Inspired and not looking back

2016 was an interesting and challenging year for us at inspiraComm. Our journey as contentpreneurs started with a single magazine titled inspiraC; but by the end of 2016, we were given the opportunity to launch our 3rd magazine, the FRX View. From a magazine focusing on women entrepreneurs (inspiraC - www.inspirac.net) to a magazine dedicated to one women entrepreneur association (Usahanita) and finally, we were involved in the publication of a magazine focusing on forex trading (FRX View - www.frxview.com).

The inspiraC magazine (online, published monthly in dual languages) is now in its 14th edition. We have featured many interesting and inspiring stories and will continue to do so in the future editions of the said magazine. Even though it is a magazine dedicated to women entrepreneurs, inspiring stories about entrepreneurs from the opposite gender were also featured as we believe that anyone can be a source of inspiration irrespective of his or her gender. For the January 2017 edition, we decided to do something different when a couple was chosen to be featured on the front cover. This broke the norm for inspiraC front cover design. More to come in the future editions of the inspiraC online magazine. Subscription for the inspiraC magazine is FREE and to those who have yet to subscribe, please do so at www.inspirac.net.

inspiraComm is proud to announce that the inspiraC online magazine is now endorsed by the Ministry of Woman, Family and Community Development as the official online magazine for the said Ministry. With this recognition, the inspiraC magazine will be another channel to promote activities organised by the Ministry as well as to share information which will be of beneficial to the women nationwide.

As for the Usahanita magazine, we are now in the midst of discussing with them on the possibility to convert the magazine from an online version to a print version based on the member's preference. If this happens, it will be the first printed magazine to be published by inspiraComm. On that note, we actually did a survey in 2016 and found out that there are still readers who would like to have the touch and feel of a physical magazine compared to a virtual version. We hope the discussion with Usahanita will lead to a positive outcome.

In October 2016, both the editor @Nurlina Hussin and I were engaged by FRX Media Sdn Bhd to publish a magazine dedicated to forex trading. We took this engagement as a huge challenge since we will now be dealing with another category of "entrepreneurs", the forex traders. Even though FRX View is very much a business-oriented magazine, our main task was to try not to publish articles that are "dry". We would like to inject the lifestyle element into this business magazine. Nevertheless, similar to the inspiraC magazine, we would like the FRX View magazine to be another magazine that will not only share information but also will educate the readers on matters pertaining to trading.

Being a Content Marketing Agency, our activities revolve much on developing content that can be used for multiple platforms - online as well as offline. Nevertheless, we have expanded the development of the content to include a physical platform which allows the information shared in the magazine to now be shared through a physical engagement. We organised boutique workshops with personalities featured in the magazine were given opportunities to share their experience and knowledge with the participants. Topics covered include social enterprise, colour therapy and beauty. Responses were very positive and we are looking to organise more similar workshops in 2017.

Steve Jobs once said,"Great things in business are never done by one person. They're done by a team of people". We took this to another level whereby we developed our own "power team" through collaboration with various parties including an online radio operator. This approach not only opens up an additional platform to promote but also allows us to offer better service to our clients.

Our journey in 2016 was completed with the "upgrading" of the inspiraComm Enterprise, which was established on 14 December 2015, to inspiraComm Sdn Bhd (iCSB) that was concluded on 6 December 2016. With that comes a much solid team to face the challenge in 2017.

What to expect in 2017?

There are numerous projects that are already in the pipeline including the publication of another two more magazines which will be done on a quarterly basis for two companies on two different subjects - innovation and social entrepreneurship. Both magazines will be a printed with the first to be launched in the Q2 of 2017. The magazine on social entrepreneurship will be an interesting subject to cover especially when social entrepreneurship has gained momentum in the last couple of years. This magazine will be launched in Q3 of 2017.

For 2017, we are looking at organising workshops for parents and school children under our Xcel in Life program. The most immediate will be the one-day workshop on parenting which will be held on 12 February 2017 at Picnic Table by Simply Sandwiches in Kota Damansara.

This coaching workshop for parents will among others touch on the coaching techniques to develop habits of self-management and self-regulation of children. iCSB is collaborating with IRIS of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) in organising this workshop and other workshops dedicated for school children aged between 9 to 17 years old. To start the ball rolling for 2017, join us for the one-day workshop for parents on "How to manage your child's learning and behaviour deficit" on 12 February 2017.

We are also opening up our option to collaborate with other parties in organising other workshops for entrepreneurs.

So if you need assistance in telling your story to your target audience, we are here to assist you. We do not only create well-written narratives and storytelling that forges connections to power your business but also develop strategies to inform and educate your target audience. We strongly believe content strengthens your brand, reinforces your company’s voice and builds trust amongst your right audience. Our vision has always been to empower entrepreneurs and their brands to take control of their own messages consistently, effectively and efficiently. Let us tell your story!

Your storyteller,

Rashid Mat