Looking for treats that are keto-friendly, gluten-free, low carb, vegan or diabetic-friendly? Jammy’s has it all. We chat with the founder, Jermaine Tan.
We love entrepreneurs and small business owners at Honeycombers, which is why we’ve created Launchpad, a comprehensive digital networking platform (with IRL benefits, too) that encourages connection, business support and community. It’s a privilege and pleasure to learn from so many talented and inspiring folks, so we’ve decided to share the love by interviewing some of the lovely Launchpad members. Looking for inspiration? Check out how Jermaine Tan, the founder of Jammy’s, gets it done like a boss.
Tell us the story behind your business.
I went from having four sachets of sugar in my cafe latte to only black coffee with no sugar. On my journey to breaking up with sugar, I realised that literally every treat in the market is full of sugars, refined carbohydrates, inflammatory seed oils and weird ingredients nobody can pronounce. It’s the reason why I wanted to create delicious treats that everyone (including myself) can freely indulge in – treats made for maximum pleasure and satisfaction without the unnecessary nonsense.
What are some milestones or achievements you’re most proud of?
Participating in three large-scale events last year: Boutique Fairs Spring Summer Edition, Singapore Food Festival, and Boutique Fairs Gifting Edition. We were hoping to do one big event, but ended up doing three and did well in them. I’m really proud of what we put out and presented to the public – and even prouder of the response we received. To have so many people know more about keto and vegan treats – and love them – feels like such an achievement.
Share with us a setback that taught you a valuable lesson about running a business.
Losing our biggest client, which was contributing to at least half of our revenue at one point, taught me two very valuable things. First, the business climate is very volatile. As a small business, it’s important to have diverse revenue streams and be mentally ready for financial setbacks. Second, be proactive, not reactive. For a long time, I was just reacting to the business and not having a clear vision of what I needed and wanted it to be. It was steering me instead of the other way around, which should be the right way.
Describe a typical day in your life and what you love most about it.
There isn’t really a typical day in life when you’re running your own business! Especially as an F&B product business that’s run by mainly me and my partner. Emails and admin things, logistics, social media, packaging designs, updating our website, fulfilling orders, networking, setting up events… it’s a mix and match of everything on a daily basis. Ultimately, you get quite a lot of flexibility when it comes to planning your day, which is what I love most – having a few hours to take my dog out, going for afternoon tea, or staying up late binge-watching a series because you can sleep in.
What’s your favourite book, movie, or TV show that has influenced your entrepreneurial mindset?
Honestly, it wasn’t any of these that influenced my entrepreneurial mindset. I’ve always been interested in running my own business since I was little because most of my family members run their own businesses. So I guess it was in me. I also get lots of inspiration from Instagram – there’s a lot of valuable information and ideas there.
Any advice for aspiring entrepreneurs?
Have a really clear vision of what your business will look like when it’s successful, and visualise it in detail.
Some questions that are helpful in this process include: Will you have your own shop or office? How many people will work for you? What services or products will you provide or sell? When success comes, what will your operations system look like? What will your role be at that stage? Are you happy with that role? Do you want to eventually step down from the business? Is the success aligned with your personal values, or just what you want in life?
Honestly, I wish I had done all this earlier. It’s made it so much easier to focus on what matters and be more in control of my path.
Top tip for maintaining a good work-life balance?
Set a few hours each day where you’ll do something completely unrelated to work – exercising, cooking, shopping, or having lunch with a friend. And plan for overseas holidays! It sounds easy and it is!
Favourite thing to do on weekends?
The nature of my business requires that I work on weekends, but I’m happy about that! My weekends are on other days and I love sleeping in and doing nothing.
Tell us one fun fact about yourself that not many people know.
I used to play guzheng (a Chinese musical instrument) and was pretty good at it (at Grade 9). Sadly, I’ve forgotten it all now.
Get in touch with Jermaine Tan online.
Launchpad is a comprehensive digital networking platform (with IRL benefits, too) that encourages connection, business support and community. It is designed to make the entrepreneurial journey not only easier, and more successful, but also a whole lot more fun. We offer almost daily activities for members to connect, along with weekly masterclasses, member networking roulette, small-business mentoring and media profiles on Honeycombers. Check it out and join us!
