When the word entrepreneur is mentioned, many people may imagine a male in a business suit and a briefcase on the brink of closing a significant deal. But thanks to development and modernization, we know that’s a far cry from reality.
Female entrepreneurs exist in every sphere of life and continuously break down barriers and shatter glass ceilings to achieve success.
While entrepreneurship may have been male-dominated previously, today, women creating their paths is nothing unusual. Take, for example, sisters Lok Hui Ching and Lok Hui Ping (Xannelle), two young entrepreneurs from Singapore making waves in the marketing, real estate, and fire protection industry.
Early life in Singapore
The sisters shared their early life in growing up in Singapore.
“We grew up in a family of entrepreneurs. From a young age, we were tasked to help out in our parents’ businesses whenever we were free, especially during the holidays. From sorting out business documents to mending the physical stall, we had to do all of these tasks, which taught us how money was made.”
In addition to working in the family business, the two sisters also started their entrepreneurship journey at an early stage. During their teenage years, they recounted their father giving them each $100 to start a business. “He told us to show him how we can multiply this $100 that he gave us. This $100 was the only capital we had then as we studied with no source of income. We took this $100 with excitement and planned our ‘business ideas.’ Back then, we were very into eCommerce as there was a prevalent online shopping platform in Singapore called Carousell – a C2C platform to list our items for sales,” Hui Ching shared.
Starting an eCommerce store
The sisters began investing in physical inventory for their eCommerce store. It was a challenge buying wholesale from stores in Singapore, so they explored the overseas market, which was cheaper and allowed them to start with a smaller order quantity. They began from having two to three product offerings and slowly expanded their selection as they earned profits.
“This was a lesson that taught us that we don’t need much capital to start something as long as we are willing to start small and watch the business grow. It also taught us to be resourceful,” says Xannelle.
Entrepreneurial journey in 2021
Fast-forward to 2021, the sisters have become full-time entrepreneurs and have enjoyed great successes. Lok Hui Ching currently runs a marketing consulting business and operates a co-living company in Singapore. Her sister, Lok Hui Ping, manages the family business, a fire protection company in Singapore, and runs her own company as an online marketing coach.
Through her marketing company, Hui Ching has been able to help clients grow revenue from $2,500 per month up to $250,000 per month. She also singlehandedly started her co-living company and has built it into a thriving, reputable business.
Xannelle, one of the few females in the fire safety industry in Singapore, has also helped clients uncover their unique selling point and gain confidence in their business. As a result, she has helped that increase revenue up to 5 times their usual monthly amount. She has also enjoyed the success of earning 7-figures at the age of 25.
Lok Hui Ching and Lok Hui Ping are living proof that women entrepreneurs exist in every sphere. They have shown that they have what it takes to operate in what is often regarded a male-dominated industry.
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