Many of you have asked, how did Concrete Everything started? As a person from the creative industry (I'm not necessarily creative), I always feel ideas coming in from everything and anything. Here are a list of things that I often get inspired by and feel, have you had such a similar urge/experience before?

1) Problems around you

There are problems all around us, dirty toilets, rude people, badly done up magazines. I always tell others, why don't you do something about it? So births forth a beginning of an idea that can develop and form into something exciting for you. As a youth, I had so many ideas, all of them burnt to the ground. I wanted to make my FYP (A bicycle airbag work) and it failed. I tried to do a delivery service business and all I did was a facebook page. That didn't work out too.

2) Your Milestones in Life

At every point of a Singaporean dull life, often I find myself not trusting what people say and reading up on it to gather knowledge and background of a topic. If it was getting insurance, buying a new house, I would always know more before heading to meet the 'expert' on it. Then there's life events that inspire us as well, preparing for your proposal, preparing your wedding day, having a kid, designing your house. All these are opportunities to be inspired to do something. I started my own DIY wedding props business that only existed on a facebook page. Again.

3) Overseas Experiences

Nothing is really absolutely new. Especially for Singaporeans who are by nature just having to move from one step to another with no real thought. Everything you experienced has been experienced by someone beside you. Outside of Singapore, people come and go, explore new things and try things and everyone can learn from everyone because their life is so rich and exciting. (i think i am going off topic) Anyways, there is a lot of cultural differences and experiences that can be potential business opportunities for you to bring back. See how food ideas travel all over the world. Likewise, do that for something that you think Singapore will like to have.

4) Everything around you

Everything around you can be an inspiration, similar to #2, instead of things that you will be involved in, these are things that are outside what you do. For example, see a nice growing flower in Botanic Garden(ok not the best idea) and why not explore being a florist? Well Concrete Everything started somewhat like that, we found and 'borrowed' some cement from our void deck and created our very first lamp (i still have it) and it was the beginning of everything.

So how, have you been inspired? I hope you have at least started on the inclination to see things and open your mind to opportunities all around you. and the most important thing, start doing something about it. The potential is endless!

Alvin, signing off!

TGIF!