The most internet savvy mumpreneur
Singapore is a great place if you want to be both a mum and a business-woman. You can be head of the household and head of your own company without even removing your Ergo. In fact, being knee deep in looking after a little one has, for some women, led to inspiration striking and sole proprietorships starting. Recently, this dual role was celebrated in the Singapore Mumpreneur of the Year Awards 2014. Among a pool of successful nominees, 7 ladies were selected as leaders of the pack in various categories. Here, Alexia Sichere – founder of Foxysales, an online retailer of kids products, and winner of Most Internet Savvy Mumpreneur – shares some expert mumpreneur tips…
Hi Alexia. Congratulations on winning the Most Internet Savvy Category at the Singapore Mumpreneur Of The Year Awards. You’re from France originally – how did you come to set up shop in Singapore?
My husband and I left France in 2009 looking for exciting new career opportunities and it led us to Singapore. My background in sales and marketing with a focus on the kids industry and from this came my online business, Foxysales. I also have 2 kids aged 2 and 5.
What made you start your own business?
I had always dreamed of being an entrepreneur. I like fast moving environments, challenges and novelty. So in 2010 I resigned from my job and took the plunge, launching Foxysales. I didn’t start my own business to get more flexibility and a better work-life balance as a mum. Although my kids are very important to me, the motivation was my passion for e-commerce, particularly in the kids space, and being able to provide for them doing something I love. The first couple of years involved a lot of hard work, working day & night to develop the business – more than I had ever worked before – and it took a while to see the benefits. I had doubts but I decided to hang on. And then things started to get easier. Now, after 3.5 years, I can finally enjoy some flexibility in my working hours and being a mum. The hardest is behind me and I’m glad I made this choice.
Deciding to start a business is one thing but settling on a specific idea and business plan is quite another. How did you focus in on what you wanted to do?
Starting an e-commerce website was no surprise for me as I am really passionate about it, both as a customer (I hate going to the malls) and as a merchant. But I didn’t want to have a traditional e-store. Focusing on products for the family was a personal interest and I saw a gap in the market to get them out there by way of a flash sales concept.
Tell us how you went about setting up the business, was it a difficult process?
Setting up the business in Singapore (the administrative aspect of it) was very easy. Launching & growing the business (the website, the customer & supplier base) was another story! I worked like crazy the first few years to get good suppliers, and optimised website and, ultimately, happy customers. So yes, it can be difficult!
How does social media play a role in your business?
Social media is part of our strategy although we focus more on the selection of products and the satisfaction of our customers. Social media can be of great help, but it is not the complete answer and it is not free. You either have to spend a lot of money on it or a lot of time on it to make it effective.
What does working give you? What are the pro’s and con’s of being a mumpreneur?
Now that I’m through the initial stage of the business, the flexibility is great. It’s not that I work less, but I can decide on my working hours and I don’t need approval from anybody. Another positive thing is that I really do something I am passionate about and find very stimulating. I used to get bored in the corporate world. Now, I’m in charge of something fast-moving and ever-changing which allows me to use my ability to get things done. But there are con’s too. It’s 24/7, I can’t quit and my mind is never far from my business, which can make me feel guilty sometimes. When I go on holiday I have to make sure I will have good internet connection and maternity leave doesn’t exist – you have to work through it and cope with all the tiredness. But driving a business through ups and downs brings exciting moments too and I learn something new every day. I am happy to go to work every day if I have to and Sundays are never gloomy anymore.
Tell us about a normal day and how you balance family, the business and time for you
A normal day starts at 6.30am. My oldest daughter leaves the house at 7.10am and I leave around 7.45am to take the youngest one to playgroup. I usually reach the office about 8.15am. The mornings are very “hands on” and I focus mainly on launching new sales and replying to customers enquiries. Afternoons are more for sourcing, marketing and IT. I usually try to put my meetings early in the morning or later in the afternoon to optimize blocks of time. But there is no typical day, as things don’t always go to plan. I aim to be home by 7.30pm at the latest to do the bed routine and then have dinner with my husband. After that I’m usually back on my laptop to send a few emails and do some accounting. I don’t have much time for myself but I try to fit in a run and a swim once a week. On the weekends my husband and I run together with my youngest in the jogger stroller and my eldest cycling. We stop at playgrounds, see friends, do crafts, and cook.
What has been the secret to your success?
The key to my family balance is that my husband and I are both on the same page. We are hard workers, we both like sports, good food, nice meals with friends and we care about our children. We are trying to have it all, although it’s not always easy!
What advice would you give to other mums looking to start something of their own?
If it’s something you really want to do and you’ve thought about it for some time already, then take a chance. But I would also warn that it’s not always easy and you will question yourself a lot along the way. I don’t think it’s possible to have a successful business and a good salary if you only want to do a few hours of work a day from home while looking after the kids. Building and growing a rewarding and lucrative business is a long path and requires a lot of work. Be patient and don’t give up.
Future plans for the business?
We’re always adding new products to our catalogue. But our main plan is to expand in to other countries, starting with Malaysia. We are actually already looking for local partners.