Mr Paul Tan, managing director of Effort Holdings, says he is in the food business because it is recession proof. Mdm Sherifah found that going into food manufacturing was a natural step after her expe rience as a cooking instructor and food columnist. The first step for many of these local manufacturers is to promote their products at exhibitions like the SIAL Fair in Paris, Anuga Fair in Cologne and Foodex in Tokyo. Some work through agents in the countries they export to. Mdm Sherifah, for example, h as a Sydney-based agent who distributes her products in Australia.
Franchises are also popular.
In 1991, the STDB set up the Franchise Development Assistance Scheme which helps companies to defray part of the cost of developing and marketing franchises abroad. Old Chang Kee is one company which has benefitted from the sc heme. There are now Old Chang Kee franchises in Indonesia, South Africa, China, Japan and Malaysia. Finding the right franchisee is a vital step. Now, Old Chang Kee's curry puff factories in Singapore are used as a textbook example of how franchisees should run the business.