'I had to pull myself together': Financially-strapped mums turn to home-based businesses

SINGAPORE - Amid an assortment of medals from competitions and family photos, Madam Salinah Salim skilfully manipulates swathes and strips of cloth on her trusty sewing machine as everything from baju kurung to reusable bags are sewn.

The 37-year-old has been in this business since 2012, and has operated out of a sewing studio which is a converted bedroom in her three-room flat in Woodlands from around 2016.

During peak periods, such as the lead-up to Hari Raya, she could have dozens of customers streaming into her home office for measurements. Running on passion, she says she has currently "maxed out" on her orders for the festive period.

Business is good, she says, but her family of four finds it difficult to save for the future. Madam Salinah's income varies from about $1,000 to $2,000 a month, while her husband - a food delivery rider - earns less than $3,000 a month.

Madam Salinah is among a group of financially challenged people who run home-based businesses. They may be from low-income backgrounds, or are temporarily financially unstable because of a change in their situations. The business owners featured in this article receive help from the Government, or charities, or non-governmental bodies.

For Madam Salinah's family of four, the household income per member range of about $1,000 falls below the 20th percentile in 2022, according to the Singapore Department of Statistics.

To qualify for the ComCare Short-to-Medium Term Assistance - a government social assistance scheme - residents need to have a monthly household income per capita of $800 and below, among other things.

A recent report by researchers from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP) said that a family of four needs at least $6,693 a month to afford a basic standard of living. However, the Government responded by saying the study included not just basic needs, but discretionary experiences such as jewellery and overseas holidays.

There was a surge in home-based businesses during the pandemic, according to GoBusiness, a platform for businesses - developed by the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the Smart Nation and Digital Government Office, and GovTech - to access government services and resources.

According to data from the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority, a total of 63,480 new enterprises were registered in 2020, a 3.1 per cent increase compared with 2019, while 65,438 businesses were registered in 2021.

Volunteer-led initiative Her Rise Above, which provides business training for female home business owners, has mentored over 40 women since its founding in 2019, with 18 still actively running their businesses.

Its co-founder Sapna K. Malhotra said the businesses empower these women to take charge of their lives.

"Our ladies in particular share a story of resilience, overcoming adverse situations and the creativity, and determination to provide a product or service with excellence," she said.

The topic of empowerment among those in need arose recently with the Forward Singapore conversation and a shift from social assistance to social empowerment.

To that end, the new ComLink+ social support scheme unveiled on Nov 20 enhances support for families living in public rental housing with children under 21. Under this scheme, family coaches will work with families to help them achieve their goals.

They will also get financial help when they achieve goals like enrolling their young children into pre-schools and clearing one's debt.

While this could help cash-strapped home-based business owners with things like their children's education and saving up for home ownership, they would not benefit from the financial top-ups in cash and Central Provident Fund payouts for being in stable employment under ComLink+ if they focus solely on their businesses.

But not all those in need are suitable for employment - some may have caregiving duties to the young and old, while others may aspire to run their own businesses.

Take for example, Ms Erica Goh, 21, who stays in a public rental flat with her full-time national serviceman husband and two-year-old daughter while waiting for their Build-To-Order (BTO) flat.

She started her eyelash salon business in 2023, after finding it difficult to find a job in the beauty industry with flexible hours - so that she could take care of her daughter.

Her father paid for the courses and equipment she needed to get started, and she tries to add value to her service by adjusting the lighting and air-conditioning just so for each session, not to mention spraying perfume to enhance her client's experience.

"I want to expand my business, perhaps provide more services, then maybe I can think about having a studio or a shop," said Ms Goh, who is now in a "low" period with three or four customers a week. She charges between $50 and $70 for each two-hour session.

Running home-based businesses can be challenging because of inconsistent demand, lack of business knowledge such as marketing and budgeting, and even space constraints.

Often, these owners do not earn enough to support an income, said Ms Ruth Tan, executive director of South Central Community Family Service Centre (SCCFSC).

"By the time they deduct the costs - don't forget they have their own electricity bills, water bills - the amount they make is not significant," she said.

When Madam Nooril Azurah Suntek Noor started selling baked goods a few years ago, she did not make any money as she did not track her costs. She now tracks her costs and profits through a computer application.

Madam Azurah said her five children are very sensible and understanding, even helping her deliver her baked goods. But living and working in a two-room flat she shares with her husband, children, and four cats can be challenging, like the time her children fell on her bottles of freshly made tarts while playing, she added.

"I cried so badly… Then after I was done venting my anger and crying, I knew I had to pull myself together, and continue baking," added Madam Azurah, 33, who earns between $800 and $1,000 on the rare months when business is good. There are, of course, many months with no orders.

Ms Tan said community and social workers have been lending support to home-based business owners, who may still have a limited network to sell their products and services.

"Just having a good hand to bake does not suffice," said Ms Tan.

That is where initiatives such as Her Rise Above and Empowered Families Initiative (EFI) come in.

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EFI, a start-up, invests in families by providing them with seed funding, which many of its members have used for their home-based businesses. EFI also provides peer support networks where members meet every month, where they can also share their best practices with one another and even work together to improve their businesses.

Its co-founder Palvindran Jayram said: "Visibility is helpful, so some EFI members have jointly set up booths" in various locations such as Singapore Expo.

They thought that they could get more customers to like their social media pages through these booths, and they did, he added.

Her Rise Above also provides lessons and mentors for the women it helps, whom it calls Risers.

It may be challenging for some to achieve financial stability through home-based businesses, but they are still beneficial to their owners, say social workers.

Ms Malhotra said while a main goal of the movement is to increase household income of those under them, the businesses can also help women improve aspects of their lives such as their resilience, and entrepreneurship skills.

She said: "We have had a few of our Risers coming to us in the midst of a crisis, such as abuse or divorce, and they have shared that having their home-based business gave them the self-confidence to move ahead and to know their worth."

Some of the home-based business owners under Her Rise Above have since found jobs in sectors similar to these businesses, while others are scaling up their businesses into brick-and-mortar outfits like canteen stalls.

"Women must make these decisions with their eyes wide open, as not all home-based businesses can earn a lot of money," said Ms Malhotra, adding that it depends on marketing and having a differentiated product. "It is tough work, but it can be sustainable."

Ms Sarah How, a programme executive at Fei Yue Family Service Centre, said there are different measurements when it comes to success of home-based ventures. Its Threads of Courage programme helps low-income people earn a supplementary income through sewing.

She said: "For some, it might be the ability to buy a gift for their children with their own earnings, while for others, it could involve making purchases for home improvement, such as appliances or small parts.

"Ultimately, the team recognises 'success' when participants realise their strengths and are empowered to use those strengths to enhance their life situations."

Mr Palvindran said his organisation is inviting more families to join, and asking social service agencies to adopt the same approach, with a view to spreading the idea of investing in the aspirations of such families and going beyond short-term assistance.

Some, like Madam Azurah and Ms Malhotra, hope there can be more help in general for home-based businesses owned by the financially challenged.

"Anyone working towards financial independence should be recognised for that effort," Ms Malhotra said.

"I also believe the value of a present parent is an intangible but extremely important stability factor for children - so for some who feel this is the best stability they can provide when children are younger or have higher needs, this should hold more weight in society," she added.

Madam Azurah said she hopes the Government could fund courses targeted at home-based businesses.

She added that she may consider finding a full-time job, which may qualify her for the incentives of stable employment under the ComLink+ scheme, if she can find a flexible job while putting her child in school. But she still hopes to run her business on the side, to earn more income and for her love of baking.

Others, like Madam Intan, are determined to chase their business aspirations.

The 48-year-old mother of three, who declined to give her full name, picked up baking through community programmes in 2019, and over time, has also learnt skills like invoicing. At the same time, she has been tweaking her offerings with the help of feedback from her customers.

Although her income is not consistent, Madam Intan is holding onto her dream of opening a brick-and-mortar shop for her eponymous business, Intan Bakery.

"My husband calls me Intan, which means diamond in Malay," she said.

A fitting name for these budding entrepreneurs strengthened by adversity and looking for a chance to shine.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.