Davis Koh

What inspired you to start your business?
 
Becoming an entrepreneur has always been something that I wanted to do back when I was a teenager. Hence, after working for just close to four years in my first job, I decided to take a leap of faith to start my digital marketing agency with my business partner.
 
Time is our prime asset when we are young and the worst thing one can lose is time, which we have, and money. However, as we grow older, we will have lesser time due to more commitments and responsibilities. Back then, I reckoned that if I still do not start my own business, I might not have the opportunity to do so in the later stage of my life.
 
Many of my friends started their business because they wanted to earn more money – so do I. But more importantly, my ultimate purpose is to be able to spend more time with my family and friends.
 
Is what you are doing currently something you envisioned doing back when you were taking your bachelor’s degree in SIM?
 
Yes. I was at a junction in my life just right after national service, making a decision on whether to start a business on my own or accumulate knowledge and experience first. I chose the latter, as I believe that with more knowledge and experience, it reduces my risk and increases my chance of success. Hence, I chose to take up a degree in international business with the University of Birmingham to gain more knowledge.
 
What was the main challenge you faced in building your business and how did you overcome it?
 
Self-Discipline. I have to admit that I am not at the top (or anywhere near) when it comes to self-discipline. Running my own business means, I have to put food on the table with my own means. It is unlike working for a company where the paycheck comes in automatically on the last day of the month. I have to fight for sales and make profits so that I can pay my team members and all the overheads.
 
Whenever I feel lazy, I looked back at my grand goal that is, “Wouldn’t it be amazing to spend time with my family and loved ones in the afternoons drinking ice coffee, having my favourite snacks and watching Netflix at home?”
 
That goal, along with my motto “Work harder today so that I will have a better tomorrow” keep me going.
 
How have your experiences as an SIM student shaped you?
 
My time at SIM taught me three things – teamwork, communication and resourcefulness.
 
The first is learning how to work effectively as a team to accomplish tasks rather than doing it alone. Next is communicating with clarity, as it is key to getting things done. Finally, I have learnt to be resourceful – to be innovative and street-smart in getting what I need from different sources and channels as one can never have all the resources to begin with.
 
What impact do you hope to have on society as an individual?
 
I aspire to be a ball of positive vibes and inspire others to do things that they never thought they could do, and accomplish things that they thought were impossible. 


Posted online 20 Jul 2022.

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