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The interview was conducted in Oct 2003
University Education
Bachelor
of Business Administration, HKU, 1999
Current Employment
Started
a Public Relations and Consulting Firm in Shanghai in 01/03
Previous Employment
Business
Development Manager in a software company, 09/01 - 12/02
Consultant
in a leading international strategy consulting firm, 08/99 - 08/01
Introduction - Miriam in transition
Miriam
studied Marketing at the University. She graduated in 1999 and is now
in the transition of moving from an employee to an employer.
She
was very active while studying at the University. She was the Public Relations
Officer of the Business Association BEA HKUSU, an active hall member of
the Lee Hysan Hall, and participated in a number of extra-curricular activities
including the Business Orientation Program (organized by the American
Chamber of Commerce) and some singing contests.
She
received a very attractive offer from a leading consulting firm in January
1999, four months before she graduated. She worked there for 2 years and
then joined a software company as the Business Development Manager. Although
the workload of a Business Development Manager was heavy, she used her
evenings to plan for her next step as an entrepreneur in China.
She
has recently established her own consulting company in Shanghai together
with a business partner from China that she knew from her previous consulting
engagements.
What is Miriam's career goal? Why did she decide to
start her own business?
Her
goal is to great create value for other people - including clients and
other companies.
She
decided to set up her own business to make use of her previous experience.
As a Consultant, she obtained rare opportunity to undertake consulting
projects in Singapore, Taiwan, the States, UK and the Mainland. She widened
her global perspective, built up strong business knowledge and expanded
her personal network in a relatively short period of time. Such experience
helped Miriam understand that she is good at helping clients think strategically
about their business and thus making smarter business decisions. She also
found that she is a good communicator and leader, who has great potential
to become a successful entrepreneur.
Miriam's Business
Miriam's
present business focuses on management consulting, market research, marketing
and media communications, and public relations. Nevertheless, she is still
exploring other business areas. She is flexible and will adjust her plan
when necessary.
What satisfaction did Miriam gain from being an entrepreneur?
Miriam
enjoys being able to put her strengths and skills into use to help clients
deliver great business results. She is also glad that her job allows her
to meet many people whom she can learn from and make friends with.
What difficulties does she encounter?
-
Uncertainty of success - it is very difficult to ensure stable company
revenue especially since the company is small and resources is scarce.
- Financial
pressure - it is a lot of hard work to maintain stable revenue to cover
company expenses (office rent, salary, and other outgoing expenses).
-
The occasional feeling of loneliness, and the need to be independent
when she is living away from Hong Kong.
How did she build up her CV and prepare for her career
in the past?
Two
experiences were particularly useful and impressive:
- As
the Public Relations Officer of the Business Association, she had to
organize many business events, invite important business men and women
to be advisors, and contact companies for sponsorships. Through such
experience, she:
-
sharpened her skills in making business communications professionally.
-
built up her confidence and developed strong business sense.
-
expanded her network and got acquainted with a number of business
executives.
- Internship
at Microsoft
-
As the IT industry was blooming at the time, she wanted to taste
what the IT industry was like. She approached one of the business
executives at Microsoft whom she met in her capacity as the Public
Relations Officer of Business Association. Luckily, she was recruited
and given the opportunities to assist in some marketing and consulting
projects. Such experience helped her understand the world of business
and provided her with a framework of handling business cases.
What does Miriam plan to do in the near future to develop
her business further?
She
will keep on exploring business opportunities in Mainland China and expand
her network and knowledge in the consulting field.
What will she do to develop these skills / knowledge?
She
plans to:
-
Learn from successful professionals and entrepreneurs on how to run
a business successfully. (e.g. financial management, organization management,
etc)
-
Keep abreast of current affairs and international business news, with
focus on Mainland China.
-
Further develop her soft skills by speaking with more experienced people
and reading self improvement books such as "The Seven Habits of
Highly Effective People".
-
Equip herself with industry and regional knowledge by reading journals
and magazines like the Harvard Business Review, and the Wall Street
Journal.
What results have been achieved so far?
She
received several retainer consulting projects which helped to maintain
consistent company revenue. Her previous consulting engagements have also
proven successful, and clients are coming back for her service again.
What can be expected in the future?
-
More projects to come so that she can plan on hiring more staff and
expanding the company.
-
Widening of her business and social circles in Shanghai and other cities
of China.
What are the personal rewards for being an entrepreneur?
-
Being in charge of one's own time and resources.
- Being
able to start something from scratch, and building it up.
- Having
control and management power of a company.
- Becoming
more driven and resourceful.
- Widening
social circle and meeting people from various backgrounds.
Advice to students
- Read
- read proper magazines, newspapers and self-improvement books. Always
be aware of things happening in the world, and gather useful knowledge.
- Develop
diverse interests and passion for something you like - select healthy
interests and hobbies, develop your knowledge in it, and be good at
it.
- Know
your strengths and develop them into your competitive advantage.
- Be
proactive by actively seeking opportunities.
- Develop
a personal network that helps expand your social circles and exposure.
- Talk
to more knowledgeable, experienced and older persons. Learn from their
experience, failures and success stories.
Questions are welcome. Send a note to <cepc@cepc.hku.hk>.
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