Twin sisters run four businesses and only get three hours of sleep

The final year Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) students run their main business, Pisti Prints - a printing service for apparel, brochures and flyers - alongside three other businesses in marketing, landscaping and logistics.

Aug 19, 2015

SINGAPORE: Juggling online businesses on top of school, co-curricular activities (CCAs) and hobbies?

It's all worth it, said identical twin sisters Yamunaa and Yaamanni Kasavan, 18.

The final year Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) students run their main business, Pisti Prints - a printing service for apparel, brochures and flyers - alongside three other businesses in marketing, landscaping and logistics.

They run their businesses online with their brother, Mr Praashant Kasavan, 21, and four of his friends.

Pisti Prints, started about two years ago and chalked up $30,000 in revenue in its first three months. The sisters declined to disclose their current earnings.

“We just rented a factory and office space at Ark@Gambas, located in Woodlands. Renovations are going on and production work starts in September,” said Yaamanni, who is pursuing a diploma in real estate business. The enterprising sisters received the Outstanding Enterprise Team Award at the NP Awards Night.

The twins have had a flair for business since primary school.

Between the age of nine and 12, they bought snacks from Malaysia and sold them to their peers.

After their O levels, they started a blogshop selling clothes from China and Korea.

"We have never made a loss... and this encourages us to sell more things," said Miss Yamunaa, who is pursuing a diploma in international business.

Miss Tan Cheng Leng, the manager of NP's Innovation & Entrepreneurship Office, praised the girls for their enterprising qualities.

"It's not easy to start a business, and they started it while they're still studying. It takes a lot of determination and perseverance to see it through," she said.

"They've also showed a lot of initiative, on top of handling difficulties in their business and in schoolwork.

With their busy schedule, the sisters get about three hours of sleep each night. They work till the wee hours and sometimes hold team meetings at 24-hour McDonald's outlets.

"If you like to do something, it's not a chore," said Miss Yaamanni.

They are thankful for their lecturers' guidance, as well as NP for providing them with a business grant and a discussion space in school for student entrepreneurs.

But it was their parents whom they are most grateful to.

"Our parents never told us to stop doing business and focus on our studies," said Miss Yaamanni.--Youthphoria