Hello, Elger. Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your business? Milk Media is in the design and advertising industry.We provide services such as brochure,banner and website design. We also provide printing services as well.

How did Milk Media start? Did your parents influence you? I felt that it was a good point to start a business since, at that time, I had a group of talented friends with years of experience in design and advertising. My parents have their own businesses too, and were role models for me. My dad owns an aircraft engineering company. The company is a dealer of aircraft engines manufactured in Singapore. They have customers from many countries, such as the US and China. My mum owns an art enrichment centre which trains “O” and “A” level students for their art exams. She was previously a exam marker for MOE, thus she knows the standards and therefore many schools hire her to train their students.

What are some of the challenges you encounter while building Milk Media? There were several challenges we faced when we first started. One of them was that, as we were really new, not many had heard of us yet. When people see advertisements on the streets or television, the advertisement might be interesting, but they do not know which advertising agency did it. We had to really work very hard to make a name for ourselves and build up our portfolio so that we could get more referrals from the clients that we had.

What are some interesting stories you have from your first years in business? The first few years in business were the most challenging period. Due to our inexperience in the industry, there were several IT Show projects early on that were a mess. We had to stay up very late since the event started the next day and still many things were not done.

Elger Kua PIC: EK

How did you overcome these challenges? I am thankful that I have a very talented and experienced business partner helping me manage the business. He is the captain of the ship. He helped the company solved a lot of issues and complete a lot of projects successfully.

How do you define success? When our clients like and praise us for the final product we deliver, and also recommend more companies to us. This is meaningful to me as I feel that our talent and efforts are being recognized, and that people like our works.

How does Milk Media differ from it’s competitors? We are a small company compared to big companies and, as such, we work faster and go through processes and timelines much faster – which is crucial to success in this fast-paced industry. We also churn out pretty cool ideas as well. During bad times, small companies such as ours fare better than our bigger counterparts. Advertising still needs to be done in bad times, but costs need to be cut. Our company can provide great service at a competitive cost.

What are your plans for the future? We are currently going into rental as well. We have acquired 6000 sq feet of space and rented them out to businesses such as recruitment agencies, shipment and trading companies, music, cds/dvds rental shops, property agencies, e.t.c.

What are some qualities that you think are important for entrepreneurs? People and relationship skills are very important. If you have a pool of friends and contacts, you will have assistance when you need help. You should maintain good relationships with everyone around you, including your staff and customers, and try not to burn any bridges. Although education is important, having skills in public relations is even more important. You have to be able to communicate well and have a good relationship with your customers. You should also be creative and innovative, churning out new ideas constantly. You should also operate your businesses ethically, honestly and with integrity.

Who inspires you? Everyone around me motivates and inspires me, including my family, business partners, friends and my girlfriend. They often provide me with new and interesting ideas to help me with my projects.

Elger Kua and his family. PIC: EK

What are some of your business values that you would like to share? The path down the business world is not simple. It is filled with hard work. You must put in effort and sacrifice your time as well as other parts of your life before the fruits of your labour are due.

What advice would you give other entrepreneurs and visionaries? Don’t give up, stick to your goals and vision. Do what you are passionate about and good at. Most importantly, enjoy the process!