Techblog
The Fragment Room founder talks small business and managing stress
Running your own business can be incredibly exciting but also very stressful. One man who knows about being your own boss and managing stress is Royce Tan, the founder of Southeast Asia’s first rage room.
Looking for an original business idea, fine tuning your product, managing new relationships, cash flow, finding customers: the to-do list of an entrepreneur can be endless. And it often brings with it lots of stress.
One man who knows the challenges of starting and running your own business and coping with stress is Royce Tan. He turned other people’s search for stress relief into a profitable business by opening Singapore’s first rage room, The Fragment Room in May this year.
He was inspired to open his business after seeing a video of similar spaces late last year on Facebook. The idea is that stressed individuals can visit a rage (sometimes called anger) room and destroy things. And feel better for it.
Tan had just left his sales job after feeling stressed out and was considering a new career path. Realising that there was a gap in the market he launched Southeast Asia’s first rage room.
For just S$38 visitors can let off steam, taking a baseball bat to a crate of plates, bottles or even computer discs for half an hour. And if you’re really tense, there’s the one hour package for S$350, giving you unlimited breakables.
And it does seem to help. Many visitors agree that smashing things at The Fragment Room is a relaxing experience.
Entrepreneur Chris Chong told The Straits Times, “I'm not an angry person, but when you enter the room, you can release all the pent-up frustration.
"Singapore is a bit of a pressure cooker, so it's really good to just come here, let go and smash things up. You feel relaxed after," he says.
Change your mindset
One reasons why small business owners and entrepreneurs can feel frustrated and anxious is frustration searching for the right business idea. Tan, a first-time entrepreneur himself, advises not to wait until you come up with an elaborate business idea. Instead, he suggests that you start with something simple.
“Anything can be a business idea, no matter how big or small. If you want to sell screws, you can make big bucks selling screws,” he says.
“I know lots of friends who made it big just reselling copper wires to factories in China. I won’t say I know a lot, but I believe if you want something to be done, you can get it done. It’s all a matter of mindset.”
Let go of perfection
Another issue that causes many SME owners stress is a drive for perfection. There’s nothing wrong with passionately believing in one’s vision and striving for excellence. It can lead to immense business success and greater career achievements.
However, placing too much pressure on oneself can expose business owners to a lot of risks that could lead to an eventual burnout.
Tan says he managed to make his business profitable, covering three-quarters of his capital after just a few months, by letting go of perfection.
“We try to keep our overheads as low as possible, doing everything in-house and leveraging the fact that what we need here doesn’t have to be perfect and doesn’t need to be new,” he explains.
“The perfection of the [The Fragment Room] is how imperfect it is. Same goes for the design of the space. A chip on the wall isn’t an eyesore. It adds to the patina.”
Practise patience
Despite his attitude towards simplicity and his success, managing a rage room in Singapore hasn’t been a smooth ride.
The process of winning and keeping customers is something many business owners find frustrating, and Royce is no exception. “Securing regular customers is hard for a fresh idea like this,” he says.
Royce is also aware that building a solid customer base doesn’t happen overnight. It’s the result of hard work, patience and believing in one’s product.
“It takes time for people to warm up to something new, especially something that can commonly be mistaken as something negative. We provide a safe space for people who want to release stress but have no outlet to do that. Having an outlet is a lesser evil,” he says.
Choose relaxation techniques
Letting go of frustration and stress in a rage room may sound like a smashing idea. However for those entrepreneurs who are looking for quieter alternatives, taking regular breaks or choosing daily relaxation techniques such as meditation could silence unproductive thoughts and offer deep relaxation as well.
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Don’t wait for a fully-formed, elaborate business idea. Go with something simple; it’s all a matter of mindset.
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Let go of perfection.
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Practise patience. It takes time for people to warm up to something new.
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Use relaxation techniques.