Two weeks after opening her dream business, a horror-themed art jamming studio in Singapore called Scuro, Merida Lim was already thinking of quitting.
"I was so sad because I felt like it wasn't a viable business idea, but I was trapped because I signed a two-year lease," Lim, who is now 20, told Business Insider. "If I were to violate that lease, I would pay thousands and thousands of dollars, which is insane to me as a 19-year-old."
The weeks leading up to Scuro's grand opening in October 2024 were a whirlwind of preparations. Lim and her friends spent about two weeks painting the shophouse walls black, assembling furniture, and setting up decorations.
Opening up around Halloween generated buzz for Scuro, earning a few thousand dollars, but business fizzled out as the seasons shifted to Christmas and beyond.
"I broke even and made a bit of profit during Halloween, but it was clear to me that it was not a long-lasting concept," she said.
It was sink or swim.
Lim, then a second-year university art student, had to tackle an issue that has stumped even the most veteran business leaders: building a consistent clientele.
"I was like, 'What is the fastest way for me to pivot into something that's more family friendly?'"
Scuro is now a neon art studio that offers workshops, birthday parties, and team bonding events. Since May 2025, she's earned over $320,000.
A little help from social media
By December 2024, Lim had hand-painted bright fluorescent designs on her black studio walls and rebranded it as a proper neon art studio. However, very few knew about it.
"Scuro started picking up when we did more neon, so I advertised that a bit more," Lim said.
In Gen Z fashion, Lim hopped on a social media trend that involved inviting YouTuber JianHao Tan — who has over 10 million followers across social media — to her studio. Tan and his family visited Scuro in January, helping bring more attention to Lim's business.
"That established us as the viral studio," Lim said. "Then I focused a bit more on social media marketing and boosting the ads."
Lim reworked the business's strategy and focused on birthday parties, which were a hit with local families, earning over $22,000 in revenue in May 2025. The company's workshops also proved popular with families seeking weekend and holiday activities, but Lim said Scuro needed a service that could make it invaluable to a broader customer base.
"Team bonding is already a huge business in Singapore, but we realized that when you put people in such an immersive environment, naturally, conversations will flow better and they have a fun time with the people there," Lim said.
She added that adding team bonding events can help stabilize her business.
"With team bonding, I can sign contracts to do a whole section of a company," Lim said. "We also do events in community centers with the government."
Chasing new heights
Scuro has since expanded to three studios, including one in Singapore's Little India neighborhood, but Lim said guidance from mentors and investors has helped her business in the right direction.
"Don't be afraid to be the dumbest person in the room. If you are the dumbest person, you are in the right room," Lim said. "You are here to learn and get all the info you can."
Lim is now excited by the possibilities. Her goal is to secure 10 business-to-business partnerships and work with event organizers in Singapore.
"For Scuro, we're aiming to reach $3 million in annual revenue by the end of 3 years. That's our North Star," Lim said. "We are looking to be the OG Singapore Neon brand."
