Malaysian bubbles over with ideas for his fun business

PUTRAJAYA - If music is the No. 1 thing that can bring people together, bubbles may just be No. 2, according to Isa Nawawi, owner of Giant Bubble Putrajaya.

His business specialises in giant bubbles that both kids and adults like to play with.

Giant Bubble operates from a shop in Putrajaya which also houses a cafe, Bubbles And Beans, allowing people to have parties and play with bubbles at the same time.

Mr Isa said his granddaughter, who loved playing with bubbles, inspired him to start the business.

"I did some online research and that's when I first got to know of giant bubbles," he recalled.

But he realised that nobody was selling giant bubble solutions locally.

He tried out the idea during a fun fair at his housing area, doling out RM300 (S$75) to buy ingredients for the bubble solution. People played with it using sticks he crafted with items he found around the house.

"The activity was a hit... I sold out and even made a RM20 profit," said Mr Isa.

Today, he sells a bowl of bubble solution for about RM2, and this provides about 20 minutes of play when using the smallest stick provided.

Currently, Giant Bubble has more than 200 agents selling the bubble solution domestically. People from the United States, Vietnam, Indonesia and Yemen have also purchased his goods.

The bulk of the firm's revenue comes from distributing the concentrated bubble solution.

"We sell and supply an average of 10,000 litres in a month. It's the type that, when mixed properly according to the instructions - and hopefully in the best kind of weather, which is after rain - can produce bubbles that are at least about 1.5m long," he explained.

He observed that people derive fun from large quantities of bubbles - not just large bubbles, so he came up with a stick designed to produce many bubbles at one go. This design was successfully patented, he said.

He added that the main business challenge comes from those who emulate his ideas. Nonetheless, this pushes him to constantly come up with creative offerings to excite his customers.

"Observing them (customers) and what makes them happy is the biggest inspiration in my drive to develop the business," he said.

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