Expatpreneur Awards 2017: Why Running A Business Can Be Lonely, And How To Deal With It

This month, we’re celebrating the successes of savvy expatriates and Singaporeans, as well as the setbacks they overcame, to make life better in Singapore in our Expatpreneur Awards 2017.

American married duo James and Nicole Brandon moved to Shanghai in 2006 with their daughter, Taylor.

Meanwhile, Rachel Ward and her hubby headed to Hong Kong from Australia in 1999.

By 2009, they were all in Singapore – and furniture-focused Taylor B. Fine Design Group was born, co-founded by the Brandons and directed by Rachel.

Although they’re a trio, starting a business was not without challenges – including loneliness. Read more below (and find out how we picked the awardees here).

More on The Finder:
Expatpreneur Awards 2017: Saying Goodbye To Expat Clients When They Move Back Home
Expatpreneur Awards 2017: Why This Expat Gave Up A Law Career (And Isn’t Regretting It)

It quickly became a design community “secret.”

And then, not so much of a secret – Taylor B. now has more than 140,000 square feet of showroom space for its constantly revolving home and lifestyle inventory, and launched a brisk-selling webstore last year.

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The successful trio are still learning as they go. “Running a business is different from working in a company. Some business owners feel quite isolated. It is important to join groups or volunteer and maintain your professional networks,” they advise.

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“A supportive spouse is essential,” the business partners agree, noting that it’s good for their kids (Rachel has three sons) to see what’s involved – if they want to be entrepreneurs, too.

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By Sara Lyle Bow, The Finder (Issue 280), March 2017

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