For Mr. Aszuad Bin Zakaria, founder and CEO of Cloudworks Record Malaysia, the entertainment industry is more than a business, it’s a lifelong passion. Since 2004, he has built his company into a multi-service creative force, offering music label operations, artist management, event planning, concert execution, and public relations support. But behind the lights, music, and stage shows lies a financial reality familiar to many creative entrepreneurs: unpredictable income, long payment cycles, and heavy upfront costs.

A Business Built on Passion,
as well as Personal Sacrifice

Before turning to microfinancing, Mr. Aszuad relied entirely on his personal savings to keep Cloudworks Record running. Most of his corporate clients take up to 60 days to process payments, while events, music videos, and productions all require upfront capital.

This meant he often had to “spend his own money first,” covering staff salaries, project expenses, and production costs long before payments came in. The stress was constant. While creative work thrives on inspiration, business survival depends on cash flow.

When Traditional Borrowing Fell Short

With income fluctuating month-to-month and scammers becoming increasingly common, finding a trustworthy financing partner was a major challenge.

Microfinance lenders also tend to have a thorough approval process, making it difficult for fast-moving creative companies like his to secure timely support.

What he needed wasn’t just funding, but reliability as well.

The Turning Point: A Trusted Recommendation

The breakthrough came through a close friend who had successfully taken a loan from FundingBee. That personal endorsement, “the green light” as he describes it, gave Mr. Aszuad confidence that FundingBee was legitimate, safe, and genuinely supportive of SMEs.

I applied and secured my first loan through an in-person process at Brickfields, KL. Later, I obtained a second loan fully online, and the experience was smooth — easy to understand and reliable.

Putting the Loan to Work

The microfinance loan became essential working capital for Cloudworks Record, enabling him to move more decisively in a fast-paced industry. The funds were used for:

• Music video and production expenses
• Project-related costs
• Staff salaries
• General working capital
  

This allowed Cloudworks Record to run multiple projects simultaneously without financial strain and without Mr. Aszuad needing to dip into his personal funds each time.

Building Confidence Through Discipline

Repayment hasn’t always been easy, especially during slower project periods. But he has never missed a payment, and that consistency has transformed his mindset. Meeting his monthly commitments gives him a sense of confidence, stability, and control: something rare in the entertainment business.

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