International Women’s Day- 6 Women-Owned Local Businesses To Look Out For In Singapore (2023)

Let’s Celebrate The Women Force!

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International Women’s day(IWD) is on March 8th, 2023 and we are super excited!

Reason? It is that time of the year when women are celebrated for their tremendous achievements in all spheres of life.

Gone are the days when women were confined to their homes and were deemed just homemakers. Times have changed and the world has seen a lot of improvement in the last 50 years. Women have excelled in all walks of life shoulder to shoulder with men enabling financial empowerment to a degree.

True financial independence that comes with owning a business is one of the most liberating emotions. This is what true women empowerment stands for and we at Top5listicle would like to take the opportunity to acknowledge and promote 6 upcoming businesses run by women.

Women entrepreneurs in Singapore are on the rise and let us celebrate them. Statistics say that of all the businesses in Singapore, 27% are run by women.

Let’s honor these lady bosses on Women’s day and acknowledge upcoming businesses.

International Women’s Day – Singapore (2023) – 6 Upcoming Small Businesses To Support

1. Joyce Tan

Joyce Tan, a digital artist and website builder, left behind her corporate career spanning 3 decades in the lifestyle and hospitality industry to follow her passion for art.

During her stint in the corporate world, Joyce has positioned brands and spearheaded publicity and marketing promotions in both the private and public sectors in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Vietnam.

Joyce Tan - jtmuses - 6 Women-Owned Local Businesses To Look Out For In Singapore - top5listicle

I teach and mentor artists with autism and am a selected vendor with the I’mable Collective, SG Enable

Joyce Tan

She is also a bonafide artist who has held two exhibitions. Joyce has successfully branded her own art-inspired kitchen gifts on Amazon garnering five-star reviews.

As a digital artist and web builder, she has her own e-commerce shops at GlimpsesofEdenArt and designs/builds websites.

What prompted her to start her art venture?

Joyce first started oil painting in earnest in 2015 and in 2016, her first attempts in oil painting were exhibited at the 2016 Angelico Art Awards((an art competition that seeks to explore the integration of faith and artistic endeavor).​

In 2017, she brought her passion to life with two exhibitions at the Singapore University of Technological Design (LIVING @55) and the Chinatown Heritage Centre where she storified on mixed media Chinatown and Edenic moments of the past.

She has also retailed her wares at the Chinatown Heritage Centre and Singapore Visitor Centre @Kim Choo Kueh Chang ( Katong & Joo Chiat ) for the past 3 years.

One of the hurdles I have faced in my current role is being a mentor for differently-abled artists. But the most rewarding part about this role is seeing their works being imprinted on merchandise and appreciated as unique gifts.”

Joyce Tan

One of her student’s lacquer trays sold out at the launch of the “I’m able collective” bazaar in 2019 and has been a hot favorite on travel mugs and drawstring backpacks!

Her final words for fellow entrepreneurs

“The visual arts are very personable, one either likes it or hates it! If you’re interested in being an artist and making some income out of it – go for it – paint yourself happy – if it’s something that you enjoy doing and are passionate about, join collectives and networks which enable people to come together to work together for a cause. You also need lots of tenacity and help from friends to bring things to fruition. This was especially so when I brought jtmuses to life. Creating my silicone oven mitts and aprons – “you wear art!” J,  branding it and thankfully garnering five-star reviews from Amazon USA was an exacting journey and not for the faint-hearted! I also strategize content and build websites on jtmuses – which brings me great joy when I help any startup succeed.

Get in touch with her

Instagram: glimpsesofedenart, jtmuses

2. Grace Ng Huiying

Grace, the founder of Lenicc Eyewear is on a mission to increase awareness of the need for wearing protective and stylish sunglasses each time you step into the light. Lenicc Eyewear is the amalgamation of Science and Fashion.

Grace Ng ,lenicceyewear- women-led small business owners in Singapore,2022 - top5listicle

Specially selected and sourced, the elements, that are used to create their customizable sunglasses need
to be light, durable, and comfortable. The materials used for manufacture are less toxic and more biodegradable than standard choices.

While providing stylish eye protection to their customers, they give back to help the less privileged in rural villages of India to regain their eyesight through needed operations.

Grace

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What Prompted her to start her own venture?

In 2018, while traveling under the glaring Roman summer sun, Grace’s pair of sunglasses (from a high street brand) did not serve her well. Her surroundings were all dark greyish, her eyes were tearing up and she experienced headaches. This sparked an idea in her mind to find a solution of her own that would help wearers protect their eyes better.

For the frames, Lenicc Eyewear uses is cellulose acetate (natural plastic) that is light to wear and long-lasting. For the lenses, they are UV-protective, polarised CR-39 with a layer of anti-glare coating to give your eyes maximum visual impact and comfort. Using stainless steel for the arms lessens tarnish and retains a sparkling shine.

“Starting with a simple idea — to custom design high-quality sunglasses that fit comfortably -we found the sweet spot at the intersection of haute couture and personalization.”

Grace NG Huiying

Her final words for fellow entrepreneurs

Do not be afraid and leap with faith as you don’t need to get everything figured out to do so.

Get in touch with her

Instagram: lenicceyewear

3. Alia Tan

Alia Tan’s plant-based Cinnamon rolls business Brod and Paj started as a recipe-sharing page which eventually turned out to be a business loved by many. She started an Instagram page called @gingercooksfavbooks for the purpose of sharing healthy simple recipes and gardening experiences.

Alia Tan - Brod and Paj- small business owners in Singapore - top5listicle

Her motto was simple.

“I wanted to share and trade home grown produce by having a gardening community”.

Alia Tan

One day, she had shared her recipe for vegan cinnamon rolls on her Instagram page. Friends and families asked about it and that’s how it started a following and she knew this was it.

She circled upon her specialty “Vegan Cinnamon rolls” and started her home-based business. The reason she chose vegan is because her kids love them and she wanted to give them a less sinful cinnamon roll.

Specialities

  • Use of healthy oils
  • The cinnamon rolls contain 50% less sugar
  • All natural, no artificial colouring

“The toughest obstacle we faced was delivery. Outsourcing delivery is never cheap and also at times not easily available.”

Her final words for fellow entrepreneurs

I believe that there’s no perfect product. We have to ask for feedback and have an open mind to receive criticism. This will help us to think better and grow. Never give up! Keep trying, eventually, we will find our way.

Get in touch with her

Instagram: brodandpaj

4. Daphne Tham

Daphne Tham is the founder of Kate and Avie, a quilting and fabric curation business. Daphne’s passion for quilts started in 2010 when she was thinking about leaving her son something that would journey through life with him. Hence, she had hand-sewn a 9 block sampler quilt, and fast forward, this is one of her most popular workshops, especially for those who desire to learn and make it a hobby.

Daphne Tham- kate and avie- Women small business owners in Singapore - top5listicle

“It all began in 2010, when my daughter bought her new home and wanted cushion covers. She had found that the ones in the marketplace were expensive and not to her liking. She imported fabric and asked me to help her sew. Then she suggested starting an online business on Shopify.”

Having worked as a recruiter, she decided to finally take the plunge to pursue her passion for quilting in 2014. Family demands took a toll and after a break of 3 years, she revived the business and renamed it from Seamigly Smitten to Kate & Avie, and since that the business has grown to what it is today.

Kate & Avie Workshop

Kate avie - 6 lady bosses to support in Singapore - top5listicle

Notable Features Of Their Workshop

  1. Art Gallery Fabrics come with Oeko Tex Standards 100 certification. That means no harmful chemicals were used in the manufacturing of the fabric.
  2. Social Enterprise Support : They support Tohe, a Vietnam based Social Enterprise that teaches street kids art and transposes them on a range of canvas products.
  3. Work with the community in Singapore, to raise basic sewing skills in #SewInLoveProjectSG.
Kateandavie-women business owners, singapore - top5listicle

Her final words for fellow entrepreneurs

Support LOCAL through collaborative partnerships and marketing. The marketplace is big enough for everyone to thrive passionately running their business. Support COMMUNITY with your business. 

Get in touch with her

Instagram: kateavie

5. Manisha Kishore, Santawana Shrivastava Jauhari, Minal Jadhav

AWADH is the brainchild of three friends Ms. Manisha Kishore, a Psychologist by profession; Ms Santwana Shrivastava Jauhari, a teacher by practice, and Ms. Minal Jadhav, a software Engineer.  This is their first entrepreneurial journey and has been the most gratifying experience.

WhatsApp Image 2022 03 02 at 10.29.06 AM 2

AWADH, a place in the heart of Orchard Singapore, aims at keeping the Awadhi flame burning. AWADH has the best set of chefs from Lucknow who have mastered the dying art and are focused on offering the authentic taste of the Lucknawi cuisine.

With the Singaporean Gastronomical community already recognizing the supreme taste and innovative underlining concepts of the Awadhi/Lucknawi cuisine, it is only a matter of time before this fine cuisine will receive global recognition and acclaim.
Visit AWADH and experience the cuisine of royalty, straight from the kitchens of the Nawabs.

Get in touch with them

Instagram: awadhdining

6. Seema Singh

Seema Singh is the person behind Coding Giants, Singapore. She went on to partner with Coding Giants when she realized that nothing in life is stable and one must prepare for the worst phase of our life. 

Seema Singh- coding giants, Singapore - women business owners Singapore - top5listicle

Seema’s career began when she joined a multinational company in the oil and gas sector as a legal advisor. Unfortunately, there was a major setback in 2017 when the oil and gas industries nearly collapsed around the world. It did not spare her, and the company where she worked as a Legal Counsel declared bankrupt, and the entire staff, including herself, was laid off. 

Coding Giants, founded in Poland, is Europe’s largest international school. They offer online and physical classes to children in Singapore. No doubt that there are a plethora of coding schools in Singapore. And, while most schools teach nearly identical programming content, Coding Giants has several features distinguishing it from the competition.

Furthermore, Coding giants is a Microsoft Global Education Partner.

The future revolves around technology and creativity. It is critical that we prepare our children for a future in which conventional education will be of little value in comparison to practical knowledge. Coding Giants secure our children’s future. 

Get in touch with them

Facebook: Coding Giants SG

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