/// Exclusive Interview
Bringing Your Favourite
IKEA Furniture To You
F
/// EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
orget all the clichés you’ve heard
about stay-at-home moms. A
new generation is starting their
own businesses, juggling family
life and work at home. 25 year old
Doreen Liau started the KK IKEA
Shipping Service last September
when she was pregnant with her
first child. She never intended to
start this business; it happened by
chance. What was initially a shopping
spree ended up developing into
a business model that has been
steadily growing.
Right now I only take orders through
Facebook. Every two months there
are about two or three collections,
and customers are required to
make a minimum order of RM200.
Once we have enough orders, I will
coordinate everything and items
will be delivered in the next three
to four weeks. Sometimes the
shipment gets a little delayed, but
you don’t have to worry because I
will keep you updated on a regular
basis regarding the status of your
purchases,” she adds.
Liau explains, “When I was still
pregnant, I was looking for a baby
cot for my daughter and found the
prices very expensive in KK (Kota
Kinabalu). It was cheaper to ship
it over from IKEA but there was a
minimum order that I had to meet.
There’s a group on Facebook called
KK Mommies, and I wrote a post and
asked the mothers if they wanted to
order anything. A lot of the mothers
love IKEA products too and orders
kept coming in so my husband
suggested that I turn this into a
business. That’s how I got started.”
According to Liau, one of her
favourite items in the IKEA catalog
is the Expedit Shelf. The design is
simple and clean, plus it’s flexible
and versatile. You can use it for
multiple purposes: stack it up,
mount it on the wall, use it as a
room divider, display your treasures
or hide your clutter. Other hot items
that are often purchased by Liau’s
customers are the Detolf Glassdoor Cabinet and Trofast Storage
Combination.
Since young, Liau has always had
a knack for interior designing and
she has always been a fan of IKEA
products. And what she loves most
about IKEA is the wide selection that
is both innovative and affordable.
According to Liau, another great
thing about IKEA is that they have
a 100-day return policy where
customers can exchange purchases
that have manufacturing defects.
“A lot of people from KK travel to KL
just to go to IKEA and with the travel
cost, it can be very expensive. With
the services that we provide, all you
have to do is visit the official IKEA
website, choose your products, and
write down the article numbers. I
will quote you accordingly and I will
process your order once you have
made full payment. If an item is out
of stock or discontinued, you can
get a refund or you can select a
replacement item or wait for it to be
restocked.
“For me personally, I like my home
to have a warm and cozy feeling.
Sometimes I feel like buying
everything on the IKEA website!
Price is always a concern with my
customers, but if you really love the
design and you think it will suit your
space then just go for it. If your walls
are a neutral colour like white or
cream, it’s easy to mix and match
your furniture. You can always add
a pop of colour to bring life to the
space and make it more vibrant,”
she said.
Liau believes that changing the
space around you or redecorating
your home or office can change your
mood and the way you operate in
it. Whether you want to completely
redesign your room or simply make
a few small changes, redecorating is
always fun. It can help you create a
relaxing and comfortable space, plus
make it more practical to suit your
current lifestyle.
Taking care of her four-month old
daughter and juggling her expanding
business is not always easy, but Liau
tries to get work done in between
the day. “I try to do as much as I can
when my daughter is sleeping and
when my husband is around, he
looks after her so that helps a lot!”
she quips.
For more information about KK IKEA
Shipping Services
WhatsApp +60 16 832 3380 or
visit https://www.facebook.com/
kkikeashippingservice.
Price is always a
concern with my
customers, but if you
really love the design
and you think it will
suit your space then
just go for it.
PHOTO: LOUIS PANG STUDIO
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