No shortcuts to success
CLAD in an impeccable royal blue suit with hair combed over to the side in a slick wave, Dragon-i chief executive officer and director Datuk Henry Yip portrays the quintessential image of a suave corporate gentleman.
Yet, beneath his polished demeanour hides a subtle witty sense of humour.
One cannot help but chuckle as you realise that his pastel lilac necktie is printed with rows of white mini dumplings and porcelain spoons.
For a man to wear his heart on his tie, there is no doubt as to Yip’s passion for his business.
Yip was recently awarded a special mention in the Male Entrepreneur of Year Award category of the Star Outstanding Business Awards (SOBA) 2016.
He feels honoured to be recognised as one of the most outstanding local entrepreneurs for propelling his company with innovative ideas.
Since its establishment in 2004, the Shanghainese-inspired restaurant chain has expanded its business to a total of 30 outlets nationwide, which includes Dragon-i Peking Duck and Canton-i outlets.
Its success, however, is no mere stroke of good fortune.
He owes it to his passion for the business and hard work through training as well as adopting on-ground management and a higher awareness of health consciousness.
According to Yip, the food and beverage (F&B) industry is tough and when faced with obstacles, passion then becomes the driving force that encourages you to pull through.
Speaking of his first venture into the F&B industry, as a franchisee of Singaporean-owned bakery Bread Story, he rationalised that his failure was mainly due to the lack of on-ground management.
Without being hands-on in business, a leader’s growth and experience in management will be stunted and may eventually lead to failure.
While working as an IT manager in Sime Darby BHd, Yip managed to pick up a trick from his esteemed mentor Datuk Syed Tamin Syed Mohammad, the former managing director.
Yip implemented his mentor’s routine by regularly visiting the outlets even after closing hours to conduct his rounds of inspection armed with his smart phone camera to snap photos of problematic areas for improvement.
He also learnt from his mentor to rely on figures and statistics to substantiate facts before making decisions, a skill which he has passed on to his staff as well.
At Dragon-i, chefs are trained to think like restaurant operators and are even taught to read the profit and loss accounts.
“They must have the price of flour or oil at their fingertips so that they are aware when prices increase and know how to proceed accordingly,” said Yip.
Training for staff
Another aspect Yip has highlighted is the importance of training.
The company has established a training centre, equipped with modern facilities for research and development and an extensive library.
It also has a Masterchef-like kitchen specifically used for training chefs. The sessions are conducted every two weeks.
This reduces discrepancies and provides standardisation and consistency in terms of quality and standard of food as well. It is also to ensure there is a steady supply of skilled labour to meet its expansion plans.
On top of that, the chefs at Dragon-i are encouraged to participate in international contests, which he believes is an ideal platform for them to gain exposure and act as a benchmark against peers and competition.
Yip wants his employees to be conscious of their health and well being. It has now become an annual event for Yip and his staff to trek up Mount Kinabalu, Sabah.
They have rigorous training to make sure they have the stamina before beginning the hike up the mountain.
The annual hike is not only an important team-building aspect but emphasises the need to be fit and healthy.
He explained that by having a mindset that focuses on health and wellness, there are bound to be positive outcomes for his staff and those who manage his restaurants.
He added that they will become more conscious of the food quality and nutrition.
He has also drawn a parallel between hiking and managing a business.
Conquering Mount Kinabalu is exhilarating because of the amount of effort and hard work invested in reaching the peak.
Similarly, in the business scene, people reap rewards by working hard.
His rationale is that if they can successfully reach the peak of the highest mountain in South-East Asia, running a business and overcoming obstacles is achievable as well.
“I believe hard work and passion in what you are doing are the most important aspects. There is no shortcut to success,” said Yip.