The need to support local businesses in Singapore is now more than ever. Whether you support a relative, a friend, or even just a local shop you’ve encountered, to help the local community or advocate for them is the need of the hour.
Phrases such as “buy local,” “eat local” or “go local” may also not be new to you. But there are very specific reasons why you must come forward and help support local businesses.
To look into this, we thought what better way than to ask the locals themselves!
theAsianparent (TAP) spoke to Chef Janice Wong, Supermama Store, and local family business Tai Sun to learn more about the benefits of supporting local businesses in Singapore.
This year, Tai Sun marks its 55th anniversary as a trusted heritage brand that has offered quality nuts and chips to both local and international customers. Their products have been sold and distributed in over 10 countries including Singapore, Malaysia, China, India, the United Kingdom and Indonesia.
Their Head of Marketing Esther Loo spoke to theAsianparent about the benefits of supporting local talent and business as well as Tai Sun’s secret to decades of success.
“As a local company that is born and bred in Singapore, Tai Sun believes in supporting local talents and businesses as they play an essential role to spur economic growth, create innovation and provide employment opportunities for all,” says Ms Loo.
She adds, “By supporting local products and services, this will create a positive cycle for local brands, as greater demand contributes to the sustainability and longevity of local businesses.”
With an experience of three generations in the snack industry, Tai Sun actually started off as a small family business before it became an established family business with an international reach.
The success of which, Ms Loo tells us, is attributed to "the close-knit family bonds and spirit that have been passed down one generation to another”.
“My grandmother, Mdm Han’s, emphasis on family continues to be well-instilled even to the third generation today, in the way we value our relationships and family bonds with each other.
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"My grandparents instilled in us the importance of jia he wan shi xing which means that when a family lives in harmony, everything will prosper. No matter what disagreements we might have at work, when we leave the office, we always come back home as a ‘family’,” she says.
Although Ms Loo admits that it would be “naive” to assume there have been no disagreements among their family members as they run the business.
Despite this, the “driving factor” that has helped them achieve what they have now is “for the family to understand that everyone is working towards a common goal of being united as one family, with the intent of ensuring the success of the business.”
“I am blessed to be part of the third generation in this family business and to continue the legacy that my grandparents started. Keeping family in the business has been a great motivation for me and has taught me values like perseverance and resilience, and to never give up especially when faced with challenges,” she adds.
With the benefits of supporting a local business in Singapore, you might also be thinking about starting your own business. With this, Ms Loo advises that you should continue to be aware of ongoing trends and figure out who your target audience is.
“For example, to meet the growing number of customers shopping online, we decided to place our products on online platforms such as RedMart. We have also recently launched an online website for Nature’s Wonders, where customers can buy directly from us and enjoy direct delivery to their preferred address,” she tells TAP.
Ms Loo also says, “It is also important to do something that you are passionate and motivated about!”
Singaporean pastry chef Janice Wong also gave her sweet time to discuss the reasons and benefits of supporting local food as having a local food business herself.
With the pandemic affecting many lives as well as local businesses, the current situation has made Ms Wong see the importance of the community, which has helped her find “solidarity” in the F&B family in Singapore.
“This has pushed me to seek ways in which the Janice Wong Singapore label can spread joy and create better sweet experiences during this time,” says Ms Wong.
As a local pastry chef, Janice Wong has always marvelled at the potential for imagination when creating her own sweets as there is “a lot of creativity involved.”
“All these observations and experiences grew my desire to create new and innovative sweet experiences and I’ve never looked back since. I hope that my creations can help lift moods and inspire just as I once was and continue to be inspired as well,” she tells TAP.
As for the benefits of supporting the local food business industry, Ms Wong says it helps to build long term relationships “which in turn enables us to expand our offerings further through collaborations in the future.”
When asked what advice she would give to other aspiring chefs, Ms Wong shares, “For any chef, consistency is key. These are your own creations that you should be proud of! Be willing to invest time into the creation and experimentation process and your efforts will shine through eventually.”
A Singaporean design and lifestyle goods brand, Supermama started off as a couple’s decision to take a break from work to look after their children. Today, the store has become Singapore’s go-to place for locally designed homeware and souvenirs.
In our interview with Supermama Co-Founder Edwin Low, he shares, “We are proud to be Singaporeans and always felt that the Singapore identity can be represented beyond our local food or the Merlion.”
Mr Low adds, “It is not really about being inspired, rather, we felt responsible, as designers, to develop Singapore’s material culture. If Singapore designers do not develop Singapore designs, who would?”
Over the last 10 years, Supermama has worked with more than 100 local creatives. This is within different fields including design, art, illustration among others. Getting to interact with so many creatives has made Supermama realise that each one of us has a unique local story to tell.
Mr Low tells TAP, “Singapore is essentially a city state of borrowed cultures, and how we have come together is nothing short of a modern-day miracle. With roots from different places and cultures, we are still able to shape our own identity and narratives.”
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“By supporting local talents and our crafts, we are allowing our own stories to be told (via different mediums) to the next generation and to the world beyond our shores,” he adds.
In their continuous support for Singapore designs, Supermama has recently assumed the operations of the museum stores at the National Museum of Singapore (NMS) and Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM).
“With this shift, we can provide a bigger platform to work with more local creatives. You can expect more design collaborations, merchandise development and artistic showcases in the coming days,” says Edwin Low.
Having started Supermama 10 years ago when they just had their second child, Mr Low and his wife faced a few challenges along the way.
While it has been the best decision of their lives, he admits, “Running a business as a parent or family is subjected to many influences – both internal (family) and external (work). Many times, you can not simply switch off from being a parent, or to clock off from work.”
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“As such, one of the biggest lessons we can take away is the need to learn how to prioritise and that our priorities do change with the different seasons we’re in,” says the father-of-two.
He adds, “While we can be super passionate about what we do, it is also important to be able to put food on the table. Hence, do as much research as possible before starting and even if you tried your best and ‘failed’, it will still be a great life lesson.”
This article was first published in theAsianparent.