Imagine having all beauty maintenance done from the comfort of home. This is exactly what Maddy Teo Man Qin, 26, has been doing for the past three years. She gets manicures, eyelash extensions and even facials done, but not at home. Every month, she visits the homes of complete strangers’ to get these services done.

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Prior to going to home-based businesses, she found the concept “dubious” but since then her perception has changed. Now, she prefers going to home-based salons as “it’s cheaper” and the owners “are more friendly”. She also feels that retail salons are only out to “earn money” and simply “do the basic for you”, whereas owners of home-based salons “will chat with you, they will know your preference, so next time when you go back to them, they will know what you like”. She likens the experience to “paying a friend a visit”. 

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Home-based beauty businesses are on the rise here in Singapore and it shows no signs of slowing down. According to a Straits Times article, home-based businesses that run from HDB flats have increased from 19,000 in 2008 to 20,600 in 2013, which is an 8.42 per cent increase in five years.

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The Housing and Development Board’s (HDB) Home-Based Small Scale Business Scheme allows anyone to carry out small scale home-based business to supplement his or her income, without requiring approval.

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Contrary to popular belief, having a home-based business is no bed of roses.

Nicole Chua Pei Ling, 33, owner of @fabulash_by_nicole on Instagram, specialises in providing eyelash extensions.

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She recounts her journey in the early stages, and shares that anyone who wants to start a home-based business has to try

 

“three times harder to get awareness and you have to do 10 times better… 

to gain the trust of all [your] clients”.

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She did so by accepting appointments of customers even during unearthly hours such as one in the morning. She treasured each and every single customer who approached her as they gave her a glimmer of hope.

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What “started out of curiosity” for her, led to her finding her dream job. Ever since she started schooling and working, Nicole shared that she never liked what she was doing. One thing she finds rewarding is how she built her business with her own hands and finally loves what she does.

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Lau Wei Shuen, 21, also known as @friskynails on Instagram, has a home-based salon providing gel manicures. Doing this alongside floral arrangements — another home-based business — she has been at this for a year and a half.

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The idea of @friskynails was birthed after she found out that doing her own nails was unsustainable due to the costs of equipment and material. She decided to provide this service to others, to justify her costs.

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Having been in “elite schools” all her life, she found it “fulfilling for [her] to meet people from all walks of life” that she “would not otherwise be able to interact with”.

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Despite starting business school later this year, in the National University of Singapore (NUS), she shared her plans to “start looking for a space to start a studio” and to use her student grant to grow her business whilst in university.

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Similarly, both Ms Chua and Ms Lau aspire to move into retail and further expand their businesses; proving that home-based businesses are a good way to test the waters.

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With advantages such as having “low overheads” and the ability to “respond and move to market trends faster”, Mr Raoul Le Blond is all for the idea of starting a home-based business.

 

Mr Le Blond, 50, an entrepreneur and adjunct lecturer at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, said: “Retail store fronts are not going to go away even though they have been affected.” He feels they are “more impacted by things like rising commercial rental rates… than consumer demand”. He also adds that many home-based businesses will get into physical store fronts eventually or end up partnering with them.

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                            “If you’ve got an idea… and there is interest,

I think you should follow that passion,” said Mr Le Blond. 

 

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