Detail

Meet Ms Josephine Teo, a Singapore Polytechnic (SP) Alumna who traded in the corporate life to run her own business alongside her husband, fellow alumnus Mr Gideon Lim.

Being big believers in the pay it forward movement, the husband-and-wife duo regularly give back by donating prizes to SP Diploma in Biomedical Science students, providing internship placements, and actively participating in alumni events.

Starting out

Ms Josephine Teo graduated in 1992 with a Diploma in Biotechnology (Medical Technology) as the top student of the year. She then went on to complete her Bachelor of Science (Honours), before working for several multinational corporations (MNCs). After many years in their respective corporate careers, her husband Mr Lim decided to start his own company, BioMedix, which markets and distributes innovative medical technology globally.

The First Years

 As with any new venture, the first few years can be tricky. Mr Lim and Ms Teo explain how they had to wear multiple hats, switching between being recruiters to managing deliveries the next day. Still, it was necessary to get BioMedix off the ground.

“On top of the intense workload, we have curveballs like our suppliers undergoing mergers or acquisitions which meant deliveries getting delayed for months,” shared Mr Lim.

Ms Teo adds, “Staffing is also a challenge. When experienced staff leave, we must divert resources to train their replacements, affecting our productivity as a whole.”

Here Mr Lim chimes in with, “Correct, but because our staff are treated well, they come back and assist us in whatever way they can.”

Ever the optimists, they took these problems in their stride. Eventually, BioMedix benefited from these changes when it acquired renowned suppliers after mergers and had former employees recommend BioMedix to their new employers for collaborative business opportunities.

A Peek into Her Daily Routine

As general manager, Ms Teo spends most of her day catching up with staff, meeting with clients, and travelling. “We often travel to our overseas offices, visit business partners, and meet with salespeople and mentor them on how to market our medical devices to prospective clients.”

While details about their high-tech products remained confidential, Ms Teo shared that after 12 years in operation globally, BioMedix now supplies lab chemicals and medical devices to various local and overseas laboratories and hospitals.

Nurturing Talent at BioMedix

Aside from providing internship and mentorship opportunities to SP students, BioMedix has overseen the internship placements of many students across polytechnics and universities.

Ms Teo shares an inspiring story about an applicant who stands out as an example of the encouraging environment at BioMedix. While the applicant in question was on the autism spectrum, Ms Teo did not hesitate to bring him on board.

“We organised a trial run before his placement to get him familiar with the work. I paid extra attention to the tasks he took on and adjusted them to his skill level. My other employees were also supportive in helping him learn the ropes. After his good performance, we offered him a full-time position and he’s now been a part of the BioMedix team for the past two years. We have also sponsored him to upskill with a Specialist Diploma in Analytical Science.”

Future of BioMedix

Taking lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic, BioMedix is moving towards self-sufficiency to prevent future supply issues. The company plans to explore manufacturing the devices, such as the automation of technological processes essential to healthcare.

For this, BioMedix is keen to work with SP students. “Our partnership can be mutually beneficial. Tapping into the students’ innovative ideas, we can help commercialise their ideas and market them globally.”

Ms Teo also hopes to collaborate with SP to promote continuous learning by running courses for medical technologists at beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. She explains that these essential courses help refresh medical technologists’ skills so they are familiar with different sections of the clinical laboratory.

Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

On the business front, Ms Teo shares her key takeaways and advice for SP students pursuing entrepreneurship.

“Be ready for hard work and prepare a substantial cash flow, as you never know what might happen. Staff have to be paid regardless of the company’s situation, as they have families to support. Most importantly, have passion for the job, but be on guard for failure. While the success rate of new ventures is often low, push through with your passion for the work. If you have these in check, all that’s left is to start.

Ms Josephine Teo
General Manager, BioMedix Singapore Pte Ltd
Diploma in Biotechnology (Medical Technology), 1992

Mr Gideon Lim
Managing Director, BioMedix Singapore Pte Ltd