What is the nature of your business? (Business Profile)
Coverlooks is about cover page styling for magazines, may it be lifestyle, business, fashion, pets or kids. Artistes, models and celebrities apart, anyone who walks into Coverlooks is a cover personality. We provide high quality and exceptional creative standards of makeover and photography complete with image consultancy to bring the best out of every individual.

What made you embark on this venture choice?
People change, and so do their outlook. However, photographs are forever. I believe that images of every stage of a person's life should be captured on print. Pictures provides an appliance for recollection. Even at one's final stage of life, a photograph is needed.

How does your business work?
Everybody can be photogenic. Everyone can look good in front of the camera. I publicize and promote this message via advertising and word of mouth. Next, I invite people to try out the photo session. Lastly, I design and edit the pictures to make it into a piece of art, and I sell the pictures to the satisfied customer. We also conduct workshops, courses and seminars on professional imaging, makeup and dress sense.

Did you have the capital to start the business or did you have to borrow from someone to get started?
Coverlooks was the pioneer in using magazine covers as a concept for business. When I was a hairstylist, I sold makeover and hairstyling packages to my customers and was able to raise 25K within three months. I started with three staff and 200 square feet at Wisma Atria.

Do your parents have their own businesses too? Have they inspired you in one way or another?
My mother is a homemaker and my father an ordinary employee. They do not know much about business but they inspired me to do something they were not able to achieve.

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 be a businessman. Although I did not know anything about business as a child, I knew I wanted to be boss. I was Chinese educated and it was by no means easy to find a job. When I was 21, after I completed my national service, I became a small-time contractor.

Why does someone decide to be on their own rather than join an existing company?
While there are those without skills or ideas, those that possess them either don't have the drive, vision or courage to utilise them. Ultimately, it is about setting your foot down in the right trade and industry.

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?
I will be greatly affected by economic crises. In bad times, taking nice photographs are luxury items and not a necessity. Customer are passive, in the service industry, we need to advice the clients a lot. Other factors like new competition and Asian diseases, like SARS and Bird Flu, natural disasters like haze, also have direct impact on our sales. The principle of my business remains the same, however the technique changes to suit the situation. When people do not want to leave their homes due to various reasons, we think of promotions to attract them.

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.)
It is the lack of resources like money and staff. I needed to muti task myself and risk losing business due to bad management.

Who/What motivates you?
Nothing motivates me. Maybe myself. Monetary rewards are not sufficient to motivate me. It is overcoming challenges and achieving my goals that give me the exhilaration.

Tell me about the first few customers and the first few years of business.
There are 2 ways of doing business. Being an operator or an owner. I chose the latter. Since day 1, I did not have any hands-on in my business. I was more into training the right people to do the right job. Coverlooks was a new concept, a new business model. My good rapport with the media gave me good publicity. I had no strong competitor and my customers were excited about the concept.

Please tell me some stories of your best day in business or your proudest achievement to date.
Within 18 months, I already had 8 outlets all over Singapore, strength of 60 over staff and a turnover of 2.5million. I created a new service model.

Do you recall your worst day in business? Have you ever felt like giving up?
Yes I recall. It started with the haze problem that kept customers at home. And the 1997 Asian financial crisis aggravated the problem. To me, it was an overnight crisis because I had just invested half a million on equipment, my Shanghai branch was only 3-months old and there were plans of setting up a branch in KL-CC and selling franchise to Thailand. As the pioneer of this business, I had better options but I chose to try to stable my business instead of giving up readily.

When was the moment you realised the business would work and support you?
From the very first day I decided to do this business. In this fast developing world, appearence and etiquette is important. People will need different aspects of grooming which is what my business is about.

What are some of the things you have had to overcome to succeed?
I had to overcome myself. I needed to be disciplined in following my business plan, leading my staff and controlling my finances. I need to be following market trends conscientiously and understand fashion sense. I was constantly learning.

What are some qualities that you feel you possess which differentiate you from someone who works for others?
I have unique ideas and I can think on my feet. I have more energy than normal people and I have always been excellent with stress-management. I know how to maximize my working hours and I know my priorities.

To succeed in business, what qualities are essential? What are some of the "secrets" in making a successful business?
Qualities like being ambitious, decisive and humble are essential. There are no secrets, even if there were, they are all "open" secrets which successful people have promulgated in biographies and autobiographies, which I enjoy reading.

Who or what inspires you?
A lot of people inspire me. They are people who have started business from scratch like myself. Reading success stories inspire me.

Have you ever thought of expanding the business in some way or in multiple locations? How and where?
I had a branch in Shanghai and venturing overseas is still in the plans. The exact location is yet to be finalised but as long as a McDonald exists, I think business is viable. It serves as a benchmark for consumers who can afford luxury goods.

What aspects of expansion would you like to see for your enterprise?
I want Coverlooks Academy to pick up. I also want to use Coverlooks, which is a household name, as a platform to diversify into related industries like wedding event planning service. Including vehicle rental, solemnization, videography and photography for the entire event. I also want to distribute some skincare, classic fashion items or apparels and accessories.

In your opinion, how would you define entrepreneurship?
An entrepreneur is someone with long-term goals. He aims big because he has foresight. His knowledge is heterogeneous because industries are inter-linked and we are living in a globalized world. An entrepreneur functions with an open mind and is observant to his surroundings. He does not give up easily. He learns from his mistakes and failures propel him to work harder.

To what extent does one's educational level help or hinder entrepreneurial-ship?
Most of the top moneymakers in the world today did not receive much education. However they know how to change the situation to their advantage and they find their standing. I only have secondary two education, my command of the English language is not proficient but I am able to survive in this English language dominated society and make my brand work. However, if I had better education, I would be able to do better.

As we try to select the final 41 entrepreneurs, what qualities would you think a person should have to inspire others?
Dare to dream. Dare to try. Dare to face any adversity with courage.

What are some of your own values in doing business and what do you like to pass down to others, particularly the younger generation?
Have the courage to try, always have a heart to learn, listen to advice and work hard. If you work for others, no matther how much you contribute to the company, you risk losing your job when there are human resource reorganisations. When you retire, there is nothing left about your work hard. However, if you own a business, you leave a legacy and you can pass it to your children.