PUT YOUR BEST FOOT FORWARD

"Good shoes take you to good places". This line certainly rings true for Lance Corporal (LCP) (NS) Charles Wong, one half of the brothers who founded eponymous local brand Charles & Keith.

Can a woman ever have enough shoes? Ask any fashionista, and the answer is likely to be an emphatic "No".

The Wong brothers have certainly capitalised on women's love for shoes. From working at their parents' shoe shop in Ang Mo Kio to launching their very own store in Amara Shopping Centre in 1996, the two entrepreneurs have since built their company into a major footwear and accessories retailer.

After establishing a firm foothold in Singapore, the brothers have boldly ventured overseas and today, there are over 250 outlets in 31 countries. You can even find them in far-flung regions such as Bahrain, Estonia and Kuwait!

They expanded their business empire with Pedro - which carries both men and women's footwear - in 2005, and added high-end shoe line The Signature Label to the mix in 2007.

Small wonder, then, that luxury goods retail giant LVMH has become a "sole-mate", acquiring a 20 percent stake in Charles & Keith last year for more than $30 million.

LCP (NS) Wong also bagged the 2012 Channel NewsAsia Luminary Awards' Future Business Luminary Award, which recognises young entrepreneurs below the age of 45 who embrace forward-thinking business ideals and risk to take their business to a higher level.

If the shoe fits

Forget the old cliches about how hard work equals success. That's because putting in effort is a given. Besides time and dedication, being innovative and seizing the right opportunities when they come along play equally important roles in this home-grown success story.

On advice that he would offer budding entrepreneurs, LCP (NS) Wong said: "Resilience and a positive mindset will help combat the inevitable challenges you will encounter when starting a business, and even more so in the long run. Do not be afraid of failure, have an open mind and be adaptable to changes."

In fact, the main motivation to setting up his own business came when he and younger brother Keith, who served as an Armour Support Mortar Man in the 48th Battalion, Singapore Armoured Regiment, recognised the market potential for producing footwear that fit Asian feet, which were smaller than their Western counterparts.

An initial challenge they faced was being unable to control the quality and designs of the shoes they sold as they did not work directly with suppliers. Cutting out the middlemen proved to be the way to go.

"During the Asian Economic crisis, we saw the opportunity to work directly with some of the factories, enabling us to have more control over the design and manufacturing process and to bring across the essence of our brand more effectively," said LCP (NS) Wong.

"Today, with a headcount of over 500 staff, the company oversees the entire process from design to manufacturing, production and supply."

Walk the talk

While his younger brother works with the design team, LCP (NS) Wong heads the operations side of the business and currently works from Shanghai to tap into the burgeoning China market.

"International expansion and growing the business in China continues to be a part of of our brand's growth strategies," said the ambitious 38-year-old.

"With the aim to open 500 stores in China in the next five years...innovation and creativity are required to keep the brand relevant to the consumers in these markets."

Even as a young Full-time National Serviceman, he made an effort to keep his eye on the prize.

While fellow batch-mates returned home and spent time with loved ones over the weekend, LCP (NS) Wong would go to his parents' store to assess how well the business had done and to plan stock buying and selling strategies for the next week.

Calling National Service (NS) a tough training ground, the Tengah Air Base Field Defence Squadron security trooper, who completed his NS cycle in 2007, said: "While training was demanding and physically strenuous, I believe most guys developed a much stronger character after NS. It taught me life skills like teamwork, discipline and perseverance which are applicable to running a business as well."

He added: "Running a company is akin to running a battalion. There needs to be a platoon of driven team players in order for the platoon to overcome obstacles (much like the growth of a budding company) together.

"These are qualities I hold in high regard and continue to instil in my colleagues."

"There needs to be a platoon of driven team players in order for the platoon to overcome obstacles (much like the growth of a budding company) together." - LCP (NS) Wong on how running a business is akin to running a battalion