June 22 2014 Sabay Company Field Trip

Now, our first report would be about which company? Let’s see some of our preview!

Just as you may know, he is CEO of Sabay Company whose name is Chy Sila. In fact, we had conducted an interview on 22^nd of June with him about the rise of Sabay company, the inspiration and some other information regarding to his company.

To begin with, Sabay is a start-up company and was first commenced at 2007 with a few remarkable people. However, up until now, there are over 1050 employees and 10 foreign employees.

Now, let’s hear directly from Mr. Sela what inspired him to start up Sabay?

“I just assume that this business is going to be great in the future. I went to many countries and I see that many people play game and the industry has become so big. So I explore it, I do research, I ask question to get some clues. Afterward, we have to find out what the investment term in it is and how to run it and what relation that need to apply and follow. You also need to know what is the minimum investment and if you can get revenue, what kind of revenue?

Example: I imagine if I start online game, I imagine no one in the countryside will play because of no internet. More than half a million of people are the age around 20 who live in Phnom penh so I thought that maybe 10% of the people can get access to the internet about 50,000 people. So I imagine if anyone spend 1 or 2$ to my game, I can get a profit of 10,000$ to 5000$.”

So, just from this motivation, was there anything he still needed to thoroughly observe?

“Before starting Sabay, we need to look around the other business as well as Global trance, which is something that happens now or in the future, and what the most popular thing is for people. Doing a business, you need to go with the flow. For instance, digital technology things are what people nowadays live with. Moreover, you have to consider your goals. Make sure that you are going to make quick money, less risk, and less complicated.”

That was a wonderful response! So, what he did more is to observe the global trance and predict what will be coming the future. The next question is during the start of the operation, what difficulties had he faced?

“For most businesses, the problem is they don’t know the industry they entered. Law and regulation is not mature or ready for the type of business. Technology is way too expensive beyond the investment. Another main challenge is finding a group of people who could work the same as you or better than you.

For Sabay, our main obstacle was suffering a business that kept spending money for 2 years without any income in 2007. We spent 2 years to get the first drop of our harvest.

Still, we could find the solution to solve it. The main thing is you never give up. If you fail, keep doing it until you success.”

Of course, business is not sth that can start instantly and without tenacity and capital, one cannot be existed.In the next 5 year, will Sabay still entertain or satisfy people?

“The word Sabay is the keyword that people want to hear and feel it. But not everyone can enjoy it also. The best way of making money is to make something that really inspire people and the whole world need.

The major needs of people, in my point of view, are four: food, fun, fashion and film.

Sabay can be defined in many ways. The first meaning of Sabay that I can define is“សាន្ត្រាន”(live peaceful). People could enjoy their peacefully life with no conflict and fulfill their daily life’s needs. And another definition is “សុភមង្គល” (happiness). That is what people really need to live happily ever after with their family and people surrounding them. So these are the dreams that I hope Sabay will reach to satisfy people. Sabay seems a simple word but It has a deep meaning inside.

I have a dream that someday Cambodia will reach to that level of happiness.

So Sabay will entertain or satisfy people in a long period.”

Surely, business people point of view is quite different from of ours, very abstract and deep. Now that the interview has come to an end, let’s sum up the report.

Mr. Chy Sila simply start up this company with the assumption that it will be the next big thing in Cambodia. He knew nothing about the industry. Yet he knew that it is something that the people will want wants, even though not now, but in the future. In the beginning, he faced many obstacles but that never stopped him. You don’t plant a seed today and expect to harvest the fruits tomorrow. He kept investing and relying on the skill of his staffs. He believes in his goal to entertain people and he believes that in the future, his company will continue to give what the people want.