International Women's Day

Musing by Mitsuko MURANO, Co-founder of atomi

What inspired you to start your own business?

My husband, Andrew, and I created a business 15 years ago to bring Japan and Singapore closer together. At that time, many things in Japan were not available in Singapore. We came up with the brand 'atomi', an abbreviation of our names, Andrew and Mitsuko, in Japanese. Our goal is to introduce Japanese-made lifestyle products and furniture to Singapore. I believe that well-designed, high-quality Japanese products can enhance the comfort of the Singaporean lifestyle, and I am passionate about showcasing Japanese designs to achieve this.

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Could you share some insights into the mission and values behind your business, particularly about empowering women

We aim to enhance the daily lives of customers in Singapore. As a Japanese resident of Singapore for over 22 years, I am glad to share that we have hired interns, full-time and part-time employees from various nationalities such as Singaporean, Japanese, Burmese, Malaysian, Korean, Chinese, and Indonesian, belonging to different age groups to work with atomi over the past 15 years. We believe diversity is essential in promoting our core vision of Japanese Designs and Comfortable Lifestyle to everyone in Singapore and beyond. We have also developed strong partnerships and collaborations with several women-led companies and female entrepreneurs who are our suppliers. We aim to bring their products and services from Japan to Singapore, and together, we strive to achieve this goal.

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How do you think being a woman-owned business has influenced your company's approach, products, or services?

We are a company that puts our customers at the forefront. We value the needs of everyone, regardless of gender or nationality. Our company has a flat hierarchical structure, so we encourage all team members to take ownership of our brands, operations, and marketing. We also offer flexible scheduling to accommodate working adults, mothers, undergraduates, and postgraduates who wish to work with us full-time, part-time or as interns. Our team is small yet diverse and inclusive, which allows us to be agile and efficient. We believe in allowing our team to work based on their schedule and availability so that we can bring out the best in everyone we work with.

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Can you highlight some challenges you've faced as a female business owner and how you've overcome them?

As someone who has worked in the retail industry for over 25 years, and owned a business for 15 years, I have faced several challenges as a woman, a mother, and a permanent resident in Singapore. Balancing my business, family, and social life has always been difficult. Since my parents reside in Japan and I live in Singapore, I cannot be with them and care for them. Setting up a company in Singapore is not difficult as it is a gender-neutral country that treats everyone equally, irrespective of race, language, or religion. However, when I started my business, I had to overcome stereotypical suppliers and partners in Singapore and Japan who were unwelcoming towards new, unknown entrepreneurs instead of just based on gender.

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What advice or words of encouragement do you have for other women aspiring to start their businesses or pursue their entrepreneurial dreams?

Women possess the potential to initiate and establish their businesses, and we should not let our gender hold us back. We can leverage our strengths and have the courage and ability to chase our passions. Our society has evolved, and we are now in an exciting era where we are not obligated to conform to old-fashioned societal norms. Instead, we can create our unique paths and set our own directions. As a mother of two wonderful daughters, I aspire to be their role model and inspire them to lead fulfilling lives by leading one that satisfies me.

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Are there any exciting upcoming projects or initiatives from your business this year?

We are looking for our dream holiday home in Japan, named "atomi HOUSE". We aim to create a space where people from the atomi community can use the house as a base and experience living like a local in Japan. To achieve this, we are searching for a house that offers breathtaking views and has been designed by atomi to create an impressive interior space. The interior should feature a mix of globally sourced furniture, authentic Japanese lifestyle products, and be crafted using a combination of hiba and hinoki wood. The dining table and benches in the house will be made from upcycled wood and steel. We also offer this service to customers who are interested in owning a holiday home and exploring investment opportunities in Japan.

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