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Starting a business from scratch is no easy feat, but for these three Ngee Ann students, conquering the World Wide Web is just the beginning of their entrepreneurial endeavours.
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SAMANTHA QUEK, 22
BUSINESS STUDIES GRADUATE
I want to follow the footsteps of cosmetic company Sephora! But instead of just opening up a chain of stores, I want to develop and market a complete skincare line that caters to every type of woman out there.
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After setting up and running campus F&B outlet Smooch Cafe, Samantha and business partner Ernest Tan decided to delve into the beauty business. Together, they started The Nature Skin, an online shop that sells and distributes all-natural health and beauty products. The business has grown tremendously, and their unique products can even be found at TotallyHotStuff at The Cathay.
BUSINESS COMES FIRST...
My partner and I run Smooch Cafe at NP on a full-time basis, and we realised that there’s not much work to do during the school holidays. So we decided to break into the e-commerce market! We wanted a feasible online business, so we picked something that I am very familiar with — cosmetics!
COOL, FUN AND QUIRKY...
All our products use natural, organic ingredients, and we get them from countries like Korea, Australia and the United States. I’m like any other girl out there; I’m always looking for the latest beauty and health products, and I love things that are fun and unique. That’s why I make sure that the items we carry have special skin benefits, are compact enough to fit into a handbag, are affordable and have standout packaging that catches the eye!
IT WASN’T ALWAYS SO EASY...
It’s the first time I’m venturing into the online business model, so there were a lot of obstacles along the way. The biggest challenge was communicating with the overseas suppliers. We had problems understanding their heavy accents, and even getting them to believe that we are a legit company! Thankfully we had the support of friends, family and schoolmates.
NGEE ANN GAVE HER THE SKILLS TO SURVIVE...
In NP, I specialised in Entrepreneurship, and I have to admit that what I’ve learnt in school has given me an advantage in the working world. There were always things like discussions, presentations
and group meetings, and although I didn’t realise it then, I understand now how important those classes were. I’ve become more daring and confident in my abilities, and definitely more prepared to enter into business.
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SOPHIA CHONG, 20
BUSINESS STUDIES, YEAR 3
I look up to a lot of fashion designers, but I want to set myself apart from them! Right now, my inspiration is style blogger Rumi from Fashion Toast.
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Fashion-lover Sophia wanted to bring her expertise for clothes and couture one step further — by creating a blogshop where like-minded shoppers can share in her passion for fashion. The Juice Market now has a loyal fanbase, and Sophia has even designed and manufactured her own line of swimwear. THIS ISN’T JUST YOUR REGULAR ONLINE FASHION SHOP...
When I started The Juice Market in 2009, I wanted it to be different from other blogshops. The outfits are more runway-inspired and they look high-end. Most blogshops tend to have the same look and feel, and they usually offer affordable items with compromised qualities. For my shop, I wanted the items to stand out. I believe that when it comes to fashion, what you wear should say something about who you are, and that’s what makes Juice Market different! RUNNING A BLOGSHOP IS HARDER THAN IT LOOKS...
There are always challenges to overcome, like having to handle difficult customers. There was even a period of time when I made a bad business deal, and as a result, I lost quite a bit of money. The logical thing to do at that time was to close down the blogshop, but because it’s such a passion of mine, I took up a part-time job to recoup my losses. I decided to put in even more effort into the website, and I updated it more regularly. I’m glad I stuck it out, because in the past six months, I have had more visitors to the site than ever before! IT TAKES DRIVE, PASSION AND AMBITION...
The clothes on The Juice Market are outfits that I would wear. The theory is; if I won’t wear them, why would my customers want to? I wanted to do something different, so recently, I manufactured my own range of swimwear, and I’m glad everyone loved them! I would love to explore more opportunities like that, but what I really want is to set up a cafe / library / boutique; someplace that’s cosy and comfortable where customers can just chill out. But there are a lot of factors to consider first, like a suitable location. I’m slowly working towards that dream!
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NICK THNG, 21
ACCOUNTANCY, YEAR 3
I'm modelling my career after Steve Jobs! I love how he can create something clean and simple, and yet powerful and life-changing. Like him, I have big dreams, and I want to create something on the Internet that will change the world.
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Nick founded and created two Internet businesses, and is already working on a prototype for his third. The successes of shopping portal Dooxle and Internet advertising company Social Wave have even caught the eyes of international investors as well as some big shots from Silicon Valley. IT ALL BEGAN WITH A GREAT IDEA...
Social Wave is a business that helps companies with their social media advertising. It started when I realised that in the local market, many companies don’t know how to take advantage of social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. I set up Social Wave to help these companies with their social media advertising and marketing. I started with only a S$400-budget, and within a week, I secured a client and made a profit! A ROCKY ROAD TO SUCCESS...
Running the company is a full-time venture, and since I’m still studying, it means I have to juggle the job with my schoolwork! Working on the websites takes up a lot of time, and I find that I have to be willing to step out of my comfort zone and take risks, traits that I picked up at NP. I’ve actually had several failed startups before, but I see failure as a learning experience, and look where it’s gotten me now. BEING IN SCHOOL HAS ITS PERKS...
I have mentors and lecturers in NP who always offer advice, and they’re the ones who encouraged me to start a business. NP also has initiatives like Enterprise Funding and Ideawerkz to provide startup funds for people like me. It also helps that I have so many schoolmates because they act like my very own focus group — I can test out new business ventures with my friends in school, and get conducive feedback. THE FUTURE LOOKS BRIGHT...
Locally, both Social Wave and Dooxle have strong foundations, so I’m looking into expanding the businesses internationally. I’m actually in talks with investors who are interested in Social Wave, and I’m really excited because we’re discussing opportunities to go to Silicon Valley to develop it further! I want to go global, and I’m actually in the midst of planning a third business prototype.
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