STARTUP MAGAZINE: Jumpstart Issue 3 (Sep/Oct 2014) Hong Kong by Jumpstart Magazine: The Entrepreneur's Magazine

Issue 03

JUMPSTART

CONTENTS

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

September signifies “back to school” in most places around the world, and so we wanted to focus our third issue on the theme of education, complete with some relevant courses for entrepreneurs. While most of us don’t have the time or luxury to embark on a full-time learning program, a few classes here and there to improve your skills can make a real difference to your business. When looking through our directory, challenge yourself to take a class outside of your “concentration area.” This can help boost creativity for your business or help you to better manage an intern or an employee who specializes in a certain area of your business. Did you know that Steve Jobs took a class on typography and then, 10 years later, was able to apply the knowledge when building Apple’s first computer, one that happens to feature beautiful typography? Just as school education gives power to students, a question we must ask is: how do we empower the next generation of entrepreneurs? Allison Baum, previously a Regional Director of Asia at General Assembly, shares her personal journey with regards to fostering creativity as well as her experience in growing General Assembly, the largest source of continuing education classes, right here in Hong Kong. See pages 8 and 9 to find out more. And now, newbie entrepreneurs, here’s your own bit of ‘back to school’ homework! Can your new business generate $1,000 in the first month? Paul Orlando, a startup advisor and co-founder of HK’s first accelerator challenges new entrepreneurs to do just that. Find out how on pages 34 – 35. Curious about opening up a shop at PMQ? Then take a lesson or two from entrepreneurial shop owners who have gone through the process and are happy to share their knowledge and advice with you on opening your own shop in this hugely popular new space. Read all about it on pages 18-23. And, of course, lots of other great content awaits you in this issue. Find out just how to get your products into HK supermarkets, improve your customer service or launch a successful social media campaign in China. We are thrilled to have so many interesting experts share their inside knowledge with our community. If you have a great story to share or want to write an article for Jumpstart, please send ideas to editors@jumpstartmag.com. Yana Robbins Editor-In-Chief

Editor-In-Chief: Yana Robbins Editors: Lucy Banks Designer: Bobbie Miltcheva Circulation Manager: Jamie Bennett Website Manager: Rosalyn Smith

Contributors: Ashley Galina Dudarenok Jennie Cranham Kimberley Hobson Mush Dinchack Paul Orlando Jim Coke Sales: Gavin Mak Marketing Assistant: Sandra Wu Rochelle Lee

September/October 2014

General Inquiries: info@jumpstartmag.com Editorial: editors@jumpstartmag.com Advertising: advertise@jumpstartmag.com Upcoming Events: events@jumpstartmag.com facebook.com/jumpstartmag twitter.com/jumpstarthk

* Printed on FSC-Certified Paper Copyright © 2014 Jumpstart. The contents of the magazine are fully protected by copyright and nothing may be reprinted without permission. The publisher and editors accept no responsibility in respect to any products, goods or services that may be advertised or referred to in this issue or for any errors, omissions, or mistakes in any such advertisements or references. The mention of any specific companies or products in articles or advertisements does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by this magazine or its publisher in preference to others of a similar nature which are not mentioned or advertised. Printed by Magnum Print Company Limited. 11B E-Tat Factory Building, 4 Heung Yip Road, Wong Chuk Hang, Hong Kong

04 08 10 16

18 25 28 30 33 34 40 41

UPCOMING EVENTS

CLASSES FOR ENTREPRENEURS KEEPING THE LIGHTS ON RENT SPACE FOR YOUR NEXT EVENT SELF ASSESSMENT: ARE YOU GOOD AT SALES?

PMQ ENTREPRENEURS INTERVIEW WITH PAUL LEE OF ACE HEARING SOCIAL MEDIA IN CHINA HOW TO GET PRODUCTS INTO HK SUPERMARKETS IMPROVE YOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE THE $1,000 CHALLENGE CLASSIFIEDS

NEWLY LAUNCHED BUSINESSES

JUMPSTART

UPCOMING EVENTS

JUMPSTART

Wednesday, September 17, 6:30 PM Web Wednesday Mark your diaries for the next gathering of internet entrepreneurs and digital media adventurers. @ Club 18 / 18-20 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central

Wednesday, September 17, 12 - 2 PM Outlook of the Hong Kong Intellectual Property Landscape Register now and take the opportunity to meet with Ms. Ada Leung, Director of Intellectual Property of the HKSAR Intellectual Property Department, who will give a “tour d’horizon” of the key issues in the intellectual property landscape in Hong Kong and share insights on areas including the Copyright (Amendment) Bill 2014, development of the patent system, promotion of Hong Kong as an IP Trading hub and other possible future developments in our intellectual property protection regime. @ amcham.org.hk, $380

Friday, September 19, 7-12 AM General Assembly Open House Join our Open House to explore what General Assembly is offering in Hong Kong, meet like-minded & passionate people, and party with us with drinks, food, music and our guest DJ. @ General Assembly, FREE

Friday, September 26, 6-8 PM “Heart Beats” Party For one night, leave your work at work and join us for an evening exclusively devoted to your deepest nonprofessional passions. Come unplug with your peers and find out what drives them when they’re off the clock. No networking, no business cards, no nonsense. @ General Assembly, FREE

Monday, September 22, 6-8 AM Hong Kong’s FIRST Daybreaker Party is In Town!

November 14 - 16 Hong Kong Startup Weekend

Daybreaker is the hottest thing in New York City now, and GA is bringing it to HK for the first time! It’s a morning movement that will start your day off unlike anything else. Come party with us early in the morning, with no alcohol, only delicious breakfast and music, get pumped up before you head to work!

The 7th edition of Startup Weekend HK will take place in November. Startup Weekend is a global grassroots movement of active and empowered entrepreneurs who are learning the basics of founding startups and launching successful ventures. It is the largest community of passionate entrepreneurs with over 1800 past events in 120 countries around the world in 2014.

@ General Assembly, FREE

Monday, September 23, 12:30 – 2:00 PM Are you an SME Looking for Funding? A common challenge for SMEs is to seek bank financing when they are at the startup phase and are not yet financially sound. There are many options to consider when looking at financing , and one option which should be explored are government funding schemes. This session will focus on introducing government funding schemes which are applicable for new start-up businesses in Hong Kong. smecc.hk, $300 HKD

hongkong.startupweekend.org

Tuesday, November 18, 7:00 - 9:30 PM Budding Entrepreneurs: Panel Discussion on Journeys as Entrepreneurs in Hong Kong The Entrepreneurs Club of Hong Kong have great pleasure to invite 5 budding entrepreneurs in Hong Kong to have an interactive discussion on their respective journeys in Hong Kong. They will share the ‘highs’ and the ‘lows’ of their respective journeys as well as what they would have done differently if they were to start all over again. The Entrepreneurs Club, $200 HKD

Monday, October 13 Global Youth Entrepreneurship Forum As a new initiative of The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups (HKFYG), this Forum is expected to attract 400 worldwide youth to meet together in Hong Kong and get inspired by the successful stories of entrepreneurs from different parts of the world. Target: entrepreneurs / those with a business idea who are below 45 years old from any part of the world. @ Rotunda 2, Kowloon Bay International Trade & Exhibition Centre $700 HKD / $900 HKD with dinner

SUBMIT EVENTS ONLINE For more events and classes & to submit free listings, please visit: jumpstartmag.com

December 4 - 6 Inno Design Tech Expo The HKTDC Inno Design Tech Expo is the region’s annual event providing a platform for creative and technology professionals to showcase their consultancy services, and explore business opportunities in the local, mainland and overseas markets. This year’s aim is to assist HK technology and creative startups through the debut of a “Start-up Zone” catering to start-ups, coworking places and entrepreneurs. There will be a series of events taking place during the fair and the participating startups will be able to meet potential investors and end users of their services. Booths for startups available for $3,410 HKD Contact Whitney (whitney.wl.poon@hktdc.org) for more information.

JUMPSTART

BACK TO SCHOOL DIRECTORY of Classes for Entrepreneurs LEARN MARKETING/BRANDING Executive Certificate in Brand Management (48 hours) This program is designed to provide a practical perspective in creating, building and managing strong brands. Classes are offered on Friday evenings, Saturday and Sundays. hkuspace.hku.hk, $6,500 HKD 24 October 2014 - 17 January 2015 Creative Marketing Plans for Small Businesses (24 hours) This course will help small businesses maximize revenue by building loyal customers in cost-effective ways. The course looks at how participants can use consumer data to generate sales and help them build an annual plan aimed to generate higher revenue. raffles.edu.hk, $7,200 HKD Classes begin every other month

LEARN GRAPHIC DESIGN/UX User Experience Design (12 weeks) This course is an introduction to User Experience with a focus on Information Architecture. Students create a complete UX brief, from ideation to annotated wireframes that could be handed off to a developer to be built. generalassemb.ly, $28,000 HKD November 11– February 12, 2014. Tuesdays/Thursdays 7-9pm User Experience Bootcamp (7 weeks) WOW-X is a User Experience Bootcamp that trains startups and UX designers to help accelerate their new product development in 7 Weeks. Minimum 2 people per startup. kaizor.com. $8,000 HKD per person Stay tuned for the next session

JUMPSTART

LEARN WEB DEVELOPMENT

LEARN SALES

Web Development Immersive (12 weeks) This all day, every day, 12-week course will help you develop a portfolio of projects individually and in small teams that are ready to present to employers. generalassemb.ly, $90,000 HKD Sep 22 – December 19, 2014. Monday – Friday 9-5:30pm

One-Day Sales & Role-Playing Workshop This interactive workshop is designed to help executives to master presentation and sales-closing skills and to apply them in daily sales activities to win more business. marketing.hkma.org.hk, $2,700 September 23, 2014

Back-End Web Development (10 weeks) In this course you will learn the fundamentals of an object- oriented programming language and build functional web applications. generalassemb.ly, $25,000 HKD October 7 – December 11, 2014. Monday/Wednesday 7-10pm Front-End Web Development (10 weeks) In this course, you will learn to design and code beautiful, interactive client-facing websites using HTML, CSS and JavaScript. generalassemb.ly, $28,000 HKD October 14 - December 18, 2014. Tuesday/Thursday 7-10pm

A 1-Day Seminar on Selling Skills that Sell This class is designed to help salespeople acquire effective selling skills and techniques to achieve better results. marketing.hkma.org.hk , $3,180 HKD October 21, 2014 Be a Legendary Sales Warrior (9 hours) At the end of this course, participants will be able to: Explain the Hunter mentality, Explain the Survivor mentality, Explain the Winner mentality, Explain the Warrior mentality, and Be a Black-Belt Sales Warrior. raffles.edu.hk, $2,700 HKD Classes begin every other month

LEARN APPS/MOBILE GAMING Professional Certificate in iPhone Apps Design (90 hours) This course is designed to train practitioners with essential skills in both iPhone and iPad application design and development, and prepare them to practice iPhone application development as a profession. The course includes user interface design, application development and Apps publishing. It is a unique course that combines design, technology and marketing knowledge, preparing practitioners to implement and deploy applications based on user requirements. On completion of the course, participants will be able to design and code iPhone / iPad / iPod Apps just like those from online Apple store. www.hkdi.edu.hk, $12,300 HKD Classes begin in early 2015 Flash-based Gaming (24 hours) This short course will help beginners design their own mini ‘Hidden Objects’ game and then make it functional using Adobe Photoshop & Flash software. raffles.edu.hk, $7,200 HKD Classes start every other month Create Your First App (12 hours) This short course will help beginners design their first Mobile App, starting from a flowchart, wireframes, designs concepts, user-interface and user-experience to the final optimization of the design for development using Adobe Photoshop. raffles.edu.hk, $3,600 Classes start every other month

MAKE MONEY:

TEACH A CLASS! Teach an online class on Skillshare.com or Udemy.com Unlike schoolteachers and professors, online instructors don’t need credentials, so you can earn money while running your startup. You can teach a class on a wide variety of topics, including design, entrepreneurship, photography, film, fashion, technology, music, food, writing, and creativity & innovation. In 2013, Udemy released data stating that their top 10 instructors generated more than $5 million USD in revenue. Teach a class at General Assembly in Hong Kong General Assembly has a number of part-time and full-time openings for instructors in web development, digital marketing and other areas. See site for details: https://generalassemb.ly/teach-at-ga

JUMPSTART

LOG IN AND LEARN Lynda.com Founded in 1995, lynda.com is a leading online learning company that helps anyone learn business, software, technology and creative skills to achieve personal and professional goals. There are over 2,800 videos where you can learn Photoshop, Dreamweaver, web development, online marketing and more at your own pace. Basic Membership starts at $25 USD a month and offers unlimited access to all videos. Skillshare.com Skillshare is an online learning community to master real-world skills through project-based classes. You can learn from Seth Godin, Guy Kawasaki and other business gurus. Membership is $9.95 a month and you get access to all videos. Udemy.com Udemy boasts 18,000+ courses taught by expert instructors in multiple languages. Reviews of classes are available from other students and you can see how many people have taken the class in the past. You can learn programming, mobile development, web design and more. Classes are individually priced, some free classes available. Coursera.com Coursera is an education platform that partners with top universities and organizations worldwide, to offer courses online for anyone to take, for free. Choose from 400+ courses created by the world’s top educational institutions. You can learn computer science, social entrepreneurship, cryptography and more. All classes are free. Most classes require starting the coursework on a specific day and run 6 weeks or longer.

PUBLIC SPEAKING Present Like a Pro (9 hours) Participants will learn the following: The deadly sins of Powerpoint, how professionals present, the art and science of presentation, best presentation software alternatives to Powerpoint and how to wow your audience with superb presentation skills. raffles.edu.hk, $2700 Classes start every other month One on One Public Speaking Training Whether you are 3 or 73, one thing guaranteed to make the heart rate speed up and your palms begin to sweat: making a speech or presentation. All those people waiting for you to make a mistake, lose your place or just grind to a complete stop. Help is at ActingUp; it is our job to help you overcome public speaking fears. We guide all ages from 3+ with confidence building and professional acting techniques, all geared towards making you an assertive, self- assured and inspirational speaker. We cover any corporate speech and presentation requirements. Actinguphk.com How to Speak so People Listen and How to Listen so People Speak Despite the explosion of communication devices, people talk less to each other than ever before. In this fun and interactive workshop, participants will meet each other and converse in the language of their choice exploring what keeps us quiet when the solution is in the dialogue and what we can do to change this in ourselves and others. hkma.org.hk, $2,680 November 14, 2014 Toastmasters – The Public Speaking Club Toastmasters is a worldwide non-profit-making educational organization founded in 1924 dedicated to improving its members’ communication and leadership skills. Members are comprised of people from all walks of life, including business people, professionals and students. There are 10+ English-language clubs in Hong Kong held at various locations, mostly in the evening and about two to three times each month. hongkong-toastmasters.org

JUMPSTART

China Business Workshop Getting Your E-Business Going in China This is a perfect and complete course to go through how to get started head first in China business, primarily around online business and e-commerce. 2 part series. Topics include: Establishing a Chinese company, China eBusiness Overview, Buying from a Chinese factory & other bargaining tactics, Chinese websites, Chinese SEO and Internet Marketing, Chinese Social Media, Chinese E-commerce, App Marketing in China, and lots of case studies. October 25 and November 5, 2014 $250 HKD per course

chinabusinessworkshop.com

WOMEN WHO CODE Women Who Code HK is a non-profit organization that promotes women in tech. We believe that innovation is driven by diversity and that the tech industry will be even better once women are no longer underrepresented. We provide an avenue for women to pursue a career in technology, help them gain new skills and hone existing skills for professional advancement, and foster environments where networking and mentorship are valued. We also want to tell the new generation that there are no skills reserved to men, and women are also represented in technology. We started our fist meeting in January 2014 and we now have more than 120 members. We want to raise awareness that female developers exist and are as skillful as their male colleagues. It is a career path anyone interested can take, whether you are a student or looking for a change in career path.

Next Event: 24 september 7:00-9:00PM at Cocoon. WomenWhoCodeHK.com

More Online Looking for photography classes? Film? Fashion Design? Find more classes on Jumpstartmag.com

JUMPSTART

Empowering the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs

Keeping the Lights On Allison Baum, Managing Director at Fresco Capital, was recently asked to speak at the opening event of Baker & Bloom, an innovative education center in Hong Kong that aims to empower young people with confidence through courses like social entrepreneurship, creative writing, and many others. The topic was “How can we create entrepreneurs and innovators?” A powerful question, indeed: how can we effectively teach our youngsters to be gritty, driven, creative, and innovative? Especially in a place like Hong Kong, where everyone has plenty to say on why the education system is broken, the answer to that question could transform generations. As Allison reflects upon her own journey, she proposes that perhaps the job is easier than we think. Perhaps we don’t need to create entrepreneurs at all.

s I reflected upon my own journey, it occurred to me that perhaps this problem of “creating entrepreneurs and innovative thinkers” is a false choice. Perhaps we don’t need to create them at all. I would argue that all children are born with a natural light inside them. A natural penchant to create, to innovate, to affect positive change in the world around them. Our job as educators, investors, parents, friends, and members of society is simply to figure out how to keep that light from dying out, to fan the flames of entrepreneurship within each child, and to empower them with the tools and the confidence to pursue their unique passions. Of course, I’m not going to even pretend that I know how to do that, because I do not. But I can share my own experience of how that light of entrepreneurship within me died out, how I was able to turn it back on again, and what I am doing now to keep the lights on for as many people in the world as possible. When I was a child, I was incredibly creative, eager to try new

things, and always trying to find a way to be different. In second grade, I boldly proclaimed to my friends that I LOVED homework. I wrote a series of books about a cartoon aardvark named Dixie and her best friend, Missy the Chicken. I started a custom pillow business where I sold basketball shaped, heart shaped, and animal shaped pillows to literally anyone who would buy them, from my extended family, to my neighbors, to my computer teacher, Mr. Gilhooley. But somewhere between the social pressures of trying to fit in, wanting to look cool but also wanting be successful, between attempting to work hard, play sports, be editor of the Yearbook, and study for the SAT’s, between getting into Harvard, wanting to be the “perfect student”, daughter, friend, or girlfriend, I forgot how to be weird, crazy, and to try new things. Instead, I simply learned how to be the best according to other people’s standards. As a sophomore at Harvard, I was recruited to work on Wall Street, within the Sales & Trading division at Goldman Sachs. I had no idea what

a “derivative” was, but I knew that it was an exclusive world that was very competitive and fast-paced, filled with smart people, and that I should be grateful for such a sought after opportunity. Throughout my four years at University, in spite of career counselling, academic advisors, and a diverse group of friends, I can honestly say it never even once occurred to me to do something else. So, after graduating with a degree in Economics and Film Studies, I joined the Equity Derivatives team at Goldman in New York. My parents were extremely proud, people were always impressed by my business cards, I was able to support myself and even save a little money, and a lot of people wanted to have my job. I felt lucky, but I was sad. I was busy, but I was stressed. I absolutely hated myself for not just being grateful for what I had, but there was no spark. I had no idea what it was, but something was missing. Somewhere along the way, that crazy pillow saleswoman had closed shop and that little light inside me had gone out.

In 2012, I decided to do something about it. I took a leap of faith and left Goldman to join an early stage education start up in New York City called General Assembly. I was an early member of the team and saying I got thrown into the deep end is putting it lightly. I was tasked with building out their long-form courses for practical digital skills for entrepreneurs programs to teach people how to code, digital marketing, data science, user experience. All amazing skills, none of which I knew how to do. It was completely overwhelming, but all of a sudden it was like someone turned on the lights and the world had gone from black & white to full color. I was learning new things, solving problems, creating completely new possibilities for myself and for others, I was engaging with other incredibly talented individuals in ways that came very naturally to me, but I had completely forgotten how to do. Not only was I experiencing a change within myself, but by creating education programs that empowered others with the same experience, I was watching that light turn on within each and every student we had. Our programs were geared toward adults, toward working professionals who, just like me, had been jaded by the real world and somewhere along the line, their lives had lost their spark. I could see their eyes light up and their worlds turn to full color as they found themselves building their own websites, launching their own marketing campaigns, making their own dreams a reality. All things they had always said they wanted to do, but had forgotten were completely within their reach. Once I got a taste of my childhood back, the entrepreneur within me came back with a vengeance and I haven’t looked back since. People tell me I am crazy all the time, but

Not only was I experiencing a change within myself, but by creating education programs that empowered others with the same experience, I was watching that light turn on within each and every student we had. I can’t help that I just keep thinking bigger and bigger. After seven months building out the education programs and team at General Assembly in New York, I decided I was going to move to Hong Kong and launch their business in Asia… they just didn’t know it yet. I pitched the founders on why they should let me give it a try. They told me I was insane, that I was completely inexperienced, but I didn’t care. I wouldn’t take no for an answer. They finally said yes, and in 2013, I incorporated General Assembly Hong Kong. From nothing, we started launching all types of education programs to empower entrepreneurs in Hong Kong. After just nine months (and very little sleep), we had dozens of amazing teachers on board, 2,000 students had come through our doors, we had formed countless partnerships, and I even had a fulltime team of six people. Then, in January of this year, I took on a whole new challenge when I handed off the business to a new Director and joined Fresco Capital, a seed stage fund investing in entrepreneurs around the world. I have been learning a lot as an early stage investor but I just couldn’t stay away from the power of education and the magnitude of the

work that needs to be done to make sure that everyone has what they need to keep the lights on and to see the world in full color. Again, I can’t pretend to have any idea how to do that, but I know I can contribute. So, now, we are raising a new fund at Fresco specifically to invest in entrepreneurs who are starting businesses in education technology. The goal of this fund is to scale our impact as much as possible - to leverage our capital, experience, and network to help change the system, one business, one entrepreneur, one student at a time, one light at a time. I share my experience here to highlight that the challenge of encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship is not about shaping our children as individuals. They are already filled with infinite capability and wisdom. Our challenge is banding together to shape the system so that it fuels their passion instead of stiffing it.

Allison Baum

Allison Baum is a Managing Director of Fresco Capital, a seed stage investment fund based in Hong Kong. She is involved in all aspects of investment and operations of the fund with a specific focus on the education sector. Previously, as Regional Director of Asia at General Assembly, she established and grew the company’s first education programs for technology, business, and design in Hong Kong. She originally joined the company in its early stages in New York where she developed and scaled their first long-form and immersive courses.

JUMPSTART

The Crafties

The Workground

Airplay Bar

Sheung Wan

Causeway Bay

LKF

Size: 1,200 Square Foot Max #: 80 for cocktail reception Cost: $500/hr (M-F); $800/hr (Weekends) thecrafties.com | +852.3461.1368

Size: 4,000 Square Foot Max # 80 Standing Cost: Events: $450/hour Perks: Projectors, photoshooting equipment, fridge theworkground.com

Size: 1,500 Square Foot Max #: 35 people Cost: $1,000 airplaybar.com | +852.2641.9888

1/F Sing Kui Commercial Building, No. 27 Des Voeux Road, West Sheung Wan, Hong Kong Jumpstart can use $500/Hr for rental on Saturday for minimum of 2 hours rental

7/f, W Place, 52 Wyndham st. 23/F Island Beverley, 1 Great George Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

*Ideal for corporate events, product launches, media events, workshops, and sales exhibitions.

10% off on event space rental for the Jumpstart community

Platform

CoCoon

Paperclip Startup Campus

Sai Yin Pun

Tin Hau

Sheung Wan

Size: 800 Square Foot Max #: 80 standing Cost: $900/hour, $4000/half day, $8000/full day Perks: Projector, microphone, kitchen space for caterers, partition into separate meeting rooms platform.hk | +852.3460.7788

Size: 3,000 Square Foot Max #: 100-150 people Cost: $3,500/hr Perks: Projector, microphone, fridge, tables/chairs hkcocoon.org

Size: 900 Square Foot Max #: 125 people Cost: Starting from $550 per hour Perks: Projector, microphone, fridge, tables/chairs, writable metal wall, noise reduction partition wall and pantry papercliphk.com

1-3/F 120 Connaught Road West, Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong

3/F, Citicorp Centre, 18 Whitfield Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

10% discount for Jumpstart community until Dec 31, 2014

*This is seminar area + cafe

Venue Spaces for Rent

3/f, Nam Wo Hong Building, 148 Wing Lok Street, Sheung Wan

Venue Spaces for Rent

JUMPSTART

8080 Space

Above Second

Wynd

Fashion Farm Foundation

Kwun Tong

Sai Ying Pun

Central

Lai Chi Kok

Size: 1,400 Square Foot Max #: 50 people Cost: $220/hr (M-F); $300/hr (Weekends) Perks: Wifi, 46” HDTV (HDMI Port), 70” Digital Smart Monitor, PA system with mic, 4:3/100” portable screen, white boards, overhead projector, fridge and microwave, lockers 8080Space.com

Size: 400 Square Foot Max #: 50 people Cost: $1500/ hour OR $8,000 HKD for the day Perks: Projector, USB speaker, 2 refrigerators, 1 freezer, 1 moveable desk, 1 large table, 2 benches, 2 water bottles, kitchen area above-second.com

Size: 3,500 Square Foot Max #: 70 people Cost: $1,200 - $1,800 HKD per hour Perks: Projector, fridge, fax, scan, printer, balcony, sound system, TV projector, whiteboards, wifi, complimentary coffee tea, soft drinks, beers, fruits wynd.hk

Size: 15,000 Square Foot Rooftop Garden Max #: 800 – 1,000 Cost: $7,000 HKD (4 hours) fashionfarmfoundation.org | +852.2153 3359

9 First Street, Sai Ying Pun

10/F, 43-55 Wyndham Street, LKF, Central

This is the rooftop garden!

Fashion Farm Foundation

Garage Society

Lai Chi Kok

Central

Size: 11,000 Square Foot Max #: 700-800 Cost: $5,000 (4 hours) fashionfarmfoundation.org | +852.2153.3359 Unit A, 9/F, D2 Place, Cheung Yee Street, Lai Chi Kok, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Size: 1,000 Square Foot (9F) Max #: 80 – 100 Cost: $3,000/hr Perks: Projector, screen, microphones, speakers, wi-fi, tables, chairs, refrigerator, event coordination, catering arrangement, outdoor space. thegaragesociety.com | +852.3952.7200

Jumpstart community – 20% off discount for 10/F rental

33 Dex Voux Road, 9F

Unit A, 9/F, D2 Place, Cheung Yee Street, Lai Chi Kok, Kowloon, Hong Kong

1 Hung To Road, Unit 2913, Kwun Tong, Kowloon Jumpstart special $500 off our day rate

The Space Sheung Wan Size: 3,500 Square Foot Max #: 150-200 people Cost: $15,000 HKD Half-day / morning $20,000 HKD Half-day / after 4pm $30,000 Full Day $56,000 Two Days Perks: Two projectors, AV system described above, one wireless microphone, fully equipped kitchen www.thespace.hk

TKP Wanchai Conference Centre Wanchai Size: 1,237 Square Foot Max #: 140 Cost: $5,800+ for 3 hours, $10,920 HKD full day Perks: Microphone, speaker, whiteboard, water server and podium is inclusive in the room rent. Projector & screen $800/day, flip chart $100/day wanchai-cc.hk 17/F, East Town Building, 41 Lockhart Road, Wanchai

Outdoor Space!

210 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan Venue Spaces for Rent

Venue Spaces for Rent

JUMPSTART

The Loft

The Good Lab

Diamond Hill

Kowloon

Size: 4,000 Square Foot Max #: 120 Cost: $1,200/hr Perks: The fee includes cleaning fee, and all include complementary use of projector, microphone, fridge, tables/chairs. theloft.com.hk | +852.3905.1000

Size: 1,200 Square Foot Max #: 110 Cost: $1,200/hr Perks: Mini Theatre: seminar / rehearsal / workshop – include 2 microphones, audio and projector. Can rent laptops as well. goodlab.hk | +852.3996.1933

Size: 1,800 Square Foot Terrace Max #: 150 Cost: $1,500/hr Perks: Projector, microphone, fridge, outdoor screen, beanbags TheHive.com.hk +852.3568.6343

Block A, 4th Floor, Lee King Industrial Building, 12 Ng Fong Street, San Po Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Good Lab – L1, The Sparkle, 500 Tung Chau Street, West Kowloon

21st Floor, The Phoenix Building, No.23 Luard Road, Wan Chai

10% off for Jumpstart community to book before 31 Dec 2014

Outdoor Space!

$1500/hour for both use of interior and terrace ($500 HKD off)

The Hive Wan Chai

Bridges Executive Centre Central Size: 420 Square Foot Max #: 16 people Cost: $1,200/hr, $5,500 per day Perks: LCD 65” TV dual screen projection, wireless Internet access, whiteboard, note pads & pens, coffee/ tea/water, cookies, receptionist services, glamorous breakout area and Internet café bridges.hk | +852.3665.7222 20th Floor, Central Tower, 28 Queen’s Road, Central, Hong Kong

Find More Venues

The Loft

The Hive

Diamond Hill

Wan Chai

Size: 2,000 Square Foot Max #: 80 Cost: $1,200/hr Perks: The fee is including cleaning fee, and all include complimentary use of projector, microphone, fridge, tables/ chairs. theloft.com.hk | +852.3905.1000

Size: 1,250 Square Foot Max #: 150 Cost: $1,000/hr Perks: Projector, mircophone, fridge, outdoor screen, beanbags TheHive.com.hk | +852.3568.6343 21st Floor, The Phoenix Building, No.23 Luard Road, Wan Chai

Block A, 4th Floor, Lee King Industrial Building, 12 Ng Fong Street, San Po Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong

HK-based Ambi Labs is currently crowdfunding their first product, Ambi Climate, an intelligent upgrade for the air-conditioner that improves comfort and saves energy, on Singapore-based Crowdtivate. We spoke to them to get the lowdown on their experience. “After we won the People’s Choice Award at Echelon 2014, Starhub (a major Singapore telco) approached us to join their new site, Crowdtivate.” said Julian Lee. “We are incredibly excited and honoured to be one of their launch projects - we believe in their vision of a pan-Asian crowdfunding site featuring Asian startups and targeting Asian consumers.” Since launching Ambi Climate on Crowdtivate, they have seen backers from throughout Asia, including countries that they hadn’t previously considered such as Thailand and Vietnam. They have also seen backers from a range of other countries across the globe, including the UK, US, Australia, Greece, and others. As they enter the final stages of their campaign, Ambi Labs is currently considering their next steps to engage with this more global supporter base. You can follow them on Twitter or Facebook to find out more about their plans.

Visit Jumpstartmag.com for a full directory of event spaces in Hong Kong.

Write for Jumpstart Are you an expert designer? IP lawyer? Investor? We’re always looking for new writers. Contact our team to pitch your idea. editors@jumpstartmag.com

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PROSPECTING:

[Identifying, generating and connecting with your potential clients] Can you describe your potential clients? Are you using at least three different ways of generating referrals? o Quality networking o Social media o Personal contacts o Existing clients o Other

SELFASSESSMENT: ARE YOU GOOD AT SALES? By Mush Panjwani

Are you using at least three different ways to contact your referrals? o Email o Social media o Phone call o Personal visit (cold call) Do you prefer using the phone to emails?

If that sounds familiar then chances are you aren’t doing a good enough job of ‘personal selling’. That happens to many entrepreneurs who lack the selling skills, and hope that a great product or service will sell itself. Do you want to know how good your personal selling is? Just answer these 20 simple questions about the four key elements of selling. Just check for ‘yes’ and leave for ‘no’.

[Presenting your product/service to potential clients] Do you establish ‘rapport’ before starting your story? That means: o Making the prospect comfortable with you o Getting the prospect talking to you about his business and challenges o Listening attentively Do you ask a set of questions to understand your prospect’s current challenges and needs that are relevant to you? Do you always present ‘benefits’ of your product/ service, and not just the ‘features’? Is most of your presentation ‘scripted’ with the right choice of words and questions? Are you genuinely passionate and enthusiastic about your product/service? And does that show clearly through your words, voice and body language?

Do you have a 60-second pitch to get a prospect excited in your product/service?

CLOSING: PREPARING:

[Pricing, negotiation and the order]

[Yourself and your material for the sales presentation]

Do you always ask for an order or referrals at the end of every presentation?

Do you research your prospects and their business before meeting them?

Do you communicate prices only after presenting your product/service benefits?

Does your appearance make a great first impression?

Do you have alternate packages/offers for the client to choose from?

Is all your sales material consistent with your brand/story? o Business cards o Product/service presentation (whether hard copy or digital) o Price list and any other material that you will show to your prospect You have a great product or service. You have built a killer website. Your interns are now working on your social media. You are networking like crazy. You are building your database and considering a monthly newsletter. You have also established specific financial goals. But you aren’t getting enough sales or making the amount of money you were hoping to make!

PRESENTATION:

Do you have a ‘leave-behind’ piece, other than your business card? Are your website and social media functioning well and consistent with your brand/story?

If you have answered ‘no’ to ten or more questions, you may want to rethink your sales strategies, and invest some time in building the skills required.

Do you have a clear response to ‘why your prices are so high?’ Do you make it very easy for the prospect to place an order? That means: o Minimum amount of info required on the form o Zero documents required o Maximum number of payment options (credit card, cheque, cash, online transfer) ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Mush Panjwani has been a successful sales trainer and motivational speaker for over 28 years. Mush has worked with corporates, entrepreneurs, managers and sales teams in 17 countries across Asia Pacific. Mush is also the author of “Dhinchak Life” and the founder of “Dinchack” – a company that provides corporate training, business consulting to entrepreneurs and startups and personal coaching to professionals. Find out more at www.Dinchack.com

JUMPSTART

PMQ Entrepreneurs PMQ BRINGS CREATIVE SPACE TO HONG KONG ON A SCALE NEVER PREVIOUSLY EXPERIENCED. OVER 100 CREATIVE DESIGNERS, BUSINESSES AND ENTREPRENEURS OCCUPY THE LIGHT AND SPACIOUS ABERDEEN STREET LOCATION. SOME OF THE FIRST TO EXPERIENCE THE CHALLENGES AND SUCCESSES OF THIS NEW, UNTESTED VENUE TALK TO US ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES AS PART OF THIS EXCITING AND INNOVATIVE VENTURE.

Interview with A Day with Fé Bringing a sense of calm to the city, A Day with Fé specializes in elegant yoga-inspired clothing designs. More than just a fashion brand, the space offers workshops on a wide range of topics including yoga, style and health.

Tell us about your company I launched my yoga-inspired clothing line in June 2013. The idea was to create an elegant and chic active wear collection that you could wear outside the gym without having the athletic look with neon colors. The yoga-inspired bit is that each piece of my collection has a mantra or positive affirmation in the inside, that nobody can see but the wearer. I learned about mantras when I first discovered yoga and wanted to empower other non yogis with these words of wisdom.

What has your experience been like having a shop at PMQ? PMQ has been a great way to gain exposure. During the PMQ’s soft opening, daily media tours were organised by the local and mainland media companies. Interviews and video shoots by various media platforms gave me the opportunity to increase brand awareness in new market segments. Traffic is good in the evenings and during weekends, and PMQ can even be a little overcrowded during special events such as the PMQ Night Markets or the 1600 Panda exhibition. Moving from online to offline, sales have increased a lot for me since I opened in PMQ.

What are some challenges of running a shop at PMQ? The challenges of running a shop for me is the need to be present in the shop. The opening hours of PMQ are daily from 1pm to 8pm. Working from home or remotely has been very convenient in the past and now I am managing a team of part-time sales staff to run the shop.

PMQ

Tell us about the process for applying for a spot in PMQ My application included my design portfolio, my key design disciplines, my business plan and how I could contribute to the PMQ community. The whole process, between the date I submitted my application and the date I received the result, was less than 2 months. I have signed a 2 year contract with PMQ.

Tell us about the process of setting up your shop. PMQ is the former Police Married Quarters, so in order to preserve the building’s heritage (which I fully support because this is quite unique in Hong Kong), we had a number of guidelines to respect in terms of setting up our space such as a certain weight of furniture not to exceed or the studio façade that could not be altered. The interior design is then entirely up to us. I chose a minimalist interior with a wooden flooring so I can host yoga or other wellbeing related workshops in my studio.

Would you recommend that a company opens up a shop in PMQ? Any thoughts/ tips for potential shop owners that are thinking of launching in PMQ? I would recommend first time shop owners or entrepreneurs in the creative field wanting to engage with the customers to open a shop in PMQ. There is an increasing traffic and a variety of customers from tourists to young local hipsters. I use my “shop” as my office in the mornings when there is no traffic and love to engage with my fellow designers from PMQ.

Interview with BeCandle

PMQ, BeCandle has a candlemaking workshop at Fo Tan.

Part of a creative duo of two local brands forming the Glue Associates shop, BeCandle’s designers and candle artisans craft contemporary, whimsical candles.

What has your experience been like having a shop at PMQ?

Tell us about your company Glue Associates is a shop cofounded in 2014 by two local creative brands, BeCandle and Studio Mango. BeCandle creates one of a kind candles with a blend of artisanal techniques and contemporary design. Studio Mango designs and produces contemporary lighting and interior products with a humorous touch. We sell our own branded products as well as some collaborative products at the shop. Other than

Before starting the shop at PMQ, we didn’t have experience in retail business. During the first few months after opening, PMQ has hosted some major events like the 1600 Pandas, and the nearly regular Night Markets, which have drawn significant number of visitors, and had very positive effect to our sales. Our product and price range have been attractive to the general crowd of visitors, including quite a proportion of tourists. We have an affordable range of products like the candles, which keep sales stable, and a range with higher margin like the jewelry, pet houses and lighting products. We have turned a profit each month until now, and projecting to break even in six months. We have also gained exposure in the press and TV after opening here, which is very good for our brand building.

What are some challenges of running a shop at PMQ? It’s definitely a challenge to attract the crowd or our target customers among a lot of unique and talented creators and shops here at PMQ. We hold regular events like workshops, and at the same time use social media to keep and grow a crowd of supporters. Most of the space is shared as a working studio, which is not as cost effective. We are trying to rearrange the space and increase the retail area and our range of products. So more investment would be involved.

in front of a panel of judges formed by a group of design professionals and businessmen. After a few months, we were informed about the success of the application and the rental rate. The whole process took about 4 months. Our contract lasts for 2 years, and will be reviewed afterwards.

Tell us about the process of setting up your shop. Can you do anything with your space? We did very minimal work for setting up the shop, using plank wood to build the cabinets and divide the space. The wall was sanded and kept white without any extra paint, the floor was polished and remains as raw concrete. We transferred the furniture at the working studio from our original studio to save money.

Would you recommend that a company opens up a shop in PMQ? Any thoughts/tips for potential shop owners that are thinking of launching in PMQ? I would definitely recommend a company to open up a shop in PMQ, especially for those who are young and building their brands. I think for those who are thinking of launching in PMQ, try to think of it as a community instead of just a mall for designers. The synergy among neighborhoods powers up the community as well as our own brand.

Tell us about the process for applying for a spot in PMQ We submitted a business proposal, which includes a description of our products, brands, past business experience and business plan. And then we went through an interview

PMQ

JUMPSTART

Interview with 513 Paint Shop 513 Paint Shop offers environmentally friendly and non-toxic paints for homes and interiors, showcased through a range of quality lifestyle products and a constantly updated shop interior. 513 Paint Shop aims to spark creativity and inspire clients.

Tell us about your company 513 Paint Shop is our first concept store focusing on environmentally friendly and safe paints for home/ office interiors. We aim to inspire individuals to get creative and be passionate about their own environment and surroundings. We also have some very artistic handmade products like hand drawn canvases, cushions/lampshades with special finish fabric which we’ve created for sale in the shop.

What has your experience been like having a shop at PMQ? It has been amazing! Because PMQ attracts many different sectors of society, we have had exposure like we’d never have anywhere else; from media to business collaboration opportunities, the range is much wider than we had anticipated. In terms of sales, we understand that our products and market are very new in Hong Kong and will perhaps take some time for visitors to come back with their real needs, but within just a few short months, we’re seeing more clearly the diversity of our market as well.

Tell us about the process for applying for a spot in PMQ We learned about the application being open for PMQ through a client of ours, and without hesitation, we applied. Through the several rounds of interviews, we actually got quite confident that our unique concept and products would be appealing enough to secure us a spot. Waiting for the space to be renovated was the longest part of the proces after we were accepted. We are here to stay for 2 years.

Tell us about the process of setting up your shop. Can you do anything with your space? We designed our own shop because we have expertise in interior architecture and decoration. We painted the feature wall ourselves, and of course all the walls and the ceiling in the shop were painted with our own VOC free, and toxin free paints!

What are some challenges of running a shop at PMQ?

Would you recommend that a company opens up a shop in PMQ?

Perhaps because PMQ has such a variety of creative businesses, visitors are drawn in for many different reasons, and some could be there simply to browse. But that’s fine; this provides exposure to as many diverse groups as possible.

Yes, if they’re a creative business, this is really the place to be. As in any other launch of business today, you must have a unique selling point which you truly believe and are passionate about and that would set your story apart.

PMQ

JUMPSTART

Interview with Phoenix Sweets

Interview with Metal Works

Specializing in intricate and delicate tailor-made cakes, as well as offering high quality cupcakes and cookies, Phoenix Sweets moves its hand crafted sweet treats from an online business to its first physical shop.

Metal Works, lead by designer Ivan Keung, offers distinctive, innovative metal work designs in a modern, contemporary space.

Tell us about your company We were an online business for around two years, known for tailor-made baked sweets including cakes, cupcakes, cookies, and others. We used to focus our business development online such as promotions via Facebook and Instagram. PMQ is our first physical store.

What has your experience been like having a shop at PMQ? This is a significant business development. Running a store in PMQ is fun. There are lots of interesting customers coming in, and some of them cannot be reached by our online platforms including tourists, art and design lovers who appreciate higher-quality products and delicate details. On top of our existing online business, we are selling cupcakes which we freshly bake every morning at the PMQ store. We cook using real ingredients such as fair trade earl grey tea leaves, vanilla seed and Valrhona chocolate products, which are, of course, best experienced at our physical store than online. Our brand benefits from word-of-mouth recommendations spread by visitors to PMQ.

PMQ

JUMPSTART

Tell us about your company

Our cake displays and decorations make our store one of the most visited in PMQ, and, with a growing number of the returning customers buying our cupcakes, we believe that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be profitable by the fourth quarter of 2014.

What are some challenges of running a shop at PMQ? Are there any special challenges for a food company? PMQ is located near SOHO, an area where food advocates with high expectations gather, especially those enjoying sweets and desserts. They have great taste and they know the essence of quality food. Besides, there are a few very competitive cupcake/ sweets shop nearby (both inside and outside PMQ). We target to be a leading brand of artistic confections. We have to focus on making the very best of products such as cupcakes, in terms of both how it looks and the flavour, to build up our reputation. So far, our strategy is to make our cupcakes freshly every morning, with a less sweet flavor, using the best ingredients.

Would you recommend that a company opens up a shop in PMQ? PMQ offers a great opportunity for local brands with the ambition to grow and explore further development. However, for fresh startup businesses, owners may need to be sure that they have the uniqueness and competitiveness to compete with the over 100 neighbors in the premise. It is not a charity project which sponsors every potential business to chase their dream. Instead, it offers great opportunity for businesses that clearly know what they are doing and where they wish to go.

With 8 years of silver accessory design and production experience, Ivan Keung, a silver accessory designer in Hong Kong, created 794729metalwork in April, 2014. In this store, his unusual and exceptional ideas can be seen through his work made of gold, silver and copper. Apart from his solos, there are also pieces created together with a number of local designers and artists. According to the periodic table of chemical elements, No.79 stands for gold, while No.47 stands for silver and No.29 stands for copper. Ivan Keung makes use of these 3 elements to create something different. The work presented by 794729metalwork are originally designed by Ivan Keung and exquisitely carved by silversmiths.

What has your experience been like having a shop at PMQ? PMQ is a place where local designers are gathered, and it is no doubt a nice place for us to launch our brand. However, it is quite inconvenient to get here, and we think this place needs more promotion and advertising to let more people know about this place.

What are some challenges of running a shop at PMQ? Unlike other shopping malls and department stores, there are only a few people visiting PMQ during weekdays, which limits sales. Therefore, more promotion and events are needed to attract additional visitors.

Would you recommend that a company opens up a shop in PMQ? Any thoughts/ tips for potential shop owners that are thinking of launching in PMQ? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s better to start with a limited quantity of products and see if there is enough demand, and produce more when needed.

Any tips for a new business considering joining PMQ? The focus should be on product differentiation; products should be unique in order to stand out from others.

PMQ

JUMPSTART

Introducing

INTERVIEW WITH

PAUL LEE

SMALL BUSINESS SHOWCASE Need an accountant? Photographer? Help expanding to China? Introducing SMALL BUSINESS SHOWCASE, a directory of companies that have demonstrated enthusiasm, commitment and a proven track record for growing small businesses in Hong Kong.

ALARICE INTERNATIONAL

DINCHACK

CHINESE SOCIAL MEDIA & CONTENT MARKETING

CONSULTING AND TRAINING FOR STARTUPS

Alarice International is a Hong Kong-based business

Dinchack is a training company based in Hong Kong that

consultancy specializing in advising international companies

provides business consulting, corporate training and

on their growth strategies in Greater China. Alarice’s specialties

personal coaching. Every session is tailor-made to the

are China Online Social Media and Content Marketing.

client’s needs, and is relevant, effective and fun. The main

alarice.com.hk

areas of training include: Foundation for Success, Sales and Marketing, Leadership and Motivation.

FRESH ACCOUNTING ACCOUNTING, PERFORMANCE AND PROFITABILITY Fresh Accounting is a dynamic management accounting

dinchack.com

TELL US ABOUT ACE HEARING AND WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START THIS COMPANY? ACE HEARING is the brainchild of Professor Andrew van Hasselt, a world renowned figure in the Ear Nose and Throat field. He came to Hong Kong in the 80’s and built up the Audiology Department at Prince of Wales Hospital and has been helping people in Hong Kong with hearing problems ever since. He and his team, with a combined tally of over 100 manyears in audiology services, understand that hearing health is a very underserved human need. Over 38% of the world has some level of hearing loss and most of them don’t even realise it. What’s worse is that even if they do, there is no remedy for the majority of them. His daily interactions with his clients inspired him to come up with ACE HEARING, a breakthrough solution that provides individualised audio for everyday electronics.

9AMCONSULTING ONLINE MARKETING CONSULTING

practice and consultancy based in Hong Kong. We believe accountants should do more than just report on how your

9AMConsulting helps small businesses with their overall

business is doing. We are here to help identify opportunities

marketing strategy and implementation to maximize

and strategies to improve your business and support you in

online and offline traffic and sales. They specialize in

improving the performance and profitability of your business.

search engine optimization, e-mail marketing, affiliate

freshaccounting.biz

marketing, print/web design and monetization. 9amconsulting.com

PIM PHOTOGRAPHY EVENT & EDITORIAL PHOTOGRAPHY Pim Photography specializes in event and editorial

Learn more about these companies and their services on jumpstartmag.com. For criteria on joining the showcase please contact partners@jumpstartmag.com

photography, including new business launches and networking events. pimphotography.net

GLOBAL WINNER OF TALENT UNLEASHED AWARDS AND TOP FINALIST OF GSMA BEST MOBILE HEALTH PRODUCT/SERVICE AWARD

JUMPSTART

JUMPSTART effort required to generate consumer desire. One raised an analogy that “this is like making people to want to wear seat belts back in the 70’s”. It is indeed a substantial challenge but I see it as a huge advantage. If the public is already aware of all the audio they are missing and are actively demanding a solution, we would not be poised to take on a Blue Ocean market with billions of untouched customers. We have some very exciting plans to solve this challenge in a very fun and global way in 2015. Stay tuned!

WHEN WILL THE PRODUCT BE OUT ON THE MARKET & HOW WILL YOU MARKET IT? CrystalPlayer is our music player app that plays music on your iOS and Android devices, tailor-made for your hearing prints. We are just weeks away from the iOS launch, with the Android version following very shortly. Our marketing plan involves

TELL US ABOUT YOUR TEAM. Our multi-disciplinary team consists of experts in audiology, sound processing, software and hardware engineering. I believe this is the exact right mix in cross-domain expertise to yield this invention. The team was self-sufficient in R&D, clinical trials, medical journal publications and developing software and hardware solutions. We needed (and still need) to hire outside help to aid with patents and trademarks, product design, marketing and manufacturing.

WHAT WAS THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS LIKE? HOW LONG DID IT TAKE? The project began in 2010 and it took about 18 months to complete our R&D. It was a ton of fun - there is nothing quite like developing a working product from scratch, then verified through clinical trials with the results accepted by peer-reviewed medical journals, filing a patent and winning major international awards.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES YOU ENCOUNTERED SO FAR? The single biggest challenge is to raise the general public’s awareness that they have an unrealised need negatively impacting their quality of life. Our goal is to individualise the audio output of all consumer goods, and we have been getting fantastic response and interest from almost

every brand we have talked to because we offer a breakthrough solution to an underserved problem. However this is also the precise source of our biggest challenge: we offer the world’s first solution (that no one has experienced) to a real problem that no one is aware of or simply accept is a fact-of-life (hence no one cares). The brands are confronted by the marketing

hitting up internet and traditional media for interviews (make sure you pick up your Jumpstart magazine!), as well as some unconventional events. You won’t have to wait too long to find out.

HOW IS ACE HEARING FUNDED? At the time of this interview, it has been 100% self-funded.

HOW ARE YOU PROTECTING THE IDEA? Legally, we are patented or patentpending in major markets globally, including Hong Kong. We also have trademarks in effect. On the non-legal side, we have also been establishing ourselves as the leader in this breakthrough category of individualised audio. We have verified the accuracy and benefits of ACE HEARING through clinical trials and multiple

publications in peer-reviewed, international medical journals. We are also gaining recognition through major international awards, including the Wall Street Journal’s Asian Innovation Award, the GSMA Global Mobile Awards, and the most recent Talent Unleashed Awards, whose star-studded judges include Sir Richard Branson and Steve Wozniak.

WHATS NEXT FOR ACE HEARING? There will be an app launch in the immediate future, within 2014. We will likely do a Kickstarter, and we are actively working on a shockingly fun global event next year.

INTERVIEW WITH THE FOUNDERS OF GO N LIVE TELL US ABOUT GO N LIVE We launched April 2014. GNL (www.gnlstorage.com) is a full valet storage company designed to make life in high density urban living environments

WHAT DIFFERENTIATES YOU FROM COMPETITION?

easier by providing our customers a simple and convenient way to reclaim

Two things: 1) our service and 2) our platform. We try and go the extra mile for our customers. For example, our platform allows our

their living space. With GNL our customers never have to visit a storage

customers to completely inventory everything they have stored with

unit again - with self-storage that comes to them. Supported by a platform

us, making it easy for them to find what they are looking for when

that allows our customers to inventory, through typed and photographic

they want their stuff back, but also allows our system to remind our

means, all the items that they store - our customers will never be

customers of what they have stored with us by sending them an

searching for their belongings again.

inventory list every month. Besides being a full valet service, we also offer to help customers

WHAT WAS IT LIKE LAUNCHING GO N LIVE? ANY SURPRISES?

If the public is already aware of all the audio they are missing and are actively demanding a solution, we would not be poised to take on a Blue Ocean market with billions of untouched customers.

Scary! After 20 successful years I left behind the safety of a well-paid job to start something that may not work. Surprises? Lots! We followed the LEAN Startup Model. So even being prepared to fail, it still came as a surprise when we tested our first

donate items to charity if they decide they no longer want it back, or to assist them to sell it on consignment.

WHAT ARE YOUR TOP 2-3 PRIORITIES IN COMING MONTHS?

Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and everybody hated it. It took us several

1. Expand our B2B market. We are growing well in B2C, but we believe that we could really help other business by creating extra

go’s to arrive at where we are today. We are only a few months old and

space in their offices and help keep their rental obligations down by

we are still changing our products to meet our Hong Kong customer needs.

making more efficient use of their expensive office space.

We just recently launched a Student Package based upon feedback we

2. Keep improving our offerings so that we can make sure our

received over the summer period. Our top priority is making the lives of

customers are getting what they need. We started with cardboard

our customers easier.

boxes, added the ability to store sporting equipment, and then added suitcases. After that, we moved to industrial plastic sealable boxes.

WHAT EXCITES YOU ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS?

We have now just introduced a range of box sizes to meet customer’s specific needs. We know it won’t stop there as we learn more and

I get out and meet real Hong Kong people and hear their stories. It’s

more about our customers and respond with what they need.

amazing. Everybody has a unique story and a unique need. We improve

3. Get some help. We are now looking to expand the team as we

by hearing these stories, and the best part is hearing how thankful our

grow.

customers are that we could help them.

JUMPSTART

ARE YOU ON YOUTUBE? Satisfying the demand of a different section of OSM platforms, Youtube’s local counterpart, Youku, has emerged as the world’s second largest video sharing website. It partners with television stations, distributors, and film production companies to ensure content is fresh and relevant. Back in 2012, Youku merged with its biggest competitor, Tudou, which is now in decline.

SOCIAL MEDIA IN CHINA. What’s Out There?

WHAT ELSE IS OUT THERE? Another platform worth mentioning is Douban. It tends to resemble MySpace and mainly targets students and specific interest groups, including literature critics, movie bloggers, and fashion lovers. It has more around 80 million active

users per month. Following the concept of Whatsapp, Wechat has become one of the most popular mobile applications in China. Its 100 million users can send images or chat via text and voice messages. A company can set two types of corporate Wechat accounts to communicate directly with their audience. The Service Account is typically used by service-oriented businesses and allows the sending of monthly group messages to their followers. It also allows them to respond to various questions or queries. In contrast, the Subscription Account resembles a mobile newsletter, where companies are allowed to share corporate news and to inform their subscribers about new product launches. China also has own Q&A

oday, online social media (OSM) platforms play an important role in our daily

lives, and consumers and businesses are becoming increasingly dependent on the Internet. Mainland China,

platforms, namely Zhihu, the direct equivalent of Quora, as well as Baidu Zhidao and Tianya Wenda, which are more like Yahoo Answers. There are also many locallife information platforms, among them Dianping, a restaurant review website, which is perhaps the most powerful in the country. As we see, social media has changed the way in which business is promoted in China. In order to guarantee their success in the local markets, companies need to be active online. However, not all platforms are worth exploring, as building and maintaining a successful OSM account requires a strong commitment and takes time to deliver results. Still, as an old Chinese saying suggests, “if a thing’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well.”

Ashley Galina Dudarenok

Social media has changed the way in which business is promoted in China. In order to guarantee their success in the local markets, companies need to be active online.

with over 620 million OSM users, has developed a highly dynamic digital

Ashley Galina Dudarenok studied business and economics in Russia, the UK, New Zealand and Mainland China. After five years in China as a PR manager for an international marketing firm, Ashley moved to Hong Kong in 2010 and started Alarice International (www.alarice.com.hk), a China marketentry consultancy.

marketing environment. Although most popular western websites, such as Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter, are banned from the PRC, their Chinese counterparts expand and prosper. Newcomers to the China market, who need to use OSM to promote their business online, still find it challenging to enter the regional social network market. To start with, it’s helpful to be able to speak Chinese, or otherwise, use help from local experts. It’s also crucial to define the target audience and to familiarize yourself with the OSM choices at hand. Besides the obvious RenRen and Sina Weibo, China has other platforms that can work well for your business.

Experts

WHAT ARE THE ALTERNATIVES TO FACEBOOK IN CHINA RenRen, previously called Xiaonei, is perceived as the “Facebook of China”. It has more than 150 million registered users, most of whom are university students. Statistics show that there are over 30 million active users per month. One of its major competitors, QZone, is the first and the largest social networking platform in China, and is mainly used by teenagers and young professionals. Furthermore, PengYou provides another “Facebook-like” platform. Though it has fewer active users than RenRen, PengYou actually offers the largest number of registered users online.

WHAT’S THE CHINESE FOR TWITTER? Sina Weibo, or the “Chinese Twitter”, was officially launched in 2009, and since then, has managed to attract twice as many users as Twitter. An increasing number of celebrities, both local and Western, are using the platform to connect with their fans. Similar to Sina Weibo, Tencent Weibo, another macromedia online platform, allows people to share photos and videos. Nevertheless, it looks more like Facebook rather than Twitter, as it aims to unite groups of people. Over 250 million people in China are currently using it.

Contact the author at galina@alarice.com.hk

GRAPHIC DESIGN | TRANSLATION www.osasha.com | sasha@osasha.com

Experts

JUMPSTART

Watson Group

HOW

to Get Products

into Hong Kong Supermarkets

Dairy Farm Group 175

Wellcome

240

CitySuper

ParknShop Superstore

Three Sixty

SOGO Supermarket Food Halls

Taste

Olivers the Delicatessen

Jusco

Great Food Hall

Market Place by Jasons

Yata

Fusion

7-Eleven

920+

Vanguard and VanGo

100+ & 70+

SU-PA-DE-PA

Dah Chong Hong (DCH) Food Mart & DCH Food Mart Deluxe

80+

International

Circle K

320+

Gourmet Food Hall

759

160

Food Retail Stores in Hong Kong Summary – August 2013

The key to getting in is talking to one of four types of people:

ou only have to be in Hong Kong for about a week to realize two things. Firstly,

products are pretty expensive compared to the rest of the world and secondly, there seems to be only two main supermarkets: ParknShop than 80% of the Hong Kong retail market share and getting your products into any of them is not an easy task, but it’s doable.

Don’t expect to make millions overnight. The set up costs will eat into your revenue and it may be a while before you start to reap pure profits. Expect that and you’ll be pleasantly surprised if the contrary happens.

THE RETAIL MARKET SPACE The table on the next page gives you an overview of the market space as it stood in August 2013. Little has changed since then, other than a few more stores being added by each supermarket chain.

Experts

Others

ParknShop

HOW TO GET IN

and Wellcome. Th duopoly has more

It appears 759 is expanding at a phenomenal rate, opening a store almost every other month. The relatively unknown supermarket chain is currently the biggest threat to the duopoly and food entrepreneurs, because of their mega slim margins.

Dedicated buyers in the head office of any of the retail stores There are dedicated buyers sitting in supermarket headquarters who are tasked with sourcing products for stores. They are incredibly hard to reach and have a reputation for being obtuse. In their defence, they get a lot of solicitations from prospective merchants and I’ve heard of one buyer going away for a 4 day annual leave and coming back to nearly 700 emails and just under 300 voice messages. You need to have a thick skin to deal with them. It took me nearly 2 years to finally meet a buyer in Wellcome and he only had 10 mins to see me! But once you win them over, the path is incredibly smooth. This is the most direct way (and the most difficult) to get in but don’t expect a list of buyers hanging around for you to pick up. The only way I’ve found buyers is through networking with other merchants and food entrepreneurs.

Store managers for individual stores I was lucky enough to have a British store manager take an interest in my coffee products, who as a result wanted them in his particular store. Store managers have the power to recommend/insist that particular products list in their store. So when he gave me the contact details of his “dedicated buyer” at head office, the whole process took no longer than 3 weeks. In my opinion, this is the easiest (not direct) path to listing products, as the store manager will do all the work for you. All you have to do is have a winning product that he or she wants very badly. ‘Supermarket brokers’ They come in many shapes and sizes; wholesalers who are set up to simply do their part in the supply chain, relatives and friends of dedicated buyers who have guanxi (connections) with decision makers in head office and ex-dedicated buyers who have decided to use their guanxi with their former

colleagues to start a lucrative career. I met one several months ago and her comments about the way the supermarkets worked was very insightful. Of course, these brokers will have their fees and they can be considerable. Some will offer to buy your products and then resell them to the supermarkets using their existing accounts. Food entrepreneurs/Merchants who have accounts with supermarkets I inadvertently fell into this category when a friend approached me with a product her husband was importing. I took it to my buyer and he fell in love with it immediately. Within weeks, it went through a quality assessment (QA) exercise and got approval to be placed in stores under my account. This method is almost risk free, depending on who you deal with. I offered my friend a ‘No win - No fee’ structure; if I couldn’t get it listed then no fees were due to me.

Experts

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PROCESS, STRUCTURE, COSTS AND PAYMENTS The entire process varies between supermarkets but it generally follows one of two patterns: purchase vs. consignment. Purchase Stores may decide to purchase products from you directly if they feel that it is unique and that you have exclusivity. Once a product is presented to the stores (regardless of which of the above channels are chosen), it may go through a QA exercise to determine if the labelling and descriptions comply with the relevant laws and ordinances. If it is approved, then an account is opened, terms are agreed and delivery arrangements are made for the product to be sent to the stores. Payment is usually negotiated, but can range from 30-60 days after the date of the purchase order. Beware of hidden costs such as listing fees etc. which can amount to HK$1000 – HK$2000+ per product per store. This is not often paid up-front but instead taken out of the revenue from the sales of your products. Consignment This is the preferred route for newcomers and unknown products. After the products have been approved by the QA department, the terms normally dictate that the store takes a percentage of the recommended retail price (about 20% - 40+%). Listing fees may or may not be involved in the consignment route but it may be disguised as ‘support’, or costs may be involved in promoting the product in the stores. The downside to this route is that all liability for theft, damaged, lost products (whether by customers or the stores) remain with the merchant.

Experts

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EXPECTATIONS So many stories abound Hong Kong supermarkets (some true) but managing expectations is key if you are thinking of getting products into stores. 1. Don’t expect to make millions overnight. The set up costs will eat into your revenue and it may be a while before you start to reap pure profits. Expect that and you’ll be pleasantly surprised if the contrary happens. 2. Look out for competitors. They will do ANYTHING to sabotage your efforts if you are successful in getting your product listed. Expect to compete aggressively on quality and price. 3. If your products don’t sell well, they will throw you out in a heart beat. I saw it happen to a friend of mine and they simply dumped his product stand in the car park and asked him to come and pick it up. He was out of the country at the time. Expect to constantly worry about your sales figures. 4. Supermarkets will change offering terms and conditions without a moment’s notice as stipulated in their contracts. Expect to see the conditions becoming more onerous and prepare for it. 5. Listing in a supermarket will open doors to wholesale merchants and HORECA (Hotels, Restaurants and Cafes). Expect more business outside the retail markets which is where your business growth will most likely come from.

Jim Coke

The son of a Jamaican farmer, Jim read Social and Political Sciences at Cambridge University, obtaining both a Bachelor and Masters degree. After Cambridge, he began a career in banking, becoming a risk manager and eventually a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investments. Nearly 4 years ago, Jim relocated to Asia and having lived in Singapore for a brief period, settled in Hong Kong and set up Hilmann Reinier Commodities in his second year. Within 18 months of starting his coffee business, he developed his own brand (Lily Kerridge) and was able to have it listed in Hong Kong’s largest supermarket chain, ParknShop. What makes his experience and insight remarkable was that he achieved it without the help of consultants, advisors, bank loans, local Chinese partners or foreign investors. His Lily Kerridge brand is now listed in two supermarkets and the product lines have grown from coffee to tea, chocolates, beer, stouts, malt drinks, chocolates and spirits, all within six months. Hilmann Reinier is now the sole distributor for the world-famous Red Stripe beer in Hong Kong and Macau SARs, as well as the People’s Republic of China. The Hong Kong Entrepreneur: From Start-up to Supermarket in 18 months is Jim’s account of his journey and it will be available in Dymock’s bookstores in the autumn.

IMPROVE YOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE

TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS You may have an amazing product or service, but your business is only as good as the people who are handling your customers. A poor experience with customer service is something we deal with on a daily basis. If it happens at a bank or another large organization, you may brush it off knowing there are few other options (and they are probably just as bad).

CAPTURE FEEDBACK. Make sure your customers have a way of providing feedback: On your website, in your app, at your store, after an event. Allow them to submit feedback confidentially if they should choose.

RESPOND QUICKLY. Be sure to read emails from your customers daily and respond quickly. A quick response with a remedy can make a big difference.

REMEDY THE SITUATION. If you can, offer a free product or service to make up for the problem.

However, if the experience is with a small business or a startup, you may choose to never use this service again. If you are kind, you may send a feedback email to their team describing your experience to help them fix the issue. On the flip side, you may post on Facebook or Twitter warning others about this company. In most cases, you will probably do neither, and this business will never know why they lost a customer. There are a few things you can do to potentially capture and fix the issue. Perhaps you may even turn the disgruntled customer into an evangelist. Here are some ideas:

LEARN FROM THE CUSTOMER. Invite the customer to your office to allow them to share additional feedback to help improve your product or service. Pay them for their time! HIRE NICE PEOPLE. Make sure everyone customerfacing enjoys interacting with people. SPEND TIME ON SOCIAL MEDIA. Not just posting about your company, but really reading what people are saying about your business. Hope these tips help your business grow and retain customers in whatever line of business you are in. And if you don’t like them, let us know :).

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I recommend that as you ground yourself in general frameworks like lean startup and customer development, you start to practice. You will learn better when you have to act and live with results rather than just read about ideas and think about results.

The

$1000 Challenge WEALTH OF OPTIONS, POVERTY OF ACTION

tartups often start with limited resources, but they never face a shortage of theory on how to

operate. Tools abound. Talks, seminars, videos and classes are plentiful. Advice is thrown around. Want to learn about building mobile apps, or crowdfunding, or e-commerce, or design, or marketing to millennials? There are thousands of places to go. Unfortunately, for a resource-

GOODBYE THEORY, HELLO PRACTICE

strapped startup, attempting to try out every new tool can lead you down a death spiral of scattered directions. Don’t combine this wealth of options with a poverty of action.

Experts

One founder I know had a personal love of supporting young authors and built a site for them to list their work. He kept thinking of ways to improve the site but with limited time from his developers he delayed iterations until he was more confident that they were the right move. Instead, he started to interview authors as a way to gain subscribers. This took no tech resources and moved him forward to the point that he had the start

of an affiliate business -- a different outcome than he expected. Another founder I worked with discovered that while his education product worked and made sense for his target market, he couldn’t close deals. That is, his target customers were a closed group and not that open to people from outside. If he hadn’t first figured this out by trying to close deals, then he might have wasted time trying to scale up before getting an insider to help him sell. In another startup I advise, the founders love collecting sneakers. As a side project they hacked together a quick and high-priced sneaker collecting app. While the market for this is limited, they also only gave themselves one week to put it all together. Dependent on moving forward was that the app had to make money almost immediately with minimal marketing effort. They had fun building it regardless of outcome. But they did pretty well with sales from that side project.

THINKING SMALL Building a company that requires millions in investment before any returns, or even a product, of course remains a way huge value is created. For example, Facebook might have died 10 years ago or become a small niche site had they followed a path of monetizing early without thinking of a big land grab.

That land grab was only possible with funding. For one, Facebook already had demonstrated the ability to gain 90% signups at each new university campus and high retention as well. They had already proved that they had a repeatable model. So for them, raising money was an easier path. But here I’m talking to the majority of you -- those who are not yet at the point that Facebook was in back then. If you know my bias toward bootstrapping in the beginning, you’ll know I have other suggestions. Let’s assume that you are trying to build something that can generate revenue. Let’s then start with a very small goal. One that you can state openly now without anyone thinking you’re unrealistic. Yet, this might scare some of you. Here it is: try to get your startup -- or a project you’re interested in -to earn $1000 from customers and relatively fast, say in the first month. Whether it’s one customer handing over $1000 or 1000 customers paying $1 each, try to reach $1000. For many of you, it will be a bigger challenge than you think. You’ll push it off until your work is better. You’ll delay until you’re up to the challenge. Don’t. Embrace every part of the challenge. For the three startups mentioned above, the first got to his first $1000 as a matter of building his

business, the second more quickly avoided the pain of wasted time and addressed a needed personnel fix and the third got to $1000 on a side project as revenue requiring minimal effort. This exercise is independent of whether you are building an enterprise startup or a consumerfacing one. And I don’t mean you should try to earn $1000 only as a direct stepping stone to building a sustainable business. While you might be on that track, just the practice of getting something to customers is a great exercise in and of itself. If you make it to $1000 with something new then share how you made it happen.

Paul Orlando

Paul Orlando co-founded and ran Hong Kong’s first startup accelerator, AcceleratorHK. He advises startups around the world on lean startup, customer development and analytics. Paul now lives in Pasadena, California and wrote the book for startups outside of tech hubs, called Startup Sacrilege.

Experts

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NETWORKING TIPS FROM AROUND THE WORLD “Give away as much as you can without expecting anything in return. I often write business articles and mentor blogs for business publications and find this turns out to be a great networking opportunity, as many people contact me via LinkedIn after reading my blogs and articles. I have found some great networking opportunity this way, and it only happened after I first gave away free advice.” Dean Ramler, milandirect.com.au‎

“Every time you collect someone’s business card, take a photo of the card with your phone, and then send the photo to a notes program, like Evernote or Google Keep. Edit the note to include details of when and where you met and what you discussed. Keeping these details in the app gives you a central place to track interactions with new contacts, and you can use the app to set a reminder for following up to keep the conversation going.” Jason Berek-Lewis healthystartups.com

“Always eat before you go— you are there to network, not to spend all night with food in one hand and a drink in the other. Makes it awkward for meeting people, if your hands are full and you are chewing through a conversation.”

“Wear your name badge on your right side. This allows people to see your name as they shake your hand. Approach people in groups of three. You’re much more likely to be able to strike up a conversation with one person than try and interrupt a conversation with two people.” Rhys Furner reloadmedia.com.au

“Pick up the phone. If the phone sounds old-school, just think of it as ‘real-time voice communications.’ A quick phone conversation is a great way to strengthen the connection to anyone in your network. Keep office hours. Set a regular time for face-to-face meetings with anyone who would like to meet. I do this at 8:00 AM three days a week, and I’ve meet hundreds of interesting people this way. I use ohours.org to manage scheduling. In-person meetings are the highest quality interactions.” Andy Crestodina www.orbitmedia.com

Stacey Copas StaceyCopas.com

“Set a quota of new people to meet to force yourself to do it, don’t get hammered, don’t act like a goose, don’t get caught with greasy chicken-wing fingers when you might be about to meet someone important. Be ‘on’ the whole time, always present your best self, ’cause you never know who you might meet. And who they might know.” Sputnik, swashbucklersclub.com

Networking requires you to be memorable. Think of the last event you attended as a scale from 1 to 5: 1.

You may have been in the same room as potential clients or investors, but who knows? 2. You were standing in the same circle, perhaps were even introduced. 3. You made a few comments. 4. You introduced new thinking, new perspective, new information. 5. People are still thinking about you and what you said days later.

“Instead of thinking about ‘What you can get out of it?’ approach the event with ‘How can I help others?’ Forget about trying to hand out your business cards— simply enjoy meeting as many people as possible, asking them about their businesses and passions, and be sure to be genuine about your interest. When you focus on ‘how you can serve others’ and take an interest in them, you naturally form a connection. Then, you will find others take an interest in you too. I remind myself to do this before every event—I always meet several new friends, have requests for my business card, and generate new business as a result. When you network from the ‘heart’, you can’t go wrong!” Kym Mulcahy bravebeautifullife.com

“Maybe this is stating the obvious, but what surprised me most about the way that HK works in terms of professional and social networking is just how important clubs/organizations are. You must

How did you fare?”

be associated with at least a few of the established organizations, if you want any chance of breaking into the right groups, right

Lauren Rielly laurenrielly.com

off the bat. At the low-budget level, that’s FCC, university alumni groups, AmCham, et cetera. But the real scene is Am Club, HK Club, Yacht Club, all of which are enormously difficult/expensive to join— naturally part of their allure. I know that’s the case in most major cities, but it just feels especially important here. “ Anonymous

“I went to a convent school in the late 1980s, and a tip given by a nun all those years ago for conversing with boys at dances still works for me today in networking situations: ‘Wear a conversation piece’. Sister Monica suggested a bright brooch, but any stand-out (yet appropriate) accessory will do the trick. If you are wearing an unusually shaped or coloured bold necklace, hair-clip, or brooch, people just have to comment when they see you—they ask where you bought it, did you make it yourself, et cetera. For men, it’s a bit more challenging, but a bold tie doesn’t have to be a silly one. Women notice quality ties that complement a suit. Men will recognise company or club colours and ask if that’s who you are representing. Wearing a metal version of a fundraising ribbon can work for both men and women—people will ask you what you’re supporting, if they don’t recognise the colour or pattern; or they might comment along the lines of, ‘I see you support the Pink Ribbon Campaign—do you do that through work, or is it a personal commitment?’ Or ‘Are you a White Ribbon Day ambassador?’” Leanne Wyvill presencecommunications.com.au

“Don’t judge a book by its cover: I find people often make the mistake of judging too quickly when networking. Just because they don’t look the part or have the right job title, never underestimate the contacts they may have. That secretary that you ignore at a business function may be the child of the CEO you’ve been trying to meet with. Be authentic and open and don’t take networking too seriously...that way you’re more likely to develop real and longlasting relationships.” Alex Tselios thebigsmoke.com.au

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Coffee Shop Connections COFFEE SHOPS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A GO-TO DESTINATION FOR FREELANCERS, CREATIVES AND ENTREPRENEURS LOOKING FOR A CHANGE OF SCENE. WITH HONG KONG’S HIGH RENTS AND A PLETHORA OF COFFEE HAUNTS ON OFFER, THERE ARE PLENTY OF PEOPLE WORKING AWAY OVER A CUP OF JOE. WE TOOK A PEEK INTO SOME OF OUR LOCAL COFFEE JOINTS TO FIND OUT WHAT MAKES WORKING IN CAFES SO POPULAR.

“I do design and product development for a number of clothing brands, including Zara. I’m based in Hong Kong but travel a lot to Bangladesh to find new collections, and then to Spain to meet with buyers. My company has an office in Cheung Sha Wan but it’s pretty depressing, so when I’m in town I normally work out of a coffee shop. I like the environment, it’s stimulating and I find it a good place to draw. My work is creative- focused, so I prefer to work by my own schedule”.

THE ARCHITECT Name: Aden Chan Company: Day Dreamers’ Design Favourite coffee: Mocha

THE FASHION DESIGNER Name: Maria Aragonas Company: Beximco Favourite drink: Black tea in the morning, green tea in the evening

THE GRAPHIC DESIGNER/ TEACHER Name: Sasha O Company: osasha.com Coffee of choice: Flat white or macchiato

“I’m a graphic designer and a Mandarin language teacher. I do illustrations and videos for a few clients and find most of my work through referrals. I work from coffee shops pretty much every day. I usually work on my own, so it’s nice to have human interactions and see people whilst you’re doing your own thing. I save a lot of money compared to coworking spaces, where I get bored staying in one place. Hong Kong’s rent is really high, so a lot of people choose coffee shops as an affordable alternative”.

THE PROGRAMMER Name: Jack Chen Company: Jagarr.com Coffee of choice: Soymilk latte

“I started my company about six months ago and I mainly work with clients in Hong Kong and Malaysia. As an architect I work on houses and installations but also sculptures. I work from home and have a small studio but come into town a lot for meetings. I find I’m much more productive in coffee shops and that they’re a good place to go in between client meetings. Today I’ll spend about two hours here then go to a client’s office for a meeting. Sometimes you meet important contacts in unlikely places, and that’s the added bonus

“I run a web and mobile software company with my partner. We’ve been in business for about six months. I work in coffee shops a few times a month. I’ll stay for about half a day and grab some food. I don’t like working from home and we don’t have a permanent office yet; I find that coffee shops have an enjoyable working environment. I used to work from a coworking space but the prices are going up. Some now want half a year’s deposit upfront, which is pretty steep.”

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Classifieds

Just Launched

Copywriting Services

Gift Sponsors Wanted

Accountant Needed

Looking for creative copywriters, or editors who can polish your words until they sparkle? Editors’ Ink loves anything with words, so visit editorsinkhk.com to learn more about our services!

Hide and Seek is planning a holiday scavanger hunt and is looking for gift sponsors. Your product or service will be promoted at coworking spaces and online. Visit hideandseek.hk for more details.

Looking for a Japanese speaking accountant, with 2-3 years working experience in accounting. With working permit in HK, please contact: cc7@centajob.com

SINGLI.COM We are a one-stop-shop for all things travel-related. The days of dragging your luggage home are now over! Visit www.singli.com to shop for brands such as Antler, Delsey, etc. We’re offering free shipping and up to 20% discount on select luggage.

For Sale: Hair, Make-up & Beauty Studio

Gluten-free Cooking Classes Urban Health is a health and wellness platform specialising on gluten-free products and services. UH Home Kitchen is Hong Kong’s first gluten-free private kitchen and offers cooking courses. www.urbanhealth.hk

Award-wining business, prime location in Central Hong Kong. The sale comes with all fixtures, fittings, equipment and stock. Over 2,000 clients. Please contact salonsforsalehongkong@gmail.com for details.

Digital Filmmaking Workshop

Marketing & Web Development:

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Himalayan Fine Art for Sale

For Sale: Food Delivery & Catering Business

At TKM Limited, we specialise in Himalayan Fine Art. We have an obligation to grow our business sustainably and responsibly in ways that support our communities. Hence, we have pledged to donate a percentage of our profit to our partner charity. tkmlimited.

This is a fantastic opportunity to acquire an established gourmet food home delivery and catering business, with significant overseas expansion and franchise potential. A dynamic, impactful and user-friendly website already established. Financing is potentially available, all serious offers will be entertained. Contact Adam at Brandstatement@gmail.com.

To place a classified in the next issue, contact classifieds@jumpstartmag.com

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CHUBBYCHARLIE.COM Importer of quality products to Hong Kong. Beautifully packaged gifts and hampers for any occasion. Need gifts for friends or corporate clients? They can help!

UNO COWORKING SPACE UNO just launched a 24 x 7 air-conditioned coworking space in Sheung Wan, 1-min walking distance from Sheung Wan MTR exit C. Occupying a whole floor with 8 dedicated offices for 3-4 people each, UNO also offers event space which can accomodate 30+ attendees. Join us today and enjoy business collaboration with local and expat entrepreneur communities. (www.unocoworking.com)

APOLLO-LEARNING.COM We are a team of experienced teachers from around the globe, assisting students via Skype on all university subjects and college applications (personal essay).

AFFASHION.COM Gives personalized recommendations on apparel choices from mid-tier to high-end fashion. You can Mix & Match your style across all brands within a few taps! Think of us as Netflix for Fashion.

FITBOO-HK.COM is a search and booking platform for fitness classes in Hong Kong giving users lower class rates at the best fitness studios in town and local fitness news.

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