Honest reflections from owners who have worked with Andalan
These are not polished endorsements — they are straightforward accounts of what the advisory experience was like, in the owners' own words.
Back to HomeOwners supported
Average satisfaction
Return for follow-up
Years in practice
From the People We Work With
Khairul Anwar
Retail shop owner, Skudai
"I came in for the First Shoot Review not really sure what I was expecting. The session was longer than I thought — nearly two hours — and Hairul asked questions I hadn't thought to ask myself. The written summary arrived two days later and I've referred to it a few times since. It wasn't dramatic, but it was useful."
May 2025
Suraya Rahmat
F&B operator, Johor Bahru
"My café was doing alright on the surface, but I felt something wasn't quite right with the numbers. The Standing Together programme helped me see that I was underpricing my catering side quite significantly. Adjusting that took a few months but the difference became clear by the third month. Practical, no fuss."
April 2025
Zulhilmi Hamid
Electrical contractor, Kulai
"I have been on the Whole Grove Programme for eight months now. The monthly sessions have become a regular point in my calendar that I actually look forward to. It is not always about problems — sometimes it is just useful to talk through a decision with someone who isn't involved in it."
May 2025
Nor Azlina Taib
Tutoring centre, Kluang
"What I appreciated most was that nobody rushed me. I had been thinking about expanding the centre for almost a year and just needed a space to work through it properly. By the end of the second session I had a clearer sense of what I actually wanted — and it wasn't quite what I thought I wanted at the start."
April 2025
Faizal Zainuddin
Auto workshop owner, Batu Pahat
"Honest feedback: the first session surfaced some things I already knew but hadn't addressed. That wasn't completely comfortable. But it was fair, and said without any drama. The written notes afterwards laid out the options clearly. I chose to take one of the suggestions and it went reasonably well."
May 2025
Rozana Lim
Homewear boutique, Johor Bahru
"I had tried a couple of business consultants before and found the experience uncomfortable — lots of jargon and a sense that they knew what answer they were going to give before they had heard me properly. Andalan was different. The pace was slower and that actually made the sessions more useful."
April 2025
A Closer Look at Three Engagements
Names are changed to protect client confidentiality. The businesses and outcomes are real.
Retail Business — Skudai
Standing Together Advisory · 2024
The Situation
A retail owner was working long hours but finding it difficult to draw a regular salary. Revenue was steady, but cash was always tight. They weren't sure whether the problem was the business model, their pricing, or how they were managing stock.
What We Did
Across two sessions we mapped the relationship between revenue, cost of goods, and operating expenses. We identified that stock levels were substantially higher than necessary for the turnover rate, which was tying up a significant amount of working capital.
The Outcome
Over four months, the owner reduced stock holdings by around 30%, freeing up cash that was previously invisible. Monthly drawings became possible within three months. The business model did not need to change — only the management of inventory.
"I was surprised that the answer was already sitting inside my own numbers. I just hadn't looked at them in the right way."
Food & Beverage Operator — Johor Bahru
Whole Grove Programme · Ongoing
The Situation
A café owner had grown the business from one outlet to two, but the second location was underperforming and creating operational stress. The owner was considering closing it but was not sure whether that was the right call or a reaction to short-term pressure.
What We Did
Monthly sessions allowed us to follow the performance of both outlets over several months rather than reacting to a single difficult period. We helped the owner distinguish between structural issues with the second location and temporary ones that reflected a settling-in period.
The Outcome
The second location was retained, with one operational change and a modest adjustment to the menu. By month six it was approaching the margins of the first outlet. The owner later reflected that closing it would have been the wrong decision, made at the wrong moment.
"Having someone to think alongside over several months made a real difference. A one-time review would not have caught what the monthly sessions did."
Trades Business — Batu Pahat
First Shoot Review then Standing Together · 2025
The Situation
An owner-operator running a small plumbing business wanted to bring in a part-time employee to handle some of the workload, but was not confident the business was generating enough margin to support the additional cost reliably.
What We Did
We started with a First Shoot Review to establish a clear picture of the business's financial position. This led to a Standing Together engagement focused on modelling what the additional cost would look like across different revenue scenarios, and how pricing might be adjusted to support it.
The Outcome
The owner decided to proceed with the hire after adjusting the rate structure for a specific category of jobs. After three months, the extra workload the employee handled more than covered the cost. The decision was grounded rather than rushed.
"The Review gave me a foundation. The Standing Together helped me decide. I wouldn't have been as confident without both."
Talk to Us Before You Decide Anything
Phone
+60 7 521 8043Office
Taman Nusa Bestari, Skudai, Johor
Hours
Mon–Fri 9am–6pm
Sat 9am–1pm
Credentials and Affiliations
SME Corp Malaysia — Registered Advisor
Registered since 2021. Meeting the national standard for SME advisory practice in Malaysia.
Johor SME Association — Member
Active member and 2023 SME Advisor recognition from the Johor chapter.
PDPA 2010 Compliance Audited
Full compliance audit completed. Client data is handled in accordance with Malaysian personal data protection law.
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