What is the nature of your business? (Business Profile)
We are in a bikini and beachwear retail business where we offer one-to-one consultation to our customers. We pay special attention to the cutting, sizing, design and quality, to recommend the right bikini for each and every individual customer, thus making it possible for her to "Get the right bikini at the first try." We continuously source for our products internationally to add new exciting labels to our already diverse collection.

What made you embark on this venture choice?
I chose the bikini line ultimately as I was one of those who had difficulties in finding the right bikini. Nine years ago I bought my first bikini which looked so terrible on me that I had never wore it out. Hence, I had the vision of getting my customers to buy bikinis that really suit them and enhance their assets so that they will be confident in wearing bikinis instead of one-piece swimwears.

How does your business work?
After working in the business for 2 years together with my part-time Bikini Consultants, I decided to expand fully on the business. I got my sister, Dawn to join us as full time staff to be in charge of the day-to-day operations of the shop. Meanwhile, I prepare the business for rapid expansion by shifting my focus to source for leading international bikini brands, thereby strengthening our brand equity as well as incorporating a system into the business for it to work on its own.

Did you have the capital to start the business or did you have to borrow from someone to get started?
I had very little savings but I did not want to borrow from my parents. Hence, I borrowed minimally from my brother and boyfriend (who is now my husband) to start my business on a small budget.

Do your parents have their own businesses too? Have they inspired you in one way or another?
Yes. My father started his carpentry business when he was 19 years old. I admire my father's drive and love for his business and job. He works 364 days a year (the only day off was for Chinese New Year), 18 hours a day, and he never gets tired of his job! This drives me to find a career that I can truly embrace in and be a dynamic advocator of it.

What was your childhood dream? When did you decide that you would strike out on your own instead of working for someone else?
My childhood dream was to follow my father’s footsteps, i.e. to be very independent. My father started working when he was 13 years old, and by 19 years old he started his own company without getting any help from his family. He taught my siblings and me that we have to be independent and to achieve what we want in life, we have to fight for it. His duty as a father is only to provide us with the basic necessity of life: food, shelter and education. I started working when I was 14 years old, as I wanted to have the means to provide for myself the things that I wanted. I remembered that all my other friends were enjoying their holidays after 'A' levels when I was busy giving tuition from 8 a.m to 10 p.m. for 7 days a week. However, the number of assignments that I could take up was only limited due to time. Hence, I knew that to earn more, I would have to think out of the box. I decided to start my first business, which was a tuition agency. Matching tutors to parents required less time and yet gave higher returns. Moreover, the start up capital for the tuition agency is only less than $200.

Why does someone decide to be on their own rather than join an existing company?
Actually, it really depends on each and every individual’s personal experience as well as the environment that he/she is in. For me, it is the satisfaction and the opportunity to enjoy the steep learning curve.

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?
To date, I have not really experienced setbacks that was too hard for me to handle. But, I would have to admit that zero sales per day for the first week of the business really demoralized me to the extent that I did not even feel like opening the shop. Our initial focus was on body care product, however demand was simply too low and the total revenue was barely enough to cover the rental. I do not want to admit defeat; however my backup capital was pretty near to zero. Hence, I decided to act fast and ride on the bikini wave instead. On top of that I did away with my shyness and treated my customers like friends. This move proved to work and The Art Of Seduction became The Art Of Seduction - Bikini Club instead. After this, I knew where my business should be heading towards to and which market I should analyze in order to strategize.

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.)
One of the challenges was the lack of time which slowed down my progress. I started the business when I was in my final year in Singapore Management University, thus I had to juggle between my business, studies, projects and internship. To start a business from scratch, I really need a lot of time. I need to talk to my customers to know what do they really need, do competitors' analysis to examine the extent of the customers' satisfaction, identify my market niche and tailor my operation to cater to the niche market. That's not all. I have to come up with a proper business system to make sure that my business can still survive without me. Though lack of strong capital is also another challenge, I will never let that be a hindrance. If I see the potential in the investment for a new brand, I will try to raise funds and grab the opportunity.

Who/What motivates you?
(1)Our Customers. Occasionally, our customers will call and tell us that they need bikinis from us urgently; this motivates us to operate beyond our normal operation hours. (2)Fashion Editor. Our shop is very small compared to big players in the market, hence when fashion editors of reputable magazines borrowed our bikinis for photo shoot, we can feel our presence in the market. This made us to strive harder to get better collection for the market. (3)Mr Adam Khoo. His words motivates me to WORK ON and not in the business.

Tell me about the first few customers and the first few years of business.
During my first year in the business, we went through a series of changes. We try to improve our shop using those viable and creative suggestions from our customers. These suggestions range from the optimum size of the fitting room to the title of my position on the name card. In fact, the title "Bikini Consultant" was adopted after a brainstorming session with one of my customers.

Please tell me some stories of your best day in business or your proudest achievement to date.
One of my best days was when my customers returned excitedly to tell me how proud they were to be in our bikinis and complimented us for our service. One of my proudest achievements is to be one of the nominees of Spirit of Enterprise. I was a student interviewer for the organization, backed then I told myself it will be GREAT if I can also inspire others like the nominees of SOE. Hence, I felt really happy when I am given the opportunity to share my story. I hope that the readers will be inspired and become one of the entrepreneurs of tomorrow.

Do you recall your worst day in business? Have you ever felt like giving up?
My worst day in business was when one of my suppliers decided to stop supply goods to us due to the location of my shop. I felt that the situation was not really within my control, unless I decided to move out of Bugis Street. However, I would not give up. Instead, I started to look for other brands of swimwear, which are comparable in terms of quality.

When was the moment you realised the business would work and support you?
Whether the business would work and support you, it really depends on your business model and service level. We know that it works when we started to see more and more of our regulars coming back to us and recognized us as their personal Bikini Consultants.

What are some of the things you have had to overcome to succeed?
My biggest obstacle was my ego. I used to be too busy protecting my ego instead of listening hard to critical advice by the more experienced. However, I have changed my attitude now. If I am in the wrong, I will be more than willing to admit my wrongs and listen hard to those critical advices. Then I will try to seek opinions from others once I had explored the various alternatives to improve the situation. When there are times where I felt that I am on the right track, instead of ignoring the other's advice, I will explore the differences in the thinking process between the adviser and me, thus allowing myself to see things from a different perspective.

What are some qualities that you feel you possess which differentiate you from someone who works for others?
I have very high expectation of myself and is always trying to stretch my limits. I need to give my very best and learn as much as I can in everything that I do so that I can live with no regrets.

To succeed in business, what qualities are essential? What are some of the 'secrets' in making a successful business?
(1) Love your customers the way you love your family. (2) Be credible in your words and deeds. (3) Be creative. (4) Most importantly, you must have the drive and passion for your business.

Who or what inspires you?
My father.

Have you ever thought of expanding the business in some way or in multiple locations? How and where?
Yes, currently we took up another unit at Bugis Street to introduce a new bikini culture to our customers. If it proves to be successful, we will expand into shopping mall. We are also looking into distributorship arrangement with some of the other brands.

What aspects of expansion would you like to see for your enterprise?
I hope to promote a new bikini culture to the Singapore retail market. I also hope to expand my business from being a bikini and beachwear retailer to a distributor.

In your opinion, how would you define entrepreneurship?
Entrepreneurship is a process of learning through exploration and experimentation; you have to have the guts, passion and drive to go through this process.

To what extent does one's educational level help or hinder entrepreneurial-ship?
For my case, I can't think of any examples where it hinders entrepreneurial-ship in me. However, I can say that to make sure that it helps, I have planned well the courses I took so as to make sure that they contribute to my direction in life. To date, I still seek professional advice from my SMU professors such as Prof Lee Pek Hwa (Business Law) and Prof Marcus Lee (Internet Marketing).

As we try to select the final 41 entrepreneurs, what qualities would you think a person should have to inspire others?
The passion and drive for learning by not emphasizing on the end results but on the process and also one who has a genuine interest in sharing his or her path as an entrepreneur.

What are some of your own values in doing business and what do you like to pass down to others, particularly the younger generation?
(1) You have to maintain good credit standing, honesty and integrity at all times. (2) Expect to make lots of mistakes and learn from them happily. (3) Keep your drive and passion going by stretching your limits and experiencing progress. (4) Your first business will never be your last, so start young!

What advice would you give young people who want to start their own business?
() Plan your career path while you are still studying. If you have already decided to be an entrepreneur, take courses that will assist your career path. (2) If this is your first business, remember that for the first few years, there will be no monetary reward for your labour. Your reward comes in the form of experience and satisfaction. Only when you had accumulated enough experience so as to be a professional in this market, you will be able to see the returns in dollars and cents. (3) The best is to start your business with the smallest start-up capital. If you want to know how to start with small budget and grow fast, read about Mr Adam Khoo's philosophy of doing business.

Student Interviewer's Personal Comment
Interviewing Miss Iris Siew has definitely benefited me. Her views of ways of starting and maintaining a business, sharing her business ideas generously with others let her stands out from the rest of her peers.