Starting a business is challenging, especially if you’re a resource-strapped mum. However, none of that deterred supermums and co-founders Chu and Lim, from launching Harnes Singapore Private Limited, an innovative baby product company.
Passionate about creating products that benefit mothers and families with young children, Chu and Lim speak to The FinLab about how their time at the Digital Mumpreneurs Programme gave them the confidence to take their business to the next level.
We saw a Facebook ad of the programme, and decided to sign up for it as we felt it could provide valuable business lessons. One of us was on maternity leave and took the opportunity to attend the lessons from the comfort of our homes.
If we were to participate in large-scale pop-up stores in the future, we would look into using UOB mCollect, a collections solution that digitalises the cash-on-delivery process and makes it easier for us to receive customer payments.
The Digital Mumpreneurs Programme is a great platform for mothers who want to start a business, but don’t know where or who to turn to. The learning curve is pretty steep, but now we have access to tools and resources that can help advance the business.
Before the programme, we were trying to make sense of the business process without much success. Thankfully, the Digital Mumpreneurs Programme is structured in a way that lays out the building blocks of a business in an easily digestible, step-by-step format. For time-strapped mums like us, the recorded sessions on Google Classroom made it easier to keep up.
We also had the chance to connect with other inspiring women who were passionate about starting a business. Now, we have a supportive network of like-minded women who we can lean on for knowledge and support. After attending the programme, we feel empowered to step out of our comfort zones and take charge of a new adventure, and we hope other women can feel the same way.
We currently only have an online store, but are working on bringing Harnes to physical stores. As parents, we are well-equipped to know what type of products that benefit other families, so we are committed to creating babycare solutions that help one and all.
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Senior Lecturer, Ngee Ann Polytechnic
Melvin Gan is a senior lecturer at Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s School of Business and Accountancy, where he specialises in sustainability in business management, ESG reporting, digital marketing, consumer insights, and human-centered design thinking. A founding member of the Sustainability Module Team, he has been instrumental in developing specialised curricula such as Corporate Governance and Reporting for Sustainable Business and has contributed to the growth of the Business Sustainability and Digitalisation specialisation.
Consultant & Trainer, CSO Centre
Joyce was former Commercial Director at Climate Impact Exchange (CIX), a global carbon solutions provider established by Temasek Holdings, Singapore Exchange, DBS Bank & Standard Chartered in Singapore. She was hired as part of the founding team and represented CIX in multiple public forums on decarbonisation, market development and green finance.
Joyce has close to 20 years of experience in the financial industry. She has helmed leadership roles at Singapore Exchange, Goldman Sachs and Credit Suisse across various business and operation units. At CIX, she worked with C-Suites, NGOs and financiers on decarbonisation solutions, global carbon market development, as well as alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for long term impact and business resilience.
Consultant & Trainer, CSO Centre
Lance is an FSA Credential Holder and GRI Certified Sustainability Professional. Throughout his corporate career, he has worked at JPMorgan, Citibank and Singapore Exchange. As a marketing and corporate communications consultant, his clients have included DBS, Singtel, UOB, Bank of Singapore as well as many other government organisations, SMEs and startups.
He currently specializes in helping corporates with ESG and sustainability reporting as a trainer and consultant. His courses have been taken by individuals and companies from all over the world and accredited by the Institute of Banking & Finance (Singapore). He is also an associate lecturer with Ngee Ann Polytechnic for various sustainability-related courses.
Designed for business owners to enhance their digital capabilities through practical learning, this programme takes businesses to the next level.
Designed for business owners to enhance their digital capabilities through practical learning, this programme takes businesses to the next level.
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