Setting up Shop 101

I never realised that you need to have a registered business in order to get quite a few things done.

Some examples include registering a .com.sg website domain, importing goods via the container port, renting concourse space and pushcarts in malls, and buying things wholesale from local and overseas distributors.

All this is suddenly accessible to you simply by paying $65 to register a business in Singapore. Seriously setting up shop is so easy!

What was difficult though was getting management approval for secondary employment and coming up with a business name.

I am really grateful that I have the blessings of all three bosses to embark on this tiny business venture.

Granted that this isn’t a right but rather a privileged earned through the work I have produced despite being on part time this year. I am definitely grateful for the favour God has given me.

What was a bit sour was the more insipid remarks left by HR – I cannot use the organisation’s resources to further the biz, that this venture should not impact my work performance and in no way should there be a conflict of interest. 

The second difficulty was coming up with a good name. I believe strongly in names, that it has to be novel, unique, meaningful and easy to remember. And this becomes even harder if you have an online presence. Seriously whatever name you can come up with, somebody else in this world has thought of it.

But after diligently cycling through a hundred odd names for a week, I am happy to have decided on a name that pretty meets all my criteria with a catchy motto and logo to go with it. My creative children helped with the logo design so it was quite a fun family project.

The third and unexpected difficulty is dealing with a supplier half across the globe that work along different time zones, speak in strong accents that are hard to understand and exhibit close to non-existent email protocols.

I admit I was rather afraid to push my agenda and felt at times that perhaps I should just give up. That it was a silly little idea and I was naive to think beyond paid employment. All these doubts surfaced just after 4 days.

But the good and ironical thing about letting my bosses know about my venture is that somehow I feel accountable to make something out of this. Which on hindsight is probably a good stepping stone towards commitment.

One thought on “Setting up Shop 101

  1. Keep it up darling.. The website looks good, plus joel seems pretty much hyped with telling his friends abt ‘his’ new bookshop. 🙂

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