Get Inspired: Meet 4 Women Entrepreneurs Running Successful Small Businesses

by Nupur Khemka March 05, 2023

Hey there! Are you curious to know who's behind some of the coolest small businesses in town?

Well, we did some digging and found four amazing women entrepreneurs who are killing it in their industries.

We're excited to introduce you to them and their businesses, from a vegan gluten free bakery, a beeswax wrap eco store, a parent hood photographer, to a luxury stationery brand, these ladies have built their businesses from scratch and are making waves in the entrepreneurial world.

So sit back, grab a drink, and let's dive into the world of these amazing women-owned businesses!

Yuyeth Fernandez, Founder of Bows and Ribbons Photography

1. What motivated you to become an entrepreneur?

I don’t really think of myself as an entrepreneur, just someone who had an interest in something—newborn photography in my case—and who pursued it without really thinking about whether it would someday pay the bills.

Since I was a child, I always liked babies and used to be an unpaid babysitter taking care of the babies in my village for short stints.

Many of the mother’s there didn’t have any help so I sort of took it upon myself to help them out in exchange for some free cuddles.

So when I wanted to learn photography after getting married, I decided that babies would be the perfect subject for me.

After taking photographs of my friend’s first child, she posted the images on her social media and I was surprised to be getting inquiries about our “business”, such as what our company was called and where they could find out our prices.

This was how Bows and Ribbons Photography came about.

2. How do you balance the demands of running a business with other responsibilities, such as family and personal obligations?

It’s always a bit more difficult for mothers to start and run their own business. Now don’t get me wrong, I get a lot of help from my husband.

However, babies tend to need their mothers more in those first few years, and even with the most hands-on dad, there will still be occasions when you will feel overstretched and exhausted as a new mom who’s running a small business.

So, no, I don’t have any secrets to share on how I maintain the balance between work and family, I just do it and ask for help when I need it.

3. What advice would you give to other women who are interested in starting their own businesses, but may be hesitant to take the leap?

Personally, I don’t think there are any major obstacles for women to start their own business in Singapore.

I personally know several women entrepreneurs locally and abroad who have built their own businesses from the ground up. Most of them are thriving, too.

If you have young kids or are thinking of starting a family soon, I would recommend first taking stock of your situation at home.

How much help can you expect from your husband? Do you have any siblings, parents or in-laws who could lend a helping hand?

Also, you need to consider how much time in a day you want to devote to building and running your business.

After all, life is made up of trade-offs so just make sure you’re ready and willing to sometimes put off one important thing in order to focus on another.

If kids are involved, this could mean occasionally taking a step back to allow your husband or other family members to pitch in.

This time away from mom may be hard at first, but quality time with dad or other close family members can be beneficial to their development, as well as your own sanity as a mother.

4. How do you stay motivated and focused during challenging times, and what resources or support systems have helped you along the way?

I’ve never really had a problem with motivation, probably because I’m doing something I enjoy and get to spend time with adorable babies a lot.

I also appreciate that my husband takes the kids off my hands when I need to focus, even though he runs the business with me and has his own responsibilities there.

Aside from my husband, whom I couldn’t do this without, I don’t really have a support system.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing unless you really value your leisure time anyway, and given a choice I’m sure most moms with young children would rather spend quality time with their kids than by themselves sipping caramel lattes at a cafe.

5. If you could pick a product/service out of your selection, what would be your favorite and why?

Newborn Sessions are my personal favorite. Did I mention that I love babies yet? But apart from the joys of getting to cuddle and pose super adorable babies, these sessions also allow me to be at my most creative and try new things out from time to time. My second favorite session would be our Belly Session (maternity session), since I get to dress and style mummies like they’re my own live-sized Barbies.

Elizabeth Marlow, Founder of By Fable

1. What motivated you to become an entrepreneur

I had worked in creative agencies all my career and found that not having the autonomy over my time was really frustrating, I was done with working for others and had the experience I needed to make it on my own. I then worked as a freelance designer working for a couple of clients and slowly built my client base over time. I adored having the autonomy I had over my time, however I was still creating work for others and I knew I wanted to produce something that I was passionate about, without any rounds of feedback or amends, and if people liked it then great! Thankfully people did... and so By Fable was born.

2. How do you balance the demands of running a business with other responsibilities, such as family and personal obligations.

Honestly every day is different. Some days you feel like you could accomplish anything, and other days you're happy just to get through the day. I've learnt to take the rough with the smooth, get as much done on the good days and learnt to take it easy and not punish myself on the days when there are too many balls in the air to juggle.

3. What advice would you give to other women who are interested in starting their own businesses, but may be hesitant to take the leap?

I would say build as many relationships as you can before making the leap. The people you meet will become your support network, your motivation to continue and your inspiration for what is possible.

4. How do you stay motivated and focused during challenging times, and what resources or support systems have helped you along the way?

I think it's all about the people around you. I have a fantastic husband who's also my Financial Director. He challenges me on decisions and ensures that I'm not too sidetracked by the next shiny thing. He's also my biggest cheerleader. I've also made an amazing group of friends with other female entrepreneurs and they're now my "colleagues". Even though we don't work together on a daily basis I know they're always just a phone call away. When you're an entrepreneur a lot of the time you're working alone, at least at the beginning, so having a good network of people around you to pick you up during the hard times and remind you why you're doing what you're doing is the most important thing.

5. If you could pick a product/service out of your selection, what would be your favourite and why?

I think my favourite product is my Black & White print. This was one of the first illustrations I painted and I created it during lockdown when we were all confined to our houses. I was so inspired by the stunning Black & White houses around Alexandra Park and I just painted it as a form of escapism. I never expected to sell my artwork and I'm just so grateful that people get as much joy out of the artwork as I do creating it.

Joanne Cheong, Founder of Goodness Gracious

1. What motivated you to become an entrepreneur?

Entrepreneurship has been something that I wanted to achieve at some point in my career. It is a self discovery journey that allows me to seek growth and overcome challenges that is beyond my comfort zones. I am driven by my determination and I am motivated by the possibilities of what I can achieve. My intention for shaping a better future for my children and empowering people to make conscious choices for a healthier lifestyle is something that drives me on a daily basis.

2. How do you balance the demands of running a business with other responsibilities, such as family and personal obligations?

As a solo entrepreneur, there are times whereby I become overwhelmed with the amount of work to run a business and keeping up with managing the household. I always try to make time for myself everyday whether it’s taking a moment to journal, enjoy a cup of coffee or practicing some yoga. I schedule most work meetings in the morning. In the afternoon, I work on the production, photoshoot and marketing. My work day usually ends around 4pm so I can pick up my children from school and spend the rest of my day doing fun things with them.

3. What advice would you give to other women who are interested in starting their own businesses, but may be hesitant to take the leap?

In my opinion, one of the most difficult parts of starting a business is not knowing where to begin. My advise is to allow yourself to set goals that are achievable and celebrate every big or small successes. Also, learn to recognise and acknoledge failure because that is where it enables you to learn a lot of valuable lessons along the way. Everything is possible if you put your mind to it. I’d say, go for it and you’d never know where it’d take you. (:

4. How do you stay motivated and focused during challenging times, and what resources or support systems have helped you along the way?

I stay motivated by having a goal in mind. I planned strategically on how I can achieve them and of course hard work and determination comes in play.

During down times, I try to upskill myself and learning new tools and technologies that will help be become more effective in running my business.

5. If you could pick a product/service out of your selection, what would be your favourite and why?

My current obsession is our newest beeswax food bags. They are all handsewn by me and I love using them when I shop at eco grocer. I use them to store nuts, pastas, seeds, beans, chocolates and more. They are reusable, washable, fuss-free, easy to use and has all the benefits of a beeswax food wrap but is even easier and more convenient. Beeswax food bags are breathable, all-natural and a whole lot prettier then plastic.

Jane, Founder of ROA

1. What motivated you to become an entrepreneur?

RÓA was really born out of passion. The strong desire to make people like my God daughter feel included and not miss out on special occasions was what drove me to create something. I felt that providing the products and services that serve a need sustainably (i.e. profitably) is what drove me to be an entrepreneur. I was always a creative at heart as well and the penchant to keep learning and adapting is something I believe makes me a resilient person - some trademarks of what an entrepreneur needs.

2. How do you balance the demands of running a business with other responsibilities, such as family and personal obligations?

I used to feel a sense of mom guilt in the early days. But in the last 2 years, my 2 daughters have grown to learn that mummy is doing what she loves, to serve many people out there, and making a difference in their lives. This has made me very motivated to continue and at the same time be an example of how women should never have to apologise being driven and pursuing their passion. Weekends are precious time for us as a family and I have been disciplined these days to put aside work and connect with them. I am very clear when it comes to family and personal friends, those will always take priority.

3. What advice would you give to other women who are interested in starting their own businesses, but may be hesitant to take the leap?

If you truly feel like what you have to offer serves a genuine need, you truly should put aside any self doubt and start one! Having said that, everyone has their own risk appetites and it's the creativity of each individual to come up with a business plan (e.g. bootstrap vs raising funds) that you are most comfortable with. As Marie Forleo said - everything is figureoutable - the only mindset shift you need to have is your own insecurities and how do you work those through to make the dream come true! Stay hungry and surround yourself with positive people who can uplift you!

4. How do you stay motivated and focused during challenging times, and what resources or support systems have helped you along the way?

I think my work team has been an amazing support through challenging times all this while. Some key individuals have stuck with me through really down times and I am eternally grateful for that. At home, it also helps to have a wonderful husband that is there to encourage me without worrying if I fail or succeed. One key thing I've learnt is - failure is the best lesson you can give yourself to grow. Listening to Gary Vee (love his podcasts) has put an interesting perspective on challenge and I realised the key to building a good company culture within, to withstand the test of time and challenge, is what I have begun to appreciate.

5. If you could pick a product/service out of your selection, what would be your favourite and why?

Oh that's hard! I do love everything we create. If I must choose, I absolutely love our Chocolate Mousse Cakes. The creaminess and melt in your mouth sensation everytime is like a party all day! Being a dessert lover, I am always drawn to the enjoyment process of indulging in dessert and I believe this one takes the cake (pun totally intended haha)!

Get Inspired: Meet 4 Women Entrepreneurs Running Successful Small Businesses

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