Sporting 8cm-high, bejewelled stiletto heels and decked with brand-name accessories the likes of Chanel and Dior, Ms Mindy Tan, 47, looks every bit the tai tai, a colloquial Chinese term for a lady of leisure.

Do not be fooled by her well-groomed exterior, though.

This petite woman is none other than the chief executive of home-grown electronics retailer Newstead Technologies.

If the store's name sounds familiar, that is because there are outlets across the island.

There are over 45 outlets here, including the retailer's chic Nubox stores for Apple products.

On her love for heels, Ms Tan, who is about 1.45m tall, said in Mandarin: "I'm short, that's why I have to wear heels. I wear them all day long at work, even when I deliver stocks to customers."

Trotting around in heels did not stop the tough cookie from starting her business in 1999.

Using $35,000 from her savings as capital, Ms Tan took the plunge and opened a 300 sq ft shop in Funan The IT Mall, now known as Funan DigitaLife Mall.

There was little fanfare on the store's opening day, Ms Tan recalled, but she was brimming with excitement.

"I was nervous, yet happy at the same time. I couldn't wait to wake up, get to the shop and open for business."

When asked if the one-woman operation had any transactions that day, she replied: "I'm a super saleswoman."

She sold three computers, which was quite a feat as consumers considered computers big-ticket items back then, she said.

"I take note of the customer's interests. I don't recommend items for the sake of making a sale, but look at their needs."

Her instincts in serving customers probably developed in her childhood years, when she helped out at her family business, a one-stop funeral service in Malaysia.

The third youngest of eight siblings, Ms Tan had been in charge of the "retail front", selling paper offerings for the dead.

She came to Singapore in 1985, and pursued a diploma in computing at a private school in the early 90s.

With a head filled with software knowledge, Ms Tan worked as a procurement officer for a consumer-electronics retailer. The experience would later help her in her business.

The successful career woman is glad to have the support of her husband, 48, and daughter, 16.

During her initial years in business, Ms Tan worked 13 hours a day, seven days a week, so her husband and daughter would spend time helping her at the shop on weekends.

Now that business is on track, Ms Tan can enjoy quality time with the family on weekends.

The company turned in a stellar report card last year, with revenue of $180 million.

Newstead is also considering an initial public offering.

Work aside, what does Ms Tan do when she is not busy?

She goes out with her daughter, and they often end up shopping or watching a movie - very girly activities, she said.

Her eyes lit up when this reporter asked her about her star buys and the fancy shoes on her feet.

She said sheepishly: "Oh, they are from my shop."

It turns out that the enterprising businesswoman has ventured into another business close to her heart: a chain of shoe boutiques, called fiore, in 2010.

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