What is the nature of your business? (Business Profile)
Skateline basically consists of three divisions, Skate School, Skate Retail, and Skate Community. The main objective of Skateline is to promote inline skating as a healthy lifestyle for all. To achieve this objective, it was critical for us to first introduce people to skate. We started a skate school and insisted that the school meets the highest denominator in inline skate instruction. We also realized that for skaters to enjoy the sport, it was important for them to have good quality products. The retail division was introduced and its objective was to provide a good range of skates and skate accessories so that skaters can be properly equipped. We also recognized that for any sport to grow, there must be strong bonding and community. Hence community programs and projects to involve skaters in the community became the third pillar for the business.

What made you embark on this venture choice?
It started because I wanted my kids to learn how to skate but we had to learn on our own. Through trial and error, scrapes and sprains, we managed but only up to a point. It got frustrating because it got more difficult as we progressed. At that time, there were no skate schools or properly certified instructors giving regular lessons. It was only a few years later that I managed to attend a properly conducted class by a certified instructor and instantly fell in love with the learning and progress I was making. It occurred to me then that there was opportunity to start a service to teach people to skate. I immediately sourced for the best inline skating instructor program and got myself certified. I returned with a certification and began teaching friends to skate, they introduced their friends and my love for introducing skating to friends became a business, a skate school. That was how Skateline started.

How does your business work?
Skateline's core business is the Skate School. Skateline conduct classes for different levels of skaters. These classes are conducted by certified instructors. The Skate Retail shops provide top quality skating equipment. As for the Skate Community, we have thousands registered. We organize volunteer programs for skaters to be involved in like the Skate Assist Volunteer Program, the National Park Safety Campaigns and Charity Events. We also organize other social programs for the skating community like the Saturday Night Skates, Skate Clinics, Competitions and activities that bring the skating community together.

Did you have the capital to start the business or did you have to borrow from someone to get started?
Yes, I actually pumped in $5000 when I started Skateline now after 6 years, we are required to be GST registered. I bought a van and all the necessary equipment for conducting skating classes. When I started this business I was just conducting lessons in the evening, there was no skate retail shop, and the skate community was still just a dream.

Do your parents have their own businesses too? Have they inspired you in one way or another?
No, my parents are not entrepreneurs. However since an early age, I had always had the knack for turning my hobbies into additional source of income. For example, before the introduction of COEs, I used to buy old cars, did them up, drove them around for a while and sold them for a profit.

What was your childhood dream? When did you decide that you would strike out on your own instead of working for someone else?
I did not intend to be my own boss or even to start my own business. My current job remains my calling and vocation. When I started Skateline, it was just a way to express myself through my hobby. I did not dream that it would grow to be earning me 5 times more then my regular job. I guess I could leave my work anytime but I prefer that my business remain a hobby. This way, I know that I will keep enjoying the sport and promoting it with passion and not risk letting it become work and loose the joy and passion for skating.

Why does someone decide to be on their own rather than join an existing company?
Starting your own business is much more challenging, and of course you are more in control. You may have a vision, and you want to fulfill it. But the most important thing in my opinion is to be able to see the result of being passionate in what you do and know that you can earn a good living and enjoy your work too.

Are there at any point in your life that you experienced a significant event (WW2, racial riots of the 1960s, the Economic Crisis of the 80s or 90s, SARS, new competition or shifts in market behaviour and trends) which affected or influenced you and your business that made you change the way you think and do your business?
Yes, when it was so difficult finding an inline skate instructor to teach me the proper techniques so that I can enjoy the sport. I kept hurting myself when trying to learn simple maneuvers. This alone made me determined that when I started Skateline, no one will have to face the same difficulty of having to learn skating on their own.

What are some of the challenges in starting a business from scratch? (Modify question to what are some of the challenges in maintaining a family business if applicable.)
I guess the most difficult part is finding the right people to share your passion. I started Skateline as a one man business and I did everything from teaching, cleaning and washing the gear, maintaining the skates to admin work. I would consider myself fortunate that when Skateline grew, I managed to find a few skaters who shared my passion for inline skate instruction. This was a key element in making Skateline such a success. Finding time to build the business is also a challenge and sacrifices had to be made, in my case, the greatest sacrifice was that I could not find time to skate.

Who/What motivates you?
Definitely the sport itself, inline-skating. It is just amazing. Do you know that skating is the only sport one uses lateral movement to go forward? Very interesting. The only other creature that does this on earth are fish. This explains the inexplicable feeling of being able to skate. Furthermore, it is a very graceful sport; you just love the feeling of rolling. I genuinely think that my passion for skating has driven me to share the sport’s uniqueness to the community at large, it is this that motivates me.

Tell me about the first few customers and the first few years of business.
The first few customers really encouraged me a lot, because they really enjoyed themselves in learning. They also learnt very quickly. The first few years of business, I did not draw any salary. Profits were ploughed into the business to promote the sport.

Please tell me some stories of your best day in business or your proudest achievement to date.
One of my proudest achievements is to see how the skating community in Singapore has developed. The recent study by Singapore Sports Council placed inline skating in the top 20 sports that Singaporeans choose. This really shows how the sport has grown over the last 5-6 years. Our community programs such as the NParks safety campaign is also one that I am very proud of. We have successfully coordinated with schools so that students can clear their CIP (Community Involvement Program) hours with Skateline as Student Volunteer. They will help us promote safe skating and park safety while clearing their CIP hours. The culmination was of course being recognized and invited to share in the National Day Dinner with the President. Another very proud moment that just happened recently was when Rollerblade, Inc, one of the biggest skate manufacturers in the world, quoted Skateline as having "The most professional and well structured skate school program in the world". Being esteemed with a quote like that by such a big player in the industry really displays the quality of Skateline and sure it is something that I can be proud of.

Do you recall your worst day in business? Have you ever felt like giving up?
Not really the worst day but there were moments when I felt like giving up. This was when we had to meet commitments to our banks and cash flow seems tight at times. Other then that, we had much success to be happy with.

When was the moment you realised the business would work and support you?
I realized that there was money to be made when I took my first skating lesson. Then there were no properly organized skate school that was being marketed and promoted professionally. It was an opportunity, skating was fun, people had to learn to skate, I enjoyed teaching people to skate, what better money opportunity then to be able to bring a need and a skill through a transaction.

What are some of the things you have had to overcome to succeed?
There were sacrifices that I have made for Skateline. For example, my family time on weekends is now taken for classes, and my leave from work are now taken for Skateline business trips. One unique but difficult challenge we managed to deal with was that we now represent competing brands in our distribution arm. Rollerblade and K2 are the top two competing brands in skating equipment. Usually they do not allow distributor/retailers to handle their brands together. But amazingly they made exceptions for Skateline. I believe they really see what Skateline is all about, and they think that Skateline is different from other distributor/retailers, in that we were earnestly committed to promoting the sport and not just our business.

What are some qualities that you feel you possess which differentiate you from someone who works for others?
I think it is innovation, meaning that I are able to see differing options in given scenarios and create opportunities out of them . For me, I think that passion is the key. Innovation and passion, guided by a vision, these are the key of entrepreneurship in my opinion.

To succeed in business, what qualities are essential? What are some of the secrets in making a successful business?
Again, I would say passion. It is the one that drives you, the one that pushes you through the difficult times, and most importantly, you are happy working on it. Once you know your passion, you need creativity and innovation to be able to find out a way to make it a source of income for you.

Who or what inspires you?
Skaters really inspire me. Seeing skaters at parks give me a "high".

Have you ever thought of expanding the business in some way or in multiple locations? How and where?
Yes, in fact Skateline's vision is to be the model business for the promotion of inline skating in the international arena. I want other countries to follow our business model, to be able to promote inline skating as a lifestyle. Our business model includes the skate school, skate retail, and skate community. At present, we have 6 outlets in Singapore and one outlet in Kuala Lumpur. Skateline was privatized in 2004 and franchised its first outlet in 2005. We continue to work toward this vision through partnering and advising several entities in China, Korea, Japan, Germany, and US, to promote our business model to the international market.

What aspects of expansion would you like to see for your enterprise?
As I said before, I want our business model to be replicated internationally.

In your opinion, how would you define entrepreneurship?
I would say it is the spirit to dare. Many people can come up with ideas, but they just can't make it happen. The "spirit" is active passion. You need to have an idea, and then take the necessary steps to make it happen. Also, to know that if you don't succeed, it is not a failure its just that you have just not succeeded yet.

To what extent does one's educational level help or hinder entrepreneurial-ship?
I think we all need to have the basic grounding in education. But most importantly, you need to know your business really well. You must know your product, the industry you are competing in and the market trends in general. I don’t think it is about academic qualifications, but it is more on the practicality of knowledge. For example, if you sell chicken rice, you have to know how to make the best chicken rice; you have to know your competitors and what edge you have over them and exploit that edge. Of course knowing your finance and marketing will be a plus, but I think that is not the main focus. Being an expert in the product or service is what makes the difference

As we try to select the final 41 entrepreneurs, what qualities would you think a person should have to inspire others?
They should be ordinary people with passion; ordinary people who have shown that because they dared, they succeed; ordinary people who through learning a skill have honed it to become experts in their field; ordinary people who have worked hard and have had their dreams come true.

What are some of your own values in doing business and what do you like to pass down to others, particularly the younger generation?
Businesses are supposed to pay back to the community. Any business should return and should bring benefits to the community. Why? Simply because it is the community that makes them successful.

What advice would you give young people who want to start their own business?
They must make up their minds about what drives them (i.e. passion), don't think to much, but of course don't be reckless. Just go and do it. Remember to be realistic. Youngsters and their ideals are not bad, because those ideals keep them striving for something. But remember to be realistic. And lastly, work hard. Sweat and entrepreneurship are always a package.

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