12/13/12

My parents thought I was crazy: Lunch Actually cofounder Yahoo! Singapore Finance

YAHOO!SINGAPOREFINANCE
MyparentsthoughtIwascrazy:LunchActuallycofounder
ByMelissaLaw|Yahoo!FinanceSingapore3hoursago

32yearoldVioletLim,thecofounderofLunchActually,alunchdatingserviceforprofessionals. (Photocourtesy

Crazy.That'swhattheparentsofprofessionalmatchmaker,VioletLim,thoughtwhenshetoldthemshewaslaunching herownlunchdatingcompanywithherthenfiancJamieLee.That'sbecausethechiefexecutiveofficerandco founderofLunchActuallywasgroomedbyherparentstostudyhard,getgoodgradesandgetagoodjob.Startingher ownbusinesswasneverpartoftheplan. Butonceshesetshermindsetonsomething,thisMalaysianbornSingaporePRthrowsher100percentintomakingita success.Yahoo!Singaporespoketothecheerful32yearoldentrepreneurathercosyandvioletofficeinParkMall, wherewelearnofthechallengesfacedinshakingthestigmaofdatingagencies. BornofafatherwhowasausedcarsalesmanandamotherwhowasatailorallowedVioletLimtolearnfirsthandall aboutthechallengesofstartingabusiness. Wishingforaneasierlifefortheirdaughter,theydiscouragedLimfrombecominganentrepreneur. "Theydidn'twantmetogoonthatpath(ofstartingmyownbusiness)sotheypushedmetowardsthecorporateladder becausethat'swhereeverybodysaidthemoneyis,"saidtheentrepreneurwhoisalsotheSoutheastAsianexecutivedirector oftheMatchmakingInstitute. Admittingthatsheinitiallyneverreallyconsideredstartingherownbusiness,Limsharedthatherinitialinterestwasin litigationandfamilylaw. ShereadlawintheUnitedKingdombutrealisedbyhersecondyearofuniversitythatshewasnotcutoutforthedegree andstartedexploringotheroptions. Thinkingthathumanresourceswasthewaytogo,theUniversityofManchesteralumthenobtainedamastersdegreein industryrelationsandpersonalitymanagementfromLondonSchoolofEconomics. ShethendecidedtopursueacareerinthefinancialsectorinSingapore.ShetookupajobasassistantmanageratCitigroup wheresheworkedformorethanayear. Itwasduringherstintatthebankthatsherealisedthatmanyofhercolleaguesweresinglebutnotdatingapuzzling situationsincetheywereattractiveandeligible.
sg.nance.yahoo.com/news/parentsthoughtcrazylunchactually122656092.html 1/4

12/13/12

My parents thought I was crazy: Lunch Actually cofounder Yahoo! Singapore Finance

Atthesametime,shehadothergroupsoffriendsfromthesameagegroupwhowereengagedorgettingmarried. Uponfurtherinvestigation,sherealisedthathercolleagues'singlehoodwasaresultofthelonghoursoftheirjobrather thantheirage.

VioletLimseenwithhusbandandcofounderofLunchActually,JamieLee.(Photocourtesyof VioletLim)

Herfriendshadmettheirsignificantothersduringtheiruniversitydays,whichwasalsowhenLimmetherthenboyfriend Lee. "Whenwestartworking,itbecomesincreasinglydifficulttomeetnewpeople.Sometimes,thesepeopleworksuchlong hoursthattheyjustwanttogohomeandsleepwhenthey'redone,"shesaid. CoincidentallywhilevisitingherfriendinTokyoin2003,Limchancedupontheconceptoflunchdatingwhileflipping throughsomemagazines. Fromthere,theideaofalunchdatingagencyforprofessionalswasborn. "Ifoundtheideaveryinteresting,"saidLim. "Peoplemightworklonghoursbutlunchissomethingthattheydefinitelyhavetodo.Insteadofmeetingwiththeirusual friendsforlunch,whynotjusttakeonelunchhourinamonthtomeetsomeonewhomthey'venevermetandwhoknows whatmightblossomfromthere,"shesaid."Ithoughtitwasagreatidea." AfterdiscussingtheideawithLee,LimquitherjobatCitibank.LunchActuallywasincorporatedandofficiallylaunchedin 2004. Takingtherisk WhenLim'sfriendsfirstheardthatshewasabouttostartabusinesswithLee,theyallthoughtitwasaveryriskydecision. "Theyallaskedme,'Whathappensifthebusinessoryourrelationshipdoesn'tworkout?',"shesaid. "Imean,eitherwayitdoesn'tendwellright?Butyouknow,weneveractuallythoughtaboutthesethings.Startinga businessjustseemedlikethemostnaturalthingtodo,"musedLim,whohasbeenhappilymarriedtoLeesince2005. Describingherpersonalityandherhusband'sas"complementary",Limsaidthattheyalwaysgotalongandworkedwell togethersodoingbusinesstogetherneverbecameanissue. "Imean,ofcourseweargueandwehaveourdisagreements,whichhappensalotbecausewebothhaveverystrong opinions,butwe'rebothveryprofessional.Oncewerealisethattheotherpersonhasabetteridea,wetakeastepback," saidLim,whonowhastwochildrenwithLee.

sg.nance.yahoo.com/news/parentsthoughtcrazylunchactually122656092.html

2/4

12/13/12

My parents thought I was crazy: Lunch Actually cofounder Yahoo! Singapore Finance

LeeandLimareproudparentsofasixyearoldsonandathreeyearolddaughter.(Photo courtesyofVioletL

Infact,shefeelsthatworkingtogetherwithherhusbandhaslotsofbenefitssincetherearenoconflictsofinterests. "There'renoboundariestoourrelationship.Forsomepeople,they'renotallowedtotalkaboutworkathomeandvice versa.Butforus,workishomeandhomeiswork,"shesaid."It'sactuallyreallynice." Standingout However,shesoonfoundoutthatcomingupwiththebusinessideawasonlythetipoftheiceberg.Limsharedthatthe biggestchallengewasposedbythestigmaattachedtodatingagencies. Accordingtoher,thisstigmaevencausedthemtohaveproblemsrentinganofficespace. "Whenwefirststartedthebusiness,theeconomywasfacingadownturnandwecouldaffordaGradeAorB+office.But whenthelandlordheardwhatbusinessweweredoing,theysaidno,"saidLim."Theytoldourrealestateagentthatour businesswastooadvancedforthem." Itwasthesameforadvertisingspace.Noonewantedtotaketheriskforfearthatthebusinesswassomething"sleazy". Asaresult,carefulconsiderationhadtobeputintothebrandingandpositioningofLunchActually. Thewords"cupid"and"love"wereavoidedfortheircompanynametodifferentiatethemselvesfromthetraditionaldating agencies. Purplewaschosenasthecorporatecolourratherthantheusualred.Theiradvertisementswerewittytoportraya professionalyetfunandcreativecompany. Eightyearsdowntheroad,thecompanyhasspreaditswingsandexpandedintoMalaysiaandHongKong. Outof20,000datesarrangedintheseeightyears,85percentofthesematcheswereratedbycustomersassatisfactoryto excellent. Earlierthisyear,LunchActuallyevenlaunchedthepremierversionoftheirservice,LunchActuallyPlatinum,which specificallytargetsindividualswithanannualincomeofmorethanS$500,000. Butdespitecomingintosomuchsuccess,Limremainsgroundedandconcedesthatallthesewouldnothavebeenpossible ifnotforthesupportofherfamilywhohelpshertojuggleherworkandfamilycommitments. "I'mnotasuperwoman,"saidtheaffableentrepreneur."I'mactuallyveryordinary.Ijusthaveagreatsupportnetwork." Relatedstories: Howpolygradturnedtopentrepreneurturnedhislifearound Singaporeansarehardertoplease:serviceexperts
sg.nance.yahoo.com/news/parentsthoughtcrazylunchactually122656092.html 3/4

12/13/12

My parents thought I was crazy: Lunch Actually cofounder Yahoo! Singapore Finance

HavingahappyfamilyistopintangiblegoalinS'pore:survey

Copyright2012Yahoo!AsiaPacificPteLtd(Co.Reg.No.199700735D).AllRightsReserved. /

sg.nance.yahoo.com/news/parentsthoughtcrazylunchactually122656092.html

4/4