The Maybank myimpact Microbusiness Programme 2025 (Run 3) has entered an exciting stage — the mentorship phase. As part of this run, 16 participants are receiving guidance from seasoned entrepreneurs within the SMCCI ecosystem, gaining practical insights to strengthen their businesses and prepare for sustainable growth.
Mentorship has proven to be an integral part of each participant’s journey. Beyond theory, our mentors bring real-world experience as business owners, offering grounded perspectives, honest feedback, and actionable tips — from pricing and margins to branding, operations, and market strategy. For many microbusinesses, this kind of guidance can make the difference between “getting by” and building a business that can truly scale.
Spotlight: Participant Progress & Key Takeaways
Buttery Fingers SG — Building Strong Foundations
Participant: Haleema Thasneem
Mentor: Abu Sofian (Seyrul Consulting)
Known for its brownie variety, Buttery Fingers SG used this phase to sharpen the fundamentals — focusing on business foundations, clearer branding, and stronger financial management. A key takeaway from the mentorship was building sustainability through disciplined financial targets, including aiming for 15% net profit and maintaining 30–40% gross margin. These benchmarks help microbusiness owners price more confidently and plan growth with healthier cashflow.
Cutelah — Strengthening Brand and Expanding Reach
Participant: Muhammad Bin Karim
Mentor: Sulaiman Surani (Epilogue Multimedia)
Cutelah specialises in customised and personalised crafts and gifts that celebrate Malay culture, heritage, and family values. Through mentorship, the business explored improvements in branding, product development, and opportunities for market expansion. The sessions also highlighted how usingrelevant government supportandtechnology toolscan help microbusinesses streamline operations and unlock growth — especially when scaling requires time savings and consistent output.
Sweet Cravingz by Myra — Visibility, Diversification and Discipline
Participant: Qhameira Ani
Mentor: Azhar Mohd Salleh (Zoul’s Corner)
Sweet Cravingz by Myra offers seasonal bakes, baking and decorating workshops, balloon decoration, and graduation gifts. In mentorship, the focus was on stronger visibility strategy, marketing direction, and financial planning. Key lessons included the value of diversifying offerings while staying disciplined with numbers — ensuring each product line remains profitable and manageable as the business grows.
“The mentorship greatly improved my financial management skills and gave me a stronger foundation for making informed business decisions. Through the mentorship, I learned how to properly budget my spending and track revenue, which gave me a clearer understanding of my cashflow,” Qhameira expressed.
Why Mentorship Matters
For many microbusiness owners, the day-to-day reality is juggling everything at once — operations, customers, marketing, finances, and product quality. Mentorship helps participants step back, identify what truly moves the needle, and build clearer priorities. With mentors who understand the pressures and decisions business owners face, participants receive guidance that is practical, relevant, and immediately applicable.
Looking Ahead
We’re encouraged by the progress we’re seeing and proud of how participants are applying what they learn in real time. The journey continues, and we look forward to sharing more updates as our entrepreneurs build momentum through the programme.
Stay tuned for more stories from our SMCCI Academy participants — and to all aspiring entrepreneurs, we hope these journeys motivate you to take the next step and grow with confidence.