May-June . 2022 | Glam Halal
Cover Story
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We want to bring what Malaysians like , such as Oreo and Kinder Bueno flavours . Last year , I was supposed to launch our Sambal Nasi Lemak flavour , but it was still in R & D . We want customers to try the differences in taste
between the flavours .” — Nazmin Muhamed Nazeer ingredients so they can choose accordingly ,” explained Nazmin , adding that My Turkish Delight takes orders and carries out postage every day .
“ We only start packing once we receive the order from customers . We don ’ t pack beforehand because we want to keep the freshness level of the products . People can mix and match around 100 flavours .”
Aside from selling the delights in boxes , My Turkish Delight also receives orders for door gifts , weddings , birthdays , corporate events , hampers and seasonal festivals like Chinese New Year , Deepavali and Eid celebration .
Mahfuz shared : “ In 2019 , we received a corporate order from Duck . Then , Zurich Takaful . Starting from that , many big companies started to inquire about our products .”
Having only she and her husband in the team , Nazmin said their family members would sometimes help with the orders . Mahfuz stated that they divided the task to oversee the overall operation of the business . Mahfuz is responsible for taking care of corporate customers , while Nazmin manages the B2C customers .
“ Slowly , we started to grow . We started with Turkish delights , then Baklava , door gifts , hampers , hantaran , etc . Our cheapest door gift is RM12 , and the cheapest hamper is RM65 .”
Building and strengthening the brand
Aside from the Malaysian market , My Turkish Delight has also captured other markets like Singapore , Japan and Sri Lanka .
Touching on the competition from local competitors , Nazmin said they believed others had their variety of Turkish delights , and My Turkish Delight had its own offerings .
When asked about how the pandemic impacted the business , Mahfuz said the only obstacle they faced was the differences in the currency as he needed to pay the manufacturer in USD .
“ During the MCO , US $ 1 reached around RM4.55 . I had to pay a lot , but I absorbed them as a marketing cost . We try to provide the best for our customers .
“ During the period , our sales hit high . People were not going back , so they sent gifts to their loved ones . We use courier services like GDEX , JNT , Lala Move and Grab .”
Striving to provide the best for the customers , Mahfuz and Nazmin wanted to build the brand continuously . Mahfuz also revealed that the approach he took to see what dishes Malaysians prefer was more of trial and error .
“ I did some research to see what Malaysians like . In 2018 , we brought coffee and coconut flavours , but people didn ’ t really like them , so we discontinued the flavours . It was more of trial and error .”
Nazmin said they recently introduced more colourful flavours that were more suitable as door gifts .
“ Every year , we change the menu , bringing something new to the menu .”
Taking risks as entrepreneurs When asked about their advice for new
home-based entrepreneurs , Mahfuz said people had to try it even though they did not know if the business would do well .
“ Take risks . Sometimes , the right time will never come if we ’ re waiting for the right time ,” said Mahfuz .
“ Start small . Build your presence online . The market is huge , and there ’ s a market for everyone ,” stated Nazmin .
Talking about the plan for My Turkish Delight , Mahfuz said : “ We want to build the brand and get all Malaysians to taste our products .”
“ Having an outlet is our dream , but we ’ re taking one step at a time ,” added Nazmin .
My Turkish Delight is available on Instagram and Facebook . Customers can place orders and customise them according to their budgets and flavour preferences . The brand also welcomes dropshippers who want to grow together with them .