"The imSME portal was very user-friendly and easy to navigate. The challenging questions were easy to answer, and service provided very satisfactory."

“Being a woman in a tough, mostly male, construction environment is not difficult,” declares Izreen. Her ambition is to be a successful woman contractor in Melaka. Last year, as her business began to grow, the UiTM Melaka Construction Management graduate felt acutely limited in terms of manpower, cash flow and capital. She even resorted to cancelling projects as her company was unable to cope.

That was when she noticed the CGC imSME ads popping up on her Facebook newsfeed. Prompted by her husband, she decided to apply, as she had many concurrent projects going. “The imSME portal was very user-friendly and easy to navigate. The challenging questions were easy to answer, and service provided very satisfactory.” In addition, when she hit a few snags, a CGC staff member walked her through them. She redirected her first application, as advised by the CGC Financial Advisory Team, and was pleased to receive offers from three banks.

She chose Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) and, within a week, her BSN Micro-i process was well under way.

Thus, when she received her much-needed capital in 2019, she was able to hire more staff, purchase material with upfront payment, and take on more projects. Her sales increased, too - by up to 20% in the second month after receiving financing. With aid and belief, Izreen was able to progress from managing small projects to larger ones.

After working for five years in a construction company, Izreen began her own in 2007. In the first seven years she was mainly involved in government projects, but later she started specialising in renovating properties. Work with housing developers was then coming in, involving projects from design to construction.

With the additional financing she received, and a project from a main contractor, she has managed to increase not just her company sales, but projects and manpower, too.

18/19