21 Nov Global Entrepreneurship Week 2022 [Part 5]
The final part of our series as we come to an end this Global Entrepreneurship Week. We hear from more of the entrepreneurs around us on what motivated them and the challenges in their entrepreneurial journey.
Belle of Triggered Chef
Q: What was one challenge you’ve faced in your entrepreneurship journey?
Belle [B]: Managing people that come from all walks of life. Living in a multicultural and multilingual country means that we are bound to come across some unfamiliar territory. Every decision we make; from table arrangements to customer service including staff management; has its highlights and challenges. As I’m navigating my way being an entrepreneur while maintaining my business’s vision, I had to learn to stand my ground and be okay with whatever the outcome.
Q: What’s one misconception you feel people might have about entrepreneurship, and what do you have to say to them?
B: That we are somehow loaded with money and have plenty of free time; that we wear the most expensive things and often go to parties to laugh with the other fat cats. Perhaps that is the case for some establishments but I wasn’t fully prepared for the amount of overtime, the missed celebrations, the lack of sleep and just how tiring it was all going to be. It was surprisingly quite a lonely journey. Businesses competing with each other. People having biases over your products or even you as a person. Yes, people can show you empathy but it’s very rare for someone to fully understand the mental and physical toll its takes on you but it has gotten easier over time and I’ve learnt to take a step back.
Interested to find out more about Triggered Chef? Visit their website – www.triggeredchefbn.com, or follow them on Instagram – @triggeredchefbn
Haziq Sahminan of The Film Cartel
Q: What encouraged you to take your first step in becoming an entrepreneur?
Haziq Sahminan [HS]: My passion for photography & entrepreneurship has always been the drive for this journey so far. Thankfully my wife open the path for me to pursue my passion in the first place when she looked for any possible opportunity for me to learn & harness the art of photography.
Q: What was one challenge you’ve faced in your entrepreneurship journey?
HS: As an entrepreneur, you often have to wear many hats and there aren’t clear work hours like your usual 9-5 job. Personally, burnout is always a challenge for me, but over time I learnt how to handle it by getting away from my routine work and shutting down for a while to get it to refresh ?
Q: What’s one misconception you feel people might have about entrepreneurship, and what do you have to say to them?
HS: People tend to think because we are our own boss, we have a lot of free time – but in reality, we throw away the 9-5 to work 50-80hrs a week.
Interested to find out more about The Film Cartel? Follow them on Instagram – @thefilmcartel
Aminuddin Ontong of EVOKE CRAFTSMAN
Q: What encouraged you to take your first step in becoming an entrepreneur?
Aminuddin Ontong [AO]: Passion and endless possibility.
I did work for Royal Brunei, and it was a great job where you could travel and meet different people from various countries. But as for me, I always love to do commercial videos and to be close to my family. To be able to do what I love and do it as a business, which encouraged me to take the big step to become an entrepreneur.
Q: What was one challenge you’ve faced in your entrepreneurship journey?
AO:Things don’t always go as planned.
What I plan for the next 2-3 years does not always go as planned. But don’t be discouraged; every small step is a step to where you want to be. Don’t be afraid to inquire about what other successful entrepreneurs are doing. They are there for a reason—because they succeed. We can learn a few things from them. And I joined Dare’s micro-bootcamp program, which helped me in my journey to overcome my challenges.
Q: What’s one misconception you feel people might have about entrepreneurship, and what do you have to say to them?
AO: You failed if you did not make any sales.
Never give up. There are ups and downs. Wherever you think that you are at your lowest point Get up stronger and take a step back. Question yourself, “What did I do wrong?” We are human beings. We won’t be able to escape mistakes. As the owner of Alibaba once said, “See your challenges as opportunities.” Invest in marketing. Trust me, it can go a long way.
Interested in EVOKE CRAFTSMAN? Follow them on Instagram – @evokecraftsman
We hope you’ve enjoyed the series and the sharing from all the entrepreneurs and continue to support the startups and entrepreneurs around you! If you’re interested to find our more about our entrepreneurship programme, reach out to us via email – enquiries@localhost