| Nominee: |
Ms Julie Tan |
| Company: |
Scrapbooking Cove |
| Address: |
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| Website: |
www.scrapbookingcove.com |
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| Interview with Ms Julie Tan |
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| 1. What is the nature of your business? (Business Profile) |
| My business belongs to a hobby industry. Scrapbooking is an art of arranging photos and journaling mounted onto decorative papers, adding memorabilia, embellishments and stickers to enhance the overall effect.
By journaling your pages you will transform an ordinary collection of photographs into a vibrant and visual storyboard - telling the stories behind the pictures, revealing hidden memories and emotions. It will give your scrapbooks a unique and intimate feel, it is this personal touch that turns your albums into something very special.
Many a time we find our photographs turning yellowish over time: this is because they have been stored in albums containing acid. Acid is a chemical substance that cause deterioration in papers and can eventually cause photos to turn brown and become brittle. By using acid-free and lignin-free albums and materials, photos can be preserved beautifully and safely for generations to come.
In a nutshell, a scrapbook is a decorated photo album - but it's different from a photo album because it preserves something more than just the photos - your memories and your family heritage. |
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| 2. What made you embark on this venture choice? |
| Since young I have been very interested in craftwork. I do folk art painting, cross-stitch, crochet, knitting, clay...all sorts of crafts. Scrapbooking caught my fancy the moment I first chanced upon it at a local shop in the year 2004. I was instantly drawn into the creativity of scrapbooking because it encompasses all the crafts that I have been doing. I can incorporate clay, cross-stitch and even painting into Scrapbooking. It is also meaningful to know that I am preserving my family's memories for future generations. |
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| 3. How does your business work? |
| I do my business online: people shop at my online shop, make payment online and I will mail the orders to them. I do not have a retail store because of the commitments to my family. I chose to do it online so that I can juggle my business and family at the same time. I have two young children and they require a lot of attention. As such, this business keeps me going as a working mother. It also allows me to spend more time with my children as it provide flexibility in terms of time management. |
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| 4. Did you have the capital to start the business or did you have to borrow from someone to get started? |
| My start-up capital came from the joint-account between me and my husband. We wanted to start small and work within our means. Scrapbooking is a new hobby in Singapore so we wanted to see how the market reacts to it first. |
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| 5. Do your parents have their own businesses too? Have they inspired you in one way or another? |
| My parents ran their business in the distribution of otah-kueh from confectionary factories to retailers. Since young I had been seeing the way they ran the business and interact with customers. It never occurred to me that I would start a business one day. All I wanted was to do well in my studies, get good results and find a good job. Now that I think about it though, perhaps there may be this kind of business gene running in my family. |
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| 6. 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 do well in my studies, get good results and find a good job, settle down with a family and enjoy life. After I got my degree, I worked as an auditor with KPMG Peat Marwick and an accountant in the commercial sector. Soon after I got married, I went to USA with my husband for his overseas posting. I did not work while we were there. After we returned to Singapore a few years later, I realized that I was quite resistant to the rigidity of an office job. So I started providing accountancy services on a freelance basis. When my son was around 4 years old, I began to think of the logistical problems once he starts Primary 1. I was reluctant to send him to Student care. Having a maid is not an option too. I started toying with the idea of starting my own business which allows me to be more flexible in time management. With the support of my husband, the online shop was materialized. |
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| 7. Why does someone decide to be on their own rather than join an existing company? |
| I think a lot of people are motivated by the desire to be their own boss. You make your own decisions, you manage your own time. If you are at the right place, at the right time, you may be able to earn good rewards. |
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| 8. Was there any point of time 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? |
| A year after started my business, I noticed sales had become stagnant. Deep down I knew it was due my failure to bring in new stocks fast enough to attract customers. But bringing in more stocks means more capital to be pumped in - we were not sure whether we could sell them. It was a big decision for me. My husband encouraged me to go for it. If we lose, it is only money that we lose but we will gain a lifetime experience of business venture. You will not know unless you try. |
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| 9. 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.) |
| I think to many people, capital is one of the big factors. Even if you have the capital, the commitment you have to put in is another big challenge. Further more, to maintain a business you need a lot of determination and hard work. |
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| 10. Who/What motivates you? |
| I am very much motivated by my passion for scrapbooking: it is my passion and interest that keep me going. I believe even after the trend has simmered down, there will always be people persuing scrapbooking because the real meaning of scrapbooking never change. Memories are the easiest things to lose – celebrate them by building a beautiful keepsake that your family and love ones can share and enjoy for years to come. The true intention and purpose of scrapbooking will keep this industry going. |
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| 11. Tell me about the first few customers and the first few years of business. |
| I saw the first sale the day I launched my online store. Initially I thought my web designer was doing a test. I could not believe I would make a sale so soon. I had expected that after 'opening the doors', it would take a while to clear out the flies and bugs before customers come in. After the first sale, I had second and third sales within a few days. I was overjoyed and it kept my spirits up. Until recently most of my customers were Singaporeans. In the past 6 months, especially after we have re-launched our shop with expended product lines, I have been seeing more and more international customers. They are attracted by our products which are unique and cannot be found in the mass market. |
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| 12. Tell me about your best day/period in business or your proudest achievement to date. |
| It is after we re-launched our online shop with a refreshed look and brand new shopping cart in conjunction with more new products. The sales have been very encouraging. |
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| 13. Do you recall your worst day/period in business? |
| My worst period was the time when I had to make a decision whether to continue the business. There were many new online and retail shops and competition was intense. I felt like throwing in the white flag. It was my husband who motivated me because he knew this business keeps me moving, keeps my brain working and keeps me in touch with the outside world. I am a stay-at-home mum but I don’t want to become just like one of the typical housewives whose life revolves only around their children. It helps me to improve my self-esteem by being financially independent. During the time when I was in USA with my husband, I realized that although my husband had no qualms about giving me allowances, I did not feel good taking money from him. |
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| 14. When was the moment you realised the business would work out and be able to supplement your family income? |
| When business started picking up after we re-launched the online shop and expanded the product lines. |
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| 15. What are some of the things you have had to overcome to succeed? |
| The need for creativity in the running of business. The need to be sharp and observant of the industry trend. Business is volatile and there were days when the sales was poor so one of the challenges was having to sit down and rethink our business strategy. |
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| 16. What are some qualities that you feel you possess which differentiate you from someone who works for others? |
| After the decision to stay in the business, I discovered the importance of a 'never say die' attitude. Be determined in what you believe in. You will never know the potential of a business until you try it. I feel that what sets me apart is my passion and interest – the motivation to fight to the end. |
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| 17. To succeed in business, what qualities are essential? What are some of the secrets in making a successful business? |
| Creativity – you must have a lot of bright ideas. You must be able to think out of the box and see things from different angles. Differentiate your business from your neighbors, share ideas and inspirations with your customers and provide them with superior service. Be honest and sincere to your customers. You want customers to keep coming back. Determination is also important – set a goal, make up your mind, and do it. |
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| 18. Who or what inspires you? |
| My source of inspiration is my family. My children and I do Scrapbooking together. It is a bonding time for us. They are my favorite showcases of my Scrapbooking. My husband is a pillar behind me and gives me support and advice. Without him, I would have given up the business. |
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| 19. Have you ever thought of expanding the business in some way or in multiple locations? |
| The Internet is a very powerful tool accessible by people all over the globe. There is literally no boundary. The plans I have for this business in the future is to conduct more lessons, reach out to more people and create more awareness of this hobby. Anyone can put a scrapbook together. If you can use a pair of scissors, a pencil and place stickers then you can scrapbook! A dream I have is to design my own line of products with unique Asian flavour as there are not many scrapbooking products that reflect the Asian culture. |
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| 20. What are your aims for your enterprise in the near future? |
| I aim to consistently bring in more products that are unique and that cannot be found in the mass market. |
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| 21. In your opinion, how would you define entrepreneurship? |
| Entrepreneurship is about pushing yourself beyond boundaries. You really have to be able to think out of the box to differentiate yourself from other people. A person who can really stretch yourself; who is creative; who has lots of bright ideas, and who is able to see things from different angles. You must be willing to come out of your comfort zone and take risks. |
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| 22. To what extent does a person's educational level help or hinder entrepreneurial-ship? |
| I don't think to a great extent. As long as they are able to write, read and communicate well with others they have the potential in becoming entrepreneurs. Look at our ancestors. They may not be very well educated but they can excel in their business. One cannot be taught how to run a business. You have to learn it through hands-on experiences and the ups and downs. |
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| 23. What qualities do you think a person should have to inspire others? |
| A spirit of creativity, perseverance and determination would be the qualities I would look out for an inspiring entrepreneur. |
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| 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? |
| You must be willing to take risks, to come out of your comfort zone and learn from your mistakes. Do not be afraid to make mistakes. Always look on the bright side and from different angles. In the business world, nothing will be smooth sailing. One must be able to make sacrifices such as working long hours and putting in extra effort to make things work out. There are no short cuts and instant success. |
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| 25. What would you consider to be your business strategy for the future? |
| Our strategy is to provide something that is different from other shops. We re-package products in mix-and-match which offers, for an example, 4 colors in a bag of brads rather than a single color of 30 brads. We are also constantly sourcing for unique products which differentiate our shop from others. We have customers as far as from USA because they cannot find such products anywhere else. |
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| 26. You also mentioned that because your business is online, you are competing with a lot of big names. So how did you create awareness about your shop's opening in the beginning? |
| In the earlier days we did advertise on magazines and online shopping mall lisitings. The response was not very good. The cost of advertising also ate into our budget as a SME. Half a year into the business, we were interviewed and featured on the Digital Life of Straits Time as part of a series of write-ups on scrapbooking. A few months later, Young Parents approached me for an interview. These were good exposure and publicity for the business. We have many happy customers who introduce us to their friends and family. Through words of mouth, our business has grown. |
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| 27. Before we end, do you have any last words of advice for young aspiring entrepreneurs? |
| You should have a realistic business proposal. Start small; take one step at a time. Be focused and keep the fire burning to sustain your business. Anything is possible if you place your heart and soul into it. |
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| 28. Please assist me in coming up with 2 lines synopsis. These 2 lines will highlight the interview for viewer who be reading this synopsis before the entire interview. |
| Julie's online store Scrapbooking Cove is proof that it is indeed possible to combine your passion with your work. A mother of 2 young children, Julie is an epitome of the new age woman who is able to successfully juggle both her career and her family commitments. |
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| 29. Your Personal Comment [Optional] |
| Throughout the interview and the 'tour' of her home office after, I could really see Julie's passion for scrapbooking emanating through her excited tone and the elaborate and extensive display of her love for her family and her craft in her scrapbook pages. I believe Julie's business will go far because it is based on something more powerful than any business knowledge – her passion. |
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| Interviewed by Ng Shu Hui Rachel on 2006-05-11. Student can be reached at rachel.ng.2004@socsc.smu.edu.sg |
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