Cheryl Gunn once Tau Huay (Tofu) Female boss.
However, the business idea was quickly rejected after family and friends gave negative feedback on her handmade products. Tau Huay.
Unable to meet the standards, Cheryl adopted a fail-fast mindset and decided it was better to move on to the next viable business idea.
A computer engineering graduate, she was working for the Singapore Workforce Development Board (now known as Workforce Singapore) at the time, and while there she took courses at a beauty school to learn how to give massages and facials.
This newfound interest led her to a trip to Thailand in 2007, where she visited her first trade fair.
She had intended to purchase a small selection of all-natural aromatherapy products, but instead came across a local person who made his own aromatherapy products made from natural herbal extracts.
The encounter sparked her interest in the aromatherapy business, and she eventually partnered with him to launch Mount Sapora, a local brand of scented skincare products.
No experience necessary? No problem!
It was a difficult decision, but she left her civil service job in 2006 to embark on an entrepreneurial journey.
The 41-year-old said she took the plunge because she wanted to start her own business, despite having no business knowledge or experience.
Most importantly, I didn’t want to have the regret of not making this dream come true.
Opportunities never come again. And I thought that this was the best time for my business. Experience and knowledge alone are not enough. still What I have learned on this business journey.
Cheryl Gan (right) and her husband (left) / Image courtesy of Singapore Tatler
She is also glad to have her husband, Loh Chong Yew, co-founder of local hardware store Home-Fix, as her mentor on this journey.
With 30 years of business experience, he had a lot of sound advice for the first-time entrepreneur.
Cheryl says having a great mentor like him is a “treasure” because he often reminds her to look at the bigger picture and take things slowly.
This year marks her 11th year running the business and under her management the business has grown exponentially with 14 stores in Singapore and seven in Malaysia.
Breaking even in less than a year
Mount Sapora at Compass One Mall / Image courtesy of Grid Line Design Lab
Cheryl said she put $50,000 of her savings into starting Mount Sapora.
This was Cheryl’s first foray into entrepreneurship, so she had to quickly find her footing and learn the ropes of running a business.
Working from Theissen’s offices in the Homefix building, she wears a variety of hats, overseeing the company’s day-to-day operations, including overseeing production facilities and business development projects.
Her childhood was particularly difficult.In addition, “Human Resources Officer [and the one] “I was in charge of marketing and store operations,” she said. The Straits Times.
Recalling her first Mount Sapora store in Tanglin Mall, she said there weren’t many systems and processes in place then.
She did not have an employment contract and some of her employees were shoplifters.
She also described sitting in the mall parking lot after closing time, enlisting the help of friends to affix labels and price tags to the items.
But her bigger business challenge was educating Singaporean consumers about aromatherapy and its benefits.
Cheryl said that while customers would associate the scent of lemongrass with “tom yum,” it actually had other uses, such as repelling insects.
Despite a tough start, the business was profitable within a year.
We started as a tiny 200+ sq. ft. storefront with less than $30,000 in monthly revenue. Today, we have our own manufacturing facility and over $10 million in sales.
From Mount Sapora to Hyses
Image credit: HYSSES
Cheryl’s partner also opened and ran their own stores in Thailand, but they are now a separate company after Mount Sapora rebranded to HYSSES (pronounced high-ses) in August last year.
She revealed that the rebranding had been planned since 2014, so it was by no means an impulsive decision.
The rebranding saw the introduction of a new logo and brand identity, with Cheryl saying the name HYSSES is an artistic interpretation of the Chinese word for “home village”.
She also revealed that although her Thai partner is not involved in HYSSES, they are considering launching an online store for the Mt. Sapola brand together.
Ultimately, Cheryl said she wants to differentiate HYSSES as a local brand, highlighting that all of its products are developed, tested and manufactured in Singapore.
Previously, some consumers had mistaken Mount Sapora for a Thai brand, so she wanted to come out of the “shadow” and revamp its identity with a new brand.
But with over 25,000 customers in the database, wasn’t this a risky move?
“We conducted feasibility studies and consumer engagement studies (both domestically and internationally) prior to the rebranding initiative,” Sherrill said.
Once consumers smell or try a product, they are not fazed by the change and the familiarity overcomes any concerns. We have built consumer trust through the quality of our products since our days at Mount Sapora.
The packaging may have changed, but Cheryl is confident that once customers try it, they will instantly recognise the product.
She added that the rebranding effort will also help further the company’s “global expansion” goals.
Since her partner was not as keen on exploring the European market as she was, she wanted to work alone with HYSSES and further elevate the brand.
“Prior to our rebranding, we conducted market research to understand the needs overseas. The new brand prepares us to enter the market with greater confidence for success.”
Innovate and improve
Cheryl says that during the first few years of growing Mount Sapora, a lack of product innovation significantly impacted the business.
Customers were beginning to get bored of seeing the same kinds of products, so she decided it was time to get creative.
Cheryl stressed that “product innovation” is crucial, especially since Singapore is an “incredibly challenging small market”.
She felt pressured to offer customers more product choice, but her Thai business partner did not face the same problem because he was “blessed with a much larger consumer base.” [his] Home ground”.
“My partners were focused on opening more stores, but I needed new products. [otherwise] “Customers here would get bored. In that sense, our business directions were not aligned. But he allowed me to develop a specific product line,” she said.
With her own manufacturing facilities and research and development team, she was able to customize her products in terms of scent and design to suit each market.
This will be a major advantage as we enter other markets such as Malaysia in 2011 and Taiwan in 2014.
“Once we understand the field, either through the clients themselves, the retail sales team or through sales data, we work with our designers and R&D teams to plan new product development and localise ranges for the market,” Cheryl said.
“This will allow us to start building the intellectual property (IP) and SOP infrastructure to take the business to the next level of growth – manufacturing and further product innovation.”
Part of HYSSES’ extensive product line / Image courtesy of HYSSES
Her product line quickly expanded to include diffusers, candle burners, essential oils, and facial and body products.
By 2013, at least 60% of Mount Sapora Singapore’s products were made and packed here.its product lineup is now much richer than that of Thailand.
New products such as the bergamot geranium scent were a hit in Singapore and Malaysia, and overseas retailers were inundated with requests to sell the products in their stores.
But business hasn’t always been smooth sailing.
Its expansion into the Taiwanese market (by opening a store within a store) did not go as planned, and it was forced to close in 2016 due to poor business performance.
But never one to give up, Cheryl decided to re-brand the business and re-adjust her efforts to explore other markets.
European market entry plans
Cheryl Gan, Founder, HYSSES / Image courtesy of HYSSES
Cheryl said the company plans to expand further overseas through franchising and distribution.
Specifically, she intends to expand her brand to London, and eventually to other markets in Europe.
She is so confident in the quality of HYSSES products that she wants them to compete with the world’s best aromatherapy producers in the UK and Australia, both of which have their own producers.
Looking back on her journey so far, Cheryl humbly admitted she never expected her business to be so successful.
“The plan was just to start small. I wasn’t thinking too far ahead,” she told The Straits Times.
I didn’t think about whether I would succeed or not. Starting a business was always in the back of my mind, and I didn’t want to be on my deathbed regretting not starting one. Even if I failed, it would be a lesson learned.
Featured Image Credit: Cheryl Gan / HYSSES
No more missed deliveries: Singapore locker startup lets you receive parcels at your apartment anytime
This Singaporean is making big bucks from scent, earning more than $10 million a year from aromatherapy products. This article first appeared on Vulcan Post
