1. About Mutiara
Mutiara is a small business advisory practice based at Level 8, Menara Boustead Penang, Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, 10050 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia. We provide advisory and planning services to small business owners. We can be reached by telephone at +60 4 226 7184 or by email at [email protected].
2. Our Services
We offer advisory services to small business owners in Malaysia. Our current service offerings are as follows:
- Doorstep Conversation (RM 580) — A single introductory session including a written summary of observations and suggestions.
- Steady Footing Advisory (RM 1,240) — Two working sessions, a written advisory plan, and one follow-up review conversation.
- Long Verandah Programme (RM 1,960/month) — Monthly sessions, a shared planning document updated throughout the engagement, and considered support between scheduled visits.
The scope and deliverables of each service are described on our website and confirmed in writing prior to any engagement commencing. We may update our service offerings from time to time; the version current at the time of your booking will apply.
3. Engaging Our Services
3.1 Enquiry and agreement
An engagement begins when both parties have agreed in writing (including by email) on the service to be provided, the fee, and the intended start date. We do not consider a verbal conversation alone to constitute a formal engagement.
3.2 What we ask of you
To make the most of our sessions, we ask that you attend scheduled sessions at the agreed time, share relevant information about your business in good faith, and let us know in reasonable time if your circumstances change in a way that affects our work together. We work best when there is an open and candid conversation between us.
3.3 What you can expect of us
We will attend sessions punctually and prepared, deliver written outputs within the timeframe agreed, maintain the confidentiality of all information you share with us, and engage with your situation with care and without judgment.
4. Fees and Payment
4.1 Pricing
All fees are quoted in Malaysian Ringgit (RM) and are inclusive of any applicable taxes unless otherwise stated. The fee applicable to your engagement is confirmed at the time of booking.
4.2 Payment terms
For the Doorstep Conversation and Steady Footing Advisory, payment is due prior to the first session unless otherwise agreed. For the Long Verandah Programme, fees are due at the start of each monthly period. We will provide payment instructions upon confirmation of your engagement.
4.3 Late payment
If a payment is not received by the agreed date, we reserve the right to pause the engagement until the outstanding amount is settled. We will always contact you first to understand the situation before taking any such step.
4.4 Pricing changes
We may review our fees from time to time. Any change to pricing will not affect an engagement already confirmed in writing.
5. Cancellation and Rescheduling
5.1 By you
If you need to reschedule a session, please let us know at least 48 hours in advance where possible. We will do our best to accommodate a new time that suits you. Sessions cancelled with less than 24 hours notice may be counted as attended for billing purposes, though we will consider the circumstances before applying this.
5.2 For the Long Verandah Programme
You may end a Long Verandah Programme engagement by giving us 30 days' written notice. We will not charge for the month following the end of that notice period. Fees already paid for completed periods are not refunded.
5.3 By us
In the unlikely event that we need to cancel or reschedule a session, we will give you as much notice as possible and propose an alternative time promptly. If we are unable to deliver a session we have been paid for and no suitable alternative can be agreed, we will refund the relevant portion of the fee.
6. Confidentiality
We treat all information you share with us as confidential. We will not disclose details of your business, finances, or personal circumstances to any third party without your consent, except where required to do so by Malaysian law or a court order. This obligation continues after the end of your engagement with us.
We ask that you treat any written materials, observations, or frameworks we share with you as confidential to your own use, and not distribute them commercially without our prior agreement.
7. Intellectual Property
Written summaries, plans, and documents we produce specifically for you as part of your engagement are for your personal business use. General frameworks, methodologies, and templates that we use in our practice remain our intellectual property. You may use documents we produce for you within your own business, but not offer them for resale or publish them externally without our consent.
8. Nature of Our Advice
Our advisory services are intended to support your thinking and decision-making. We bring experience and a considered outside perspective, but we are not licensed financial advisers, accountants, or solicitors. Our observations and suggestions should be considered alongside advice from relevant regulated professionals where matters of law, tax, or formal financial planning are concerned.
The decisions you make for your business remain entirely yours. We are here to help you think things through, not to make decisions on your behalf.
9. Limitation of Liability
To the extent permitted by Malaysian law, our liability to you in connection with any engagement shall not exceed the total fees paid by you for the specific service in question. We are not liable for indirect losses, including loss of profit, revenue, or business opportunity, arising from the use of or reliance on our advice.
Nothing in these terms limits our liability for fraud, personal injury caused by our negligence, or any liability that cannot be excluded under applicable law.
10. Website Use
Our website at mutiara.cyou is provided for information purposes. We make reasonable efforts to keep it accurate and up to date, but we cannot warrant that all content is free from error at all times. We are not liable for any loss arising from reliance on website content alone.
We may update or remove website content at any time without notice.
11. Privacy and Data
The way we handle your personal information is described in our Privacy Policy, which forms part of the overall relationship between us. We handle all personal data in accordance with the Personal Data Protection Act 2010 (Malaysia).
12. Governing Law
These terms are governed by the laws of Malaysia. Any dispute that cannot be resolved between us directly shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of Malaysia. We would always prefer to resolve any misunderstanding in conversation first, and we welcome the opportunity to do so.
13. Changes to These Terms
We may update these terms from time to time. The version in effect at the start of your engagement is the one that applies to it. For new enquiries, the current version published on our website applies. We will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page when changes are made.
14. Contact
If you have any questions about these terms, or if you wish to discuss anything before committing to an engagement, please reach out:
- Email: [email protected]
- Telephone: +60 4 226 7184
- Post: Mutiara, Level 8, Menara Boustead Penang, Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, 10050 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia