Deborah Chew may be petite, wear a cheeky grin and have a girlish charm about her, but they only belie the fact that she is the self-professed whip cracker in her company, Caelan & Sage, a creative thinktank that provides strategic communications solutions through public relations, training, design and events. Nanzinc.Com catches up with the 34-year-old managing director during a break in her jet-setting schedule. By: Audra Lim How and why did you set up your own business? I had worked in various organisations from different sectors – F&B,...

The loss of her normal speaking voice did not silence one brave lady, Emily Lim, but inspired her to share a message of hope and meaning through her beautifully written stories. She started up Mustard Seed Books in 2007 to publish her first book Prince Bear & Pauper Bear. “I see my picture books as small beginnings towards a larger purpose of inspiring both children and adults to find meaning in their lives,” she says. Today, Emily continues to inspire and encourage her readers, young and old alike, with her message of self-acceptance...

Jaclyn Chan is a gifted writer who turned from a lucrative banking job in New York to pursue writing as a career. She has won grants from the Singapore Film Commission, published a children’s book and written for numerous films and television programs in Singapore and the US. Nanzinc.Com speaks to Jaclyn to find out more about how she found success as a screenwriter. By: Ng Lin-Li 1) What were your biggest concerns in changing careers? How did you overcome that? When I first quit my job, I faced a lot of skepticism from certain family members,...

  Min Sim, a yoga fanatic, gave up her investment banking career to start her own eco-friendly yoga and dance clothing line, Om Republic. She shares with Nanzinc.Com her business tips and the inspiration behind her clothing designs.   By Lianne Ong   The global financial crisis in 2008 gave Min Sim a timely opportunity to consider a mid-career change. Losing her well-paying job as an investment banker, she turned toward her interests in yoga, dance and design, to create a workout apparel label called Om Republic. Her philosophy on being environmentally...

Sisters Rachael, 26, and Rebekah, 23, share a common love for great coffee, and both possess a creative flair. Together, the Teo sisters recently started up a blog (link to: http://fireflynotebooks.wordpress.com/) to raise awareness and funds for the issue of human trafficking in our society today. By: Dorothea Chow 1. What is human trafficking? It’s the illegal trade in human beings for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation or forced labor; a modern-day form of slavery. It’s all around us, but many of us are unaware of the...

Do you have many commitments to juggle, and not a lot of time to spare? Do you want to reach out to more people and more communities with your expertise? Nanzinc.Com shares two tried-and-tested ways to market your business through social media in just 10 minutes a day. By: Ng Lin-Li Start a Facebook Fan Page Start a Facebook Fan page and maintain it. Besides posting details on what your business offerings are, engage visitors in the form of useful information, competitions, special deals, updates or photos on interesting projects or products,...

Many organisations are set up with noble aims of improving the lives of others, but WEworkz, a co-operative for women, goes one step further. Facilitated by the South West Community Development Council (CDC) and supported by the Singapore National Cooperative Federation (SNCF), WEworkz, which is into its second year, has made a difference to the lives of women by imparting them with skills to supplement their household income. By: Lianne Ong If you’ve visited IKEA Tampines or VIVO City on weekends, you might have come across booths selling stylish...

Want to set up your own business but don’t know whether you should go solo, work with partners or set up a proper corporation? Take this quiz to see which is the best route to help you fulfil your entrepreneurial dreams! Who is your greatest inspiration? J.K. Rowling Ben & Jerry’s Jack Welch Which statement best describes how you usually work in a team setting? Team discussions are important to know where the project is heading. Splitting the work is the only time when things are productive. I usually...

Lauryn Ishak is an Asian woman who is a travel and lifestyle photographer. Her work has been published in The New York Times, National Geographic Adventure and Travel + Leisure. Her business also includes shoots for restaurants, resorts and spas (yes, those beautiful photos that make you want to go on holiday or get a massage).Nanzinc.Com catches up with the artist and entrepreneur to find out what more about her journey as a photographer and traveller. By: Ng Lin-Li Why did you decide to base yourself in Singapore and not in New York City, where...

As a fresh business and finance graduate, Lee Li Ping, 23, was certain of what business she wanted to start several months before donning her graduation gown and cap. Within four months of returning to Singapore, she started a self-serve frozen yogurt café here, Sogurt, and has plans to make frozen yogurt ubiquitous for a healthy lifestyle in Singapore. NanzInc.Com chats with Li Ping to see what it takes to be a young entrepreneur. By: Lianne Ong Unless you have tried it overseas, chances are you have never had the opportunity to dispense your...