ACE
ACE recognises that starting and running a business can be difficult. As part of the efforts to help start-ups, ACE has expanded its one-to-one Mentoring Programme to a new online mentoring platform – ASK ACE. This platform allows start-ups and the general public to get customised advice from ACE Mentors, who comprise established entrepreneurs, business angels, venture capitalists, and senior management professionals.
Panel of Experts
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Alan Poh
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Alex Marquez
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Huang Shao-Ning
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Hui Wing Feh
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Irene Ang
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Mark Hon
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Pamela Phua
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Suresh V. Shankar
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Terence Quek
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Zihuan Wee
Featured Question and Answer
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Featured Question
I am currently boostrapping my company, and I am thinking about raising funds. However, I am aware that some entrepreneurs have managed to bootstrap their way to success. If you have bootstrapped, I'm wondering what are the factors that have led you to run your company with your own funds as opposed to raising funding? What are some advice you can give to bootstrapping entrepreneurs?
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Featured Answer
Do not raise funds for the sake of raising funds; know what the money is for.
One good reason to raise money is that you have tested what works for your business; you know for your products and services, what effort is needed to deliver them and the results (e.g. revenue) obtained. When you know what works, you will have a good reason to raise money to finance growth of a product or service that has met product market fit; in this scenario new capital is the only way for you to scale and dominate a category or a geography.
A good reference is "The Bootstrapper's Bible" by Seth Godin.
A word of caution: Do not get stuck with a bootstrapping mentality. Manage your finances well and be clear when is the right time to mature as a company.
By Topics
By Experts
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Alan Poh
Founder, ACP Computer Training & Consultancy
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Alex Marquez
Alex is the founder of Propellerfish, a company dedicated to helping world class organizations develop new products and services.
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Colin Ong
Colin is the founder and Managing Director of MR=MC Consulting Pte Ltd, and an Adjunct NTU Lecturer specialising in Entrepreneurship and Ecommerce.
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Derek Sivers
Founder of CD Baby, largest online seller of independent music in the U.S. Frequent speaker at the TED Conference.
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Gareth Poh Walker
Gareth is the founder of Preston & Walker, a celebrity and speaker management firm and GA Walker, a funds and grants consultancy firm.
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Huang Shao-Ning
JobsCentral co-founder, with 12 years of managing teams from initial survival needs to current market leader position.
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Hui Wing Feh
Wing Feh is Managing Director and Co-Founder of ODM Innovations Pte Ltd. ODM provides business advisory services to help grow Singapore’s creative community, innovative start-ups and businesses.
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Irene Ang
Irene Ang is the founder and CEO of FLY Entertainment Pte Ltd, an integrated Entertainment, Events and PR & Marketing company as well as Singapore’s 1st and largest Artiste Management agency.
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Jeffrey Paine
Jeff is a Singapore native and full-time mentor at Golden Gate Ventures. Co-Founded Battle Ventures, manages Founder Institute Singapore and loves startups and founders.
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Joshua Tan
Experienced corporate lawyer who is happy to mingle around people with the entrepreneurial spirit.
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Lee Soo Chye
Soo Chye, a senior partner at Aequitas Law LLP, has been in legal practice for the last 22 years in the areas of commercial and corporate practice areas.
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Lim Song Joo
SJ is the Founder & CEO at BWG Consulting Pte Ltd. SJ Lim is also a successful co-founder of a SPRING SEEDs investee company with a profitable exit after only 18 months.
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Manoj Sharma
Professionally Manoj assists governments, organizations, teams and individuals to not just boost their profitability and performance levels, but to do so keeping fulfillment in mind.
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Mark Hon
Dr Mark Hon is a former professor of finance, accredited investor and executive director of the Global Intellectual Property Exchange.
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Michael Nielsen
Internationally experienced supply chain management professional. Currently Regional Operations Manager (India / ASEAN) for Caterpillar Logistics Services, Inc.
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Pamela Phua
Pamela Phua is an Account Director with Fleishman-Hillard Inc., consulting Asia-Pacific clients on reputation management, product launch and communication strategies in the consumer lifestyle, technology and financial sectors.
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Rahul Harkawat
Founder & Director, Mobitila Pte Ltd. Entrepreneur with multidisciplinary skills in building companies and creating value.
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Suresh V. Shankar
Suresh has been described as an ideator, an activator, an entrepreneur, a business builder, a disruptive thinker and an evangelist of analytics.
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Terence Quek
Chairman of SAFRA Youth Network and CEO, Emergenetics International – Asia. An entrepreneur who switched from military career to entrepreneurship and grew his business from zero to million.
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Zihuan Wee
Zihuan is the founder and CEO of Savant Degrees, is passionate about entrepreneurship and has been involved in the running or setting up of new businesses since he was 16. He actively volunteers in the capacity of mentor, judge and speaker to the entrepreneurship community and local colleges.