Joshua Chan, 31, Damon Lye, 31, and Tan Jun Kiat, 32, started out as classmates at Singapore Polytechnic and eventually became very good friends.
After graduation, they joined the National Service and subsequently entered different universities.In addition to Joshua, who studied information technology, Damon and Jun Kiat both pursued degrees in business.
With a strong interest in the business world, the two wanted to start their own business.Damon started an electronics e-commerce business in 2014, while Joshua started a skills training business in 2016.
Although the ventures were short-lived—they only operated for two years each—the entrepreneurial duo soon started another business with Jun Kiat.
The idea for ErgoEdge (now called EverDesk+) started in 2017, when Damon wanted to buy a standing desk.
“At the time, to buy a standing desk, you had to write to the website and wait a few days to finally receive an offer of S$2,000 to S$3,000, which we thought was really expensive. So we thought we could offer a relatively affordable Better work on ergonomic work furniture,” says Joshua.
The founding trio invested around S$30,000 in the business, which was “cash flow positive” from the start.
Speaking of the early days of his business, Damon described himself as “relatively conservative and high-spirited”.
“It was because we wanted to test the market demand for our product. As soon as we started getting orders, we called our first customers, apologised and offered them a 30% discount if they were willing to wait two months of product — that’s how we get some initial working capital,” he explained.
Since they are a self-reliant business, every dollar counts for them.To save S$50, they would hire manual rather than automatic vans to handle deliveries.
Each co-founder is very hands-on in the beginning.They assemble the product themselves and don’t set it up in the customer’s office until 4am.
“We do everything ourselves, and everyone is a salesperson,” Jun Kiat said, adding that they made a lot of mistakes while learning the “tedious” back-end supply chain and logistics of running an e-commerce business.
“For example, when we received our first full product container, we didn’t know there would be bolts on the container, so had to buy bolt cutters halfway through… when we went downstairs to receive the container. We grossly underestimated what we could get out of the container. The amount of work required to get the product out.”
Their neighbors in the container lot helped them find where to buy bolt cutters and also provided them with the manpower and equipment to move the trays of chairs.
He optimistically sees these mistakes as learning experiences that help shape them into entrepreneurs and business growth.
According to Joshua, their vision is to create the perfect ergonomic chair through quality materials and product innovation that will make consumers feel comfortable.
“The number one reason chairs are uncomfortable is that they don’t fit your body well because everyone’s body type is unique. (Unique) ErgoTune’s 11 calibration points allow you to adjust the chair so it’s like a glove Fit, natural comfort,” he said.
“We offer 90% of the functionality of a high-end ergonomic chair at one-third the price. We don’t believe high price means (high) quality, but (we) believe in making ergonomic furniture affordable and allowing more People can enjoy it.”
Next, Damon further shared the benefits of standing desks, saying that research highlights the health risks of inactivity, noting that prolonged sitting is bad for your health.
“However, we wanted to go a step further. We also wanted to help our users build a productive desk that empowers and motivates them to perform at their best. With our extensive selection of accessories, users can create the ideal according to their work habits and requirements In addition, by adding our health coach to EverDesk+ Max, we are now able to help users build healthier desk habits.”
“At that time, we were trying to re-launch an improved product that we adjusted based on customer feedback. This also happened at the height of the pandemic, when more people had to work from home, and people saw the benefits of standing desks. Value increases,” he added.
The world of work has seen the rise of remote and hybrid work in light of the pandemic, and the co-founders see this shift as an emerging business opportunity as they work to improve people’s workspaces.
“Over the past two years, we’ve seen how mixed work arrangements can improve people’s overall well-being. Flexibility allows people to have more fulfilling days while getting work done. We believe our brand is in the right place to advocate for employers Trust their people and give them the flexibility they want,” says Jun Kiat.
“We expect hybrid work arrangements to continue even after the pandemic ends. Many of our peers have mentioned that hybrid work arrangements have become a non-negotiable aspect when they assess job opportunities. We therefore strongly urge all companies to reconsider Their decision to bring employees back to the office every day.”
“We’ve always chosen to focus on how we can improve our products, better serve our customers and advance our brand.”
To date, ErgoTune has been dubbed “Singapore’s #1 Ergonomic Chair” and has received many positive reviews from customers and the media.
As proof, its flagship product, ErgoTune Supreme, sold nearly 20,000 units last year alone.Overall, the brand’s revenue grew by 150% in 2021 to over S$13 million.
ErgoTune and EverDesk+ were recently acquired by Una Brands for US$8.8 million (S$11.83 million).
“We’ve grown to a stage where self-reliance no longer means we can handle the business challenges we face. When Una Brands approached us, we found that their operational expertise and financial resources could help accelerate our brand growth plans,” Joshua said. shared.
After the acquisition, the ErgoTune and EverDesk+ teams are still running and directing the brand direction.The main change, however, is that Una Brands now works closely with them on various functions, including operations and branding, to help grow the brand.
“Operationally, the Una Brands team has helped us streamline our order workflow since the acquisition, which will help free up more team members’ time and create more failsafe and certainty for order fulfillment. We also Entering the Australian market, with a showroom in Sydney and being listed on Amazon Australia,” Damon said.
Further forays into the Australian market came after the furniture brand’s initial launch contributed more than 15% of its total revenue in the last quarter of 2021.
“We are (also) exploring the European and US markets and we are already seeing significant growth in the ergonomic furniture market with the shift to hybrid work arrangements. We aim to expand into at least one of these markets by the end of the year .”
They are currently launching a new version of the ErgoTune chair and hope to become a household name in ergonomic furniture in the region while doubling down on their global expansion.
Also read Una Brands acquires Singapore furniture startup ErgoTune and EverDesk+ for S$11.83m.