Entrepreneurial trait: Networked

Networked is about interacting with people and engaging them for mutual benefit. A successful entrepreneur should be outgoing, sincere, friendly, supportive, a good listener or someone who follows up and stays in touch. The ability to network is one of the most crucial skills any entrepreneur must have. It can help entrepreneurs to establish a new business or grow an existing one. They can use networking as a tool for finding investors, customers, staff, suppliers and business partners with minimal cost to their business. They can also network face-to-face at social events, conferences and through industry associations (Entrepreneur, n.d.).

One of the example is Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary. When he started his business on rice in Alor Setar, Kedah, he first started with the Urban Development Authority (UDA). Later on, he established Syah Company with the license of trade on rice under BERNAS, which this helps him a lot to successfully supply the rice to FELDA, MARA and Pernas distributor. With his close relation and networking with the Malaysian government, also his credibility on the field, he further developed his business on similar control items including sugar, milk powder, oil and other.

Tan Sri Dr. Jeffrey Cheah also another entrepreneur who shows the entrepreneurial trait of networking. He as the Chief Executive Officer of Sunway Group has a large networking within Malaysia as well as worldwide. During his legacy as the CEO of Sunway Group, the property group has opened the globalization trade opportunities such as in Australia, Taiwan and India (Ashadi, 2005). This step has helped Sunway Group to attract more investment and capital.