Mr. Dick Chia joined Helu-Trans as a salesman in 1986 and by 1989, he rose to the position of General Manager of the German Company. In 1993, he sold his apartment, bought over Helu-Trans and extended his business focus on art moving.

Company: HELU-TRANS (S) LTD Address: 39 Keppel Road, #02-04, Tanjong Pagar Distripark Website: N/A Interview with Mr. Dick Chia by Lam Vui Sin on 02-Jun-2009. Student can be reached at lamvuisin@yahoo.com.sg   Business Profile: Helu-Trans is an integrated solution provider for private collectors, profitable and non-profitable organisations, auction houses, artists and art institutions. At present, Helu-Trans has at least 50 per-cent market share in this sector. Helu-Trans handles art works internationally and domestically. With the special bonded licence granted by Singapore Customs, Helu-Trans is licensed to handle specific pieces of art works for exhibitions under the Zero-GST scheme.   Interviewer's Comments: Mr. Chia is an innovative entrepreneur. He is well-liked and respected by his employees. His willingness to share with me his experience and knowledge has truly inspired me. He also took the time and effort to show me the different art galleries in the premise.   1. What is the nature of your business? Helu-Trans is an international logistics firm that provides secured and climate-controlled storage, art galleries, packing, crating, international transportation, professional installation and integrated project management. We provide what I regard as a five-star service for high-profile and high-networth individuals who are willing to pay for quality services.   2. When and why did you decide to become an entrepreneur / take over your family business? NOTE: If it is not a family business, ask: Do your parents have their own businesses too? Have they inspired you in one way or another? (Select appropriate question according to the entrepreneur being interviewed.) It was in 1993 when a friend working for the auction house, Sotheby's, asked me to handle art works. This was when I realised art handling and transportation was not just about putting bubble wrap and cardboard to encase the artwork. About my parents, they did not run their own business. I grew up in a very poor family but I have learnt to see opportunities when they appear.   3. What are your reasons for choosing to do business in this particular industry? Back then, art handling and moving art was a virtually non-existent business. I saw a niche and there was no competition. The logistics of art handling excites me. As for the removals and relocation business, that is interesting to me because it concerns people, and that is challenging. Besides, removals and relocation is very much a recession-proof business.   4. How did you put together all the resources needed to start your business? For example: getting the start-up capital, hiring staff, doing sales and marketing, advertising, etc. I had to sell my apartment to buy over Helu-Trans. It was a calculated risk that I had to take. I visited warehouses and crating facilities around the world and I incorporated what I saw into Helu-Trans. It was challenging, as I had to learn many things from scratch.   5. What are some interesting stories you have about your first few clients/first few years in business? There was an incident that happened in 1999 when Helu-Trans was one of the sponsors for an outdoor exhibition which had sculptures from 16 countries and had more than 100 artists and artworks. The exhibition failed due to lack of funds and poor management. In the end, Helu-Trans had to step in to resolve the outstanding matters. Another milestone project that we had taken up was a project in New Zealand involving the shipment of 60,000 pieces of Tang Cargo artefacts to Singapore. There were limited resources there, from packing materials to local expertise including the magtinude of the collection, that we had to formulate an assembly line process with museum quality packing standards that enabled us to execute our task efficiently.   6. What are some of the challenges you faced when you first went into business? I had little funding to run the business with, so I initially had to sell my apartment. Another challenge I faced was poor cash flow into the company.   7. How did you overcome these challenges? Please share some specific examples of the action you took to overcome the challenges. I give respect to all my staffs. In this business, manpower is the most important. The more comfortable the staffs are with the company, the better they will perform. Eventually, when the company performs well, everybody benefits. I also learnt to manage cashflow and one of the things i learnt is to deal with receivables quickly.   8. Can you remember your worst day in business or a time when you felt like giving up? What happened that made you feel that way and how did you triumph over it? I have never thought of giving up. I am a hands-on person. I can be a packer, driver and I can handle projects. I am not handicapped in any area of the operations. I can step in anytime to rectify a problem. Fortunately, I am always in control and I know what I am doing.   9. Can you share some of the lessons you learnt from overcoming your own business challenges that you think will help other businesses? I learnt how to influence and motivate my staffs. I have to impress my employees upon the idea that they are taking up a career at Helu-Trans and not a job. A career is what you enjoy doing and the person can see the prospects. However, a job is just for you to get by. If my staffs do not grow with me, I cannot grow any further.   10. When was the moment you realised the business would work and support you? When I can buy things without thinking twice. (laughing) It was when the business started to grow in terms of revenue and services.   11. What are some of your proudest business achievements to date? And why are they so important and meaningful to you? Helu-Trans is constantly innovating and we have created our own market. The gallery service we offer is a hit among our clients. What we have created is highly exclusive, and practically no one else in the world has done this before.   12. How do you differentiate your business from your competitors? Please provide specific examples. We cater to what our clients need, not what we want to sell. By knowing what our clients want, we are able to meet their needs, which helps us to sell better. We are in a niche business and we offer a complete one-stop service to our clients. Instead of just providing the clients with the storage space for the art pieces, Helu-Trans go the extra mile to provide transportation, custom shelving, consultation as well as any other relevant services to our clients. Our price is competitive and the rates are all inclusive. What most of our clients want is quality service, not cheap service. Also, our gallery space are designed with a contemporary feel. The high ceiling and the white walls serve as a chic backdrop to display art.   13. What are some business ideas you have implemented that created great results in your business? Our gallery space, ArtSpace@Helu-Trans, has been described to have an 'underground' feel and has the allure of being hip and vibrant. It was previously a typical warehouse which I have done a major overhaul to. From installing air-conditioning and halogen lighting to setting up custom storage rooms and creating distinct galleries, it has become an entirely new space. Many well-known exhibitions have been held there since. World renowned auction house, Christie's, had 2 previews there. Larasati, another well known auction house had their full auction here at the ArtSpace@Helu-Trans. Established companies such as SingTel have also used the gallery space earlier this year to launch new services. Currently, ArtSpace@Helu-Trans houses two art galleries, namely: Valentine Willie Fine Art and Fortune Cookie Projects.   14. Where or who do you get your business ideas from? Most of my ideas come from personal experience as I am a very hands-on person. I get close to my clients in order to understand their needs and expectations.   15. What do you see for your business in the next 2 to 5 years amid the current market condition in 2009, and does it include any plans for expansion? We have recently ventured into Hong Kong and Shanghai will be next. At present, we are operating with a staff strength of 20 in HongKong, a warehouse space of 1500 square metres and 2 trucks. Having a good reputation in Singapore has boosted us tremendously as within a short span of only 9 months, we have been able to attract all the auction houses in Hong Kong to utilize our services.   16. What does entrepreneurship mean to you? It is to decide on what you want to do. It is the strength to venture into uncharted territories, knowing that many risks are involved, yet taking the step anyway and reaping the possible rewards thereafter.   17. What are some entrepreneurship qualities that you have which has helped you come this far? It is to be able to -as cliche- as it may sound - to think out of the box. I do not let success get the better of me too.   18. In your opinion, what other qualities does a person need in order to be successful in business? And why? (eg. Educational qualification, work experience, family influence, attitude, etc) Education is an advantage. I don't have a tertiary education but that didn't stop me from what I do best. My handicap will be the Chinese language. I don't read or write Chinese very well. As Helu-Trans is moving into China, the Chinese language plays an important role in the business. We are never good in everything and the decisions we make are not always correct. However, we must know our mistakes and learn not to repeat them.   19. In your opinion, what does it mean to have the 'spirit of enterprise'? It is to enjoy what you do.   20. Who or what motivates and inspires you? It will be the staffs in the company. They look up to me for support, guidance and help. I have to upgrade myself in order for my staffs to move up accordingly. I have to be motivated, so that I can give them hope. I want to provide them a career and not just a job.   21. What are some of your business values and what would you like to pass down to others, particularly the younger generation? Do whatever you want to do when you are still young. Fulfil your dreams. If you hit a hard wall, turn back and try to find another route again and eventually you will achieve your goal.   22. Can you share some of the more significant events / incidents that affected or shaped your business philosophy and the way you conduct your business? i.e. SARS, new competition or shifts in market behaviour and trends, etc. The SARs pandemic in 2003 had affected the tourism industry badly and people tried to stay away from crowded areas. As a result, there was a decline in the exhibition business. However in the removal business, it was relatively stable. Although Helu-Trans has a diversified pool of clients ranging from the museums, art institutions, auction houses, private and corporate collectors and galleries, we are still likely to be affected to a certain extent during bad times. Therefore, we want to play a part to help our clients to optimise their cost structure so that they can return the favour in the future. It is a win-win situation.   23. With the changes in the market today, do you think it has become harder or easier to succeed in business? Why do you say so? It is naturally more challenging as there is more competition today. We have to go with the flow of market and not fight against it. However, we cannot afford to wait for clients to come to us. We must always innovate to create new solutions, as well as create new angles to approach new clients.   24. What advice would you give young people who want to start their own business? Think carefully about the industry you want to go into. It is a fallacy to think that being your own boss is to sign cheque and play golf everyday. At the same time, you must also have a great idea to begin with.   25. How much have your business grown since you have started? In terms of $ revenue, clients base, number of employees and number of branches? (rate of growth in percentage or numbers) In 1986, Helu-Trans handled less than $1 million worth of art business. Today, we handle between 6 to 9 Millions SGD worth of art revenue a year from museums, galleries, auction houses, collectors and art institutions. At present, we have about 100 employees on our payroll in both Singapore and Hong Kong. We are looking to move into Shanghai within the very short future.   26. How would you describe Dick Chia? Who is this man? How do you want yourself to be remembered? I am not a public person but rather, a private one. I enjoy the company of people I mix with and I do not particularly enjoy being in crowded places. For clients, they remember me by the kind of service I am able provide. For friends and staffs, they know that I am someone that they can rely on. Being more financially stable and fortunate does not mean that I have to change my personality to go along with.