TFC Business Show

A customer watched her live stream for SIX months before buying anything. The reason? "You're not someone that fly by night." Dawn sits down with two homegrown Singapore care brand founders - to break down how small local players actually win in a market dominated by Korean giants and Western imports. It's not bigger ad budgets. It's not paid magazine awards (those are scams...

Three companies, three very different IP playbooks. A top-10 global dairy brand patents individual probiotic strains and prints the story on packaging to justify a premium. A food-traceability startup patents its core process but keeps its actual signature method a trade secret, refreshed yearly to catch counterfeits. A local kopi-brewing startup can't patent its process at all, so recipe, hardwar...

Every Singapore business that outgrows Singapore looks north. Most stop at Johor. It's close, it's familiar, and anything further feels like a different order of decision. Sabah is three hours away and does not make the shortlist. Closing that gap is now Kevin George Ukang's job. Five months into running Invest Sabah, after sixteen years inside a regional development authority, his pitch to Singap...

Manhattan Fish Market is setting its sights on a comeback by returning to what made the brand memorable in the first place: familiar flavours, accessible seafood and a distinctly Malaysian identity. At Franchise International Malaysia 2026, CEO Deric Yeo and COO Sheikh Imran Iskandar shared how the home-grown halal seafood chain is rediscovering its original DNA while adapting to changing consumer...

From one gym in 2017 to 16 clubs today, Jaya’s Anytime Fitness journey shows what disciplined reinvestment can achieve. Instead of taking profits out, he channelled earnings from each successful outlet into the next. That steady approach helped him scale across the Klang Valley while continuing to run other businesses. Meanwhile, Anytime Fitness Malaysia has grown from just 17 gyms in 2017 to arou...

Franchising can be one of the fastest ways to grow a business, but it can also become one of the costliest mistakes if you overlook the legal requirements. In this episode of The Financial Coconut Business Show, franchise lawyer and registered franchise consultant Damien Yeo unpacks the legal framework behind Malaysia's Franchise Act 1998 and explains why many businesses unknowingly cross the line...

Creators, freelancers, and micro-business owners often only think about contracts, IP rights, payment terms, and legal recourse after something goes wrong. But by then, it may already be messy. In this live TFC Business Show session, recorded live at Whiskdom Cafe, we unpack what creators need to know to protect their work and get paid properly. We discuss what happens when a stockist does not pay...

The traditional marketing funnel, awareness, consideration, conversion, is dead. Real buyers don't move in straight lines. Some jump straight to purchase. Others sit on the bench for six months. And some only buy because their friend did. Recorded live at the UOB FinLab SME programme, we dig into what actually moves people from curious to converted. From community-led growth to founder content, na...

Most Singaporeans don't realise our neighbour up north has been quietly building a franchise empire for over three decades, and 2026 might be the biggest edition yet. We sit down with Kairul Azman Mohd Yusoh, Secretary General of the Malaysia Franchise Association, at the Marrybrown Sentosa flagship to unpack why FIM (Franchising International Malaysia) 2026, happening 21–23 May at KLCC, is offici...

After nearly a year of conversations with founders, creators, and entrepreneurs, the TFC Business Show is wrapping up its current format. But before we move into the next phase, we’re looking back at the most memorable stories, unexpected insights, and biggest lessons from the journey. From founders who built businesses from scratch to creators turning passion into thriving ventures, this episode...

Can technology make seasonal food available all year round without losing its freshness? We sit down with Christopher Quek, VC, entrepreneur, and founder of Spike Durian, to explore how a simple obsession with durian led to an unexpected startup opportunity. After two decades investing in startups , Christopher decided to jump back into the arena. What followed was a fascinating journey into food...

☕ Can a vending machine make café-quality coffee? In this episode of The Financial Coconuts Business Show , we sit down with the founders of Flow Coffee , a startup challenging Singapore’s coffee scene with an unexpected idea: coffee vending machines that serve café-grade drinks made with fresh milk. After noticing how expensive and inconvenient good coffee can be, Chang Wei Sheng (Founder &...

What if the reason your food isn’t fresher isn’t the farm, but everything in between? In this episode, we dive into a business almost nobody dreams of starting, yet it quietly powers entire cities. Think traffic jams, melting margins, broken fridges, and a problem so hidden that most consumers never even notice it. Here’s what we’re unpacking: Why traffic in Metro Manila became a business opportun...

Are you thinking about starting your own marketing agency? Well, think again! It’s not as easy as setting up a company and getting your friends to help out. We dive into the ups and downs of running a digital marketing agency with none other than Marcus Ho, founder of Brew Interactive, who's been at it for 17 years. Here’s what you can expect from this episode: How Marcus started his journey from...

Dive into the latest Singapore Budget and its impact on youth entrepreneurship, tackling the challenges and opportunities in today's market. Join our guests as they share their unique insights into the changing landscape of work and entrepreneurship. Chua Pei Ying , APAC Head Economist at LinkedIn, Simarna Singh , Regional (APAC) Healthcare Sustainability Manager & Client Partnerships at DKSH,...

Funnels are dead. “Best practices” might be costing you money. And the strategy that built an 8-figure brand started with just $500 . In this episode, we go deep with battle-tested operators who’ve actually built, scaled, and exited, not just theorised on slides. Here’s what you’ll hear (without giving away all the secrets): Why your marketing “funnel” might be completely wrong, and what to think...

Tune in with Jake, the Founder of Ergotune, a brand that grew from humble beginnings to a game-changing company in the ergonomic furniture space. Listen as Jake opens up about the trials and triumphs of building a business from scratch, with insights into his journey from coding bootcamps to creating ergonomic solutions like the standing desk and office chairs. What you'll hear: The founding story...

What if the loyalty programs you think you understand… are actually built on completely different rules? We sit with a man some in the industry call “the king of loyalty” - the CEO behind one of Singapore’s largest rewards ecosystems. With millions of members and over a million active users every month, he’s got a front-row seat to how consumers really spend, save, and stay loyal. And let’s just s...

Welcome to the first episode of our brand new series, The IPO Circle ! We’re joined by Eugene Lim , Founder & CEO of The Assembly Place , a leading co-living company that’s revolutionising the real estate industry. From humble beginnings with just six rooms to managing over 3,500 keys across Singapore, Eugene shares his journey, challenges, and plans for the future. What to Expect : The Assemb...

They didn’t start with a fancy lab, big funding, or a “Silicon Valley” playbook. They started with scrappy prototypes, real classrooms, and a question that hits hard: Why is quality STEM education still not accessible to every kid? If you’ve ever been curious about startups, education, or what it takes to build something real (literally hardware), this one’s for you. We sit with Adam and Kai from...

What if nightlife didn’t start at midnight… but at sunrise? What if music wasn’t just entertainment… but a tool for community, wellness, and human connection? Hear from a founder who’s quietly re-engineering how people gather, move, and feel, without following any traditional playbook Our guest: 👉Christopher Shearmon, Managing Director of Wild Pearl Studio A former corporate professional turned c...

What happens when the second generation takes the reins of a family business? We dive into the incredible journey of Presto Drycleaners, led by Chan Wei Tian, a former software engineer turned dry cleaning visionary. Key Highlights: Tech Meets Tradition: Chan Wei Tian shares the unique story of how he left the tech world to take over the family business, breathing new life into it with cutting-edg...

What does it really take to build a fashion brand when you’re not designing for the mainstream? We dive into a rarely discussed side of fashion retail…. serving minority and niche communities in Singapore and beyond. From functional fashion for modern mothers to heritage-driven design rooted in culture, our guests share the realities, risks, and quiet wins of building brands with purpose. This isn...

Is your business ready for the future? We dive into the 2025 UOB Business Outlook Study with a powerhouse panel of experts. Paul Kan, Country Head of UOB Business Banking Singapore, who sheds light on the financial landscape for SMEs and how businesses can adapt to thrive Joseph Soh, Founder of Xpressflower.com, offering his experience in scaling a retail business and the role of data and digitali...

We meet the guy who looked at Singapore’s brutal F&B scene and said… “Yeah, sure. Let’s sell fresh pasta.” Introducing Darren Tan, Co-founder & Brand Manager of PastaGo, the young entrepreneur who went from kneading dough in an abandoned kitchen during COVID to building one of the fastest-growing pasta brands around. And trust us, nothing about this journey is “al dente.” Think: 🔥 Opening...