Poh Li Wong: Discovering God’s Hand Upon My Business
by Jason Law
When you walk alongside God in your business, He establishes it on a firm and secure foundation.
Leaving a corporate and salaried job can be an intimidating prospect, as one sister-in-Christ recently shares, but if God’s hand is upon it, it can be a worthwhile experience. This is the story of Wong Poh Li and her eventful and memorable journey in entrepreneurship.
The Background of Poh Li’s Journey into Entrepreneurship
Before Poh Li ventured into her own business, she had been working in the corporate world for many years. The vision of starting something for herself germinated when she was on a 2-year break from the corporate world.
She shares, “Like many who have never been in the food business but always thought it was something cool to do, I decided to venture into it when an opportunity presented itself. I had taken a 2-year break from the corporate world at the time and when an acquaintance suggested we team up to take over a café that was on the verge of closing, I decided to go for it.” Unfortunately, the partnership did not turn out.
Having ploughed an investment into the café, Poh Li and her husband decided to proceed on their own.
Encountering God Through Her Business
At the time Poh Li first started her café business many years ago, she was not a Christian. The initial years were tough as she had to learn from scratch, and because her café was located in the prime area of Taman Tun Dr Ismail, the rental was astronomical. It was a challenge to make ends meet but she persevered and a few years later, just after she had come to know the Lord, the opportunity to take on a second business presented itself.
Poh Li recounted, “One day, a Managing Partner of an MNC walked into my café and asked if I was interested to operate their staff cafeteria. This was something truly unexpected. Under normal circumstances, I would have had to tender for it, and yet here it was, handed to me on a platter! The terms were very good, and it was a no-brainer for me to accept. Out of the many cafés & restaurants in TTDI, how was it that mine was chosen? I hadn’t even made a name for myself in the industry! I knew it could only come from God.”
The cafeteria at the MNC turned out to be a blessing as its operational cost was considerably lower than Poh Li’s first cafe whilst revenue was significantly higher. This helped in covering the expenses of both businesses. However, she would find that the work involved in running them simultaneously was taking time away from herself and it was affecting her closeness in her walk with God. Her husband was also working at the time and could not help her as much as he would have liked to. Poh Li found herself working 7 days a week. “There was no life outside of work and barely enough time for God,” she reminisced.
Another Blessing from God
Near the end of 2019, Poh Li would encounter another blessing from God. She was offered another opportunity to operate a café in a clubhouse of a well-established condominium. “I was drawn to it as the café overlooked a pool with a beautiful resort setting. Again, the terms were a no-brainer but, unless I sold my first (the high-cost one) café, I couldn’t cope with running three.”
After praying about it, she was convinced that it was God’s plan for her to move there. In faith, she signed the lease agreement, leaving her only 2 months to find a buyer for the first café. She continued to pray and kept faith that, if this was God’s plan for her, He would bring along a buyer. And just 3 weeks after she had signed the lease agreement the Lord did exactly that! Furthermore, the buyer decided to let Poh Li keep the name of her cafe which helped to make the relocation to the new venue smooth and painless.
“After more than a decade in this business, I finally decided to give up my first café. This allowed me more time to grow in my relationship with God and to also serve in my church.” It was a growing experience but an important one that has shaped Poh Li’s relationship vis-à-vis God and her business.
“Needless to say, this was indeed God’s doing,” she relates, “removing all obstacles and paving the way for us to relocate. Business is good and growing and I am much happier at this new location.
“The café makes for an ideal venue for small group gatherings which was how we came to organizing Alpha at the Workplace – twice in three years! It has become clear to me that God, in His infinite wisdom, has led me to this café for a reason i.e., to reach out to those who are yet to know Him and to share the good news. He has proven, time and again, that He is ever faithful.”
Outside and Inside View of Poh Li’s new café
During COVID-19
Like every business, Poh Li’s has experienced several challenges during the difficult economic times caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The first MCO in 2020 put quite a dent into the business but God sustained it enough to cover her costs. Poh Li expressed her thankfulness that in comparison with many other F&B businesses that were forced to close, God had seen her through this tough time.
She shared, “We had to change our modus operandi. Generally, our business ratio comprises 40% condo residents whilst 60% are customers from outside the condo. Thus, with travel restrictions during the MCO, we’ve had to rely fully on the support of condo residents. To retain their interest on a daily basis, we had to resort to creating different menus daily. It worked quite well as the variety of cuisines gave the residents something to look forward to each day… but that also meant that my team and I had to work that much harder! I was constantly researching for new recipes and doing daily marketing whilst my kitchen chefs were cooking up a storm.”
It was a totally different story once the MCO was lifted. “It was as though God was saying, ‘I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten…’ because the business just kept growing. Not only were our regulars coming back,” Poh Li relates with joy, “they were introducing new customers to us. And, as more and more customers came, one amazing fact stood out – most were from the Christian community!! There were days when we could have held a church service at the café!
“Was God’s hand in this? Undoubtedly. He is making it abundantly clear that this café is His to do as He wills. And we are happy to leave it in His good hands.”
Hopes as a Christian Entrepreneur
Today, Poh Li is actively involved in several initiatives launched by her church to help individuals and families (both financially and in-kind) during the time of the pandemic. She details:
“We have a workplace community service centre in the heart of KL to reach out to the business community. We also host weekly talks by thought leaders, successful industry leaders, and start-ups to share their success for replication and to scale ideas into reality. Workplace at the River (W@tr) is a CSR partnership initiated by our church, a business entity, and non-profit organisations where businesses and individuals can congregate and make new connections. Due to the pandemic, we have had to put a stop to physical meetings and resort to conducting talks via zoom. Those who are interested to participate can log in to watr.org.my”
Conveying her hopes as a Christian entrepreneur both for herself and her company at this time when the economy seems to be opening after the MCO, but things have changed so dramatically, Poh Li expressed, “My wish is to continue serving the Lord in my personal capacity and through my business. If my business is a success, it is a testament to His faithfulness, and I am ever ready to give glory to God. By sharing my testimony, I hope to reach out to others particularly the pre-believers.”
