Bizad undergraduates learn from entrepreneurs of their choice

Business Leads catches up with three Spirit of Enterprise (SOE) writers from NUS Business School, June Lim, Third Year, Lew Li Min, Fourth Year and Eunice Tan, BBA 2005. The Spirit of Enterprise Awards 2005 took place on 23 September, with President of Singapore, Mr S R Nathan as the guest-of-honour. The SOE Awards recognises 40 best entrepreneurs in Singapore each year. All the entrepreneurs are nominated by tertiary students, who interview entrepreneurs of their choice and write essays on them. The 40 SOE Honourees are chosen through the best essays submitted.

Eunice Tan's nominee Mr Charles Ng (please click here to read his interview), founder of Arcadia Health Consultancy, was one of the SOE Honourees this year. Eunice was also the winner of the Best Student-Interviewer Award last year.

Chua Zhi Wei, BBA 2005, currently working at OCBC, nominated his coursemate Simon Lim Chong Seng, Third Year (please click here to read his interview), founder of InternSG Singapore, who was also one of the Honourees.

Why did you want to be an SOE writer?
June: This is my second consecutive year being an SOE writer. I have always been interested in entrepreneurship since I was young. I was excited to get an opportunity to talk to entrepreneurs and to learn from their experiences. Besides gaining more exposure in entrepreneurship, I was also given a chance to transcribe and it was something I found interesting.

Li Min: Being interested in entrepreneurship, the experience served as a good chance for me get two hours of personal coaching from entrepreneurs.

Eunice: To be honest, it was for the $100 reward per interview.

How did you choose the entrepreneurs for your interview?
June: I followed guidelines given by SOE. Through my experiences in interacting with people, I have come to realise that there is something you can learn from everyone, so I believed that any entrepreneur I chose, experienced or not, would have a unique story to tell. And I did learn different things from each and everyone of them, from daring to be different to remembering family values.

Li Min: I was looking for an inspiring entrepreneur who sought to be different. I found an exorcist who differs from his peers in his business approach. For a traditional trade, he seems to be well grounded in some of the modern business management practices.

Eunice: I knew my nominee since my freshman days, where he was a senior in my orientation group. My impression of him is someone who knows what he wants, plans for it, and goes all out to achieve it. Thus, when I found out he was setting up his clinic, I was eager to interview him.

Any lessons to take away from the experience of interviewing and writing on the entrepreneurs?
June: The amount of things I've learnt from seven entrepreneurs put together can hardly be put into words. The best thing I learnt from Adi Soon is that creativity can spice up the work place and improve employee satisfaction. From Adrian Kang, I learnt that passion must far exceed profits, and we will not be truly happy about whatever business we are in, unless there is passion. Edwin Yap showed me that behind everything, there must be family and love. James Yeow led with example that efficiency and speed will make things happen. Thomas Tham touched me with his words - "treat people with a heart". Kelvin Chan taught me to dismiss negative comments and believe in myself. Finally, Tan Ru-Jin showed me that failure should not be a deterrent for future endeavours.

Li Min: Entrepreneurship lies in the thirst to continuously innovate in order to keep one’s business in the game. It is also the belief in giving back to the people whom you have gained from, be these your employees or society.

Eunice: Anyone can be successful, as long as they are willing to work for it. Of course it helps if you have more resources to help you get started. That said, people who are capable with no resources can amass capital, while people with resources but who are incapable will just squander them.

Having gotten a glimpse of the life of an entrepreneur, do you want to become one, and why?
June: Being an entrepreneur may not mark the start of my career path, but it will definitely be something that I will embark on in the years to come. I am a person who does not like being bound in employment. I like freedom and control, which I believe can be achieved through entrepreneurship. As with most people, I want to attain financial freedom and I believe that it can only be possible with entrepreneurship. I like taking risks and enjoy the challenges that an entrepreneur faces.

Li Min: I am currently at NUS Overseas College in Shanghai and am seeking the vibes of the business world. I hope to be able to start my own business one day and follow the footsteps of successful entrepreneurs. The beauty of entrepreneurship is that it allows one to mark one's own rules and shape one's own destiny.

Eunice: No, because being an entrepreneur is not as fulfilling to me as it is to others. I rather spend the time on my family and leave the "entrepreneuring" to my boyfriend.

How has an education at NUS Business School played a role in your current decision, and in helping you pursue your aspirations?
June: I decided to come to NUS Business School because of my interest in becoming an entrepreneur. I also felt that the School is the best business school in Singapore. I am in my third year now and the modules I've taken have allowed me to widen my perspective. Learning every aspect of business has helped turn my dream into more of a reality. With my deeper understanding gained through an education with NUS Business School, I feel more equipped to start a business than before.

Li Min: NUS Business School has allowed its students to pursue their aspirations in every possible way through its excellent faculty, resources and flexible curiculum. Most of all, the School provides the multidisciplinary environment, exposure and opportunity, things which help build future entrepreneurs.

Eunice: I met my boyfriend here.

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