Here is a free gift for you! A gorgeous coffeetable book showcasing interviews from 20+ vibrant trades in Singapore from books to lingerie to electronics! This medley of photographic essays will delight you with inspiration and insight. To get this free gift, simply share any of your 3 favourite posts from the Shopkeeper Stories Facebook page…
Tag: success
Branding an online electronics business
Every success story has a plot that is littered with bruises from tripping and falling. Stories of sharp regret. That moment when you think with paralysing horror: “Whoops” on realizing that you messed up an opportunity, and wishing you could turn back time, and do it all over again. However, here’s an unremarkable truth: we don’t need to…
Staying with the story
Chrissy Lim is no stranger to starting and steering quality businesses. She is the founder of Paperplane, a visual storytelling studio, and her trail of remarkable projects includes Quickcut and Kitchenomics. In this interview, Chrissy looks back on her business journey and shares an honest perspective on what it takes to strike out and wander into business for the first…
Doll Me Up (Chapter 5): Family Life
People living in the Arctic region have about a thousand words for “snow” because they are sensitive to the quality of snow for everyday decisions like sledding, catching seals, building houses, and so on. Meanwhile, Singaporeans have a colourful package of words to describe the weather such as “damn hot” “super hot” “so hot cannot take it”…
Doll Me Up (Chapter 4): Growing Up
It come as no surprise to learn that businesses are constantly reinventing themselves to stay relevant, where “brick-and-mortars” are becoming “click-and-mortars” and fresh strategies are needed to remain valuable — those who cling stubbornly to routines from the past are quick to go extinct. A prominent businessman in Singapore, Dr Theyvandran, put it bluntly. “A business cannot stay…
Doll Me Up (Chapter 3): Marketing
Nazlin Hilal, founder of Doll Me Up Cosmetics, shares some strategies that she uses to ‘put wheels on her business’ and sustain spectacular standards of service. Nazlin has a warm and affectionate personality, so it’s easy to see why people like her: she is sincere about providing value to her customers, and has a lovely way of…
Doll Me Up (Chapter 2): Creating a product and brand
CREATING A BRAND Nazlin Hilal realised quite early that she needed a “brand” to propel her growth in the cosmetic business. When we imagine a brand, we usually imagine a giant household name such as Nike. However, small businesses can also create a brand, even if the brand is their personal reputation that helps them…
Doll Me Up (Chapter 1): Starting a business
We wish it were easier, but there is no zipline to our dreams. Our reality is a messy terrain of endless adaptation, and we have to zig-zag through a world riddled with risk. The adventure of starting your own project — and then starting your own business — seems daunting, but it beckons flirtatiously to those with…
Doll Me Up: Introducing Nazlin Hilal
I’m sitting across the table and watching Nazlin handle one of the toughest negotiators in her studio. “Danish. You need to listen to this.” Danish eyes her confidently, and does not relent. I watch as he ponders his next strategic move, peering from the back of her chair where she cannot see him directly. “Oh Danish, I’m in the…
Everyday is a new day
Nova is a shopkeeper at Lexington Market in Baltimore. He shares his advice for dealing with the vagaries of business. “Every day is a new day! Don’t be discouraged. Just because something didn’t go right one day doesn’t mean it won’t go right tomorrow. Come back, and try again.”
Shopkeeper Stories 