Donna is a risk-taker who is not afraid of challenges. A dynamic innovator she is, Donna has managed to couple her passion for golf with interest in nurturing a well-balanced development of the little leaders of tomorrow. She holds a strong philosophy in life, believes in herself and possesses the spirit of making a difference to those around her. The particular enterprising spirit in her is something one would immediately distinguishes her out from the crowd.

Company: KINDERGOLF PTE LTD Address: 750c Chai Chee Road #02-11 Technopark@chai Chee Website: http://www.kindergolf.com Interview with Ms. Donna Lee Mei Wah by Chen Huixiang on 14-May-2007. Student can be reached at joeyanne17@yahoo.com   Business Profile: As the pioneer in preschooler golf instruction, KinderGolf remains committed in setting the benchmark in fun, quality and creative preschooler golf instruction, curriculum and technologies. The KinderGolf programmes nurture discipline, focus, integrity, confidence and important life skills in every child--- setting a strong foundation for each child's golf and life journey. Currently, the trusted brand has expanded to countries like USA, Indonesia, Malaysia and China.   Interviewer's Comments: I have deep admiration for her courage to venture into such niche market in providing golf lessons for children as young as two years old in Singapore as the local market isn't all that promising as compared to elsewhere. One can easily detect ounce and ounce of enthusiasm and passion flowing through her pulsing vein as she describes her business and the vision to grow, in such overwhelming yet ever so convincing manner. One day, I wished that I could exude the enthusiasm, passion, charm, confidence and modesty like Donna..   1. What is the nature of your business? I'm in the sports educaton, specialising in golf for young children. Basically, we aim to build good golf foundation and to provide a conducive environment to facilitate learning in a safe and fun way.   2. What made you embark on this venture choice? It all boils down to passion and hobby. I'd like to make a positive contribution for the next generation in this industry, especially for the young children.   3. How does your business work? Our business is a special golf school, specially to cater for young children using a holistic teaching method. We have a proven golf learning methodology that builds very strong fundamentals for young children in a hoilstic development of golf, mental and life skills.   4. Did you have the capital to start the business or did you have to borrow from someone to get started? I started with a small sum of capital of about $10,000 and i started with four kids in a rented garage in year 2000.   5. Do your parents have their own businesses too? Have they inspired you in one way or another? No. Actually, I came from a family who is more comfortable with the idea of their children working for someone else, preferably working in a bank or accounting firm. In those days, most people opt for the safer route.   6. What was your childhood dream? When did you decide that you would strike out on your own instead of working for someone else? I had always dream to own a business before I hit 30 years old. I like business dealings since young. Back in the school days, I've always like to make and sell something like fried chicken wings or sanwiches to help to raise funds in the fun fair. I decided that I would like to do something different when I was in my mid-20s. That was when I have saved a sum of money and had the necessary resources to help me start my own business.   7. Why does someone decide to be on their own rather than join an existing company? In my opinion, it depends on individual. What's most important, the person must have a passion for something, be willing to come out of the comfort zone and embark on a life changing venture. Being your own boss is very different from working for someone else. It means more commitment, more accountability and of course perks like having full control of the business and flexibility to work around your personal schedule. Put it this way, being an entrepreneur is not like having a 9-5 job; you practically have to work 24/7! One has to constanly think of finding business opportunities and how to make it better each time. It's definitely not a smooth sailing journey. A lot of dedication, passion, patience, perserverance need to be pumped in to keep one going. It has its ups and downs. But the moment you decide to strike it out on your own, don't look back. Instead, be the best you can be.   8. Are there at any point in your life that you experienced a significant event which affected or influenced you and your business that made you change the way you think and do your business? There isn't any significant event which i can single out except seeing the positive outcomes of the programmes makes me realise that my business does makes a positive difference in other's lives. Being in the sports and children related industry, I'm concern with the physical and mental development of the children and hope to equip them with essential skills which will benefit them throughout their lives. Receiving encouraging feedback satisfied parents makes me happy and confident about KinderGolf. At the same time, it signals the right time to bring it beyond the Singapore shore to reach out to more children.   9. What are some of the challenges in starting a business from scratch? i think it is very challenging for one to battle against the psychological barrier: dare to dream and have a vision, decide on the less safer route, come out of the comfort zone and take the first leap. It may not be all rosy and comfortable. They have come to terms with the fact that they can no longer expect to receive a fat pay check at the end of the month. Neither should they expect to be see money rolling in when they start a business from scratch. It can get pretty disheartening to make losses consecutively over a few months. People who dare to dream must have the vision--- to me, that's very important.   10. Who/What motivates you? The opportunity to build the children with strong spirit, health and mind. When the children are at a tender age of between 2-7 years old, it's easier to inculcate positive values and mould their minds and characters. At the end of the day, I know that they will make positive impact in other's lives when they grow up. And the cycle repeats. To be able to see them grow up and enjoy a happy childhood, it motivates me and gives me a sense of satisfaction. It is through the KinderGolf programmes, they learn to value things in life, work as a team and share with others. I think having these qualities might even prepare them well ahead of time to become future entrepreneurs!   11. Tell me about the first few customers and the first few years of business. Due to my niche business, we need to make the parents see and understand the objectives behind the new programme that is being introduced to them. People tend to be more sceptical to new things. Therefore, we have to assure them the benefits it would bring and convince them that to enrol their children for the programmes. The programmes are in fact more than just teaching young children to play golf, we place great emphasis in hiring experienced coaches to nurture their characters and deliver lessons in a safe and fun way. Having limited funds, we started with 4 children in the garage. It was tough. But seeing is believing. Parents began to see a positive change in the character of the children, the interest in sports and the ability to focus better. KinderGolf eventually managed to clinch more and more deals through word of mouth of the first few customers and the good testimonies posted on our websites. Business got better and better from there.   12. Please tell me some stories of your best day in business or your proudest achievement to date. We run a KinderGolf award annually for all the KinderGolf children. To me, that is the best day in business. During the event, I get to see the beaming smiles of hundreds of children as well as parents. In terms of proudest achievement, I'm happy to see the children going up the stage to receive awards and I feel proud of their achievements. It's like a milestone for them. I see how far they have progressed over the years and how much effort my instructors put in to nurture the children. I'm happy for them. At the same time, establishing the presence of KinderGolf in California also makes me feel proud of my business. Priceless.   13. Do you recall your worst day in business? Have you ever felt like giving up? I don't really have a 'worst day' in business. At KinderGolf, we teach the children to have a positive mindset and never to toss the white cloth easily. Accurately put, I would define them as 'challenging days' instead. When a challenge arises, we usually collectively think out of the box and evaluate the options. We focus on 'what can we do' rather than point accusing fingers at one another when things went wrong. For example, when a project fails, it may not be due to the fault of anyone but bad timing. Hence, we have to constantly analyse the situation and reflect on the mistakes. More importantly, we should learn from it and not repeat the same mistake. i believe everything happens for a reason. And there is always a learning point. It depends on the ability of the person to pick up the learning point and incorporate it into a worthwhile experience. Hence when similar events arise, you will be in a better postion to deal with it. One cannot stop learning, however old we are. Even a leader need to learn. In fact, he has to take a more proactive step towards learning in order to direct his followers and lead by example. Wisdom grows from attitude towards learning constantly.   14. When was the moment you realised the business would work and support you? It is more from the testimonies and positive feedbacks that come from the satisfied customers. More to that, we recieve request from people who wants to buy over the programme and franchise them in their home countries. For example, they passed comments like,'How I wish we can have this programme in Korea.' or 'I'm certain that my child would love this programme if it is available in my country.' To me, these are very encouraging and makes me realise that my business have made many positive impacts.   15. What are some of the things you have had to overcome to succeed? Being in the business for 7 years, we are preparing for the next stage of growth. Funding is a very important issue we have to overcome. This applies to all growing businesses out there. Unless one desires to be retain the size of the business and risk being stagnant, one has to take the comapany to the next stage in time to come. Expanding across countries and the Pacificregion need strong funding. There are different stages of funding. You can borrow from the banks or rope in people who shares your vision and willing to pump in money into your business. Sharing similar vision is very important. You would definitely want to partner with people who carry out the business like you would, even though you are not around to monitor.   16. What are some qualities that you feel you possess which differentiate you from someone who works for others? Basically, it is the genuine care I have for the children and the customers. They are the very reason why KinderGolf exists! I believe that having the perserverance, drive and passion for the business is vital. I believe in trying and trying. I'm unfazed by failure. I'm very determined and dedicated to my business. I have the drive to see it growing successfully in other parts of the world. I have the passion for both children and golf. KinderGolf is part of my life. I'm enjoying every moment of it!   17. To succeed in business, what qualities are essential? What are some of the secrets in making a successful business? Passion, patience, drive, sacrifice, humility and ability to leverage on change are essential qualities to succeed in business. As you become more successful in your business, you have to be even more humble.   18. Who or what inspires you? People who makes a difference from almost nothing. There are in fact many things entrepreneurs who have 'been there, done that' to teach other entrepreneurs. They may be disadvantaged in terms of education, fianance, lack of resources, limited networking circles etc. Yet they are undaunted by these factors. Their firm belief in themselves, the passion for the business, the amount of hard work invested, the sacrifices they made, the strong perserverance all inspires me. Their success spurs me on to improve on my business. If they can make it with nothing, shouldn't we fare better than them?   19. Have you ever thought of expanding the business in some way or in multiple locations? How and where? Yes, we have always thought of expanding the business elsewhere. In terms of 'how', we do it through franchising and licensing. Cirrently, we have franchises locally and abroad. The places are Malaysia, Indonesia and USA-- California. Now, we are embarking on China.   20. What aspects of expansion would you like to see for your enterprise? We would like to see our buisness to reach out to more children and spread out globally. In order to do so, we have to customise the programmes to suit the local culture and environment. Not every country run like Singapore. Hence we have to pay particular attention to cater to their specific needs and expectations.   21. In your opinion, how would you define entrepreneurship? Entrepreneurship is all about dare to be different. The entrepreneur who has an eye for the future and ability to bring a team forward. He/ she must be able to deliver a differentiated product or service to make a difference in consumers' lives. You can't be an entrepreneur by yourself.   22. To what extent does ones educational level help or hinder entrepreneurialship? If someone has a higher education, he/she tend to have a higher knowledge. Therefore, it helps one to have a better understanding of how business is run and the fundamentals of economics. however, that is not to say that someone with a lower education or not having educaton at all, cannot be running a business. The are plenty of success stories out there to prove that low education background does not disadvantage entrepreneurs in any way. I think for an entrepreneur, having an open mind is very important. That is to say, he/ she must be able to accept different way of doing things. Of course, own experience also plays a part. one can learn from experience, taking up courses from elsewhere, reading up, talk to other successful people etc. Learning should be an ongoing process if one wants to be successful. knowledge does not always have to come from textbooks. In essence, it is what drives them. You must have the passion for something. Whether one has education or not, one will still reach there.   23. As we try to select the final 2007 entrepreneurs, what qualities would you think a person should have to inspire others? I would say two most important factors: Humility and perserverance. Know your strengths and weaknesses and get the rest of the team to complement one another. When an entrepreneur is good at something and fair badly for the other, this is where the rest of the team can come in to fulfill that part. Hence, in order to do things the way you want it, selecting the right people in the team is very important. A good entrepreneur should be able to do that.   24. What are some of your own values in doing business and what do you like to pass down to others, particularly the younger generation? Honesty and Integrity. These are the most essential values to keep in mind. No dount about that. There is no point having loads of money with lack of integrity. profits should not be generated at the expense of hurting others. In order to run a successful business in long term, one has to establish honest ties and friendship with employees, customers and suppliers. Both parties must benefit from the relationship. I strongly believe we exist in this world to make a difference in someone else's life. Many business people tend to overlook this point so I would like to emphasize on this point to the younger generation.   25. What advice would you give young people who want to start their own business? Dare to dream. Make the leap. Be prepared to work hard..very hard in fact. Perservere and don't give up easily. Even if you do fail, pick yourself up, reflect on the mistakes committed and move on from there. Failures do make someone a better person. It is through some hard knocks in life, people learn from mistakes and develop stronger characters and have a stronger desire to work even harder and succeed. If one has not tasted failure, how can one appreciates success?   26. Do you foresee the future entrepreneurs conducting their businesses in a different way than entrepreneurs from the past 5 years? (Yes or No) Yes.   27. Do you feel that the future entrepreneurs have a higher chance to succeed than the entrepreneurs from the past 5 years? (Yes or No) It depends.   28. What are your reasons for your answers in Q.26 and Q. 27? It all boils down to passion and perserverance. With the presence of these two factors, I believe that there will be a higher chance for the future entrepreneurs to succeed because they will do everything they to make sure the business work. Whether 'past 5 years' or not, they need to have these factors in order to succeed. Of course, a different set of challenges awaits them in the future. Technology, economies and demographics would be different. They must be very innovative, stay ahead of the time and need to adapt fast! If they don't, they risk being lagged behind in the fierce competition. That's the harsh fact every business owner has to be aware of. Like I mentioned previously, they must learn continuously and be alert of the changing trends in their environment. They must strive to be the market leader.   29. You mentioned that you strike out on your own when you were in your mid-20s. in your opinion, do you think that age constitutes a challenge for young entrepreneurs? Age doesn't matter. Be it 18 or 80 years old, it doesn't matter. More importantly, one has to find the niche and translate the idea into a business. Certainly, it can't be just any idea. It must have some form of value in the eyes of the consumers. Once the niche is found, the next step is to get the right mentor, conduct a thorough research on the feasibility of the idea, and gather support from family and friends who believe in you. Frankly, I don't see any reason in age being a challenge. Besides, the Singapore government is providing many forms of assistance and support to budding entrepreneurs. A smart entrepreneur, young or old, must be able to leverage on that.