Actor-turned-entrepreneur Fizo Omar has proven to be an exceptional businessman, despite suffering a few setbacks early on in his entrepreneurial journey. He credits his success on a willingness to learn from his weaknesses and to turn them into strengths.
Today, Fizo is the proud owner of Hot Burger Malaysia Sdn Bhd, a burger stall franchise with 150 outlets all over Malaysia and whose trademark is its square patties. The 30-year-old has come a long way from his humble beginnings as a simple kampung boy who became a national footballer, then an actor, a TV host, a motivational speaker and a businessman.
“Instead of trying to hide your weaknesses, you have to embrace them and turn them into opportunities,” Fizo says.
“This is not difficult to do if you know how. First you have to identify your weakness. Just ask your friends, family members or colleagues. Only then can you improve on your weak points,” explains Fizo, who frequently gives talks on how to start a business from zero.
Fizo says he first tried his hands at doing business when he was barely 20, dabbling into all sorts of ventures from doing printing to organising events. But he was wet behind the ears and wasn’t terribly savvy. He was duped a couple of times in those early years. However, the bad experience did not dampen his enthusiasm for business.
“I was at the height of my popularity at the time but that episode was the darkest phase of my life. I was in deep trouble, heavily indebted and totally broke and facing public humiliation.
“Thank God for my mother who inspired me to bounce back. I started reinventing myself and learned to capitalise on my weaknesses. One of the basic things I learned about business is when it comes to money, it always pays to be careful. So I restructured my debts, limited my liability and talked to financial advisors,” says the former civil engineering graduate who is pursuing a master of business administration degree at UUM in September.
Fizo, whose real name is Wan Hafizol Wan Omar, was determined to put his life back together.
“It was a big lesson in humility. I took up a few financial management skills classes for my future business dealings. Then, I decided to start the Hot Burger Malaysia business in 2012 and invested about RM30,000 in it. It was a modest investment, and my aim was to reach out to young entrepreneurs who were keen to try out a new franchise.
“I got a team to work on the R&D and, at the same time, shop for the right type of bread, burger and sauce. Eventually, we sourced the bread from Johor Baharu, the sauce from Seremban and the burger patties from Cheras (KL).
“I started out with five Hot Burger stalls in Kota Bharu, Malacca, Johor Bharu, the Klang Valley and one in Setiawangsa, which were all fully operated by me,” recalls Fizo, who manages his finances with help from his two business partners, Asri Hamid and Rizal Musa, who invested RM200,000 into the company.
After a year, the business grew, and Hot Burger had 150 Hot Burger outlets all over the country. This led to Fizo opening five offices to handle the business. Today, he has 50 workers under his wings.
His Hot Burger concept was an instant hit because consumers like the concept of “street-priced burgers with five-star taste” and the variety of meats on offer. Apart from the usual chicken and beef patties, Hot Burger also sells ostrich, rabbit, mutton and venison.
According to Fizo, demand has been so good that almost half of the 150 franchisees has gone on to open several more hot burger stalls.
“I introduced a retaining fee where each franchisee buys the patties and the ingredients from me. In return, they get to keep whatever profit they make. I give them training, share with them the SOP, teach them the accounting system and monitor their progress until they can expand their businesses. I’m not only helping them to start a business, I also teach them to make more money so that they can be financially independent.
Each stall generates an income of between RM3,500 and RM4,500 on an average month. The best-selling stall is in Pasir Puteh, Kelantan. It is run by former actor Mat Sentul and rakes in between RM9,500 to RM11,000 a month since opening two years ago.
Fizo, ever the motivational speaker, says there is always an opportunity hiding inside a problem. With his burger business doing well, Fizo is now working on a new venture – the ABC (Ado Belako Corner) in Kota Baru, which gathers a variety of hawker stalls under the one roof.
“It all started with my wife, Mawar, who likes to go from stall to stall to savour her favourite foods every time we go back to Kelantan. I hit on this idea of inviting all her favourite stalls to do their businesses under one roof. This way, I’m giving the operators a business and, at the same time, I solve a problem for my wife,” says Fizo.
Fizo also has a specialised advertising business, which does product reviews and social media campaigns for companies. Among the campaigns he has handled are Youth Festival, I Am For You, Merdeka, BSN 40th Anniversary and Munchies.
“If you take any strength to an extreme, it will become a weakness. This happens when we are too committed or too focused on whatever we do. You can go far in your career and life if you have mastered this area, changing your weaknesses into your strength. Once you are able to do this, you can focus on bettering yourself,” concludes Fizo, who has been hosting TV9’s Nasi Lemak Kopi 0 morning show for the last four years.
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