“Be prepared to work harder and sacrifice more than anyone. Do not give up easily, always remember why you wanted to set up the business in the first place. Be very persistent, yet flexible,” said Kang Puay Seng, Founder & Managing Director of Super Bean International Pte Ltd, when asked if he had any tips to share with budding entrepreneurs.

He does aim for a balance of family, relaxation and work: “I try to send my children to school in the morning when time permits and will kick start the day with a good breakfast. The majority of my time is spent in the Mr Bean Office for discussions with my team. When needed, I will also be at events and meetings in my personal capacity in other organisations,” says the man who also enjoys brisk walking, trekking and hiking and who recently completed Gobi Desert and Silk Road trekking trips.

Kang started this company in 1995 and owns and operates the Mr Bean Soya Milk Chain – the leading chain of soya bean food and beverage in Singapore today. With more than 50 outlets located islandwide, Mr Bean offers a variety of soya bean drinks and snacks. Young and old can enjoy refreshing ice-blended flavoured soya drinks, ice-creams, pastries and more.

In 2011, Mr Bean marked its presence outside Singapore with the first franchise store in Japan, Tokyo. Today, the Mr Bean brand is also present in The Philippines and China with more stores opening soon in the Asia Pacific region.