My mother and my aunt will put up the shutters of their small furniture shop, Sisters’ Dream, for the last time this week after 20 years.

Growing up, I spent a lot of time in the shop. I know the stray cats, the customers and their children, and the many other businesses that have come and gone along this shophouse stretch in Bedok.

The dream for the business started after a family holiday in Australia. My mother and my aunt began with selling homeware in our living room before committing to a commercial space and learning how to design custom-made furniture.

Everything about their business was old-fashioned – and the antithesis of today’s business retail environment. They drew furniture sketches by hand, wrote down their daily sales in a jotterbook, and used a fax machine to connect with suppliers.

The furniture they designed was from mature teak with striking wood grains – made to last generations. Nothing like the assemble-it-yourself furniture that can be bought online.

However, the sticking points of their business throughout the past 20 years were the rising rents and unreliable supply chains. That, and the fact that both women are in their 60s and just tired.

The shop provided for our families, but it also sapped the life out of my mother and my aunt.

Customer service is stressful, especially when dealing with ruthless hagglers. Making enough sales every month just to pay a much-too-high rent was unsustainable.

Competing with international furniture brands – with their efficient supply chains, production lines and subsequent economies of scale – was self-defeating.

Every time I raised the topic of seeking government support for small businesses, my mother and my aunt were quick to dismiss the idea: “They’re not looking to help businesses like ours, lah; they’re looking at the tech start-ups run by young people.”

I don’t think they even know where to look for government subsidies and grants or how to access them.

There were many steps they could have taken to ensure the business longevity of Sisters’ Dream, but I believe they were content to make “just enough”, and were apprehensive of change.

I’m going to miss visiting the little shop and exploring its corners.

In my mind, I picture my mother and my aunt resting on the showroom daybed, complaining about how expensive the Singapore dream has become.

Aza Wee Sile