Day 25. Time, Effort, Belief.

Making some good progress with the development of our fashion online store. Interesting ideas are starting to form, but which requires time for actual execution. Given that the three of us are all working full-time nor are we are not active on the web or fashion experts, things appear to be a little tougher than I initially thought it would be.

While I remain confident of the future for De-Stylez, I can't help but be pessimistic at times. And this negative energy sometimes translates into frequent checks if my partners find that they have gotten into a big "shit" with me, and that I would understand if they choose to back out from the partnership. 

Turn out? Think too much. 

I am grateful for their time, effort and belief that the business would (eventually) succeed.

A day ago, I coincidentally met one of my entrepreneurial friend. He's still on his business and when asked how is it going ("has it stabilised"). His reply was "not yet, it takes about five years, and now we are only into the third". Such patience and belief that things will turn out well - a lesson learnt. 

On another occasion is about my encounter with this store - BeansTalk. Once every month on a Sunday, I would go for my facial. And after that I would make my way to this store near Toa Payoh Hub NTUC, and can't help but to get myself a cup or two of their signature item. At $2 and without the sight of a queue, why not? Often, while waiting for my order to be ready, I would think to myself, "what a waste, such great product that gets unnoticed (either because of lack of traffic and/or publicity)". But today, for the first time, I had to queue for it. This.meant.something.

Indeed, starting up is hard. But if your product is good, your time and effort will eventually get paid off. You just have to be persistent and maintain that strong belief that you had when you first started out.

While I am typing this post, I am happily eating my cup of BeansTalk (less sugar!) >_-

BeansTalk

520 Lorong 6 Toa Payoh #01-520 Singapore 310520

(near Toa Payoh Hub NTUC/Mr Bean area)

11:00 am – 10:00 pm

Photo Credit (Right Photo): thefoodexpository

Day 21 - I'm a survivor

 Eating at Ramen Keisuke Tonkotsu King

Hanging out with friends after work and on weekends are the reason why my calendar is always filled up. I like social activity, especially when there are endless topics that peppered the environment with laughter and sometimes even mindless topics

Today, we gathered and something my bestie told me stir up the reflective soul in me. Ever since I started my online fashion business (De-Stylez), I have been in a pensive mode more often than usual, spacing out frequently - a trait commonly observed by my boss.

The conversation was about how we are all producers of our life, and things we do eventually becomes a reflection of an event or a series of events that happened to us in the past.

She told of this story about a woman who was the 9th child in the family. As the youngest, she rarely gets as much attention from the parents as you hope you would. She wedded and eventually an ended up with a divorce. She had to move out of her house and ended up living with her parents.

Do you see a catch here? Think deeper.

While not (yet) able to piece my own story together, I reflect and see how things are connecting.

Need for Rewards - When I was young, we were awarded with real cash money (redeemable through yearly trips to Toys'R'us) if we performed well in school. I excelled and was rewarded and this continues, in my subsequent studies - scholarship and ranking, and in my career - recognition and income. Though I am always above the average, somehow I will never get to the top. I never aim for prestigious school nor work hard to get to number 1 - this I couldn't quite figure out. Other times, I gave up too easily knowing that I will the slightest possibility of failing.

Arts & Design - While I never gotten into a designing school, I do have an eye for all things beautiful and in proportion. My brain is telling me it has got to do with a drawing of Flounder that I completed with the help of my dad. It was the most impressionable drawing, and which I was amazed with the end results and became proud of. Eventually it was pinned up onto the wall for everyone to admire.

Entrepreneurship - perhaps entrepreneurship is a reflection of wanting to be just like my dad. He used to bring us (when we were young) to his office every weekend, and I am always amazed by all the machineries inside and how it all belonged to us, at least for the weekend. I especially like to sit on his chair, swinging round and round and round. Starting my business now, I am confident yet sometimes I wonder if this is founded based on some unfounded confidence. Will I succeed? I really hope it will but at the same time, I am prepared that it may not take off.

The above may seems random, but maybe I will slowly see how things take shape when I reflect years later. If I could know my destiny, wouldn't life be so much simpler? But living in this world, we are not only alive, but we are a survivor. Believe in your capability, for you have come and survived this far.

Day 19.

Today marks the 19th day after we officially launch De-Stylez.

While the feedback has generally been positive, mostly from colleagues and friends, but one thing hasn't quite gained any momentum - sales. An irony. Dive deep and bits and pieces of information starts to reveal:-

1. Lack of an impressionable name
2. Lack of a unique selling point 
3. Lack of marketing and awareness
4. Uncertain about product quality

Thought I would just defend myself here, in a space nobody (yet) knows.

1. Lack of an impressionable name 

De-Stylez to me is a big idea. It's a promise to help people find their style through De-constructing their (current) style to find their true style, or finding the (de) style that belongs to them. We are more than a blogshop, more than an online shop, but seeks to play an important role in every girls' life.

And hence, that is how I go about designing our logo. At first glance, it's a DS. Looking deeper reveals a swan-like picture - you get the meaning. Such beautiful idea, I refuse to follow the majority. Stubborn? Perhaps.

 

2. Lack of a unique selling point 

3. Lack of marketing and awareness

Lack of a USP? Lack of Marketing. Indeed. Being an entrepreneur isn't easy, less to say a noob with no contacts, budgetary constraint, saturated market with established players. But we are working on it. I'm glad that we have a dedicated team, and most importantly people who trust and believe in me. I am sure our effort will (one day) pay off and soon, the sun will emerge (smiling) from behind the clouds. 

4. Uncertain about product quality

What is considered a good product with good quality? Non-sheer, thick materials - really? Items are deliberately design in a certain way. While poor quality items definitely fits into this description 99% of the time, but does good quality items not have this? Lace, sheer are all part of what makes an item interesting and unique, strong indoor lights is often not truly reflective of what a pair of bare eyes see.

Being a buyer, I am a consumer myself. If an item is unique but made with sheer materials, a trade-off has to take place. Price versus design versus quality = Value - and this is what we sell. 

This may come across as a defensive post. But I would like to use it as a platform to say out what's on my mind. Perhaps a few years later, I will look back and read and laugh at my foolishness. But, what's more important than defending your own 'baby'?