A Lesson in Perseverance

The words came out of his mouth most unsuspectingly.

We were playing with a pair of toy chopsticks and I asked him to try to use it to pick up some felt balls. Without even attempting a try, he merely paused for a brief moment before declaring with a cute face, "I don't know!"

"I don't know"? Since when did he learn those words and from whom? Ok, redundant question. If it's not from the parents, then it's most likely from school.

While I think it's good to admit that you don't know how to do something, it's not a good idea when you decide that you'll not want to at least give it a try.

That was exactly what my boy did. After saying those words, he sat back, looked at me and said, "Mommy do!"

While it may be no big deal in the eyes of another parent (after all he’s just a two year-old right?) but it was enough to sound off an alarm in my head.

Think I overreacted? Well, you need to understand what kind of mom I am.

Big on values

of course, I'm no supermom, in fact, far from it. I know my weaknesses – I find it a constant challenge to come up with interesting educational crafts and activities to do with my boy. I even use it as an excuse sometimes not to think of something and just let him do free play (after all we sent him to school right? He should have quite a bit of structured play and learning in class).

I once thought I’ll be quite the kiasu mom who diligently trains her son into a future Einstein, but I quickly realised that it doesn’t resonate with me.

I discovered that I’m big on VALUES, as well as EQ. I believe that if I inculcate the right values and principles in my son, help him develop good communication and interpersonal skills, he will go far in life.  Look at how many of the successful people aren’t usually the smartest students in class and you’ll know what I mean.

Plus I’m never for the corporate rat race, I think it sucks. I mean, your income will never truly reflect your capability and hard work, and the best worker doesn’t always get the next promotion he deserves.

So if you ask me what’s my dream for my son, it will not be that he will grow up and get the President Scholarship and then walk down a career path that someone has laid out for him, no doubt it’s gonna be quite a cushy path and daddy and mommy will not have to worry about his college tuition fees and can use the money to travel round the world!

I’m not saying that he can then neglect his studies, I think it’s still good to acquire knowledge and learn to be as smart as he can. If not, he’s gonna get eaten up by the sharks!

But I wish he will be an enterprising individual who has the freedom to pursue his passion and live a fulfilled, meaningful life. Oh, I wish too, that he will earn lots of money. Not so that he will live a life of luxury (he can indulge a bit). I hope he will have greater means to change the world and make it a better place, and people who have the money can do so much more than those who don’t.  Heart plus money – it can be real powerful!

Success is usually just another try away

Anyway, I digressed!

Back to the “I don’t know” - I felt that it was an important learning moment, regardless of whether he really understood where I was coming from. I wanted him to learn perseverance and the importance of not giving up easily, and I believe values need to be inculcated from young.

So I told him if he doesn’t know how to do it, he can say so and asks me to teach him.

I took his small hand in mine and showed him how to use the chopstick. When he finally managed to pick up a ball on his own, I cheered and applauded will all my might and heart.

I ended the play session saying, “See Kenan, you can do it! Don’t say you don’t know, at least try.”

A few days later, he was playing with his wooden blocks and was building something. I was at the dining table working.

Suddenly, he shouted, “I can do this, yeah!” I couldn’t believe my ears. I stopped whatever I was doing, rushed over to his side and hugged him tightly. The joy I felt was immense. I’m not sure if it was because of what I taught him days before, but still I am overjoyed.

 Son, that’s the right attitude. Well done and keep it up! Persevere and don’t give up easily, because success is usually just another try away.

source

Do you feel like giving up on something? Or you have a dream, tried pursuing it but failed. Well, don’t let go of your dream too quickly and easily. Not everyone succeed on the first try. Give it another go, your dream is worth every second chance. If you don’t give yourself that chance, who will?

So go and be that strong woman and mommy. When you persevere with your goals and dreams, your child will also learn to pursue theirs with the same tenacity.

Work & Entrepreneurship Series: To Nurture the Young

Hi! After a long break, we are back with another entrepreneurship story.

Sabrina Quek is mom to two beautiful children ages five and two. A preschool teacher before starting her family and passionate about teaching young children, she founded  NurtureWorks in 2009 to provide enrichment programs for children as young as four months old to primary school. The company specialises in music and movement, brain development and dance programs.

Interview with Sabrina:

1. Is NurtureWorks your first business venture? If not, what other businesses have you had or are still running?

I had a diaper bags and baby clothes online business about two years before NurtureWorks, I have since closed this online business to concentrate my efforts and time fully on my current business.

2. What challenges did you face when starting your business and how did you overcome them? 

I had difficulty getting assignments for myself and my teachers, as most centres wanted more established names to run programs in their centres. I overcame this setback by marketing my programs to my ex-polytechnic course mates who were running childcare centres. With that, my program got around through word-of-mouth, I also started a home-based and private baby and toddler playgroup program to start generating a customer base. It was a good way to fine-tune my programs.

Being a mum with two young children, time is also a challenge. The year I was pregnant, and also after my confinement with my second child was especially tough because I did not had any employees yet.  To overcome this issue, I asked some friends who had teaching background to relief me once in awhile when there was no one that could take care of my baby girl. About six months after I gave birth, I finally found my first employee. Now I have three teachers working for me.

3. What are three things you did that contributed the most to growing your business?

Marketing through the right channels. Instead of marketing to the mass market by distributing flyers, I concentrated my efforts to people I know to help me.

By starting with very low capital. I started this business without taking on a property/venue to run the program. This way I am not tied down to monthly rental and overheads.

Starting with home-based and private playgroup programs to build my customer base, who in turn helped me with the informal marketing of my business,

4. How do you deal with competition from other similar businesses?

I realise many people go for overseas brands which are more established etc. So I find a niche, which are my home-based programs and private playgroup programs.

5. What do you enjoy most about the business, and what do you like least?

I enjoy teaching babies and children, and meeting parents. I also enjoy mentoring my younger teachers. Doing administrative requirements is my least favourite!

6. What are three important lessons you learnt from running your business?

First, stick to realistic targets and set realistic challenges. Second, stay focused and disciplined; learn to set priorities for work and home. Lastly, persevere. The first two years are tough for most businesses, even for my business, though we are into the third year, we are still small but growing slowly.

7. What business achievements are you most proud of?

When other business investors like my business idea and want to help me grow the business. Now I am also in the midst of turning the business into a social enterprise. I am going to have my programs be available to low-income families.

8. How do you strike a balance between work and family commitments?

For me, its always family first. I spend most of my daily time with the children, as I am also homeschooling them. I only do my work at night or during free time, such as when my parents help take care of the children during weekends.

9. What sacrifices have you had to make to start your own business?

I had to sacrifice many Sundays, while the kids are their grandparents, foregoing my own time for shopping, watching movies etc. and instead to spend time on program-planning and marketing efforts.

10. What three pieces of advice do you have for those aspiring to start their own business, especially moms? 

Do your market research, and find out what will work best for you business.

Make it like a family-business. For example, my husband chilps in to help with my business too, he is my unofficial photographer, technical support and business advisor! For free! Finally, persevere, do not give up. It takes a couple of years for most business to pick up.


I hope you've enjoyed this interview and that it has inspired you in some ways. If you (or someone you know) have taken a leap of faith to pursue your passion and would like to share your story with us, please email me: ruthwongwrites@gmail.com

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Tough Times Don't Last... A Positive Mindset Does

The past week had come and gone. It had been trying in many ways. First, our family got a new helper and with it comes the challenge of adapting to someone new and going through the whole 'train a new maid' process again. Along the way, I learnt some expensive (literally) lessons in not assuming that an experienced helper would definitely know how to handle the 'simple' stuff or knows exactly what not to do.

Like I thought she knew how to open our main door. But turned out she didn't and I got locked out of the house. Worse was that the lock got damaged and I had to change it, which cost me a few hundred bucks. Later in the week, she saw minor leakage in the pipe below the kitchen sink and attempted to 'repair' it. She didn't succeed and I called in the plumber (just when I was rushing out for an important meeting with client) and spent another hundred bucks.

Then, there was the little one who had been refusing his antibiotic. Every medication time turned into a major battle that easily lasted half an hour. It left us, the adults, feeling totally defeated and depressed. What made it even more challenging was that each time we thought we found a way to get him to take his medication, the next day, he might refuse again and we had to think of something new again. It's totally exhausting. It doesn't help that I've been sleeping late to rush some projects and was more short-fused as a result. Thankfully, he's only got to take the antibiotic for one more day!

In times like these, it's easy for me to complain about how difficult things were and start dwelling on the negative.

But I know it won't make the situation any better. Instead, I decided to look out for the silver lining and focus on the little victories and successes. Here's my discoveries in pictorials...

One evening, the little boy came into my room and started creating a mess by pulling the tissues out of the box. I got angry...

But when I saw how happy he was, my anger disappeared. I'm learning to be more relaxed about toddler-created mess, to see things from the little boy's perspective and enjoy the humour in such childish acts, for I know that these will not last and someday I'll look back and wish for more of such moments.

With a toddler around, I'm learning to look at what's around me with fresh eyes - like the way my boy creatively used his toy to redesign the door knob (he lengthened it and make it more "user-friendly").

My boy is also a constant reminder that the greatest joy is often found in the simplest things.

Work had piled up high as I had been sick for two weeks. It hadn't been productive working at home and I finally decided to get out of the house, enjoy a nice, simple breakfast at a cafe and worked there. In two hours, I finished a project. Sometimes, a simple change of environment (getting away from all the usual distractions and disturbances) is all it takes to work more productively.

Lastly, I thank God for surrounding me with beauty (I love the colours of the leaves), filling my heart with Peace and giving me new Hope everyday. 

How about you? How do you keep positive when the going gets tough? Or what tips do you have in working more productively (I need more ideas for this!)?

I'm thankful for the lessons learnt last week and praying for a beautiful new week. May you have a great week too!

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's learning to dance in the rain." ~ unknown

(saw this quote on a friend's Facebook page and thought how true)

How to Nurture a Love for Reading in Your Child - Special Tips, Ideas and Insights from the Expert (Part 1)

I recently had the privilege of meeting Ms Fiona Walker, the Principal Director of Schools, Julia Gabriel Centre for Learning and Chiltern House, one of the most well-known preschools in Singapore. Julia Gabriel Centre has recently launcheda new book titled 'Rainbow Bear's Dinosaur Discovery: An Adventure in Blends and Digraphs'.

I invited Ms Walker to share with readers of this blog one of the topics she’s passionate about – instilling a love for reading in young children. Read on for some great tips and insights from this early childhood development expert!

_________________________________________________________

Interview with Ms Fiona Walker

Q: How can parents instill in young children a love for reading?

A: The best way by far, to instill a love for reading is to read them; you can start when they are born.

For young children, it’s not really about the words or the text in the sense of the writing. It’s more about the sitting down and sharing a book together and engaging them with pictures and stories.

Words and text are not going to interest the very young ones. Until they are able to recognise the different shapes, colours and see patterns and differences in things, they are not going to have interest in the squiggles at the bottom of the page, they are going to be absolutely meaningless to them. 

Q: What types of books would you recommend for young children (2 years and below)?

A: Interactive books are great. When they are really little, it needs to be fun; they want to do something with the books so storytime can be interactive , such as a book where they can lift the flap, has different textures that they can touch or where there are buttons they could press that will make funny noises. At this stage, they are taking in information through their senses, so that’s going to be much more important to them rather than looking at the squiggles at the bottom of the page (i.e. the words).

Q: How do we move on to introduce story books and introduce children to the words/text?

A: Once they get a little bigger, they might start liking a special character, say Bob the Builder, or Dora, so you can look for story books about these characters.

As for words, usually children will start with learning how to spell their name, that’s normally the first word they learn. They will know their name begin with K, or R and then you can ask what else in the book begins with the letter K or R and keep relating to it. You’re drawing their attention to the text but you’re not making it into a reading exercise. Nothing’s going kill their interest in books and stories faster than turning the fun and enjoyment of reading together into a task or a lesson.

Q: How do we choose books that are suitable for our children?

A: Instead of thinking about reading as such, you should think instead of what’s their interest now, and match the books to their interest, as opposed to trying to match them to books you think they should be reading. So for example if your child is interested in cars, you can find books with wheels, then you can take a few minutes to flip through the book with him and then you put the book away while the excitement is still quite high, and he will go back to it.

The other thing is, don’t give up, children’s interests change all the time. I’ve been so upset that I’ve bought some books for my son and think they’re going to be so loved, but he showed no interest and I think that’s it, he doesn’t like them. But in two months’ time, he suddenly might be much more interested and come round to those books. 

Q: What kind of environment can we create to encourage the love of books and reading?

A: The easiest way to encourage a love of reading is to be a reader yourself. If you’re not so much a reader yourself but want to encourage your child to enjoy books, then you do have to make the effort to read to them.

Some children may be late bloomers in the reading department. Biologically, there’s so much that goes into learning to read, that it is accepted they will only have everything in place to be able to make sense of text until they are between 4 and 7 years old. In Singapore, our school system expects that to happen at the earlier rather than the later stage. This can put a lot of pressure on children and parents.

Another thing parents can do is to get the children to make books. Like if your child is into plants, then you can pick leaves together with him and let him make his own books. (Brilliant idea, why didn’t I think of that?)

Q: What may backfire in our efforts to nurture the love for reading?

A: I think to rush them in the development of the skills that are necessary for literacy can be to the detriment of them enjoying books. So when you’re reading them a story, it should be that you’re just reading a story to them and not half way through you say “Read this to me…  What does this word mean… Spell it out…” It shouldn’t be like that; don’t turn it into a task or lesson. Of course, there’s a time and place to teach learning how to read, but it should not be to the detriment of enjoying books.

Part 2 of this article will be published this coming Wednesday. There's also going to be a giveaway of TWO copies of Julia Gabriel's books! The details will be announced on Wednesday. See you!

How to Plan the Perfect Party with Disney Junior's microsite

My son's birthday is round the corner and the thought of planning a party for him had me almost losing  sleep, until I discovered a treasure trove of ideas from Disney Junior.

Last week, I was invited by the really nice people from Disney Junior to a media luncheon at La Nonna, an Italian restaurant in Holland Village.

There, we were introduced to "For Grown Ups", a microsite on the Disney Junior website that "provides all-you-need-to-know guides for parents to create Disney-themed celebrations".

To show us what can be achieved with the ideas and materials found on the microsite, the event venue was decorated in the 'Jake and the Never Land Pirates' theme.

Pic 1: Treasure chest, rainbow wand, Jake's Forever Sword, Pic 2: Doubloons, Jake and the Never Land Pirates playset, pirate's eye-patch, Pic 3: Name tag (printed on sticky label), Pic 4: Pirate hat

Pics left: Kenan playing with paper figurines from the Jake and Never Land Pirates playset, Pic right: Biscuits given to us in the goodie bag (he's actually afraid of the skull)

Once home, I couldn't wait to check out the site. The resources on the site are organised according to holiday themes, such as Halloween, Christmas and New Year, whereas birthday parties are organised by characters and shows.

Whether you're celebrating a birthday or a festive event, these are what you'll find:

• Designs for invites
• Decoration and favours
• Food ideas and recipes
• Activities and games 

Since the new year is coming, I decided to explore what they have for New Year celebration and found some really cool stuff:

Great decor and craft ideas like Mickey Mouse Clubhouse streamers, mobile centrepiece, tiaras etc. In fact, some of the ideas here can also be used for birthday celebration. For example, the streamers can be used for decorating a Mickey Mouse-themed birthday party.

For some of the themes, like this one for New Year celebration, there's a 'Try This!' box at the bottom of the page which has some really cool stuff and ideas (see the next pic).

For example, I found the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse New Year calendar which has some cute pictures that will be adored by children and adults alike.

With a great resource like 'For Grown Ups', planning that perfect party is now easy peasy!

A Matter of Perspective

Beauty is around us all the time. But often, we live such hurried lives, get so caught up with the 'important' things, that we miss seeing the abundance of beauty that is there.

Yesterday, I was at the supermarket and wanted to buy some radish to make soup.

 

After getting what I needed, I moved on quickly. But when I was at the opposite aisle and by chance took a glance at the radish, I was surprised by what I saw:

Have you ever seen radish from this perspective? I have not, and I can't help but to marvel at the pretty 'flowers' that I'm seeing. It has never occurred to me to see a radish from that angle. If I didn't see this by chance, I won't have known the beauty that's available from that perspective.

But that's how life often is. We usually only see things from one angle and forgot that we can pick another lens and find new perspectives to seeing the same thing. 

Do you have a problem that's been bugging you for a long time? Sometimes, all it takes to overcome the challenge is just a change of perspective. 

It makes me think too, that as we rush through life, just how much beauty we are missing out on what's around us - the beauty that can only be seen with a quiet heart and a still mind. 

So today, even if it's just for five minutes, consciously slow down your pace. Take in a deep breath and begin to be aware of what's around you. Take in the sights, the sounds, the smells; see what new things you can discover. I hope that you will find something extraordinary in the mundane, and to see the beauty within YOU.

How Five Cents Can Help a Child

Do you have a five-cent coin with you now? Please take it out and have a good look at it.

What do you see?

Pic source: Monetary Authority of Singapore

Well, it’s very small and light, it’s gold, and it has the image of the fruit salad plant on one side and the coat of arms of Singapore on the other.

But beyond what you can see physically, have you ever pondered its worth?

Like me, you probably never did. In this affluent country we live in, a five-cent coin is almost of no value. After all, what can it buy us?

Yet somewhere else in the world, five cents can do much.

What five cents can be worth

According to Children's Hunger Fund, US$0.05 is enough to provide a hungry child a meal (see CHF gift catalog). 

Ok, so US$0.05 is about S$0.065, I’ve stretched that a little.

But my purpose is to get you to see that what appears of little or no value to us can make a big difference to someone else - sometimes, a difference as huge as between life and death. 

Image source: CHF

And last month, the world’s total population has hit the 7 billion people mark. Yet it's estimated that this year, a startling 6 million children will die from hunger related causes. Just think, 6 million children - that's more than the whole population of Singapore! 

Image source: CHF

The problem may seem overwhelming, but if each of us contribute just US$5, we can make a huge enough impact. 

"If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one." Mother Theresa

What two mom bloggers are doing

Alternatively, here's how you can help - through what many Singaporeans do best - shopping. 

Two mom bloggers Pauline and Rachel have come together to do a fund-raising for CHF (in fact, Rachel is the one who initiated this awareness campaign about CHF and the two of them are so humble that they initially didn't want to make known their identities). Together with another friend, they will be setting up stall to sell exquisite and unique hand-made crafts.

Here are the details:

Date: Saturday, 3 December

Time: 2 - 9pm

Venue: *SCAPE

All proceeds from this bazaar event will go to CHF. Look out for a signage that indicates it's a fund-raising activity for CHF.

So if you're in Orchard area this Saturday, swing by  *SCAPE to support these wonderful ladies in their effort. 

And if you are inspired enough, you can organise a fund-raising activity for CHF too!

Here are some suggestions:

• Bake sale
• Make and sell a product
• Skip a meal (you get to lose some weight by doing good) or a Starbucks coffee and donate the money to CHF

Or if you have a child who has learnt to save some money, talk to him/her to give a little of his savings to help hungry children.

What else can you do? 

You can also help create awareness about CHF. 

Simply share on your blog any of the information you've read here (or from Rachel and Pauline's blogs), together with the logo above (just right click and save image in your hard drive).

Appeal for friends and readers to go directly to this page to make a contribution. All it takes is US $5.00 for 100 meals for the children. Of course, it will be great if you can contribute more. 

Or you can also go to this page to make a donation to other areas of needs, such as disaster relief and orphan care. 

If you blog about this or plan to organise a fund-raising activity, please drop me a note here. Let's encourage one another to make a difference to those who are in need.

 I'll leave you with this quote that I find so meaningful:

"How wonderful it is that nobody needs wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." Anne Frank

About Children's Hunger Fund

Children's Hunger Fund is a Christian nonprofit organization that works to alleviate the suffering of children in impoverished regions across America and around the world. Through strategic partnerships in targeted communities, CHF works to improve the lives of poor children and their families comprehensively, meeting their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.

Since CHF began in 1991, the organisation has distributed more than $927 million in food and other resources to serve the needs of more than 10 million children in thirty-five U.S. states and seventy-two countries worldwide.

Since CHF's inception, an average of 99% of its total contributions have been used for programs serving the needs of children.

If you are one of those who scrutinises a charity's financial statements before making a contribution, examine the figures here.

Enjoy Your Child

We've just returned from a family holiday and though it's just a short trip (4 days to be exact), I can't believe it can be THIS TIRING. It must be a sign of ageing.

Throughout the trip (which I'll share more after sorting through the tonnes of photos), I didn't have access to the internet and like coffee drinker not getting her daily caffeine fix, I felt like I was experiencing the withdrawal.

But God knows I needed that, to just be with my family and not think about anything else. With the entrapment of modern technology, don't we sometimes end up being physically there but not fully present, as our attention get diverted to our iPhones, iPads and other gadgets? I'm guilty of that ever so often and this trip was a good reminder to be more present with those I love and to spend time on what truly matters in life.

And some thing else touched my heart.

On the flight to our destination, the lady beside me initiated a chat. She talked about her business and her children, and then to my surprise, praised Kenan for being very well-behaved.

Well behaved? I almost started telling tales of his mischief and tantrums, but decided not to bore her with the details. Later, she enthusiastically showed Kenan photos of her cat and dog, to which he showed no sign of interest. I felt bad about it, because she obviously adores her pets. Our conversation came to a halt when meals were served and I got busy feeding Kenan.

About half an hour later before she closed her eyes to sleep, she turned towards me and said, "Enjoy your son".

Enjoy my son? I'm not quite sure if I ever used the word 'enjoy' to describe parenting Kenan, especially not when I've been feeling frustrated lately dealing with his increasing tantrums. While he has brought me lots of joy, I never quite thought of being a mom as an enjoyment.

For the rest of holiday, the words of my fellow passenger echoed in my mind. Slowly, I saw the wisdom of her words. It felt like a message God wants me to hear, and this is what I learnt.

That as a parent, I should learn to be more relaxed and accepting - be it towards his playfulness, his messing up the house, or his so-called 'difficult' behaviours. After all, he's just doing what ever little child his age would do.

And very soon, he will be all grown up and I'll miss these precious moments when he's just a sweet and sometimes playful little boy. When I look back at these times, I believe I will forget all about the mischief and tantrums and only remember with fondness his cute and endearing ways. Like how he now thank us (using baby signs) when we buy things for him, how he rains kisses on me when he knows I'm angry with him or how he simply loves to stick to me and thinks the world of me.

Thank you, fellow passenger and mommy, for those wise words! Yes, I'll learn to enjoy my son, have more fun with him and enjoy the parenting journey.

Work & Entrepreneurship Series: A Leap of Faith

The following article was first written for and published on the website Mums @ Work. It's reprinted here with permission.
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A Leap of Faith

She had wanted to start a business after her first child was born, but various concerns deterred her from pursuing that idea. But two years later, after the arrival of her second child, Jennifer took the plunge and set up her online shop

“After I had my second child, my desire to venture out on my own grew stronger. I felt it was the deciding moment for me – it’s now or never,” shares Jennifer Teoh, 30, a mother of two girls ages 2 and 4. “I just realised that I got to start somewhere and sacrifices are inevitable,” remarks the first-time entrepreneur. This realisation helped her overcame her concerns, and a sister who runs a successful image consultancy firm gave her the inspiration she needed. 

Taking the leap, she resigned from a well-paying job as a senior tax accountant and stepped into unfamiliar territories in pursuit of her entrepreneurial dream. In January this year, Jennifer launched Shopping Paradise, an online shop that sells mainly kids’ products ranging from skincare to apparel.

Overcoming challenges

As a one-man operation, Jennifer spends about six to eight hours a day on her business.

“I work during the few hours in the morning when my elder girl is away at school, when the girls are having their naps and at night after they have gone to bed,” she says.

Having a supportive mother helps too. “I could safely leave the girls in the hands of my mother when I need to work,” she adds.  The weekends are usually reserved for the family.

Half a year into the business, she notes that running the online boutique is a totally different experience from her previous role as an accountant.

Besides the initial challenges of finding reliable suppliers and getting herself familiar with the importing procedures, she also has to handle the customers, which every business owner knows is no easy task.

Once, a supplier forgot to ship out her orders but she had told her customers that the products would arrive in three weeks’ time. “I had to inform all my customers on the delay and seek their understanding with the matter. However, when I eventually received the shipment, I realised that the supplier did not send me the complete order,” she recalls.

In the end, she purchased the same items from alternative sources at higher cost and delivered to the customers who had already paid her for the products. Reflecting on the incident, Jennifer says it had taught her how to deal with unexpected situations, as well as managing customers’ expectations and in not over-promising the customers.

Service matters

Being in the retail industry, Jennifer feels strongly about providing good service, such as being quick to respond to her customers’ needs and giving them a good shopping experience. She reckons that excellent service is one good way to set herself apart from the competitors.

Hence when asked what has been the greatest satisfaction she derives from her business, it’s unsurprising that she says, “My greatest satisfaction is when the customers are very happy with my service and I know that I’ve met their expectations!”

To market her business, she uses various means like creating a Facebook page for her e-shop and participating in forums but the most successful marketing technique she opines, is through personal recommendation, or word of mouth.

“People tend to be more sceptical towards online shopping as they do not know the seller personally. However, if they knew Shopping Paradise through word of mouth, I feel that they tend to trust me more readily when dealing with me,” she points out.

As a start up, one of Jennifer’s current business goals is to create more awareness for Shopping Paradise. She also hopes to do so through working with other businesses or participating in parenting or baby events

Looking back on her own journey, she feels that all has been worth it. “I sacrificed a well-paying job to be a mumpreneur. But the satisfaction of building a business, having more control of my time and being to spend quality time with my children is much more important than the well-paying job.”

Advice for Aspiring Mumpreneurs:

1. Having family support is very important. Discuss the decision with your spouse (and your parents, especially if you need their help with looking after the kids) before making the decision.
   
2. Having an open mindset is important when you start your business because it will be easier for you to adapt to changes.
   
3. Do proper research on your business, such as which direction you intend to go, how you intend to conduct your business etc. Although there will always been some uncertainties, at least you are minimising them.

I hope you have enjoyed this story. 
If you (or someone you know) have taken a leap of faith to pursue your passion and are now doing something you love, I would very much like to hear your story. Please email me at ruthwongwrites@gmail.com and share with me your experience!

Stay tuned for more inspiring stories and articles on work and entrepreneurship.

Work & Enterpreneurship Series: Inspired to Action

Last week, we featured Adora and her children’s craft business. In the article, you would have also read a little about her mom Fiona’s business Blue Moon Valley - an exclusive spa-booking service for registered members. Launched just in April this year, it currently has about 100 members and seven Spa-ticipants.

When I first heard of her venture, I thought how clever her idea was. Then I learnt about the genesis of the business concept and can’t help but feel admiration for her.


Not Willing to be Victimised
Like some spa lovers, Fiona had experienced being pressured into signing up for packages and was a victim of sudden spa closure that caused her to lose money. But instead of moping around, she was motivated to do something to right the situation. That’s when Blue Moon Valley was born.

Today, it’s my great pleasure to share with you an exclusive interview with Fiona, where she talks about her entrepreneurial experience and about Blue Moon Valley.


Interview with Fiona

1. What main challenges did you face when starting your business and how did you overcome them?

It was a challenge putting various disparate parts of the business into an organized whole, particularly on a shoestring budget and dependent on friends and family’s voluntary contributions of time and effort.

One main principle I have is to conduct my business with a conscience and integrity. People first, money later. But it's a struggle because pride cannot pay the rent, and the bottom-line needs to be watched. The business environment too, is inevitably driven by monetary motivations, so I’m swimming against the current. I keep the rudder in place with Confucius’ “do unto others” dictum and stay true to myself.

2. How do you go about marketing your business? What has been the most successful technique or channel?

By word-of-mouth and friends’ recommendations. Blue Moon Valley is basically conceived out of pain and frustrations suffered by spa-goers, it is FOR spa-victims, BY spa-victims, so I believe that the most successful channel, will be where we reach out to fellow sufferers. They know the pains and exactly how it felt, they will appreciate the remedy that is offered.

3. What have been some satisfying moments in your business?

I’m very happy whenever a new Spa-ticipant signs on because it means members have more choices, and also, when members or people I speak to praise our programme. It’s very heart warming because it means both spas and members validate Blue Moon Valley’s objectives.  

During discussions with the spas, I learnt about the difficulties they faced and realized that I could add value to both sides. My objectives became more mature: to re-connect and mend the rift between members and spas, and that's when Blue Moon Valley evolved to become the well-rounded, sophisticated programme it is now.

4. What can people expect from joining Blue Moon Valley, what are the benefits?

Blue Moon Valley provides members with flexibility as well as freedom of choice – they have the flexibility of mobility among Spa-ticipants and have a repertoire of treatments to choose from. At the same time, we protect members from undesirable practices and tactics, such as hard-sell, senseless pre-payments, forced commitments and money lost due to spa closures.

My vision is to build Blue Moon Valley as the better way to spa – safer, smarter, savvier.


5. How does the programme work?

Members can enjoy their treatments in four easy steps:

Step 1: Join Blue Moon Valley as a Member (membership is renewable yearly)

Step 2: Browse through our treatment menus online

Step 3: Make your booking and payment through us

Step 4: Enjoy your relaxing treatment (facial, massage, manicure, pedicure etc.)! 

6. What insights have you gained in your entrepreneurial journey thus far?

When they say it’s not the destination but the journey, it’s true! Along the way, I got to know so many nice people and make new friends. I discovered a lot more about myself, for example, I’m smarter than I think! I’ve gained more confidence and more courage.

7. What’s your advice for women who aspire to start their own business?

I would encourage them that it's never too late. Believe in what you do. Have that “fire in the belly” kind of burning passion. Turn every “no” into a stepping stone that gets you closer to “yes”.

Listen to those who disagree with you, there may be truths in what they say, perhaps they can see something that you are too engrossed to notice.

However, do not over-romanticise and be carried away by daydreams or wishful thinking. Cold hard facts such as rejection and operational expenditure, are very much a part of reality. I liken the cold realities to taking care of architecture foundation and infrastructure, and pursuing one’s dreams as the interior décor and soft furnishings one can create within.

Lastly, don't lose sight of the people you love and who love you. If you're doing all these for them but in the course of it you neglect them, then you're better off not doing it.

Inspired by Fiona's story and her sharing? Want to find out more about Blue Moon Valley? Check out the following:

Website:    www.bluemoonvalley.com.sg

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BlueMoonValley

Email:        only@bluemoonvalley.com.sg

Note: If you (or someone you know) have taken a leap of faith to pursue your passion and are now doing something you love, I would very much like to hear your story. Please email me at ruthwongwrites@gmail.com and share with me your experience!

Decluttering: Finding Clarity, Creating Inspiring Spaces

I’m on a major home decluttering and home reorganisation project.

I’ve done decluttering in the past, but often, things are good for a while and then the stuff starts to grow again. But this time, I’m determined to make sure things will not multiply quickly and the house stays organised.

Somehow, I think being a busy mom helps. With time being such a precious thing now, I don’t want to waste it going around the house looking for things, or organising them ever so often. I also don’t want to spend unnecessary money buying stuff that end up to be of no use and take up space.

Instead I want to have more time to be with my son and for myself; I want to have more space in our house; and I want to teach my child how to be organised and the only way to do this is to be a good example for him.

So far, I’ve managed to sell off some things I don’t use and while I’m not making a profit from it, I’m happy to at least have some extra ‘pocket money’. I’ve been on the project for about two months now and I don’t know how long the whole process will take. I will continue until I’m fully satisfied with the results.

But I must admit that sometimes the decluttering can be an emotional struggle. Whether we are consciously aware of it or not, many things that we’ve accumulated are imbued with certain emotions or memories. So while I may be letting go of the physical objects, something is also happening on an emotional level – when the ‘junk’ is being dumped, I’m also in the process of letting go of unfulfilled dreams, fears and insecurities and it can a real challenge sometimes.

But as I continue with paring down the belongings, I felt like layers of dust being removed from my soul, and like a veil lifting off my eyes, I feel I can now move ahead with greater clarity and focus.

I recently wrote this on my Facebook:

My goal for life now: Having less stuff but living a richer life. Craving less things and learning to appreciate what I already have.

With the decluttering, I hope to create a living space that is filled only with things that are truly essential and useful; invoke positive, happy feelings; will nurture me and my family; and help us fulfill our dreams and goals.

Are you curious of what I’ve achieved so far? This is a picture of an area I had cleared. I like reading here.

This space of mine is also featured on mom blogger Corsage’s blog. You can read the post and see more photos.

I know for some people, they like having an environment filled with little mementos, but I learnt that minimalism resonates with me. I like spaces with little ‘visual noise’ and enjoy serenity and peace in the space I live in.

  

How about you? What kind of environment do you thrive in? What sorts of space inspire you?