Who would have imagined that selling dried leaves online could be a lucrative venture? A Malaysian has discovered it and is now riding high on the success wave.
A 29-year-old lecturer hits the jackpot, becoming a millionaire by selling dried leaves scattered around his campus on an e-commerce platform.
M’sian turns millionaire by selling dried leaves
Dr. Mohd Zulariffin Md Maarof shared his leafy path to success, revealing how it all began to Mstar recently.
He revealed that the initial spark for his entrepreneurial journey came from the need to make ends meet as a student at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) Skudai a decade ago.
He went on to explain that his income as a research assistant at the time was insufficient to meet the rising living expenses, which motivated him to take the entrepreneurial plunge.
After some research, he uncovered the fact that Ketapang leaves, often referred to as ‘Indian leaves,’ were in high demand on the eBay e-commerce platform and were conveniently available on his campus.
He shared, “It turned out that these leaves were none other than ketapang leaves scattered all around UTM.”
“Apparently, when I looked for it, the leaves were ketapang leaves that were littered in UTM. So, when I found out, I continued to look for dry leaves and rub them to remove dust and soil,” he continued.
He proceeded to create an eBay account and photographed the dried ketapang leaves for his listings.
“That night, I went to bed like any other night, but to my surprise, I woke up the next morning to an email confirming that a customer from Texas, USA, had purchased 30 leaves at US$1 each.” Dr. Zul revealed.
He only invested RM8
He was overjoyed as sales began pouring in, motivating him to actively seek out additional dried leaves to reproduce the successful process.
“Thankfully, the business grew livelier day by day, allowing me to reinvest the proceeds into sourcing additional items from China,” he explained.
He clarified that no initial modal was required for the business and that he only expenses were related to covering the cost of shipping items overseas.
“I only spent RM8 in capital for the cost of postage abroad, the other modal was just for collecting dried leaves littered on the side of the road.” Dr.Zul said.
This dedicated individual went on to emphasize that he achieved a notable success by generating a profit of US$30 (RM139.95) through the sale of 30 dried Ketapang leaves on eBay.
Remarkably, he managed to attain his first million Ringgit Malaysia (RM1 million) at the youthful age of 29.
He has also ventured into the restaurant industry by opening a biryani eatery.
Helping new entrepreneurs
After witnessing Dr. Zul’s incredible journey to success, he received invitations from several public universities to educate students.
He also unveiled his vision to mentor a fresh wave of budding entrepreneurs.
Also, he has initiated hands-on classes, mentoring groups of 30 to 40 aspiring eBay entrepreneurs, providing them with step-by-step guidance.
Additionally, Dr. Zul mentioned that he is all set to give back by providing free e-commerce training to 100 university students, including those from underprivileged families, in a virtual event on November 13 and 14.
Furthermore, he and his wife’s Export Overseas Academy offers free e-books as a guide, helping a remarkable 15,985 entrepreneurs across the country kickstart their eBay businesses.
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