As an entrepreneur, it’s worth your while to take a good holiday sometimes. Your journey can become a precious asset — a source of inspiration.
As a fashion model, I travelled to many countries. My job took me to places all over the world: Japan, Germany, Sweden, Indonesia, Hong Kong. I was getting paid to look good, and, at the same time, given the chance to get a glimpse of another culture, way of life and business.
When I travel, I waste nothing. My eyes are drawn to the things that are close to my heart. My passion is retail shops.
Whenever I travel, I am always looking and trying to understand retail: what stores sold, how they sold, the display of products in the store, how many products in one square foot.
I even look at the uniforms of staff, the fixtures, the lighting, and the customers: what they buy, what they touch and what catches their attention.
The founding of my ONE.99Shop concept in 1997 was very much based on my knowledge gained from travelling. My faithfully patient travel companion, my husband, once named me the “drug store” girl! I don’t blame him — I had to go into every drug store in Japan just to “check it out”. Ha! Where do you think creativity comes from? There is nothing new under the sun, but having inspiration is the key. With inspiration comes a great idea, and then you can add your own variation.
My point is, travel a lot and be observant! Make use of every moment to absorb ideas and knowledge. Stay “close” to your business by making sure your ideas are relevant, and learn as much as you can about what others do in your industry. Holidays can be a much more rewarding experience than pretty photographs — they can spark off a million-dollar idea if you collect inspiration as a souvenir.
This story is adapted from the chapter “Working Holidays” in Nanz Chong-Komo’s best-selling book One Business, 99 Lessons.
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