As a fresh business and finance graduate, Lee Li Ping, 23, was certain of what business she wanted to start several months before donning her graduation gown and cap. Within four months of returning to Singapore, she started a self-serve frozen yogurt café here, Sogurt, and has plans to make frozen yogurt ubiquitous for a healthy lifestyle in Singapore. NanzInc.Com chats with Li Ping to see what it takes to be a young entrepreneur.

By: Lianne Ong

Unless you have tried it overseas, chances are you have never had the opportunity to dispense your own frozen yogurt and then choose from a myriad offering of toppings. Crushed digestive biscuitss, honeyed beans, fresh fruit, nuts or marshmallow – the choice is yours at Sogurt for $3.30 per 100g, regardless of what you put in your cup.

Frozen yogurt is not new to Singapore, but Sogurt offers it self-serve style, along with choice toppings and a cosy café seating. Since starting operations this April, business has been picking up briskly. Lee Li Ping, 23, the Managing Partner of Sogurt, says, “I wanted a place where people could come and chill.” Situated in the school belt along Bukit Timah Road, she is happy when her café is filled with school kids. She offers them 20% discount if they are in school uniform. And she doesn’t intend to have signs saying “No Studying” — a familiar site in some other cafes.

Was starting a business something you always wanted to do?
Yes. My parents have been in business for 30 years, and it seemed a natural thing to do. I’ve always known I wanted to be my own boss.

How did you come up with the idea of self-serve frozen yogurt?
I studied in Los Angeles, and the frozen yogurt culture there is big. I patronised Yogurtland everyday, and my friend suggested that I set up my own store at home, since I liked it so much. (My mom says it is also where I got my daily intake of fruit because I was too busy at school to cut up my own fruit!)

What differentiates Sogurt from the other shops selling frozen yogurt?
Sogurt’s frozen yogurt is low fat, high calcium and has certified levels of yogurt bacterial cultures. We have 50 different types of toppings and eight flavours of yogurt, as well as the middle “swirl”, which is a mix of two flavours. Toppings are the key! I don’t like it when I’m only offered four miserable blueberries as a topping.

What kind of hurdles have you had to overcome as a business owner?
One of my servers committed suicide during our first month of operations. None of us expected it – she was young, cheerful, and a really good server. She even showed me her art portfolio two days before she passed away. The team was pretty affected, as they were pretty close.

Who helps you in the business?
My parents. They give me tips and highlight things I’ve never thought about. I respect them a lot, as they have been business owners for 30 years. In between shuttling to their factory in Pontian in Malaysia, they help me out at the café.

What are your plans for Sogurt in the next year?
We’re looking to start another outlet, and we hope to have new flavours soon. Right now, we’re still educating our customers about the different flavours – some like them fruity and tart, while others who aren’t used to yogurt prefer ice-cream flavours like Irish mint and chocolate.

Sogurt is located at
617 Bukit Timah Road
Singapore 269718
(Beside Coronation Plaza)
Tel: +65 6468 8940

http://www.sogurt.com.sg