Describe the nature of your business. (Short Business Profile)
DeCharacter Image Pte Ltd specialises in providing Makeover Photography services in the form of makeup, hairstyling and photography packages for all occasions specially catered for Children, Individuals, Mothers-to-Be, Corporate Individuals, Couples, Family, Convocation, Weddings and even Pets. DeCharacter is also a Makeup Training Centre that conducts seminars and workshops for corporate and public members alike. Courses include Professional Makeup Artistry, Fashion Bridal, Personal Makeup, Refresher, which aim to groom aspiring individuals into practiced make-up artists be they for individual or professional purposes. DeCharacter's motto "Not just a makeover" emphasises on depth, character and quality and its main goal is to bring out the depth and vibrancy of one's character through high- quality images.

What made you embark on this venture choice?
I have always seen myself as more of a "hands-on", skill- inclined rather than a studious, academically inclined individual. Ever since my secondary school days, I have constantly been telling myself that since I may not have been cut out for studying and performing well academically, there should be some skills that I ought to take up and be proficient in, so as to set a good career path after my O Levels and support myself. Seeing that I was a former dancer back in Secondary school where I enjoyed applying make- up onto faces of fellow dancers and that make- up was, and it still is, something I feel extremely passionate for, I decided to master and make use of it to generate some income to make a livelihood. However, my parents might have been less than supportive about my chosen decision. They thought that I was better off doing administration work in the office, as it was a reliable and stable job at that time. But personally, I feel that it would be easier to have a job that you feel passionate for- which was to take on a job that focused on make-up rather than typical clerical work.

How does your business work?
My business involves close involvement with Graphic & Web designers, Photographers, Make- up artists, Sale Coordinators and Marketing staff alike. We are not a makeover studio that merely beautifies individuals on a superficial basis, but are here to bring out "de" CHARACTER in YOU. The make- up artists will create make-up and hairstyles most fitting for our dedicated clients, thereafter, complete the ultimate look with image styling that comprise of outfits and accessories that bring out the best client's personality. The photographers will then capture professional shots using their creative, skilled photography skills, which are later sent to our graphic house for touch up. Clients who prefer their images to have special design work done can also request from our graphic designers. Web designers, sales and marketing executives play an active role in promoting the company through various corporate tie- ups with companies, as well as clientele marketing.

Did you have the capital to start the business or did you have to borrow from someone to get started?
Before I began the business, I sourced for potential shareholders in hope of getting them interested in setting up the company with me seeing that I had insufficient capital at that time. However, most of the guys seemed to be more interested in the prospect of dating me rather than working with me, which made me realised then that I had to rely on myself to fund the capital. So, I took on freelance make- up assignments, which had been pretty tough in the beginning as I had previously been working as an Operations Manager all this while. I had to start all over again, rising through the bottom ranks as a freelance makeup artist making cold calls, promoting my works and myself to the related trade people, sometimes work full-day without being paid simply to obtain industrial exposure and creditable magazine mentions. In the first 2 months, I only managed to earn something around $200 to $400. But today, I am very glad that I did not fail after more than a year's putting in of extra hard work to obtain about $100k of capital to set up DeCharacter Image Pte Ltd ( formerly known as DeCharacter Image Styling Team.

Do your parents have their own businesses too? Have they inspired you in one way or another?
No, my mum has always been a homemaker whilst my dad used to be a bus driver. My family solely depended upon my dad's earnings and my mum has always wanted their children to learn to be independent, which was why I started taking on some part- time jobs to help support my family while I was in Primary Six. The jobs provided me with extra income for my family and pocket money for me. The experience has probably inspired me to set up my own business, where I can be independent and have a company of my own.

What was your childhood dream? When did you decide that you would strike out on your own instead of working for someone else?
I have always wanted to become a make-up artist and eventually own a makeover studio since my secondary school days. When I was in Secondary 3, I started thinking about my future career plans and goals. Since I have always had the passion for makeup, I started my makeup course during that same year so that I could work full time as a makeup artist upon completion of my O Levels. Since the day when I have decided to become a makeup artist, the road has never been smooth sailing for me. I did not have sufficient savings for the makeup course, where the fees were around $2000. At that time, this was a relatively large sum of money for a Secondary School student. Fortunately, the makeup school allowed me to take on their job opening of a part- time sales representative, where I was able to learn free makeup skills should I meet my personal sales quota, which I did. Sometime back in 1995 to 2000, numerous makeover studios were popping up as it was the trend then, when of course, some were closing down after only 1- 2 years of operation. I grabbed the opportunity back then, since I had years of experiences in this trade. Thinking back, it was definitely a wise and appropriate move. Should I have never set up my company back then, I might never have the opportunity to again. I have always wanted to lead a purposeful and accomplished life. Since I had, by then, managed to gain quite a few year's experience and expertise from working in a styling studio, I felt that the insight and exposure gained would now sufficiently allow me to make it on my own.

Why does someone decide to be on their own rather than join an existing company?
I believe that it is due to many factors, some of which including the thrill and excitement of setting up a company from scratch; the freedom that one enjoys as he/she is now more empowered to make critical decisions; the achievement and satisfaction of having set up your own company. Also, I used to work for a company that had always chosen to stay within their zones of comfort, constantly concentrating on providing makeover services specially catered to adults, I felt restricted. I strived to be creatively different, constantly coming up with new makeover ideas for kids. Back then, I thought that the creating of a "Fairytale Makeover" specially catered for Kids would be an innovative pioneering effort, but it was unfortunately turned down. Eventually, I told myself that if I wanted to see my idea coming true, I must set up my own studio and that was what I did.

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? Any other challenges that you took on and succeeded?
The slight economic crisis in 2000 affected my business pretty badly as it had just started. Everyone was forced to cut back on their spending, and makeover services which were deemed luxurious were not in high demand. In fact, I was making losses that amounted to $10,000 per month in my first few months of business. I had to take up external freelance assignments so as to earn income that was able to sustain my company's losses and ensure its continuation. There were many studios in Singapore, but most of them focused on targeting the adult segment. My studio was relatively new at that time, and in order to grow market share, I sought to be different. Even though I had innovative, interesting and unique ideas on styling kids, I was constantly questioned by people as to why I was interested to work on makeovers catered for children as they do not need much makeup application, and thus, it was nearly impossible to achieve different looks for kids. However, I managed to convince them with my practiced skills, and succeeded in making DeCharacter the pioneer makeover studio for kids so as to allow them to experience and relish in a world of fantasy, where they could be fairies, prince and princess, or other fun characters- and have their dreams come true! The children segment was not what my then- employers were looking at as it was deemed unprofitable, I had taken the chance and succeeded. My initial goal was to create new successful makeover photography services, marking significant transition phases for an individual. From baby to child, from teenage to an young adult, from a working to established professional, from courting to married couples, for families and even pets which was launched in the year 2002. Apart from that, I would probably say that the crisis has not altered my way of thinking or doing business in any other significant manner, seeing as there were a lot of unanticipated and uncontrollable external conditions to be blamed. I still conduct my business in pretty much the same manner as I have initially intended to.

What are some of the challenges in starting a business from scratch?
Some challenges of starting a business from scratch are having no clientele contacts, facing strong competition from some of the established studios in the market, lacking in capital, I decided to employ inexperienced staff and trained them personally with the high quality I wanted my studio to have and also to save a little on salaries to avoid high overheads. Also, I had to learn photography skills from my friend who was a photographer and various photography books. Then again, as DeCharacter was a new studio in the industry at that time, some customers bore the mindset that we might not been up to standards in terms of our service and skill professionalism, which I am proud to say were changed once they have stepped into our studio.

Who/What motivates you?
I am a self- motivator, which is probably due to my upbringing. My parents have taught me to be independent, and I feel that no one is able to influence me more than myself. Perhaps, my optimism on life probably cheers me.

Tell me about the first few customers and the first few years of business.
I remember most of my customers from the first 2 years of business as they were mostly attended to by me. Most of them remain regulars of DeCharacter Image Pte Ltd - till this day. Some of them have also become my friends. There were a couple of occasions when some of my past customers came have their makeover done at DeCharacter studio. They had not realised that they had previously had makeover sessions with us until I called them up their first names. They were pleasantly surprised and happy that I could still remember them with their names. I have a number of regular junior customers, many of whom I have witnessed them grow up. They have been patronising DeCharacter since they were mere toddlers, and when they come back to DeCharacter annually, I see them grow taller and healthier year after year. My first few years in business were a mixture of sweet success and bitter hard work. Back then, I had an irresponsible photographer who failed to turn up for work. I started panicking seeing that I had no other photographer lined up for that day and no prior training in photography on lighting setup and camera control. I had to contact my Kuala Lumpur- based friends for advice on how to throw lighting from certain angles, how to load the film, how to create the depth of field etc, but at the end of the day, I managed to capture some pretty good shots, which the customers were highly pleased with.

Please tell me some stories of your best day in business or your proudest achievements to date.
Self-taught in photography, being able to capture some pretty amazing shots and having extremely happy and satisfied customers were probably one of my best days in business. My proudest achievement to date would be the appearing on local MediaCorp channels (Kids' Central and Channel 8). My being featured on Channel 8's "Young Bosses" feature made me proud that finally, I was beginning to be respected and recognised for my hard work, that it was worth it after all. I felt accomplished when 2 students from my makeup training centre made it as 2 of the 10 finalists in the Shu Uemura makeup contest. They have only had a year's experience of working at DeCharacter studio on a full time basis, which was pretty outstanding, as compared to fellow participants, some of whom had more than 5 years of trade experience.

Do you recall your worst day in business? Have you ever felt like giving up?
Those were probably during bad economic times, where one's profits just do not seem to justify the large amount of efforts put in. There were times where I was still making losses despite putting in long working hours. The other thing that affected me most would be that of irresponsible staff, who failed to turn up for work without prior notice and I was faced with doing make- up and photograph taking all by myself but now with a team of 8 players, I no longer face such worries. During my worst days in the business, I would want to share with you that I had previously ventured into the Malaysian market with a business partner, where the effort flopped. Seeing the amount of hardship that we had undergone together, mutual trust was built between the two of us and thus, I decided to enlist him in helping me co-run my operations in Singapore. It all ended in horror as he escaped to Malaysia after clearing my savings and company funds, I felt totally lost and felt like giving up then. Then again, I had to think of my business, future, committed staff, and the various factors made me realise that panicking and crying was the last thing I ought to do. Instead, I quickly found a solution which was to start making phone calls to friends whom I had previously lent money to and had yet to return the money to me. Fortunately, the problem was solved and life took on a better turn from there. Since the day I have started my business, I have been faced with numerous obstacles but I believe that it is these obstacles that eventually make me a stronger person.

When was the moment you realised the business would work and support you? And are there any values that you think are must-haves in order to maintain a business?
Quality and good customer service. I treat my customers like my lifelong friends. I realised that my business would work when I had managed to build a loyal and regular clientele base who have, over time, become my friends. DeCharacer was no longer just a business but my livelihood, that my company was making customers greatly satisfied and the way they keep coming back year after year, sometimes bringing more friends along. In fact, I had shot wedding pictures for a couple, who now bring their children to my studio for kid and family portraits on an annual basis.

What are some of the things you have had to overcome to succeed? What are some values that you feel you possess?
I would say that I had the courage, determination, aggressiveness, good foresight and direction, afterall, I had to overcome my lack of substantial educational qualification by honing other skills that I was good at, which was makeup, managed to fund the initial capital that was needed to set up my business through slightly more than a year's dedicated work. I also braved the Economic Crisis, back then, I was making $10k in monthly losses which I was forced to chalk up by taking on external freelance assignments, and having to constantly come up with fresh ideas so as to boost sales and convince people out that they ought to spend on Makeover even though economic conditions were less than optimal and times were tough.

What are some qualities that you feel you possess which differentiate you from someone who works for others?
The ability to think out of the box, to create new services and explore potential business opportunities; to be passionate about this art of 'beautifying' others; and remain optimistic even in gloomy times. I believe that in every life, there are challenges. Some people assume challenges to be problems but I choose to see it otherwise. I view challenges as opportunities that help me to move on. I feel that challenges help develop one's potential. If an individual opts not to take up these challenges, he/she will never know the extent of his/her potential. Besides, seeing that DeCharacter is my own company, I am definitely more committed, seeing that I have staffs to look after in terms of their welfare, and the organisation as a whole. Of course, having the Courage to dare to take that first step in setting up a business on my own, and like I have earlier mentioned, determination, aggressiveness, good foresight and firm direction are qualities I feel I possess.

To succeed in business, what qualities are essential? What are some of the secrets in making a successful business?
To be pioneers who come up with the newest products, and never blindly following in your competitors' footsteps. Understand the market well and increase your market share. Study and know your competitors. To be successful, you need to create and implement new ideas, something different, innovative and creative at the end of the day that differentiates you from your competitors. After all, no one will be interested in highly similar products. One has to first obtain in-depth understanding of market behaviour and the preferences of target consumers in order to do well.

Who or what inspires you?
Honestly, I do not think that there is anyone that inspires me. If I have to really to think of someone, it would be the rich and successful people out there. I have been asking myself, why are they successful and rich? The aspiring to lead a better life for myself and for my family, the wanting to be successful and independent and perhaps, in hope that later in life, they will be people asking similar questions as what I had previously been asking.

Have you ever thought of expanding the business in some way or in multiple locations? How and where?
I have recently started doing maternity makeovers and outdoor lifestyle photo shoots. I thought it would be meaningful to capture the radiance and beauty of expectant mothers in the former; and to bring out the allure of one's surroundings in the latter.

What aspects of expansion would you like to see for your enterprise?
For the makeover studio, I think I have pretty much covered the market, seeing that I do kid makeovers, pet makeovers, personal makeovers, couple makeovers, maternity makeover, family portraits, graduation portraits, wedding shoots and outdoor shoots. With our high customers' satisfaction level based on the high quality of products that we deliver, I am looking into setting up another branch in the shopping mall and provide a different concept from the existing ones - so as to keep these customers constantly satisfied.

In your opinion, how would you define entrepreneurship?
Entrepreneurship is a mindset to be passionate, aggressive, positive, well- informed about the market that one is operating in and think of new ideas before fellow competitors do.

To what extent does educational level of an individual help or hinder entrepreneurial-ship?
Personally, I do not think one's educational level affects enterpreneurial-ship. I believe that enterpreneurial-ship is innate, a factor that you either possess or you do not, it is not influenced by the fact as to whether one is a primary/secondary school drop out or a Masters/ Honours degree holder. The most important factor is whether you are more efficient and well-organised than others in terms of working steps and goal setting, or bold enough to take that first step after developing a clear conception of what you want, an idea of where you want to go, what you want to achieve and to see it come true. Never let your words ring louder than your actions! Of course, having higher levels of education will make one more proficient in the English language and attain knowledge that a school drop out may not possess. For those school drop outs or individuals who may not have obtained high educational levels, remember, you must keep upgrading yourself once you start your own business and to never stop the learning process.

As we try to select the final 41 entrepreneurs, what qualities would you think a person should have to inspire others?
I have previously donated services to the Salvation Army, where we provided makeover for the children. Many a time, I try to make their dreams come true by providing them with makeovers of cartoon characters that they like. I believe that my optimism, passion and care towards society, the fact that I try to cheer the children up and making their wishes come true might prompt others to do the same. The qualities of having a good heart, being kind and always treating people sincerely.

What are some of your own values in doing business and what do you like to pass down to others, particularly the younger generation?
"Always dare to try, never assume that your plan will fail if you have not tried seeing that an individual has only 1 life and it should be lived to the fullest." "Never to complain when problems arise, always try to solve them instead of avoiding them because problems will never be solved that way."

What advice would you give young people who want to start their own businesses?
That they should always obtain adequate experience working for others in similar industries so as to learn substantial skills, to get the skeleton of the trade before starting their own business. Planning is a definite necessity, one should always practice proper planning, organisation of how they intend to run their business before implementation.

Your Personal Comment
Ms Justina Lee possesses this alluring grace and elegance, backed by her rich experience that makes one instantly trusting of her expertise in creating the ultimate makeover most fitting for one. An eternal optimist, someone who has dared to venture, stumbled over a couple of bricks and yet remaining unfazed. I wish I could be like that. Her honest, earnest, approachable and affable personality draws clients who eventually become friends. I find that in order to succeed in the makeover industry, one's relationship with customers is all the more crucial. After all, one requires understanding of customers' personality and preference in order to create the ultimate, most appropriate makeover.