Bold claim: A 13-year-old Singaporean girl is running a thriving business and earning up to $3,000 a month—proof that young entrepreneurship can be serious, scalable, and surprisingly lucrative. If you’ve ever ordered pickleball paddles from A Little Ripple, you might be surprised to learn who’s behind the screen: Eleora Liang, a true girl boss who juggles school, logistics, and growth with poise.
Eleora isn’t just keeping up with her studies; she also handles inventory, responds to customer inquiries, and keeps her company’s website fresh and functional. Homeschooled from an early age, she was encouraged by her mother to develop a broad set of life skills. In addition to running A Little Ripple, she’s learned to code, crochet, cook, and even play the violin.
“Homeschooling and mainstream school feel very different,” Eleora shared with AsiaOne. “Homeschooling gives me the freedom to pursue my passions and manage this business. If I were still in a traditional school setting, I don’t think I’d have time for all of this.”
Although she sometimes misses her friends, Eleora isn’t planning to return to conventional schooling. “Homeschooling isn’t for everyone—it requires a lot of self-discipline. For now, I prefer homeschooling so I can continue this venture, nurture my violin hobby, and spend time with my family.”
From simple stationery to specialized paddles
Eleora’s entrepreneurial spark started with encouragement from her mother in March 2022 while the family lived in Chiang Mai, Thailand. At age 10, she tried selling stationery and small gifts to teachers for Children’s Day.
“The business wasn’t very sustainable at first,” she explained, because it relied on special occasions. She then considered clothing but paused due to budget constraints for stocking a range of sizes and colors. She also toyed with home decor but ruled it out because fragile items were difficult to ship.
Having played pickleball for four years, Eleora spotted a growing demand for paddles, a product that had been hard to come by until recently. Sourcing proved tricky due to limited supply, but after roughly six months she found an overseas supplier and launched A Little Ripple in early 2024.
Paddles are stored in a shared temporary space, with most stock kept in Malaysia and regular shipments sent to Singapore.
Today, Eleora lives with her family in Perak and structures her days around study, violin practice, and business work in the evenings. She typically devotes four to five hours daily to updating the website, creating social content, packing orders, and answering questions. When sales are strong, she dedicates more time; when demand slows, she doubles down on studies and violin practice.
The support network is a family affair. Parents handle finances and step in during peak periods, while her older sister guides social-media marketing. A Singapore-based uncle helps customers who opt for self-collection.
“Right now, we’re based in Malaysia, and we ship weekly to my uncle, updating him daily on orders,” Eleora shared.
Product range and pricing span beginner to advanced paddlers, with paddles priced from $29 to $55. There are also children’s paddles at $22 and paddle sets that include balls and two to four paddles.
On average, Eleora moves about 200 paddles each month, primarily serving customers in Singapore and Malaysia. Profitability varies with seasonality: slower months may bring under $1,000 in profit, while peak periods can push earnings up to $3,000.
A portion of profits goes back into the business, while the rest funds Eleora’s violin hobby.
Entrepreneurial challenges and rewards
Like any founder, Eleora faces hurdles. She has navigated shipping delays that test customer expectations and has absorbed losses when some products arrive damaged. She’s also encountered particularly demanding customers; for example, one buyer placed an order late at night and requested a 2 a.m. self-collection, which was stressful for the team.
Still, she finds the journey exciting and educational. “It’s a really thrilling experience,” she told AsiaOne. “Running this business wasn’t something I planned from the start, but I truly enjoy it and want to do this long-term.”
Beyond paddle sales, Eleora is already brainstorming new ventures. She recently launched DIY crochet kits on A Little Ripple’s site. The kits, starting at $7.90, provide all necessary materials to crochet animals such as hedgehogs, penguins, and capybaras, plus step-by-step video tutorials.
If you’re a young aspiring entrepreneur, Eleora offers pragmatic advice: don’t fear failure. “The first few months or even years can be tough, and there may be months with no orders. You might not succeed right away, just like my first business. But you’ll gain valuable lessons that will benefit future ventures—and essential life skills like customer communication, budgeting, and marketing.”
Would you start a small business as a teen, or do you think entrepreneurship should wait until after college? Share your take in the comments."
