What is the nature of your business? (Business Profile)
We teach dance and we provide performances for shows and events. We also provide education in dance by working with schools and running our own Developing Artistes Programme.

What made you embark on this venture choice?
Because we like to dance. We felt that there was a market for the style of dancing that we do and they way that we do it. We try to make it cool and hip. It's not just art. It's about a lifestyle and the way that young people lead their lives. We try to provide that as we felt that the other dance schools did not.

How does your business work?
The business started off with the provision of dance classes. Performances were a periphery. But they are very related. Once people know we have dance classes they will ask us to do performances. Dance classes also enable us to hand-pick potential future performers. We also have a comprehensive kids program targeting children ages 2 and up.

Did you have the capital to start the business or did you have to borrow from someone to get started?
We put in our own money but we had to raise our own capital too.

Do your parents have their own businesses too? Have they inspired you in one way or another?
No, our parents did not.

What was your childhood dream? When did you decide that you would strike out on your own instead of working for someone else?
Sing: I never saw it coming. One thing led to another. I started to dance and enjoyed it so much then I started to teach it and felt that it could lead to something more. I met the right person then who helped made the dream and the idea come true. And then one day we say yes, and the next day we got the studio. The right things were at the right place at the right time with the right people. So we just went for it. Fen: I've been dancing all my life but I was never a really good dancer. I was the one who couldn't keep time with the music. So I pursued a career in banking & finance. But as Sing said, it was the right time and the right opportunity that led us to open the studio.

Why does someone decide to be on their own rather than join an existing company?
Sing: Our ideas were bigger than any other dance schools at that time. We did try to work with and work for other dance schools but it just didn't work out. They had different visions and they didn't understand what we were trying to do (Lindy Hop). That particular school environment was wrong for what we were trying to attract. Our idea was something else. The only way was to create it ourselves. Fen: To be on their own, they must have a very specific vision of what they want and for Jitterbugs we envisioned it to be this really fun, happy, cool and exciting place to be in. In fact, it's much more than that. It's a lifestyle. It's about people coming together to do classes and to hang out. We've had students who have been with us ever since we started and they still hang out with us. It's about creating those kind of bonds as well. Sing: I think people who start their own business want to do something which they feel no one else can provide. And they are willing to take that risk because they believe in it. Of course you don't do it just because it sounds fun, but because you believe in it and believe that there is a market for it.

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?
No.

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.)
Sing: Gaining customers, building a reputation and hiring good staff. Fen: Creating sustainability so that you are not just a passing fad. And then passing this on to students, so that they don't dance just because it's the in thing., but because they love it. We want to impart our passion for what we love and what we do best – which is dancing, and in doing so, allow people to find their passion in dance.

Who/What motivates you?
Sing: The business itself motivates me. Now our business is very complicated. There are so many aspects to it and it is really exciting. There are so many things to do every day and we are always juggling a few projects simultaneously. It is very satisfying when each project is completed. But these projects are all short-term. The bigger picture is to create and grow the dance industry so that we have a future in our business. This vision we have for the studio motivates us. Fen: Yeah I guess it is rewarding. We run a Developing Artistes Program for dancers who want to pursue dancing as a career. When we first joined the industry, dance was not perceived as a practical career and we’re doing our little bit to change that. We want to create a viable career for those who are talented and who can. We provide them with teaching and performing opportunities. Some of our dancers have even performed internationally.

Tell me about the first few customers and the first few years of business.
Fen: We didn't have difficulty with our first students as they came to us wanting to learn. But we did dance everywhere and anywhere that people allowed us to. We're not shy to get up there and dance, show people what we have and have name cards to hand out. Sing: Yeah, we didn't have problems with students but we did do a lot of freebie dancing.

Please tell me some stories of your best day in business or your proudest achievement to date.
Fen: Getting 100 dancers dancing for National Day and putting 46 dancers in Chingay this year. Most significantly, opening the Millenia Walk Studio that is 5000 sq feet, twice as large as our old studio and the largest commercial studio in Singapore. Sing: Milenia Walk isn't a spectacular location. We're not in the middle of Orchard Road with bustling traffic. So we know that people come here because they're looking for Jitterbugs and they wanna do classes with us, not because they want to window-shop. We draw a deep sense of pride from that.

Do you recall your worst day in business? Have you ever felt like giving up?
Sing: The studio is a huge liability. It's so big so it's hard to maintain and to meet the monthly operational costs. But it has to be big in order to support our volume of students. We wished that the mall was a livelier place. It would help us so much.

When was the moment you realised the business would work and support you?
Fen: I don't think we gave ourselves a choice. We just had to make it work.

What are some of the things you have had to overcome to succeed?
Fen: It depends on how success is defined. I think on the outside people would think that the studio is a success. We have X number of students, there are so many people coming in every day and after classes are taught people usually leave happy. We don't have that many complaints, people are satisfied and they come back to us. Sing: The challenge is actually maintaining this volume of students

What are some qualities that you feel you possess which differentiate you from someone who works for others?
Fen: We could go with all the normal answers but it's not about that. Sing: Yeah. It's just that we had the opportunity and there was something that we wanted to do but for other people, maybe they wanted to work for the government or maybe they enjoy it. We wanted to dance but no one wanted to employ us. If there was someone who would hire us then to do what we do now, we would have gladly accepted it.

To succeed in business, what qualities are essential? What are some of the secrets in making a successful business?
Sing: You have to be realistic, consistent and know where you are going. Fen: Yeah, you have to keep going even when people say you are crap. Believe in yourself.

Who or what inspires you?
Both: Frankie Manning. Sing: He is a dancer, choreographer and instructor of Lindy Hop. At 93 years of age now he is considered one of the founding fathers of the dance. He inspires us because he remembers that it is about the dance. Even though Lindy Hop was the reason why we started Jitterbugs, it is easy to be caught up in the business of it and the politics. We may forget that it's about the dance and Frankie Manning reminds us of that. Fen: We are also inspired by our students. In our Developing Artistes Programme, when we see the level of improvement and progress in our students, we are inspired to give them more. They learn to appreciate and respect the dance so much and take ownership of the programme with a sense of pride and respect for what they do. This is something we hope they carry with them throughout their lives.

Have you ever thought of expanding the business in some way or in multiple locations? How and where?
Sing: We do want to expand but haven't got anything concrete yet. Either in other parts of Singapore or overseas.

What aspects of expansion would you like to see for your enterprise?
We would like to have more locations to give our customers a wider choice.

In your opinion, how would you define entrepreneurship?
Someone who starts a business and takes the risk that nobody else would.

To what extent does one's educational level help or hinder entrepreneurial-ship?
Fen: No. It doesn't matter at all. Sing: Perhaps it's the broad sense of education – education of experience, of how things work and how to go about doing things. It’s important to ask the right people for help when you need it.

As we try to select the final 41 entrepreneurs, what qualities would you think a person should have to inspire others?
Fen: A sense of humour, the ability to laugh at yourself even in the worst situation. I think you really have to love what you do and what you want to do. Passion is very important. Sing: Passion and integrity. That's what we balance and juggle every day. We want to give the best but on the other hand we are running a business so we can't always do that. We try to find a win-win situation.

What are some of your own values in doing business and what do you like to pass down to others, particularly the younger generation?
Sing: Patience, integrity, passion. Fen: A sense of humour.

What advice would you give young people who want to start their own business?
Sing: Do your research, do all your sums. Never be afraid to ask for help when you need it. You have to believe in your product and stand by it. If you can't, then you are lying.

Was it a very difficult decision to give up your corporate careers back then to open the studio?
Fen: Yes it was. I gave up a credible banking career to pursue something that at that point of time was not seen as a wise decision. But I believe that if I hadn't taken the opportunity I would have regretted it.

Student Interviewer's Personal Comment