At the tender age of 25, twins Wong Kai Jun and Wong Kai Lin turned their love of games into a business.<\/p>\n
In 2009, the sisters left their jobs<\/a> in auditing and market research, joining forces with Ms Wong Kai Jun\u2019s husband, Mr Gabriel Leow, to open Play Nation<\/a> \u2013 a games cafe where guests can enjoy board and console games over food and drinks, all in a relaxed, welcoming space.\u00a0<\/p>\n They described their early days of entrepreneurship as a \u201clearn as you go\u201d experience. \u201cWe didn\u2019t know what it would take to run a business full-time. Our mindset was to give it a go \u2013 and if it didn\u2019t work, we\u2019d go back to our jobs,\u201d said Ms Wong Kai Lin.\u00a0<\/p>\n Over the past 16 years, the journey has brought its share of challenges and growth \u2013 and, along the way, a banking partner that has helped them stay focused on their purpose of bringing people joy, even in difficult times.<\/p>\n FINDING STABILITY AMID RENTAL CHALLENGES\u00a0<\/p>\n One of Play Nation\u2019s biggest challenges in the early years was finding a permanent space. The sisters struggled to keep up with rent hikes at the end of each lease.\u00a0<\/p>\n In 2017, they approached DBS Bank for a long-term loan to buy a commercial unit at Prinsep Street \u2013 a move that would give the business greater stability. From the outset, the DBS team took a hands-on approach, visiting the cafe to meet the founders and better understand their needs.<\/p>\n DBS\u2019 offer of an affordable loan proved to be a turning point for Play Nation. \u201cBecause we no longer had to deal with wild rental swings, we could stabilise our cash flow and focus on building the business and our teams,\u201d said Ms Wong Kai Jun.\u00a0<\/p>\n STRENGTHENING RESILIENCE THROUGH THE PANDEMIC<\/p>\n By 2020, Play Nation had expanded to three game cafes and launched Play Nation Studio, which developed a line of original titles, including Dream Catchers, a well-reviewed board game where players protect sleeping children from nightmares and monsters under the bed.\u00a0<\/p>\n Encouraged by the momentum, the sisters began exploring regional expansion.<\/p>\n But those plans never materialised. When COVID-19 struck, safe distancing measures hit retail and F&B outlets hard. Footfall at Play Nation\u2019s cafes fell sharply and the founders made the difficult decision to consolidate their operations<\/a> into a single outlet at their flagship Prinsep Street location. \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe were dealing with stores that had few to no visitors,\u201d recalled Ms Wong Kai Lin. \u201cRevenue dropped significantly, our team worried about job security and the landlords raised rents. The odds were stacked against us.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Relief came in the form of a call from DBS, asking how it could help Play Nation navigate the crisis. The bank moved quickly to refinance their loan at a lower interest rate and defer principal repayments to free up cash flow.<\/p>\n \u201cRunning a business means navigating constant pressures \u2013 from juggling rising costs to staying agile in a fast-changing market. Yet through it all, Play Nation found new ways to grow,\u201d said Mr Chen Ze Ling, group head of Corporate and SME Banking at DBS. \u201cAt DBS, our roots as a development bank continue to shape how we support businesses. For Play Nation, that meant enabling greater financial certainty \u2013 giving them the flexibility to pivot and move forward with confidence.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n With more stability, the founders had the space to step back and plan their next move.\u00a0\u201cWe analysed consumer behaviours and patterns, and relooked how a local business like ours could stay resilient through future disruptions,\u201d shared Ms Wong Kai Lin.<\/p>\n