I would like to wish all our clients, colleagues and friends a blissful and Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2013.

May all ideas in the world comes to action!!  Because we all CAN!

This December issue of Home & Decor, Singapore, I am featured in  NOW people section. It was a great interview I had with Rebeckka Wong, who is the editor of the magazine a couple of weeks ago. We were discussing about design, importance of being curious and the future of the Singaporean design entrepreneurs.

We also discussed how easy it can be as an entrepreneur to ”get stuck” in the daily choires and by that not see the possibilities that lies around. I explained that me and my company is here to actually help out when this happens. The difficulty can be though, that the entrepreneur is not open minded enough to realise the need of getting a ”second opinion” and new perspectives on the business.

This you also can read more about in my book ”CAN!” which is available at BooksActually and Kinokunuya main branch at Ngee Ann City in Singapore.

Have a great day ahead/ Jonas

http://www.homeanddecor.com.sg/

”Entrepreneur is a term for an industrious person, often meaning a company founder. In the broader sense, the term is used to describe a committed person who works hard to achieve success.”

Lots of people dream about becoming entrepreneurs and I believe that anybody who has an idea can become one. It is all about the ability to question things and being able to see new solutions. But not until you do something about your ideas can you become an entrepreneur. I discovered, through others, that I could call myself an entrepreneur. I would like to tell the story how this came about and what I did to reach the position I enjoy today.”

From the book ”CAN! – The story of when I became an international entrepreneur” by Jonas Ericsson

YES! YES! YES!
Finally I can say FINALLY my fantastic book is out there on a book shelf close to you. At least if you are in Singapore and go to BooksActually in Tiong Bahru.
Lots of love to everybody involved in this ”monster”-project. It has been a roller-coaster journey but now it’s DONE.
Big hugs 🙂

http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/archive/wednesday/print/300311

Creative Entrepreneurship – Stories from Sweden and Singapore

Speakers: Jonas Ericsson and Kenny Leck

Date: Wednesday, 24 October

Time: 7 pm

Venue: F202 (Blk F, level 2) at LASALLE College of the Arts

Free Admission, please email: interactions@lasalle.edu.sg to reserve a seat

Refreshments served after the forum

Presented by the School of Arts Management, LASALLE College of the Arts, as part of the INTERACTIONS series

Can anyone be an entrepreneur? What does it take to get started and to sustain an enterprise in the creative sector? Hear the stories of creative enterprise from Jonas Ericsson, the Swedish entrepreneur who started Style:Nordic in Singapore, and Kenny Leck, co-founder of Books Actually.

Jonas was born in Sweden. Having worked for Giorgio Armani, he then enrolled in Stockholm University for a Master of Science in International Business Administration and Economics, then moved to Singapore to study a Masters at National University of Singapore majoring in marketing, brand management and consumer behaviour. His master thesis related the value of design and the results of design investment in business. While pursuing his studies in Singapore, Jonas realised an absence of Scandinavian brands or, rather, a non-appearance of an outlet to introduce/represent Scandinavian brands and lifestyle. Equipped with both the knowledge and experience, Jonas Ericsson was set to open a Scandinavian lifestyle concept company, STYLE:NORDIC Pte Ltd, which offers a range of contemporary furniture, home accessories and fashion labels.

Jonas is launching a book on entrepreneurship entitled ’Can!’, which is about how it all started for him, from idea to exit. The book aims to make people dare to start thinking about doing things on their own, and not be afraid of going further with their ideas and to think of new markets.

Kenny Leck started the independent bookstore Books Actually with Karen Wai in 2005. It specializes in Fiction and Literature. This includes Poetry, Essays, Literary Journals, alongside obscure, critical works and antique/rare editions. Books Actually also stocks titles from various subjects that they like: History, Biography, Current Affairs, Human Sciences, Math/Natural Sciences, Travel Narrative, Food Narrative, Aesthetics, Music and Film. Books Actually also houses the largest collection of Singapore literary publications including some out-of-print titles. They also have a publishing arm, Math Paper Press, which deals with short experimental novellas, poetry and essays.

So many things to do….  But at the same time it’s just for me to tick of from the list. I also get a LOT OF HELP from the team at BooksActually. They are simply wonderful.

The book is growing side by side, and I asked Kenny yesterday how many pages, and now it is approx incredibly 220 pages in it. That is so great!!
I have been worried that it would come out as a thin little thing that no one would eye at all. Now it will be a full, thick and beautiful little baby that fits perfect in your hand or bag, that will be in all book counters all over the world (I wish, hahahaha)
I went to 100% design fair at Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre the other day. An amazing building complex in which I almost got lost, trying to find my good friend Albano. Finally we met up and entered the fair to have a glimpse of nice both local and international furniture design.

Now I’m searching for a caterer that can help us with some Scandinavian tidbits/ canapés for the launch. Spoke to my old classmate Amanda, who runs a cooking school, and she will forward me to some friends of hers. It’s marvellous to have all these fabulous friends here in my second ”hometown” in the world.

It will all come to pieces soon.

Please click to enlarge!

A daring Swedish entrepreneur makes the big leap to move across the world to sunny Singapore.
His mission: to realise his dream of bringing Scandinavian design & lifestyle to Southeast Asia.
In this hectic journey, he hunts in the urban jungle for a vibrant shop space, wades through a river of obstacles and tackles head-on the personalities and quirks of the Singapore independent retail industry.

Jonas Ericsson jumpstarts the venture and STYLE:NORDIC was born.

Can! is his story of daring ambitions and wild inspiration.  It is an in-depth look at the theories & philosophies within business of today, showing that ANYONE can
be an entrepreneur with a bit of optimism, creativity and a strong vision.

So what are you waiting for? Be curious and hungry!