At 19 years of age, Rachel Lim’s enterprising spirit led her to take a leap of faith to start her own business while she was still an undergraduate at the Nanyang Technological University. 13 years on, her homegrown fashion business not only went beyond the local online market to capture the hearts of global online shoppers but also expanded to brick-and-mortar retail stores in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia and Hong Kong.
Business-owners in Singapore should view entrepreneurship with bigger aspirations. It is not always about selling products and services but how your business can empower your customers or make them live better. Taking Love, Bonito as an example, the brand is built upon the objective of making shoppers feel more confident to face everyday challenges. It intends to fill an emotional gap to inspire self-confidence. When women resonate with that brand objective, they will naturally become loyalists.
“My definition of success is this quote by American philosopher, Ralph Waldo Emerson that goes, ‘To be yourself in a world that’s constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.’” Business-owners in Singapore can take entrepreneurship to a whole new level if they choose to meditate on what they are grateful for. Whether you practise daily gratitude journaling like Rachel or sit in quiet contemplation for five minutes every day, you will develop more positive moods and optimism to manage your business. Studies also found that keeping a log of what you are thankful for can lower stress, help you sleep better and even reduce the risk of heart disease.
Being a business-owner does not mean you are without weaknesses. At times, sharing your vulnerable sides can bring you closer to co-workers or even let others contribute solutions that you are not aware of. At work, showing vulnerability can help to foster good emotional and mental health which takes away the stress of managing a business.“I think consumer’s preferences, needs and the way they view life change so quickly.