Md Shahid & Simon Soh
Founders of GreenCapsicum.com & RubAFox (RAF)
http://rubafox.greencapsicum.com/
Meet the duo who initially wanted to name their company FashionFondue, then settled on Green Capsicum! 
Wonder why their first company is called Green Capsicum? Head over to their website for the answer! 
Here are the namecards my sponsors gave me… Wheee…
Yes, in case you’re wondering, I have plans for a website at www.GraceTan.com. There are just some older interviews there now. But once a fresh coat of paint has gone on, you’ll be invited to head over for a surprise!
Am loving the quality of the cards and how clean everything looks – just like this blog! The star’s supposed to symbolise the inspiration you get from reading/watching my interviews with all the people featured on this blog, and the hope that you’ll be inspired enough to reach for the stars too & achieve your goals, dreams and more.
Another pic and we head for the interview:
1) Why did the two of you start this business?
We’ve been talking about starting a business since 2003. We wanted to start a cafe selling Indian-Western fusion food but we were too young then and didn’t have the capital.
On our ORD trip to Thailand, we bought loads of shirts cheaply to bring back to Singapore for sale online.
Imagine this… 2 guys went to Platinum Mall and bought 2 large bags’ worth of clothes!
We chose only shirts made from the best material but we later found out that the market wanted cheap stuff only.
Then we went into the business of printing tees.
[Grace: So how did you two decide to start a business together?]
We are BFFs so making this choice was easy. We were in the same CCA and PE class since Sec 1!
2) Have there been disagreements, and how did you guys resolve them?
We just decide upfront to talk it out. Plus, we have arguments only because we are fighting for the best for the company.
“Nothing cannot be resolved over a cup of teh tarik or hot chocolate!” – Simon
3) So why the name Rub A Fox?
We wanted a catchy name.
Shahid: My nickname’s Rubbery and Simon’s Fox. Don’t ask.
Rub A Fox supplies tees and corporate gifts to schools, JCs, universities, churches, temples, mosques, and other organisations. We’ve even worked with A*star, LTA, and Universal Studios through a partner company.
4) You guys are engineering and science faculty people, so pardon my stereotyping, but who does the artistic/design work?
Simon: Yes, Shahid got 1st class honours in Engineering!
Grace: *very impressed*
Shahid: Time management was very important. I was handling quotations even during the exam period. We couldn’t say no to business, right?
Simon: I do simple design work and the rest go to freelance artists (most of whom are our clients!) and we engage them as-and-when we need their expertise.
5) What other exciting things can customers and fans expect from Rub A Fox?
Shahid: I’ve got a full-time job, however, we’ll be working on expanding our customer base too.
We are now involved in a Studentpreneurship programme at Ngee Ann Polytechnic. We help FYP poly students start their own companies, and give them advice on how to start from scratch. We share realistic examples and our experiences which the students can relate well to.
We train them with our business model while we benefit from their creativity. In so doing, we also free up more time for business development.
Grace says:
Rub A Fox takes all orders, even those 1-piece-only ones. Yes, so if you want a limited edition shirt for yourself but other printers/companies tell you they only take bulk orders, look for the RAF team.
These 2 dudes are so friendly and funny that I’m not going back to the grouchy uncles & aunties who used to print my cards for me. And I’m not saying this just because RAF’s my sponsor 
If you need any tees (corporate or school), cards, or corporate gifts, head over to http://rubafox.greencapsicum.com/
Want to be my sponsor too? Click on the ‘Advertise Here’ tab for my contact information.
Come back on Thursday! You’ll find out what my experience is like as a volunteer with Junior Achievement. I’ll be heading to Bedok New Town Sec Sch to teach today!!! p/s: If I don’t make it back alive, a trusted friend will update this blog for me.
