The opening of Spaboutique was inopportune. The day after Ms Carmen Chong started her business at a River Valley shophouse in 2004, her nine-year-old only son was suddenly diagnosed with brain tumour.

Spaboutique's bustling clientele and profit and loss statement so impressed regular customer Herman Hochstadt, former permanent secretary of the Ministry of Finance, that he invested in her business.

"Herman is my inspiration. At 73, he is still healthy, active and full of pearls of wisdom. My favourite tip from him is 'listen more, talk less' which is very important in this business," said Ms Chong.

Identifying her marketing strategy

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Spaboutique moved to bigger premises at 6, Nassim Road last year. Walking into the black and white colonial bungalow with lush greenery, it is easy to forget that one is only five minutes stroll from busy Orchard Road.

The conversion of the 38,000 sq ft ground into the resort spa with seven treatment rooms took about two months and $500,000. Prices start from $35 for a manicure to $220 for a two-hour aromatherapy massage.

Ms Chong, who supervises nine staff members, is constantly on the lookout for other revenue sources to supplement the spa, such as letting out the spare rooms for yoga lessons and corporate functions. There are no expansion plans as yet as she does not want to lose the spa's special homey feel to opening a chain or franchise.

"It was conceived to be a boutique from the beginning. We strived to become an accredited member of Spa Association Singapore to have a certain standard. We are targeting the higher-end market - for people who value exclusivity and privacy, not the mass market. This enables us to work with credit card companies and hotels to send their VIP guests here for a massage and a taste of Asia's history."

To complete the experience, Ms Chong, a Malaysian, brought her parents from Malacca to whip up delicious Peranakan cuisine for spa visitors who do not mind paying extra to dine at the bungalow's garden, delightfully named Kampong Kechil. When she is not entertaining guests there, she can be found mugging for her MBA degree or blending Spaboutique's own essential oils for massages.

Asked how her son, now 12, is doing, Ms Chong said with a beam: "He's perfectly healthy after the operation and is sitting for his PSLE this year."

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