Four years after opening cupcake shop Fluff Bakery, a Singapore couple plans to launch franchises in Indonesia and Malaysia.
Ashraf Alami and Nursyazanna Syaira Mohammad Suhimi left their jobs to set up in a shophouse four years ago, and from 600 cupcakes a day they now sell double that.
Their venture has been highlighted in Parliament by Minister for Trade and Industry S Iswaran when talking about bright spots in Asean countries and the potential for small businesses in the region.
“A rising middle class has created demand in sectors such as retail and food and beverage,” he said. “The digital economy also presents unprecedented opportunities for companies – no matter how small – to reach out.”
Fluff Bakery’s social-media presence has found fans as far away as Malaysia, where it has launched some pop-up stores. The first saw all 500 cupcakes snapped up in 30 minutes, and the second time around they sold 1000 cupcakes in about an hour.
Ashraf says they hope to open a store in Kuala Lumpur in May.
Meanwhile, it its latest budget Singapore’s government has pegged S$600 million (US$424.5 million) to establish an international partnership fund to help Singapore firms scale up and internationalise.
“As an SME, expanding overseas is very daunting, because you don’t have many resources,” says Ashraf. “Any assistance or guidance – financial, networking – is more than welcome.”