The saying “A friend in need is a friend indeed” holds a lot of truth. It simply means that a person who supports us during tough times is a genuine friend.
In a recent heartwarming post, local entrepreneur Azmi Zainal took it to his Facebook to share an inspiring story of a family that was struggling to make ends meet.
In the post, he recounted meeting Sofea when she was younger. He explained that they crossed paths at company in Maluri back in 2010, where both of them were working there at the time.
He recalled how Sofea consistently lent him a hand, even after she changed departments. After she left her job, they stayed in touch, and she would often reach out to him for advice.
In 2020, Azmi received a call from Sofea where she asked to meet up. When they did, she brought along her husband and their son.
“I hadn’t met her husband before. She introduced him to me as Edwin, but I asked what his Chinese name was. Sofea said it was ‘Ah Siang’.”
Sofea then explained that she had to quit her job because of Covid, and her husband’s car wash business was struggling because of the lockdown. She then asked Azmi for his opinion on whether starting a small business was a good idea.
After Azmi suggested to Sofea that she become a stockist for his business, she confided in him about her lack of funds to start the venture. The following day, Sofea called Azmi excitedly, informing him that she had found a shop but needed RM18k to kickstart her business.
In response, Azmi offered to transfer the money directly to her bank account since she mentioned that none of her friends were able to help her, and asked her to provide her bank details.
He explained that after a year, Sofea and her husband’s business was thriving, and they were able to repay him the RM18k. However, shortly afterward, she told him they needed to upgrade their shop to a warehouse because they were running out of space.
“She mentioned that they had tried to secure a loan from the bank, but because their company was still new, they couldn’t get approved.”
Being a supportive friend, Azmi lent the couple an additional RM40k to help in expanding their business. Two years later, Ah Siang met with him to express his intention to repay the borrowed RM40k.
Azmi concluded the post by sharing an update on Sofea and Ah Siang’s business, noting that it’s thriving with an annual revenue of RM25 million.
“For me, business isn’t just about the money or balancing the books. Building real friendships matters just as much in this world. I really appreciate all the support and help Sofea gave me when we worked together before.”
You can read the full story here.
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