What business was your father in?
He was a bus-conductor who retired 20 years ago.

Did you consider following in his footsteps?
No.

Has your business always been located here?
Yes. We have 2 office units. One in People's Park Centre which was set up almost 20 yrs. 3 yrs ago, we set up another one here in Chinatown point.

Why did you choose this location?
We needed a more presentable shop space. In People's Park Centre, it is on an office level. That means after 6 pm, there will be no air-con, and on Sunday there will be no traffic. Hence, it was not so suitable. Here, we have good exposure. We can have a good shop display and sometimes, there have been walk- in customers enquiring about our services.

Are your customers mostly walk-in or referral?
More than 70% are referral.

Did you have to get a license to do business here?
No. However, we used to copy tapes, which required a MAKE license. But now tapes are no longer popular, so we've discontinued the license.

Do you have any partners?
Yes.

How are they related?
All the directors are family members. They are my mum, who is not active, my wife, who is active, and I.

I heard that you are one of the pioneers in the video-production industry. How did you get the inspiration to venture into some unknown industry?
It was my passion in video making. I am very nostalgic in nature, and like to keep memories of the past and of my family. I have the love for this kind of art. At that time, the video technology was very new. The first time I bought the video cam in 1979, was the first time it came to Singapore. It was very expensive, costing $4100. 20 over years ago, that was a very expensive price to pay, especially since the salary was in the 500 - 600 range. I was not thinking of going into this business and bought it more for family-usage. Then, I helped some friends shoot a few weddings and it captured a lot of attention. It was an interesting thing as you could watch yourself on TV. Since there was an interest, I saw the potential in this market. Also, I wanted to cover the cost of the video camera. So I went into business.

Did you have the capital to start the business or did you borrow it from someone to get started?
It is a fairly low capital business so I was able to take from my savings.

Tell me some of your best times in business.
1998 was a good year. The average family income for the last 5 yrs was about S$330,000 per year.

I saw many celebrities' photos at the front of your shop. Do the celebrities' shoots bring in more revenue?
Not really. Most of them are sponsored. But besides Chew Chor Meng, most of them pay.

What about your worst times?
We went through 2 years of 'Tiger'. During the 'Tiger year', not many people want to get married. Since quite a great portion of our business rely on weddings, so those 2 'Tiger years' were not that good. But there was not much big fall in business, although a lot of others in the same trade were facing a lot of difficulties because there were not much weddings. Also, during that time was the economic crisis. Likewise recently, there was also a decline in business.

Ever felt like giving up before, how many times, when does it happen and why?
Never.

Who competes with you?
The newcomers from the younger generation. The video camera is now very affordable compared to last time. Now, less than $2000 can get you a good camera, and produce good quality. Editing software is also easily available. The computer is very powerful too.

Have you ever thought of going in business with them to make a bigger business? Since it's a family business, so will you want to merge?
No.

Did you start as a businessman as a child selling things to your friends and family?
I've been enterprising since young. In my childhood in Indonesia, I've been interested in acquiring something, then selling it. A lot of things like hobbies and games make good business. I used to make those "tikam" papers and sell them. I also made "wayang" shows, those shadow plays. I would construct a wooden frame and tie strings across. Then, paper cuttings will be pasted along the strings. As the string moves, the paper cuttings will move too, in opposite directions. This creates fighting shows, as people see which one drops off first, and that will be the loser. I charged people for watching such of my shows.

When did you decide that you would strike out on your own instead of working for someone else?
I joined CPF in 1973 as an investigating officer. I was very enterprising even during my stint at CPF. During my free time, on Saturdays and Sundays, I'll buy gold plated orchid from the makers and go to shops to sell them. I also, used my father-in-law's company name to import small items and distribute to shops. When I left CPF in 1980, I decided to strike out on my own and started several joint ventures which failed. Until I got into this line.

When you started what did your wife or family think?
I had good family moral support and participation. My wife was in the army then, and she left to join me.

Are there any points in your business life that you experienced something so significant e.g. war, racial riot, economic crisis, new competition, shift in market behavior and trends that affect or influence your life and business that make you change the way you do business and thinking?
The economic crisis had some adverse effects but overall it was not very bad.

A significant point would be competition arising from new technology (computer based editing) and an increasing number of newcomers. Tape editing has been the main thing for past 20 yrs. But 5 yrs ago, new computer editing software and hardware became very advance and affordable. Hence, we have to keep up with the competition and see a big change in our production procedures.

Do you have kids?
Yes, I have 2 kids.

What do they do?
My daughter is working here. My son is in his last year in poly.

What are your own values in doing business and what do you like to pass down to your children?
To be hardworking. This is a very service-oriented business, based on being personalized. We are in the business of servicing customers on their wedding day, and we cannot fail. It is very stressful, and we must be able to handle it. It is important to have a back-up plan. Like say, we have shooting in the morning, they [my employees] must give me wake up call to let me know that they are on the way. Also, I will usually be around the area of the shooting, in case of equipment failure, so as to be able to rush down quickly.

Are you a perfectionist?
Yes, I am.

Will any of them follow you as business owners?
Yes. They have been slowly catching up.

Will prefer them to take over your company or go out and set up their own?
Yes, take over.

What would happen if you got sick, who would run your business?
That is of no problem. They are all very independent. My daughter can manage. In fact, we can go for long holidays and leave her in charge.

What qualities that you have that you think differentiates you from someone who works for others?
The heavy sense of responsibility and the willingness to work hard, long hours.

There is a lot of responsibility especially in this line. We are shooting something on the most important day of someone's life. So I must keep an eye on things. Creative production is very important. Also, the responsibility to customer, especially in commercial video production. Half of our revenue comes from corporate clients, on event coverage. The most recent project is for the Esplanade. Since opening, we have shot more than 50 performances there.

What qualities does it take to succeed in business?
You must be sincere to your business (sic). Love your business. Apply a personal approach. Every customer is different, and not your order number. Since my line involves software and hardware, the staff, manpower support is very important.

How old were you when you first realized you wanted to be in business on your own?
In 1980 when I left CPF. (28 years old)

Did your family and friends encourage you?
I had good support from my family. Not friends. My family accepted this as family business.

When was the moment you realized that the business would work and support you and your family?
In 1980. I saw the good response, and also the joint ventures with other companies failed. I saw the good response in video recording, and so went on to buy equipment, and then employed workers.

Tell me about your first few customers and first few years of business.
I had no special customers. Along the way, I've served more than 3000 couples and made numerous corporate productions. I've see many kinds of tradition in the business. I had the opportunity to go to the big plants, clean rooms, even meet MDs and CEOs. I've seen different kinds of processes, and seen every kind of family. Big families and rich families. My first one video production was for the wedding of the sister of a CPF colleague. I shot that for free.

What would you advise young people to do today in starting a business?
Interest in the particular field is important. The ideal business is the business that you can explore from your own interest. Once in that line, you have to work very hard. No fixed hrs and such.

Who is your role model and mentor?
No one.

When you have problems who do you talk to?
Most of the problems I have, I solve myself. I've experienced enough already to solve them.

What do you do about retirement funds? You just save on your own?
Yes. I think I have enough wealth for my retirement. I have 2 offices; I stay in a HDB flat, 1 condo rented out. Besides being assets rich, I have my kids too.

Have you thought about expanding your business?
Yes. The next generation may want to establish one solely for commercial field. Or maybe want to handle a particular group of wedding customers. I can support them in setting up their own either as a branch, or under a different brand name.

Will you let outsiders come in? As a joint partner or to work for you?
We have a few staff. Now at the moment we have 2 video men. In total, I have 5 outsiders working for me. This year wasn't a good year, so we are more conservative. But for being joint partners, it is not likely.

Who do you admire in business?
No one.

Who do you admire in general in any field?
SM. He is a no nonsense man. He also contributes a lot to the country. He is the one I most admire.

If you are chosen as one of the 39 winners will you come to the ceremony to be honored?
Ok. Yah I will.

Will you be comfortable with the press and TV asking you many of the same questions if you are a winner?
No problem. I can even give a lot of good video, visual support! It is my field of work!

Do you have any objection to this interview being posted on the Community Web Site or published in the newspaper prior to being chosen?
No objections.

Before I go, are any other stories you would like to tell me?
Not at the moment. But if there is I will let you know in one or two days' time.

Student Interviewer's Personal Comment