• Lena and her team.

    How I Started An Art School Business

    Ms Lena Lok was a fresh graduate aged 24 with $80 in her bank account when she first decided to start her own art school business–Amazing Art Shuttle in Singapore. Today, she owns 2 brands, having started her second art school brand–Art Wonderland–at age 31. We asked her for tips on how you can do the same. 

    “I spend a lot of time in my art studio—I’m almost there everyday including the weekends.”

    Q: Hi Lena, thank you so much for coming here to chat with us. To start, could you tell us a little about your art schools, The Amazing Art Shuttle and Art Wonderland? What services do they offer and who are they for? 

    A: To start off, both The Amazing Art Shuttle and Art Wonderland were founded out of a desire to create quality art education programmes for Singaporeans. Amazing Art Shuttle was started in 2009 as I felt that there was limited art education options available in the heartlands. Amazing Art Shuttle has a literal meaning—we basically shuttle to all corners of Singapore, bringing our art programmes. Today, Amazing Art Shuttle focuses on B2B (business to business) solutions—we count art museums and government institutions as our clients and assist them with the formulation of Art curriculums and programmes. Art Wonderland on the other hand was started in 2017 to focus on our own internal art classes and programmes (B2C). We wanted to create a space that would encourage and invite children to explore new art ideas and techniques. Today, Art Wonderland has branched out into creating immersive and tactile art installations for young children.

    Why did you decide to open and run art schools for a living? And how do you feel about that decision now that you’ve been doing this for over a decade? 

    Back in 2009 (the year Amazing Art Shuttle was formed) there was not much art outreach programmes available. Nowadays you see all sorts of art events everywhere, even in shopping malls. But back then, Singapore was still very new to the ideas of parent-child art bonding programmes and creating community collaborative artworks. I saw that gap and really wanted to use my art knowledge and experience to serve the community and that led me to start AAS. It is important for a business to always innovate and grow and that is also why I still love doing what I am doing; I get to suggest and spearhead many new projects and collaborations. It is a gift to be able to enjoy what you are doing for a living.

    What certifications or skills does a person need to run an art school or teach art at your schools? What type of person do you feel is best suited for such a career?  

    Children are very well educated these days. They can seek out knowledge and information easily through the use of the internet. There are many Art DIY videos and tutorials on YouTube, hence Art Teachers these days need to be able to offer students something more than just creating copies of the same artwork. We tell our teachers that their job here is to teach them to be independent art makers, so they should see themselves as art directors. Thus all our teachers need to be familiar with most art mediums to be able to better guide the students. We require all our art teachers to have a formal art education such as a diploma or degree from an art school. We did make an exception for one of our former teachers as he was skillful in art and passionate about teaching. I feel that passion and responsibility is just as important as certification.

    What is your weekly routine like as an art school owner? 

    I spend a lot of time in my art studio—I’m almost there everyday including the weekends. My time during weekdays are usually spent with my team in brainstorming for art curriculum, creating new marketing strategies and planning new art events/outreach with them. Weekends are spent teaching students and any in between time are used to clear paper work. I do however try to knock off on time everyday so that I can spend time with my family.

    This is Miss Lena Lok.
    This is Miss Lena Lok.

    Which 3 people or things are presently most important to you? 

    When I was in my twenties and trying to establish the business, I worked very hard and was literally running around all corners of Singapore. Because of that, I almost went into early labour when I was pregnant with my first child. I had to stop all work immediately and went on bed rest for almost 2 months. That whole incident made me realise what really matters the most to me in my life—my family. My husband and two children rank the highest! But my business is like my oldest child and will always be in my mind too.

    For your students and their parents, what do they get out of getting involved in art classes? What are the benefits of exposing children to proper art training at an early age? 

    There are many places teaching children how to draw. But what they do not teach is how they can be observant about their surroundings and to see the world in different perspectives. We encourage our students to spend time discovering the world around them and to notice small little details such as the lines, shapes, colours, textures, smell, sounds around them. Art classes when taught properly can teach children to be more observant and appreciative of the world around them and to form their own thoughts and opinions. The practical benefit of art classes would of course be improved dexterity and motor skills.

    What advice do you have for parents hoping for their children to be creative wizards in the future? 

    Do spend time talking to your children. Possessing critical thinking is just as important as artistic skills for young artists. Spend time doing inquiry-based discussions with them; this will help them form their own thoughts and opinions (traits important for artists).

    What advice do you have for kids hoping to be really good at art? 

    It is more important to have passion and perseverance than to be naturally gifted in art. You need to enjoy doing art to become better in it. Time will hone all skills, but passion is harder to develop.

    Lastly, what advice do you have for those hoping to open and run art schools similar to the Amazing Art Shuttle and Art Wonderland too? 

    Always try to remember what it was like for you as a child learning art; try to look at their world through their eyes. And a question I would pose to would-be art school founders—How can you contribute to Singapore’s art scene with your school and make a difference?

    Watch Art Wonderland artists turning an empty space into an artwork:
    https://www.facebook.com/artwonderlandsg/videos/592046434883265/

    Lena is presently working on expanding her companies so that she will be able to provide quality employment for art school graduates in Singapore (“the sad truth is that there are not much relevant art jobs available for Singaporean art school graduates”). You can find her at the Art Wonderland studio at 37 Middle Road, #03-00 within the Bugis/City Hall region of Singapore, on Facebook and Instagram, or ask her anything using the comment box below. 

    More interviews with those who’ve created businesses from scratch here.

    Photograph copyright of Lena Lok. Interviewer: Sy
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  • How I Started A Video Production Business With Just $10,000 - Jack Chua editor director cameraman video corporate series TV film commercial Singapore

    How I Started A Video Production Business With Just $10,000

    Brought to you by:

    Crossworks

    Jack Chua was 30 years of age when he decided to leave the difficulties of employment to start his own video production business with the $10,000 he had saved up. Nine years on, he looks back on his difficulties with building a business with only $10,000, while starting a family along the way, and lets us in on how he’s managed to thrive.

    “The first year was tough! Every day was spent worrying about ongoing projects, trying to find new clients and on top of that, having a partner who left just when the going got tough.”

    Q: Hi Jack! Why did you decide to set up a video production business? And why did you choose to use $10,000 to start it?

    A: While working for other bosses in my previous jobs, I realised most Singaporean bosses are unable to pay decently without exploiting their employees’ time and skills. I could not reconcile the two worlds—where I would put in a lot of effort in my work and yet not be rewarded monetarily or in terms of career advancement. I’ve had nasty encounters with ex-employers who could not understand we all have family commitments that precede their businesses; but it’s just me, I presume.

    I did not choose to start with $10,000! The amount was whatever savings I had accumulated over my working life and I tried to start the business from there.

    The entrance to Jack’s very first self-owned office.
    The entrance to Jack’s very first self-owned office.

    What were your early days of doing business like? How did you get jobs? Did you think you would succeed or fail? Or did you have no idea what to expect?

    The first year was tough! Every day was spent worrying about ongoing projects, trying to find new clients and on top of that, having a partner who left just when the going got tough. Honestly, I gave myself 2 years once my ex-partner left. That was the time-frame I gave myself as I believed the money would run out by then.


    How long did it take for you to get to a point where you had a steady stream of jobs? Did you have any big setbacks or wins along the way?

    Until today, I still do not believe in the steady stream of jobs that many people would expect. We are not in the engineering or research fields where we have the luxury of signing long-term contracts. We have, so far, been blessed with contracts from different clients. Some are still around and have become good friends of ours, while some have faded into obscurity.

    I gauge wins or setbacks based on my relationship with the client. A client who does not have a huge budget but is easy to work with is always a win for us.

    How did you finally earn back your $10,000? What was the turning point that made that happen?

    It took awhile. We spent some on giving ourselves a small salary and also computers for our day-to-day work. We didn’t have a ‘miracle’. Each day we were counting our blessings and also trying to balance the books.

    What was your routine like in the months/weeks/days that led to the turning point you mentioned above?

    We usually spend our days getting work done by a reasonable time during the day and believe that we should have our own personal time after work. That is still our day-to-day routine.

    A wall inside Jack’s very first office.
    A wall inside Jack’s very first office.

    Now that your business is more established, has your routine changed? If so, how?

    We are more confident of managing our time and clients’ expectations. And it has calmed much of the nerves we had initially. We now spend more time balancing work and home life.

    How do you presently spend your weekends?

    Right now, most of my weekends are spent with my baby girl. Bringing her out on trips and also just spending time at home with her.

    What advice do you have for someone thinking of starting a business with just $10,000?

    It would be a good idea to first consider if $10,000 is enough to start the business in the first place.

    Can you map out a recommended path for people who want to start a business with $10,000 to follow?

    Make sure you are mentally in this all the way until the end. If you are in it for fun or [running it] just [as] a side project, the money will soon run out before you know it.

    What are the key things/people/situations that enabled you to start a business with just $10,000, in your opinion?

    Financial prudence and also having good relationships with colleagues from my previous workplaces really helped as my earliest clients were actually the ex-colleagues I had a good time working with.

    How did successfully starting a business with only $10,000 change you as a person? Or did it not change you?

    My very first idea that this would be easy evaporated immediately after seeing the other facets of owning my own small business. I had to mature faster than my friends who had just started their careers.

    The inside of Jack’s second office.
    The inside of Jack’s second office.

    If you could go back and start your business from scratch all over again, what would you do differently?

    Finding better partners! I am very blessed to have my wife as my [present] partner as she has been the bedrock of our business ever since our ex-partner left. A good partner lifts you up and brings something to the business that you are unable to.

    What were you like as a child? What about as a teenager and young adult? How did you change at every decade? Or did you not change?

    My childhood was uneventful. We did not live in luxury nor was I pampered. At each stage of my life, I had my eyes opened bit by bit through friends or events in my life.

    Which major event in your life has made you who you are, in your opinion? Why do you think so?

    I remember at one of my previous workplaces—I had left NS [National Service; compulsory military conscription for all male Singaporean citizens] not long ago and just started my working life—during a disagreement with one of my seniors, another colleague jumped in to defend me. After that, I got a scolding from that colleague! He said he did not understand why I did not stand up for myself to my senior, that if I did not stand up for what I did right, who would do that for me in future? That really got me thinking about working and being more careful about my own work and also standing my ground if I am right.

    Which 3 objects/people in your life can you presently not live without and why?

    My wife, my baby girl and my dog.

    Of all the objects you bought in the past year, which has most positively impacted your life? Why?

    We just got a car. That really helped in our work and also with family time. We were always tired after long shoots or bringing the baby out, but the car made things easier for us.

    Which person do you wish Luck-it would interview for you to learn from? Why?

    Sim Wong Hoo of Creative. I believe he is the most understated local business owner from whom I would have much to learn from.

    Jack (second from left, with face blocked) and crew shooting a video series for Marina Bay Sands.
    Jack (second from left, with face blocked) and crew shooting a video series for Marina Bay Sands.

    Lastly, what’s the worst advice you’ve been given, or have heard people giving, with regards to doing business? And what’s the best?

    I wouldn’t dare to give advice to people thinking of doing their own business. Neither have I given much consideration to other people’s opinion of how I do my own business.

    Jack is presently working on the year-long internal project he has been doing with Marina Bay Sands but believes himself to be primarily a husband and father, in that order, before being a business owner. Interested parties may check out Konclave’s website, social media pages and YouTube page to find out more about his latest projects, or just ring him on the phone. He is willing to answer questions about starting video businesses (“But only if they’re serious about taking advice from an almost 40-year-old. Haha.”) so feel free to drop your questions and own experiences with bootstrapping a business in the comment box below.

    The above interview is sponsored by:

    Crossworks

    Photographs courtesy and copyright of Jack Chua. Interviewer: Sy
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  • How I Started A Rental Service At 19 With $0 and Grew It Into A Full-Fledged Peer-to-Peer Business by 23 - Jeshua Soh, JRC, Crossworks, Startupmedia

    How I Started A Rental Service At 19 With $0 and Grew It Into A Full-Fledged Peer-to-Peer Business By 23

    Back in 2015, 19-year-old Jeshua made the decision to rent out his personal collection of camera gear and started a Facebook page titled ‘J Rental Centre’ to do so. Today, J Rental Centre has a website, an office, staff and three collection points all around Singapore. LUCK-IT asked the now 24-year-old entrepreneur/film-maker how he did it.

    “I would say the reason we’re still here and still focussed on the same vision of connecting people is because of the community impact we have seen.”

    Q: Why did you decide to start an equipment rental business? And how is it you could start it with almost $0?

    A: We’re not exactly an equipment rental business but a peer-to-peer platform, something like Airbnb/Grab, that connects owners and renters of camera gears, event logistics and creative spaces with each other. I began JRC.sg in early 2015 as I saw that the existing rental houses were expensive and rigid, especially for students and smaller productions. We wanted to provide a rental service that is both affordable and convenient, while focussing on the people element, not just the hardware or spaces. There is nothing like getting tips directly from a professional owner and a few minutes chat can prove more useful than 2 hours of manual-reading or YouTube-watching.

    The business was started not as a business but as a means of cost reduction and better utilising resources which I already had. There wasn’t capital investment that could be measured in $ but certainly a lot of time and energy in formulating the policies, writing agreements, developing the website, marketing, and the list goes on.


    What was your first year of business like? How did you get customers and what did you learn along the way?

    JRC began as a Facebook page with a list of stuff that I personally already owned. Shortly after, some friends also wanted to rent out their equipments and we grew the list, then created a blog-site. The first few customers came from people whom I had known through school and work and word slowly spread through word of mouth as well as our digital marketing efforts.

    J Rental Centre's first Facebook list of gear for rent.
    J Rental Centre’s first Facebook list of gear for rent.


    How did you start expanding your business? Was it something you planned for at the start or something that occurred organically?

    In 2016, we launched the first version of JRC.sg which listed camera equipment like DSLR, lenses, lighting, sound and support gear from 16 different owners all over Singapore. It was a huge step up from the Facebook page or blog-site but still largely manual in the way we cleared inquiries, created invoices and collected payments. More partners came on board—some customers and some who just had a spare set of kit they didn’t want collecting dust at home. Today, we have over 100 owner partners and are on our second version of the site which features two new verticals (event logistics and creative spaces), e-payments, user accounts, online ID verification as well as a host of other bells and whistles. We are always thinking of ways to add value and connect more people as we know that there is still a sizeable portion of the media and events industry that are more used to just walking into a shop to get what they need.

    How long did it take you to get to the point where you felt like your business would be sustainable in the long run? Was there a significant turning point/course of action that got you feeling that way?

    I don’t think that we have even reached this point today, despite being around for over 4 years. Reaching critical mass and achieving a network effect that is win-win for all parties is not easy, and even companies like Grab are not profitable yet. I think a better question would be at which point did I start taking this Facebook page that I created more seriously and try to scale up what we were doing, and that would have to be in 2016, when I saw that having a site which organises the listing information was going to be very important if we wanted to connect more people. So, I hired a developer to code the first version and started taking in some interns to assist with marketing as well as thinking of new ways to grow the platform.

    J Rental Centre's present website.
    J Rental Centre’s present website.

    Did you have any setbacks or wins along the way while in the process of doing the above?

    Our setbacks include lengthy development time, especially on the current site, as I was properly trained in film-making and not as a tech-geek, some mis-steps in terms of trying to penetrate the clothes rental market sometime in 2017 and a bunch of poor hiring decisions. I would say the reason we’re still here and still focussed on the same vision of connecting people is because of the community impact we have seen. The power of team cannot be underestimated, especially in a small industry like media. It is always good to know more people and the transactional value of renting out a piece of kit is actually far lower if this transaction actually leads to a friendship or even becoming acquaintances with each other.

    What was your routine like when trying to expand J Rental Centre?

    Routine would be the last word I’d use to describe a lot of things that I do but we’re really goal-oriented and try many different things to fulfil the goals that we have set out. A lot of focus would be on balancing the chicken and egg problem which would bug most platforms–having too many ‘suppliers’ would mean that each person has less transactions, while having too many ‘buyers’ would mean that each buyer has insufficient choice. So it is a balancing act and we are always trying to court both sides to tell them about why they should use the platform or how we can help them to achieve their goals (be it to save costs, learn more, increase revenues or worry less about safety and procedures).

    J Rental Centre's City Hall Collection Point.
    J Rental Centre’s City Hall Collection Point.

    What about now? What is your present routine like?

    I now spend a good amount of time working remotely, travelling back and forth from Myanmar where I have started Crossworks since 2018. The company was started to help local Singaporean companies (such as my own) hire remote talent from Myanmar/Yangon to fulfil their manpower needs as well as lower their manpower costs, while stopping the brain drain out of Myanmar.

    How do you presently spend your weekends?

    If I’m in Singapore, I’d either be busy with productions, accounting, emails, or in church where I serve in the live production team as well. If I’m in Myanmar, I could be on a boat, up in the hills, by the beach or in a city–that’s really much less predictable.

    What advice do you have for someone hoping to start their business at age 19, or with $0?

    It’s not going to cost $0. Take into account the time and attention that will be the investment in whatever you’re doing but also don’t stop at ‘hoping’ and ‘dreaming’—the realistic chances of success are slim (statistically speaking) but I think that if you’re like me and don’t take it too seriously and are doing something that you like, it’s always worth trying and learning along the way.

    Can you map out a recommended path for people wanting to start their business at 19, with $0, to follow?

    I don’t have one and I don’t think one exists. I would suggest as above but if you have a clearer idea of the kind of business you’d like to setup, talk to some potential customers/partners and see if that is something that they would need. Don’t be surprised if there is hesitation or if they don’t sound supportive but take those initial observations in and remember why you started always.

    This is Jeshua.
    This is Jeshua.

    Which key things/people/situations enabled you to keep and grow the business you started at age 19, in your opinion?

    The business began after a few other platform businesses like Airbnb, Uber/Grab, etc, started, and people became more open to the idea of resources being shared instead of just owned. The gig economy was also and is still continuing to expand such that people do not need to keep all the resources in-house and have them be less than optimally utilised but are able to ‘plug and play’ resources as and when needed.

    How did starting your own business at 19 change you as a person? Or did it not change you?

    It gave me the opportunity to interact with much more people and hence I would say that it has changed me for the better.

    Jeshua's present office in Tai Seng, Singapore.
    Jeshua’s present office in Tai Seng, Singapore.

    If you could go back and replay the adventure of starting and running J Rental Centre all over again, what would you do differently?

    I would focus on what I can do at this present moment.

    What were you like as a child? What about as a teenager and young adult? How did you change at every decade? Or did you not change?

    I never liked being bored. I don’t think that has changed but I have learned to value quiet and slow moments, grown in patience as well as increasingly seen the value in some routines.

    Which major event in your life has made you who you are, in your opinion? Why do you think so?

    Not one event per se but in general not having examinations being a huge part of my life at any point made me realise that there are more important priorities. Learning became a joy and something I still constantly try and do. With grades and accolades being something that many people in our society get caught up with, I think it gives me a different perspective when looking at issues or making decisions.

    Which 3 objects/people in your life can you presently not live without and why?

    Objects are easier. A laptop, phone and my passport. I use these to get work done and get around.

    Of all the objects you’ve ever bought/received for the purpose of expanding or sustaining J Rental Centre, which has been most useful? Why?

    We’re not really a brick and mortar store so I guess our website itself is our biggest asset to help connect people.

    Jeshua’s studio at Tai Seng, Singapore.
    Jeshua’s studio at Tai Seng, Singapore.

    Which person do you wish LUCK-IT would interview for you to learn from? Why?

    Jony Ive—his design has had a huge impact on the world we live in today.

    What’s the worst advice you’ve been given, or have heard people giving? And what’s the best?

    I have forgotten most of the worst advice. Some of the best would be to take care of yourself physically and not neglect health while focussing on your other priorities.

    Jeshua presently runs his two other businesses—Crossworks and Startupmedia—on top of running J Rental Centre. You can connect with him at those websites or his LinkedIn page, or drop him in a question in the comment box below.

    Other Answers by Jeshua Soh:
    How I Started A Business In Myanmar At Age 23
    Why I Chose To Drop Out Of School In Year 5 Of The Integrated Programme

    Photographs courtesy and copyright of Jeshua Soh. Interviewer: Sy
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