This ex-lawyer quit his job to start S’pore’s first indoor graffiti studio

Victor Tong hasn’t all the time held a profession within the realms of entrepreneurship. The 31-year-old founding father of Heaven Spot, Singapore’s first indoor graffiti studio, initially began his skilled journey as a lawyer.

He skilled at an area legislation agency the place he assisted their actual property division with transactions associated to the sale and buy of land.

After Victor was referred to as to the Singapore bar, he determined to observe within the space of personal mergers and acquisitions (M&As) at a global legislation agency based mostly in Singapore — however little did he know that this one determination would considerably change his profession trajectory by sparking his curiosity in entrepreneurship.

After I practiced within the space of personal M&As, I grew to become fascinated with corporations and the way folks constructed them. And that impressed me to make the swap and discover the world of enterprise.

– Victor Tong, founding father of Heaven Spot

Armed with a “modest battle chest”, Victor launched Heaven Spot again in April 2021 and has by no means regarded again since.

Bringing the artwork type of graffiti to Singapore

When requested concerning the inspiration behind Heaven Spot, Victor stated that he noticed a rising curiosity in road artwork, but, there have been no accessible platforms for Singaporeans to expertise and discover graffiti as an artwork type within the city-state.

“The concept for Heaven Spot was sparked from noticing a possible hole available in the market and a need to carry the dynamic artwork type of graffiti to a wider viewers in Singapore,” he defined. Consequently, he envisioned creating an area the place people may “interact with graffiti artwork in a enjoyable and accessible approach”.

Based on Victor, the time period “Heaven Spot” is deeply rooted in graffiti tradition. Heaven Spot refers to hard-to-reach, and sometimes dangerous areas that graffiti artists select to create their work.

“We wished our title to mirror the essence of the graffiti artwork type and its adventurous spirit,” stated Victor. By Heaven Spot, the previous lawyer goals to supply a supportive setting for Singaporeans to “discover their creativity, be taught the artwork type [of graffiti], and specific themselves by means of it”.  

Heaven Spot is extra than simply an artwork studio. It’s a vibrant area the place folks of all ages and backgrounds can come collectively to specific themselves by means of graffiti artwork.

– Victor Tong, founding father of Heaven Spot

Heaven Spot broke even in eight months

Though the preliminary response was gradual, curiosity within the indoor graffiti studio regularly began to select up because the model gained publicity by means of varied media platforms and social media.

Aside from this, Victor additionally attributes Heaven Spot’s preliminary progress to the fortuitous timing of its launch. “We launched in the course of the peak of COVID-19 — everybody was caught in Singapore and have been on the lookout for one thing new and fascinating to do,” stated Victor.

Heaven Spot managed to interrupt even inside seven to eight months of its inception. Regardless of its early success, establishing the indoor graffiti studio was not with out its challenges.

Being recent out of legislation observe, Victor admitted that he knew “subsequent to nothing about operating a enterprise apart from the features of an organization and contract legislation”.

There have been many gaps in what I knew I needed to be taught. This included fundamental accounting, advertising, promoting, managing folks, gross sales, and customer support, amongst others.

I’ve discovered the ropes and kickstarted my entrepreneurial journey with Heaven Spot, however a humorous factor I’ve come to understand is that the extra I be taught, the extra I’ve left to be taught. 

– Victor Tong, founding father of Heaven Spot

On the similar time, the enterprise additionally confronted vital pushback from the native graffiti scene as they have been seen as “outsiders who have been capitalising on the artwork type”.

Nevertheless, Victor emphasises that Heaven Spot stands agency on its inclusive stance. “We hope to let as many individuals in Singapore check out the medium of graffiti, and develop better consciousness and appreciation for the artwork type,” he added.

Through the years, Heaven Spot has seen vital progress, serving a various and spectacular portfolio of purchasers. This contains groups from FAANG corporations, the Massive 4 accounting corporations, authorities companies and even public faculties.

Whereas its consumer base could also be spectacular, Victor humbly proclaims that the largest milestone Heaven Spot has achieved up to now was to have grown its staff to a few full-time staff.

“This will likely not appear to be a lot of an accomplishment to some, however having the ability to present jobs is one thing that I’m personally proud to have been capable of do at Heaven Spot.”

The previous lawyer is now juggling three ventures

Earlier in September this 12 months, Victor launched one other enterprise enterprise, Handbook Focus, a studio that gives movie pictures workshops.

Recognising the rising curiosity in each the genuine and tangible features of analog pictures, he launched the movie studio to teach folks not solely on tips on how to use older mechanical cameras, however to additionally develop movie and create their very own analog prints.

Movie pictures has been a long-time ardour of mine and I used to be questioning if I may doubtlessly replicate what I did with Heaven Spot with a unique expertise providing.

I view Handbook Focus as a lateral enlargement of Heaven Spot and a problem to search out out whether or not I might have the ability to replicate the mannequin that was efficiently executed at Heaven Spot.

– Victor Tong, founding father of Heaven Spot

Apart from Handbook Focus, the previous lawyer additionally runs Unspokin, a bicycle store that gives build-your-own bicycle workshops.

Presently, Victor is personally overseeing operations at Handbook Focus whereas concurrently managing his staff at Heaven Spot, who’re chargeable for operating the every day operations on the indoor graffiti studio.

In the meantime, Victor’s enterprise companion oversees the operations at Unspokin for probably the most half as Victor has taken a “backseat” on the enterprise ever since launching Handbook Focus. 

Along with his palms busy managing the movie pictures studio, Victor shares that he doesn’t have any instant plans for enlargement, particularly in Singapore, given the city-state’s relative small market measurement. However, he’s in early phases of exploring the feasibility for abroad enlargement to serve close by markets which may be much like Singapore.

By these ventures, Victor hopes to drive empowerment by means of artwork and to champion positivity and creativity. In the end, he aspires to “encourage and help people from all walks of life in discovering their inventive potential and expressing themselves freely”.

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Featured Picture Credit score: Heaven Spot/ Victor Tong