The Beginning

More than 12 years ago, DN & Associates was birthed. This happened because I decided to take a massive leap of faith to follow my dreams and create the path and business that I wanted. It was not an easy decision to make as I not only had a young daughter to feed, but many responsibilities and loans to oversee too. Becoming my own boss meant leaving the comfort and assurance of a regular monthly income and stepping into the world of uncertainty, doubt and not knowing when and how much my next income will be.

The company was started with S$5,000. I did not have my own office then and had to rent a desk space from a friend’s office. My sole possession was a cheap laptop that became my trusted partner in forging my dreams. Despite prior experience in a recruitment firm where I enjoyed some success, the initial days were tough. My previous track record of high placements did not guarantee instant success. I was back to doing lots of cold calling and sending unsolicited emails to prospective clients. More than 95% of the calls made and emails sent yielded no results. I did not see any fruition of my efforts for months and it took more than 4 months before the first deals were closed. It took another 2 months thereafter to receive payment. In short, the business saw no revenue for more than 6 months. Furthermore, I decided not to draw a salary for a year as I wanted to stabilize the company first. Truly trying times and the hope I clung on to was the belief that it would all work out.

Thankfully, business did improve and in the 2nd year, I could finally draw a salary of 40% of what I used to have when working as a salaried employee. It was truly a tough period of sloughing and worrying about the company’s financials as I was drawing on reserves to pay for loans and expenses. I am sure all entrepreneurs would understand my struggles and stresses.

Through it all, what stayed constant despite the shifting landscapes and uncertain money flows was my wife. She gave me her full support to chase my dreams despite not knowing whether the business would take off. She knew that I had always wanted to be an entrepreneur and her faith in me gave me the courage and grit to step into the unknown. For that, I am forever grateful.

Due to the tough birth pains that I had to go through in creating my (business) baby, I was able to weather the storms that came our way the past few years. From having to downsize operations due to rapid expansion, to interruptions due to covid, DN & Associates remains in the green because of prudent financial planning that saw us building on our reserves during the good years while drawing on past reserves during the bad.

With that, I would like to humbly share 3 key learnings gleaned from my 12+ years as an entrepreneur:

1.????? Creativity is fostered when resources are limited

2.????? Never be shy to ask for help when required, it could come in the most unexpected forms!

3.????? The support of your family and loved ones is crucial on the path of chasing your dreams.

Looking back at how DN & Associates has come, I am thankful for my humble beginnings because it imbued in me resilience and creativity. I am thankful for the people who took a chance on me, many of whom are now treasured friends. Most importantly, I am thankful for the support of my wife and loved ones, for allowing me to pursue my dreams. As we step into the new year with bright eyes and big dreams, I would like to end this musing with a poem to hold on to, come what may in 2024:

After rain, there’s a rainbow

After a storm, there’s calm

After the night, there’s a morning

And after an end

There’s a new beginning

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