Clara Teo, 33
Co-founder, Sunday Bedding
Even today, the share of female leadership in corporates is abysmally low – less than 10 per cent of Fortune 500 CEOs are women.
The idea to go into the bedding business started when my husband and I started shopping for our new home. We realised that it was easy to get lost in the jargon, and that not many people know that the quality of the bed sheets can affect our sleep. It doesn’t help that good quality sheets are often expensive. Being a huge advocate of sustainability, I wanted to set up a company that was closely aligned with my personal goals. Our long-term goal is to nudge consumers towards bamboo, organic cotton and linen – they rank quite high on the sustainability scale – bed sheets to decrease the reliance on cotton and polyester for our textile demands.
I have had the privilege of working in many different companies – from investment banks to big tech. While the work was intellectually challenging, I never saw myself building long-term careers with them largely due to the lack of diversity and female role models in senior positions. Even today, the share of female leadership in corporates is abysmally low – less than 10 per cent of Fortune 500 CEOs are women. The decision to start a company was also driven by my desire to develop my own team culture and ways of working. Two years in, we are expanding our product range beyond bedding to include other essentials and have built up a team of five. My husband and I run the company full time – he focuses on production planning and product development, while I take care of marketing, branding and partnership efforts.
My business advice? Never let someone convince you that you’re too young to start a business. The biggest advantage of starting young is the wealth of growth opportunities available, since you’re able to learn as you go along. Starting young also means you are less anchored towards assumptions or preset notions than a more experienced person.
That said, regardless of age, being prepared is key. I would recommend taking your time to refine your business model, and to be open. If you can, speak to as many people as possible to gain different perspectives, and learn from the best mentors or coaches.