Entrepreneurship in the HDB Heartlands..

My community club is jinxed. It opened a year ago, for some strange reason, it changes vendors for its hawker stalls almost every month. Here are some lessons I learnt from the survivors after a year of ta-paos from there:

1. Pricing - Price your goods fairly. Average customers in a mass market will not pay a premium even if you are the best provider. Having a high rental is no excuse - customers do not need to subsidise your rental obligations.

2. Quality - Familiarity (like Bak Chor Mee) can attract customers - but they will not return unless your Bak Chor Mee is good.

3. Customer Service - Even if your product is good, you can put customers off with a bad attitude - like asking them to wait while you start frying your vegetables for the rest of the day.

4. Product Range - The product range must fit the product type. Who wants to buy Economic Rice from a stall with only 2 vege dishes (one of which is tow gay) and 3 meat ones (one of which is ikan batang)?

5. Timeliness - Even if there is no queue, don't take your own sweet time.

6. Professionalism - Don't use the same tongs to handle raw and cooked food. Customers are not blind.

7. GST - Greet, smile, thank - Customers may buy things out of obligation if you make friends with them.

8. Understand the Market - Don't try to sell exotic stuff like fancy fruit smoothies if the market comprises stingy conservative aunties.

9. Marketing - Not all customers are literate in your own language - provide pictures in addition to proper signage. Wordy brochures don't work in a HDB heartland setting.

10. Strategising - Don't start strategising only after you put down the deposit for the rent and open shop.