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Mr Bernard Cher, 32, owner of M Workshop, a scale modelling hobby shop in Sunshine Plaza at Bencoolen Street.
He started the business with a $20,000 loan from his mother five years ago, after working part-time. He lives with his parents.
His 300 sq ft shop, which he runs himself, sells model kits mostly of military aircraft and tanks, plus sci-fi robots. He conducts courses for hobbyists and earns commissions from selling online the finished works of his students to collectors.
'I have to admit it's not an easy trade. Sales have fallen by 40 per cent, because since the recession hit three months ago, the yen shot up and I've stopped importing Japanese stocks, which comprise almost half my merchandise.
But I'm hanging tough because this is my passion. I graduated seven years ago and ventured into this line, which has been a hobby since my secondary school days. I started part-time as an instructor at a shop for two years before setting up my own outfit.
My mum said she had trouble explaining to our relatives why I'm not working in a normal job even though I have a civil engineering degree.
Thankfully, she believed in me enough to loan me the start-up capital. I worked hard to break even within a year and returned her the money.
It was not an easy ride. Being inexperienced, I only had a verbal agreement with the owner of the space which I sub-leased for my shop. I had to move out after two years after we had some disagreements. I was fortunate enough to befriend another owner in the same building who rented this current space to me below the market rate of about $3,000.
I didn't come into this business blind, having already gained a reputation by winning contests and setting up my base of clients, who are my students and friends.
I'm earning double what I got when I opened the shop. But there are months when most of my earnings go to the purchase of new stock.
With rental going up and the current recession, things are not getting any smoother. People ask why not get part-timers to run the place so I can go out and earn a better living, but to me, this is like a pharmacy - you have to know what you're selling.
I'm earning only half of what I can currently earn with my degree, but I consider myself fortunate because I'm doing what I like for a living.
Most people cannot appreciate what we do. To the layman, these are just toys. But if you know the effort, artistic talent and creativity that are required to produce a realistic model, it's not that different from painting a great work of art.
It's hard times now, but I'll persevere and I hope to publish a coffee-table book of our works and find a business partner to set up a gallery-cafe.
I'm a dreamer and my dreams are small. It was a dream to win competitions. It was a dream to have students, and it was a dream to own a shop. I've accomplished all these. I can accomplish more.'
Tan Yi Hui
This article was first published in The Straits Times on February 08, 2009.
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