Entrepreneurial Spirit

Raymond Chou talks entrepreneurship and how EO Malaysia helps shape the business-minded

- Aaron Pereira

“I started my first unofficial business when I was 14,” shares Raymond Chou, the CEO and owner of Infront Consulting—a digital solution provider that helps other businesses navigate its digital transformation. In a bid to help his mother sustain their livelihood, he became her best (and only) salesman, selling the cookies she made.

Fast-forward several years later, Chou obtains his degree in sound engineering. After spending six years in London, where he gained experience working in the music industry, he decided to return to Malaysia. “I came back in 1998, and it was a reality check. I realised there was limited support for the music industry here, at least back then,” he recalls. Seeking employment, he applied for a job and although impressed with his credentials, he was taken aback when they only offered him a monthly salary of only RM600.

“Thankfully, I developed a passion for business and entrepreneurship,” says Chou, 48, who started his first company at the age of 22. It was a small setup, providing copywriting and marketing services. He adds, “It was a small agency, and when I say agency, I mean it was just my business partner and me.”