Ear-caring shop
Simple
Why did you choose to start a business in the first place? How was the business conceived in the first place?
I am a mother, and my sense of crisis was looming in the face of the economic downturn of 2019 and 2020. Starting a business stemmed from my thought of being unwilling to work from 9 to 5 for a lifetime, as it trapped my mind and limited my possibility. It was not my first time to start a business, but I believed I could be successful only if I could seize the opportunities. Seeing that ear caring was very popular in Taiwan at that time, I also wanted to give it a try, but I could not be a layman to run the business. Therefore, I decided to go for a professional training in Taiwan. When I came back, I found that there were already ear-caring shops in Hong Kong which were also very successful, so I made a bold decision – to learn again. The first time was to learn craftsmanship, the second time the business model. It turned out to be successful.
How did you develop a team in the first place? How did you allocate the work?
My original team was just myself. I had to handle everything from developing business, customer service, advertising, accounting and cleaning up to offering ear-caring services. After I became familiar with all aspects of the operation and put it on track, I started recruiting staff to share the workload and I was the manager to oversee the whole operation. Therefore, there was a team to share the front line work in the shop, and we were able to expand the business by opening new branches.
How did starting a business affect your life (such as social life, leisure time, family life, etc.)?
I have a role as a mother. Under the epidemic, it has been difficult to arrange foreign domestic helpers to come to Hong Kong. My family members were not able to help so often. Therefore, at the beginning of the business, I could only sleep for about three hours a day.
What do you think is the most challenging part of starting a business?
There are bound to be setbacks in the process of starting a business. The most challenging part is how to deal with it when the business is not as ideal as I expect, but I believe in ‘the Law of Attraction’ and that positive thoughts will lead to positive results.
What are your future business plans?
The plan for the future is to find more like-minded people to develop the business together. I attach great importance to the development of the team. The team has been working closely and wholeheartedly to improve the quality of our service and to develop our business. For my team, this is not just my own business, but also their business.
What advice do you have for entrepreneurs who want to start a business?
Being young is the greatest capital. Plan well, dare to innovate, and try after measuring your own costs. This is not just to make money, but to earn more opportunities and broaden our horizons.
