He was a secondary school dropout who found his calling.
After dropping out at Sec 2, David Low had to take on odd jobs in painting and carpentry to make a living. Soon after, he found himself leading Futuristic Store Fixtures, which was at that point, still only a small renovation company.
And that began his ascent into the entrepreneurial leader that he is now.
Rather than being satisfied with captaining a small brand, Low was ready to take Futuristic to whole new level, and wasted no time in spearheading its transition into global fame.
His efforts paid off, and soon, Futuristic had an impressive client base spanning 56 countries, including power brands such as Victoria’s Secret, Bath & Body Works and La Senza.
Today, David Low is Singapore’s EY Entrepreneur Of The Year, and is due to represent Singapore at 2017’s EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year in Monaco.
For those who aren’t clued in what EY is about, it is basically the vaunted award of entrepreneurs every year, with names such as Howard Schultz (Starbucks) and Sergey Brin and Larry Page (Google Inc) being on the list of past winners.
A Dynamic Leader
Unlike other companies who resisted technological innovation and change, Low embraced the new advances that the world was quickly seeing. Leveraging on his newfound resources, Low adapted, leading Futuristic on the crest of the digital revolution into a high-value brand.
And now, rather than basking in the glory of his rapidly burgeoning success, Low’s ambition is still going strong, with future plans to leverage on the increasingly digitised society.
Lessons Of The Successful
In today’s paper-chase society, one’s educational qualification has the unfortunate tendency to overwrite any other positive traits. But eventually hard work and determination always get recognised.
In an interview, Low stated that “[their] approach of leveraging very close customer relationship and service provision has been the key” to securing customer confidence.
In addition, being able to “constantly engage and develop” is crucial to ensure that Futuristic stays relevant and is always able to meet customer expectations.
But what else has made him into the man he is today?
1. Lifelong Learning
Is something the government is also advocating with all its Workforce Skills Qualifications and Skillsfuture SG.
And as the 54-year-old EY entrepreneur aptly puts it, “I studied nothing, but I learnt from the trade, and I’m learning every day. I’m still learning today.”
2. Anticipating For The Future
It’s not just about learning. It’s about being prudent and knowing what will be important to help you stay ahead of everyone else. Just as Low told Businesstimes.sg, “It is crucial to further empower my staff to embrace change so that we can better serve our customers.”
3. Capitalising On What Your Talents
Futuristic takes pride in their business position as a solution provider as opposed to having competitive prices.
This advice isn’t solely for those in sales and marketing, but is in fact, crucial for every millennial in the dreaded job search.
Candidates stand out for what they know, but they will excel when they know how to use these skills to benefit a company.
4. Be Empathetic
Having someone on your side does not mean that they will stay there forever.
Just like how friendships are nurtured, dynamism is also important in building strong customer relations. And Futuristic manages this through constant innovation, which allows them to always pass down the best values to clients.
So while we celebrate Singaporeans standing tall on global stages, it is also important that we not forget what these people are imparting to us.
They may not be teachers, but if you look closely, you’ll realise that they too have much to say about taking future success into your own hands. And according to how Low’s uncle once taught him,
Featured Image Credit: Futuristic Group