr Rehana, who is herself the embodiment of all the above-mentioned traits, surmises, "To put it in a nutshell, in this knowledge-based industry one needs to have a lot of IQ and a very stable EQ!"
Challenges
From Dr Rehana's perspective, one of the greatest challenges in running a business is financial management. "When funds are low, you must know how to cope with it. Personally, I resist taking bank loans," says this fiercely independent lady who had relied on her personal savings and investment funds to start off her business.
"During the bad times, we had to cut our pay by half. I had to forego my own salary and had even used some personal money as salary for my staff," she recalls.
Besides the monetary challenge, there is the knowledge challenge. "In my industry, you really need a lot of in-depth knowledge. You can't fool others!
"All entrepreneurs owe it to their business to stay healthy, and thus have to grapple with this challenge amid the myriad of work and stress. And at 59, it is indeed a personal challenge to maintain my health in tip-top condition," she attests. In other words, without health, all other matters no longer matter.
Inner strength
How does she cope with all the demands of work and personal commitments? "I steadfastly believe in the power of prayer and hence, pray before each undertaking," Dr Rehana professes.
Who does she count to be among her mentors? "My husband has been a mentor since the beginning of the setup, and till today he advises on approaches to problems while helping to elevate my leadership qualities.
"In my early years, my father was my mentor. I am grateful for the opportunity he gave me to be enterprising. I was tasked with acquiring groceries for the entire family with a given budget of RM250 every month - any money that remained at the month's end was mine to keep as a profit. My father also inculcated in us the virtue of thrift," Dr Rehana reminisces.
And does she have a personal or favourite watchword? "At Rehanstat, we have a watchword: `Help us to help you'. It is an apt guide to fostering good relationship between the staff and me, and between us and our clients," Dr Rehana explains.
Words of wisdom
Any advice for young would-be entrepreneurs? "Create and develop your own strengths. At the same time, build up your network. Once you have set up a network, you will find that when you get into the business world, there appears to be an unseen web where you are being propped up."
For Dr Rehana, she started her networking, albeit unconsciously - while she was lecturing. "You cannot make it alone; you need other people," she advises. Till today, Dr Rehana keeps in touch with her contemporaries through memberships with MIM, Peniagawati (an association for business women), National Women Entrepreneurs of Malaysia (NAWEM), Technopreneurs Association of Malaysia (TEAM) and the
Malay Chamber of Commerce, among others.
What about advice for the not-so young? "Take care of your health." Indeed, the saying `health is wealth' is very true. Do not forget your exercise routine for the sake of your work. After all, you need to say healthy so you can do a lot of business!
In conclusion, Dr Rehana advises that in whatever business one undertakes, there must be standards one must be aware of and adhere to or even surpass. Hence, benchmarking oneself
against other businesses is vital. And so it all begins with research - the search for excellence.
