Scaling Smarter: Heartland Enterprises Share Strategies for Growth and Resilience

Singapore, 26 September 2025 – Over 30 heartland business owners came together at the KLC International Institute’s (KLCII) Ang Mo Kio Campus for the HECS Connect Learning Series: Scaling Smarter – Business Strategies for Growth & Resilience.

Building community through shared learning

Jointly organised by the Heartland Enterprise Centre Singapore (HECS) and KLCII, and supported by the Federation of Merchants’ Associations, Singapore (FMAS), the session provided a platform for retailers, F&B operators, and service-based enterprises to strengthen networks, exchange ideas, and explore strategies to thrive in today’s evolving landscape.

Following a networking tea, participants joined a series of sharing sessions focused on digitalisation, smarter workplace practices, and government support schemes to help businesses grow sustainably.

Real stories from local businesses

Key Highlights:

Joel Ho (Managing Director of Rainbow Fish Industries) shared how his company diversified beyond wholesale into retail and education through branding, digitalisation, and community engagement.

Kopi Talk with Steve Lai (Director of Asam Tree) allowed participants to have an inside look into how Asam Tree tackled manpower challenges and improved staff retention by building strong teams through digitalisation and structured workplace practices.

Cecilia Kay (HECS) introduced government schemes that support small enterprises in areas such as visual merchandising, heartland placemaking, and energy efficiency initiatives that enable them to upgrade and grow.

Partnering businesses for sustainable transformation

Representing the KLCII Reimagineers team, Evon Lew, Senior Consultant and Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, shared how the consultancy partners with SMEs and heartland enterprises in strengthening their people, processes, and pathways for growth.

As a pre-approved consultancy under the PSG–Job Redesign (PSG-JR) grant, the KLCII Reimagineers support businesses in reimagining operations, redesigning job roles, and building business resilience for the future—walking alongside small and medium enterprises in their ongoing transformation journeys. Rainbow Fish Industries and Asam Tree are just two of many satisfied clients that KLCII Reimagineers has had the privilege of helping as a PSG-JR consultant.

The event also featured two booths that brought transformation stories to life:

• Rainbow Aquarium highlighted its journey of extending beyond the wholesale trade through education and community engagement to build brand awareness and strengthen the aquaculture community.
• Asam Tree shared how digitalisation and innovative workforce practices are being applied in the F&B sector to overcome people challenges and drive sustainable growth.

Over 30 business owners left the session with practical strategies, stronger networks, and deeper awareness of government initiatives to support Singapore’s heartland enterprises.

At KLC Reimagineers, we believe that scaling smarter is not about doing more, but about building better—through people, processes, and purpose. We are glad to be able to help strengthen our heartland enterprises—who play key roles in keeping our neighbourhoods vibrant and thriving, not only as providers of goods and services, but also as employers, neighbours and friends.

👉 If you’re an SME keen to explore how job redesign and human-capital development can support your growth, connect with us at reimagineers.sg