Company: Cozy Crochet (Start-up)
Type: School Project
Timeline: Apr 2023 – Apr 2024
Created a start-up, grew the team, and won the Empowered Entrepreneur Award with the highest profits.
Project Overview
My very first school project at Singapore Polytechnic. And it was huge.
The project started with four teams of five. Two elimination presentations later, the surviving teams merged, and we became ten. Our team made it through both rounds and was given a semester to scale the business. We used that time to run pop-ups, partner on collaborations, and bring the business online.
The Process
- Ideation
We began with too many “cool” ideas and no clear direction. To focus, we researched what was trending. As my school was a non-profit organisation, we were instructed to find an organisation to which we could donate our profits. This gave me more motivation to generate as much profit as possible, since the money would go to a good cause.
Given a $1,000 budget, we wanted something achievable that could still stand out. Crochet and scented items kept appearing in our research, so we merged them into a single concept. During the first presentation, our lecturer challenged our plan: outsourcing the crochet work made the business easily replicable. It was honest feedback, and we took it to heart. We advanced to the next round, committed to refining the idea and strengthening our differentiation.
- Prototyping and Planning
After the first presentation, we welcomed two new members into our team. Taking our lecturer’s feedback to heart, I decided to learn how to crochet myself. I spent days and nights practising, determined to perfect our product — not just to sell something, but to ensure every customer would be genuinely satisfied with both the product and the experience.
As I continued learning, I encouraged my teammates to join me so we could share skills and strengthen our teamwork. This became both a practical and bonding experience for us. Together, we refined our business plan, detailed our next steps post-launch, and prepared an updated presentation outlining our improved structure and growth strategy.
- Business Launch
Thankfully, we made it past the second elimination round and welcomed three more members into our team. It was a surreal moment as we were nearly eliminated in the first. From that point on, we were determined and excited to bring our business idea to life. Although the launch was originally scheduled for the start of the semester, our team’s motivation pushed us to launch ahead of schedule, becoming one of the first groups to go live.
I took on the role of Head of Production, overseeing product design research, leading quality checks, and setting production goals for the team. Under this new structure, we expanded our range from the initial three products to a total of eleven.
Operating under the brand name Cozy Crochet, we participated in several events and set up multiple pop-ups. Our products were well received, allowing us to hit sales targets within hours, and each milestone inspired us to push further and aim higher.
- Business Review and Improvements
Despite our accomplishments, we faced our fair share of challenges and disagreements along the way. Still, our team learned to handle conflicts with maturity — we talked things through openly and resolved issues internally. The strong bond we built allowed us to move past obstacles quickly and stay focused on what mattered most.
We reminded ourselves that every decision should serve the business goals first, aligning our individual perspectives toward collective success. Even when things didn’t go exactly as planned, we had no regrets — each detour led us to another milestone worth celebrating.
Eventually, once we had achieved our targets and generated sufficient profits, we made the decision to close the business to focus on our exams. Since our team launched ahead of schedule, we were also permitted to wrap up earlier than the others — ending the project on a high note.
The Outcome, Reflection / Key Takeaways
At the end of the project, all first-year teams in the module were gathered for an awards ceremony recognising outstanding business achievements. To our surprise, we discovered that our team had generated the highest profits, surpassing the previous record by a huge margin.
We were honoured to receive the Empowered Entrepreneur Award, a moment that filled us with pride and gratitude. It was a significant accomplishment, especially considering how close we were to elimination in the first round. What began as an uncertain idea eventually grew into one of the most successful student businesses of the cohort.
Walking away from this project, I had a far deeper grasp of how a business really works. Leading a team through conflict, driving sales, and executing marketing gave me practical experience that strengthened my foundation.