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Mr Abul Hassan Owner of Han Rose Exclusif

Interviewer
Name:	Noraini Bte Junaydy
Interviewee
Name:	Mr Abul Hassan
Company Address	Han Rose Exclusif, Tanjong Katong Complex #01-47, Singapore 400845
Email	-
Date of Interview	3 Jun 2003, 6.30pm - 7.30pm

The friendly face of Mr Abul Hassan, masked his hardships and years of experience operating his own apparel shop. Apparels based solely on his own concepts, Mr Hassan has nearly 9 years of experience in being a sole proprietorship.

Mr Abul Hassan initially started in Malaysia under a partnership. He grabbed the opportunity offered by his friend and took a daring step in quitting his job in a shipping firm. He though that it was the right moment especially when his shipping firm started diverting into warehousing and he realized that his experience was not in that line.

They ventured into the batik line with no experiences or background. Setting up a production outlet in Malaysia, they gained the knowledge of running a batik business from scratch, including traveling and visiting the various batiks factories located in countries such as Indonesia and Thailand. Mr Hassan's interests in batik were piqued when he first tried his hands on the art of batik as he enjoys the colors and motifs that can be played out on batik apparels. Malaysia was first chosen due to the availability of markets of such batik apparels. After 2 years in Malaysia, Mr Hassan decided to bring his concept to Singapore, to show and prove that batik can be worn by all in this multi-racial society.

Registering his brand under the name Art Strawberry, Mr Hassan did not start up with a shop immediately in Singapore. With pencils and albums, he approached shops in hotels to gain clients. Demand was especially high in hotels such as West Malaysia and he will supply them on a consignment basis when such shop owners are convinced with the feasibility of selling such unique apparels. Loyal customers in Malaysia still place their orders with him even though he had stopped production there.

The current location was meant to be a store and showroom but it eventually turned into a shop as the neighborhood is populated with Malays who usually buy more than one or two pieces at one time. In addition, he set up a production in Jakarta to cut cost due to the availability of cheap labor and the strategic location of Indonesia. This foresight and determination to cater to the needs of his customers are the keys to his success.

He is currently a supplier and retailer, catering to all nationalities. His batik works are not traditional batik designs and are more inclined to modern art. His apparels range from dresses to skirts to pants and they follow ethnic designs such as that of cheongsam and baju kebaya. The apparels are more to modern art and are targeted to those who take particular interests in having designs and motifs in their clothing. Foreigners love batik due to its heritage value attributed to countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia.

Initially the idea was to have exclusive designs on apparels but when demands arise, Mr Hassan will cater to them willingly. The best moments were the continued demand of his apparels. For example, a certain motif of a fish using calligraphy as its style was hot in demand for a year.

Like any other businessman, Mr Hassan had been hit by hard times, with the worst during the Asian Financial Crisis. Clients could not clear their debts when the Malaysian Ringgit was affected due to the crisis. He persevered despite all odds and felt that his greatest achievement was knowing that he survived at such times while others did not and went bust. With the recent outbreak of war and the Sars crisis, Mr Hassan feels that these are challenges that he simply has to overcome.

Competition exists in his line of business, especially from countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia. He feels that his ideas are lost when he realized that in places such as Thailand, his motifs and designs had been used and sold in apparels in night markets simply known as pasar malam. Retailers that he supply to in Singapore tend to be competitors but he expresses no dire need of shifting to another area as he sees himself more of a supplier rather than a retailer. Though he charges a nominal profit for himself, he is pleased in his designs being able to make profits for his retailers. He is simply happy that his creativity is widely accepted.

His family played an important role, next to his loyal customers. Though skeptical when times are bad, his wife and 4 children give their support and encouragement for him to pursue his interests and dreams.

The humble Mr Hassan does not consider himself an entrepreneur and feels that he is no different from others. To him, he is simply one that has an interest in batik and loves to bring out his own designs and motifs, playing them out with different colors and putting it all up into unique batik apparels. He just sees himself as one who makes his creativity and ideas work for him.

Admiring no one in particular, Mr Hassan respects one who is daring and willing to persevere against all odds, just like he has done, especially in crisis such as the economic downturn. His advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is to start small and test the feasibility of the products. The challenge is the key factor and one will either make it or not. Sheer determination will bring you success. With that I feel that we could all learn a thing or two from a chapter in the book of life of Mr Hassan.

Interview With Mr Abul Hassan

How shall I describe your business?
It is a batik business catering to all nationalities. Apparels are batik works but they are not the traditional batik designs. They are more to modern art and it is targeted to those who are more prone to look at designs and motifs in their apparels. Traditional methods such as waxing and chanting are used.

How does your business works?
I am more of a supplier, supplying to retailers. I cater to wholesale retailers and they ask for specific designs. As a retailer, I have customers from around the world. These customers especially the foreigners love batik as it can be related to the heritage to countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia. Initially, it started as an exclusive design shop, with one apparel per design or color, but sometimes I accommodate to demands.

How does your business work?
I am more of a supplier, supplying to retailers. I cater to wholesale retailers and they ask for specific designs. As a retailer, I have customers from around the world. These customers especially the foreigners love batik as it can be related to the heritage to countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia. Initially, it started as an exclusive design shop, with one apparel per design or color, but sometimes I accommodate to demands.

Do you have kids? Do they live around here?
I have 3 sons and daughter who are living with me. My daughter is pursuing her degree in business management and one son is currently in National Service.

Has your business always be located here?
Initially I was operating in Malaysia and that was 9 years back and I was in a partnership. 2 years later I shifted to Singapore and become a sole proprietor, setting up my shop here.

Why did you choose this location?
I first chose Malaysia as there is a market for batiks there. I decided to move my concept back to Singapore as I want to show this uniqueness can be applied to all clothes, even in this multi racial society. This current location was meant to be my store and showroom but I turned it into a shop. This is because the neighborhood is populated with Malays and they usually buy in bulk.

Even though I came to Singapore, I still have customers in Malaysia. When I start out here, initially I did not set up a shop. I will usually bring pencils and my albums to the shops in hotels. Especially in West Malaysia, I supply goods on consignment basis and when the apparels sell, these shops will buy more.

In addition, I have a production in Jakarta due to the cheap labour and the strategic international location of Indonesia.

Why this particular line?
This line came to me as it was my first offer from my friend. Moreover Malaysia was more prone to such batiks and I envy batik due to their colors and motifs.

Did you have to get a license to do business here? What name do they give it?
It was registered as batik under the Registry of Companies and it was under the brand Art Strawberry and I have been using this ever since and it is now the labels to all my apparels.

Did you need something separate from the government to be at this location?
No. I think that unless the business involves chemicals, one need not obtain a special license.

Do you have any partners?
The partnership was back then while I was operating in Malaysia. I used to have offers especially when I set up exhibition in hotels. The Japanese and Europeans asked for joint ventures. However, I refused as I do not know them and the trust is not there.

Tell me some stories that give me an idea of the hardships in starting a business from scratch and how you overcome it?
It was a struggle at first as I had no knowledge about batik and neither did I have the business background. I had to see batik factories and travel to Indonesia and Thailand to get the basic knowledge and the know-how. I tried my hand at it and experienced with colors. This increased my interest in batiks and I like to see motifs being displayed in my materials and works.

Tell me some stories of your best day in business.
There was this Japanese customer who wants a fish motif she asked me to produce some designs using fishes. She likes one with fish motifs using calligraphy and it was so hot at that one time that few shops in hotels ask for such designs and it lasted for a year. Such times make me happy. I am pleased when customers become retailers, setting up a shop with me as the sole supplier. The couple, of Indian origins set up a shop in Bugis Junction after being fascinated with the designs and colors. Their shop is also an exclusive shop and has been operating for 8 years. Though as a supplier I can only charge prices bringing me nominal profit, I am happy that my designs re-making them make money, meaning others there like my designs..

What about your worst day? (ever feel like giving up before, how many times, when does it happen and why?)
The worst time was during the Asian Financial Crisis. The Malaysian Ringgit was hit by it and my debtors were affected. For example, instead of getting $ 80 000 ringgit, I only received $35 000 ringgit. I then realized that external factors can really affect me and I sense the risk. However, upon reflection, I realized that I am not the only one that was affected and if I have to struggle, I will struggle with the rest. I made it and now with the recent war outbreak and Sars crisis, I take is as challenges that I have to overcome.

Did you have the capital to start the business or did you borrow it from someone to get started?
I was given the opportunity to enter the partnership in Malaysia.

Who competes with you?
Batik origins from Javanese. I find that the shops in Indonesia and Malaysia are my competitors. When the come to Singapore and visit my items in exhibition or in my suppliers' outlets they will like to know whose designs do they belong to. Sometimes I find that my designs have been copied especially in Thailand. If I have a certain motif, I will focus the motif on different concepts and colors, and little will I know that in the next season, the motif will be flooded in pasar malams. I don't really lose in dollars and cents but I lose my ideas. However, I am happy as others can make money out of this. It is just like if you create something and the important thing is that people like it. In Singapore, the retailers that I supply my designs may be my competitors. However, I do not feel that I will expand or shift location as I am more of a supplier rather than a retailer.

When did you decide that you would strike out on your own instead of working for someone else?
I used to work in a shipping firm. It diverted to warehousing and realizing that my experience is not in warehousing, I decided to grab the opportunity when my friend offered the partnership in Malaysia.

When you started what did your husband or family think? (the different stages of your business from the beginning to now. What have you gone through? Are there any points In your business life that you experienced something so significant e.g. war, racial riot, economic crisis, new

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