Going Green has finally come to the Garden City — in the last year alone, numerous zero waste and vegan brands have opened in Singapore to cater to the growing sustainability movement. Souley Green is one such site, carrying everything from food, beauty to household items. It was established in 2016 by Jaslyn, at a time when veganism had hardly entered into the local lexicon.

The idea for Souley Green came to Jaslyn when she was trying to switch over to a healthier diet but found few options in local supermarkets. She suffered from cystic acne and was advised by her dermatologist to cut down on dairy products. Even online shopping was inconvenient, and she found herself having to “platform hop” to find the best products.

Although veganism is reputed to be militant at times, Jaslyn prefers to take the more inclusive approach. She believes that natural and unprocessed is the way to go, rather than products having to be vegan. She gave the example of her meat substitute, which is made out of Green Jackfruit, and the renowned Impossible Meat brand, which is still processed. She believes that healthy living should be a holistic approach and meat-free does not necessarily mean healthy as it can still be processed. She personally sources and checks her products meticulously to ensure they meet her standards.

However, her business saw a boom during COVID as customers scrambled to find alternative grocery sources when supermarket delivery slots were completely filled. As Jaslyn started receiving more orders, she realised that she needed a proper place to run her business. As soon as Circuit Breaker was over, she started doing research on the best storage solution for her business.

She needed a more centralised, convenient storage location with a workspace attached, and viewed many companies. Sadly, she found them either inconvenient or lacking the amenities she needed. The Workfriendly storage space option at Storefriendly was the perfect solution for her as it was near her abode and its flexible plans meant that she could upsize or downsize when needed. She could store her inventory and work in the adjacent space, relieving her home of mess.

The move to Storefriendly has not only made her business more efficient but more importantly, sustainable. It is much more convenient for her customers to pick up or browse products. The 24/7 air-conditioning in the storage space means that all her food products are kept in the most optimal condition. The various amenities in her storage space like the pantry and meeting rooms have given her a more comfortable working storage space. The Workfriendly setting has even exposed her to other entrepreneurs who have helped take her business one step further.

For now, Jaslyn is working on educating Singaporeans about the vegan lifestyle and expanding her reach in the local vegan scene. As the pandemic continues to wreck havoc in the local small business scene, she is also looking to support other small vegan businesses in these troubling times.