Owners of leather crafts company J.Artisans, Jeremiah and Christina See, are among the many in Singapore that suffered heavy hits to their business due to the restrictions put in place following Covid-19. With businesses closing up all over the country, owners are forced to find ways to adapt after Covid-19 takes a hard hit at businesses in Singapore. With zero sales in 2020 and Christina on maternity leave to care for their 10-month-old son, Jeremiah does what he can to provide for the family.
Written by: Glynis Ang and Ryan Tan
BEHIND THE ART: Just along upper Serangoon laid a growing gem in Singapore’s leather scene, J.Artisans, run by power couple Jeremiah and Christina See. The two-storey shophouse would host up to 40 people on the first floor during workshops run by the two owners. They would retreat to their home on the second floor after closing shop.
PHOTO: JEREMIAH SEE
Six figures a year.
That was how much J.Artisans was earning in its prime run by Jermiah See and Christina See alone. In the seven years since then, the power couple had worked with renowned brands like Netflix, Chanel and even offered courses under SkillsFuture initiative in 2018.
This year, though, J.Artisans made zero sales. As the business struggles to stay afloat and with a new-born to raise, Jeremiah is pushed to find other ways to bring home the dough.
The Business Times reported that the Covid-19 outbreak in Singapore has led to the cessation of over 8,600 businesses in April alone. J.Artisans was not to be spared from the impact of Covid-19 either.
Company Background
J.Artisans used to occupy the 1st storey of a shophouse in upper Serangoon. It was often abuzz with activity with frequent visits by employees who were participants of corporate leathercraft workshops which were very popular as team building exercises.
From 2012 to 2020, Jeremiah and Christina See, had worked with an estimate of 80 companies and renowned brands to provide onsite leather debossing and corporate gifts. These would cement the company’s foundation as their main sources of revenue.
HARD AT WORK: J.Artisans’ founder, Jeremiah See, would work for hours, perfecting handmade leather products for customers. Although it took time, he insisted that each product be made perfect down to every detail, and his work was recognised for this. Having been reached by brands such as Dior, Chanel and Mont Blanc, it was evident that he had a good work ethic. It’s as they say, “you can’t rush art.” PHOTO: JEREMIAH SEE
Between the years, the couple expanded to the second floor unit of the shophouse, costing them about $4,200 a month in rent. Seeing this as a way to challenge themselves, the pair took it up. “Once you commit [to] something right, you’ll be forced to work on it,” Christina mentioned. “By hook or by crook.”
Things were running smoothly for the couple, with Jeremiah being the handyman in the shop and Christina handling the business side of things. With a baby boy on the way, the couple were gearing up to balance running the business and raising their first born. But no one saw the coronavirus coming.
According to the Singapore Department of Statistics, the number of small and medium-sized enterprises in Singapore was constantly growing over the years. Starting from around 246,200 in 2015 to about 271,800 in 2019.
With the coronavirus outbreak, businesses in Singapore would plummet, raking up to the total closing of 8,600 different businesses in April 2020.
When Covid-19 struck
With a 100 per cent drop in sales due to the coronavirus, Jeremiah found himself stuck. He had to continue with the rental and basic costs, all with zero income.
On 31 March 2020, The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), together with the Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS), the Life Insurance Association (LIA), the General Insurance Association (GIA), and the Finance Houses Association of Singapore (FHAS), announced a package of measures to help ease the financial strain on individuals and SMEs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The package of financial measures would complement the initiatives in the Government’s Unity Budget and Resilience Budget to preserve jobs and support enterprises and households.
However, J.Artisans did not meet the requirements of the schemes to receive the financial assistance they needed. Left to fend for themselves, the establishment continued to bleed out, overlooked by society.
In July, the couple had to give up the shop and move out.
START TO END: The local company was founded on a simple desk that Jeremiah worked on in his parents’ house back in 2012. Along with his girlfriend, they would later go on to open their own store for about eight years. Jeremiah has since returned the store and gone back to where it all started, his humble home work station, this time, in his own house.
PHOTO: JEREMIAH SEE
J.Artisans was not the only shop forced to shut its doors during the coronavirus outbreak in Singapore.
In September, The New Paper reported that indie bookshop along Yong Siak Street called BooksActually was also forced to shut its doors after close to 15 years of being open. In an effort to adapt to the situation, he took his bookstore online, and found that the online store did better than the physical by about 10 to 20 per cent. He wrote on Facebook: “It is a new beginning for all of us... As horrible as the pandemic has been.”
In another case, Bakerzin, a home bred Patisserie-cafe chain also closed all five of its outlets after 22 years of operation as reported by The Business Times.
Similar to BooksActually, Jeremiah attempted to bring J.Artisans in a digital step forward, bringing his workshops online. Unfortunately, it did not work as well as it did for the bookstore.
LAST ATTEMPT: Spectacle case made with Buttero vegetables tanned leather, one of the many products available for their DIY kit, launched amidst the Covid-19 pandemic quarantine in an attempt to draw in some revenue. PHOTO: CHRISTINA SEE
Jeremiah knew that his fate was in his own hands, and if the situation did not call for his hands to be working on leather, they were going to be put to a different use to make money.
Working with fire
To make ends meet, the leather craftsman took on the high-risk job of a Covid-19 disinfecting crew, where he would be required to don a jumpsuit, respirator and a heavy tank for hours. He and his crewmates would be called to sanitise areas that were visited by people tested positive with Covid-19.
As of September 8 2020, over 90 spots have been reportedly visited by patients who tested positive for Covid-19 by Straits Times.
“We were just thinking about money, how we are going to sustain everything. Of course we had some cash from the business but it's not going to last all the way without any big events”, said Jeremiah.
As a precaution, he took extra steps such as sanitising himself before entering his home and even getting their dog, Dolce in the room so he would not be in contact with him until he was thoroughly cleaned.
Despite scepticism from the family, Christina said that she regrets not being able to go with him. “I really wish I could go with him,” she muttered, “because we would earn double the salary.”
Chasing a different sun
While J.Artisans is now being put on the side lines as a hobby, Jeremiah hopes to start over. He is looking to begin a new career in interior design through a long-time friend in the industry. While currently studying under the wing of his mentor, he hopes to one day take on a project for himself and earn himself his next paycheck.
Lessons to learn, lessons to pass
They say that setbacks in life are really just lessons meant for the humble eye. With tons learnt about himself, we asked about one he had to learn to survive.
“I think I managed to move forward in a lot of things. If I have to give up something to gain something else. I’ll go ahead. ” he said, admitting that he knew his predicament was not a hopeful one and that he had to do something to change that.
YOUNG MOTIVATION: The adorable smile of little Jaden, son of the duo, who is currently only 10-months-old, was what drove the power couple to adapt and move on even after Covid-19 severely impacted their leather business. Motivating Jeremiah to look for alternative sources of income. PHOTO: CHRISTINA SEE
“We’re not doing very well so I have to do something. I cannot just keep going through with it,” he added.
When asked about what he wished he knew at his business’ lowest, he said he wanted to know it was okay to accept things for the way they were, he mentioned: “if it fails then it fails, nothing to be ashamed about, just keep carrying on.”
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