Yin Min Han on Opportunity, Automation, and Building a Trusted Local Brand in Myanmar

By Kekeletso Nkele, small.news Assistant

Q: How do you hope people use it?

A: We mainly target customers dealing with muscle aches, joint aches, and pain — especially people who sit for long hours. It also works as aromatherapy because it’s based on essential oils, and the scent is not overwhelming.

If you have a sore throat, muscle pain, or a cough, you can apply it to your chest to keep you warm and comfortable. It’s a product the whole family can use.

Q: What’s it like to run a family business and then build something brand new as well?

A: All our brands sit under the same company, but they target different markets. Hao Su Balm speaks to a very traditional consumer — mothers, grandmothers, older adults who have grown up with remedies like this. Our newer brand is more focused on design, contemporary packaging, and aromatherapy, and targets athletes and younger consumers.

So we have different consumer groups, and the two directions are not a contradiction — they’re complementary.

Q: What is it like to build a business in Myanmar?

A: Myanmar sits between two very large nations — China and India — and is surrounded by Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos. We are still a developing country, and the environment has been shaped by significant political changes and supply chain restrictions.

What we saw in that difficulty was an opportunity. Demand for imported products was high, but supply was unreliable. So we moved into mass manufacturing for local consumers. The current government is actively encouraging local production over imports, and we are taking full advantage of that favorable environment.

Q: How do you think about production at scale?

A: Since 2023, I have moved the entire production line to more than 80% automation. Once the formula goes into the machine, everything from filling to packaging runs automatically. Our team oversees the process rather than manually handling it, which means it is hygienic, consistent, and capable of reaching full capacity when needed.

That automation allows us to distribute widely across Myanmar and is now enabling us to pursue export. Due to geopolitical shifts between Thailand and Cambodia, there is a real opening to bring Hao Su Balm into the Cambodian market. We have already received government approval, and the process is in place.

Q: Are you seeing your costs rise significantly?

A: Yes — raw material costs have doubled or tripled in some cases. But because I order in large batches, I am able to absorb those increases and maintain stable pricing for our consumers. If you order in small batches and each order is more expensive than the last, you lose control of your pricing entirely, and that hurts the customers you most want to serve.

Batch ordering is how I balance costs and protect the people who rely on this product.

Q: How do you see the Myanmar economy right now?

A: We are in an early but more positive stage than we were last year. Following the election, business owners have more confidence — there is less reluctance to expand, invest in new manufacturing capacity, or extend current projects. In my other business, piling and construction, we are seeing real appetite from local investors who want to build and grow.

I feel more optimistic now than I did twelve months ago, even accounting for the challenges we continue to face, including the earthquake that struck the country earlier this year.

Q: What is the business climate for small businesses in Myanmar?

A: It depends enormously on the business owner’s mindset. Everyone knows the environment is tough. What separates those who grow from those who stay stuck is how they think about access — access to markets, to connections between business owners, to local and international opportunities.

When you see restriction, you feel restricted. When you see opportunity — like the space created by import restrictions — you move into it. We did research to improve product quality and build customer trust in local products rather than waiting for conditions to improve. That is the mindset that creates opportunity in a difficult environment.

Q: What causes you the most concern?

A: The landscape is changing very fast, and my biggest concern for small businesses in Myanmar is disruption — supply chain disruption, environmental disruption, and the disruption of rapidly evolving technology. Even now, we are dealing with serious flooding in the rainy season. There is a lot happening at once.

What I want small business owners to hold onto is focus. Keep your eyes on your business plan: how to grow year by year, how to keep moving toward your goal rather than being pulled off course by everything happening around you.

On technology, I want to push back on a common belief — that AI is only for large corporations. That is not true. AI is making small businesses more capable and more competitive. The gap between what a large corporation can access and what a small business can access is beginning to close. For SMEs, that is not a threat. It is one of the biggest opportunities we have had in a long time.

Q: If you had a Magic Silver Wand and you could wave it and you could make one thing true for every single small business owner in the world, what would you use your wand for?

A: Better access — for all small businesses. Access to knowledge, technology, research, the right people, and the right community. That access changes everything.

Q: How do we all support you?

A: What I would love to see more of is connection — not only business-to-business, but small business to university research centers, to technology and AI experts, to investors, and to international markets. All of those connections can open doors that small businesses in Myanmar, and everywhere, cannot open alone.

Silver Lining is a good example of what that kind of community can do. I would love to see more of it.

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