KUALA LUMPUR, May 17 — Housewife Ooi Seow Li had only RM1,000 in her bank account back in 2009. She used that money to start her business selling children’s clothes from China on Facebook and today the 38-year-old earns a comfortable five-figure monthly income.

Conducting business through social media platforms such as Facebook has been growing the past few years with everybody from multinationals to home bakers cashing in on this alternative method of reaching new customers.

The latest to benefit from this phenomenon in Malaysia are housewives.

“I started on social media at the same time I started my business… first Blogspot, and then Facebook, Twitter and more. I started this business while taking care of my new-born at that time… social media is the only option for me since I want to work from home,” Ooi told Malay Mail Online.

A 2013 survey showed that close to 46 per cent of Malaysians were Facebook users, placing the country eighth in Asia for having the most registered users.

With the convenience of technology and the Internet, it has become easier for people to work from any location.

Unlike traditional businesses that were conducted inside a shop and needed staff, those who conducted businesses solely on social media do not have to bear much overhead costs.

According to a report by international media agency Nuanced Media, social media such as Facebook is one of the best online platforms to launch businesses as they are cost-efficient and have a vast pool of users for business people to tap on.

“My business has grown from zero to hero. I am practically debt free now and paid ahead a year for the properties I own,” she added.

Ooi’s customers mostly order through Facebook, although she found that the giant social media network has become less beneficial to her recently.

She limited her Facebook business activities to marketing and expanded her reach through other social media networks like Google Plus with varying degrees of success.

“I used to rely solely on Facebook but from a few months back, it has gotten stricter with business accounts activity. I am trying to switch to other media such as Google Plus but it doesn’t work as well because many people are unfamiliar with it,” Ooi said.

She is currently on a three-month break from April to June, so her Facebook page will be inactive till then.

Ooi, of course, is not alone in finding fortune through Facebook as tudung-sellers Siti Noraini Mohd Kamarulzaman and Salmira Ramli earn close to a thousand ringgit a week via their respective online businesses.

Selling only Fareeda brand tudungs, Siti Noraini and Salmira earn about RM8,000 and RM6,000 a month respectively. The former uses her personal Facebook account and a group one along with Instagram to promote her business while the latter relies solely on her own Facebook account.

Starting about five years ago, Siti Noraini said her interest in selling tudungs came after she realised she could re-sell some of her own tudungs.

“I really like Fareeda tudungs and sometimes, I want to add to my collection and sell some of those I already have… I realised I could re-sell as long they are in good condition,” the 26-year-old said.

“I post details of the latest collection on my own Facebook account and also on a group account, ‘Exclusively Fareeda’, and on my Instagram. I leave my Whatsapp contact details for potential customers.”

Some of her customers are willing to pay more than the retail price just to score the latest collection with some paying Siti Noraini about RM400 (retail price at RM108) for a tudung.

The same goes for Salmira, who wears tudungs from Fareeda as well, and jumped into the business once she realised she could make money from selling. She chose social media as it was convenient and can reach a high number of potential buyers.

“I use Facebook only. Fareeda have their sellers and I re-sell their products through my own Facebook account,” Salmira said, adding that her customers are mostly from Sabah and Sarawak.

When asked if she was relying on Facebook solely for business due to the high number of users in the country, Salmira answered: “Yes.”

Both Siti Noraini and Salmira only have to spend on courier services or products for their customers with occasional help from friends or family while Ooi has to spend a little more for an additional two people to help her.

“It’s not difficult at all to run the business while being a homemaker at the same time,” Ooi said, adding she can work with her mobile phone from anywhere.

“My business is fully online, I deal with my customers and everything is managed online so it is completely up to me when I have to make my ‘appearance.’ While I am away, I am not completely away, I will still be contactable via Facebook, Whatsapp or WeChat.”

Echoing Ooi’s view, Salmira said she can “take care of her kids while doing her business” and once she is done with her work, she can focus back on her family. Even Siti Noraini said there was “no burden” in balancing her business and family.

The biggest bonus for these housewives is financial independence. They don’t have to just rely on their husbands for money and can spend on things they want.

Salmira said that her husband “has also come to rely on her” while Siti Noraini said she can buy what she wants “with her own money.”