Born to be the Boss shares the inspirational stories of six extraordinary entrepreneurs who have built highly successful enterprises from doing what they love.
This book shares the inspirational stories of six extraordinary entrepreneurs in Hong Kong who have successfully turned their dream of owning and running their own business into a profitable reality.
Representing a variety of industries from real estate and fashion to hospitality and technology, Born to be the Boss reveals how these remarkable individuals have built highly successful enterprises from doing what they love.
Born to be the Boss takes you on their personal journeys, sharing the wisdom and insight of these admired business role models, and their lessons and tips for addressing common startup issues and concerns.
In doing so, it gives you a glimpse into the lives of these entrepreneurial achievers through a collection of meaningful conversations that serve as a source of encouragement to others wanting to start a business in Hong Kong.
* To support fledgling businesses, a proportion of the profits from the sale of this book will be donated to micro-lending site Kiva.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSAEAbq09wY
Excerpt
The Coffee Connoisseur
An excerpt from our new book, “Born to be the Boss.”
Learning from the bottom up, Jennifer confesses to having had to overcome challenges associated with growth and expansion and even says there were dark periods when it really was touch and go. All things considered, she is disarmingly frank and down-to-earth for someone who has achieved such success.
“Like for so many business owners, ours has not been an easy road,” admits Jennifer. “Frankly speaking, the period in which dramatic growth saw Caffé Habitū expand from one outlet to multiple stores was a time of great turmoil. We experienced great highs and lows, as well as a number of setbacks.”
One of the lowest points came when a commercial landlord decided not to renew Caffé Habitū’s lease in one of its most lucrative locations in Causeway Bay. “The landlord increased the rent and we were willing to pay. However, they decided not to lease us the space as they wished to house luxury brands in order to attract Chinese tourists.”
This unexpected diversion hit the company’s financials hard. It was the sort of thing that would make any budding entrepreneur lose their nerve, but Jennifer courageously persisted even though the entire episode, which illustrates how Hong Kong businesses can often be at the mercy of landlords, proved emotionally stressful, frustrating and draining.
“Over the years, I have found that managing one’s emotions is a key element to success, as when things are not going well it is so easy to be derailed by them,” says Jennifer. “Admittedly, you cannot always control your reactions, but you can use them to help you make the right decisions.”
When negativity or loneliness ever sets in, Jennifer says she acknowledges her emotions and then tries to remind herself that she can get past them, stating, “You cannot always change conditions but you can change the way you deal with them. It is part and parcel of learning how to handle stressful situations in business and to adapt to the environment around you.”
This is where persistency and belief can pay off. Jennifer’s approach to overcoming setbacks is to focus on the positives. Once again, this requires an open mind, energy and an appetite for hard work, not to mention a willingness to explore new solutions and to push the boundaries.
Professional Reviews
Janny Ng Wong
"Although I am not based in Hong Kong and reside in Canada, I was so encouraged and amazed by the journeys of these courageous and driven entrepreneurs. Their insights and tips will no doubt be relevant to anyone starting a business regardless of where they are."
Karen Chester
"Born to be the Boss is a true inspirational must-read for those who wish to start a business or even just thinking about it."
Carol Akiyama
"To hear first-hand about how these highly successful entrepreneurs overcame their challenges and setbacks made me realise that with sheer determination and passion, anyone can be an entrepreneur. Born to be the Boss really captures the true spirit of entrepreneurism."
You're right about what it takes to be successful in business. While I have taught in business schools, I only entered into small businesses late in life because I knew I wasn't cut out to be trapped by focusing on growing a business 24/7/365.
My primary business, writing fiction, is a nice tax loss until I get the right cord and become famous. My other businesses, landlord and financier of a successful business are doing quite well because I carefully assessed the liabilities before entering in and I'm a very good accountant making sure that the cash flows are positive. I have loaned money to desperate people and they haven't paid me back. I consider that a positive thing, better than charity. Some people need a boost and will let you give them money, saying that they will pay you back makes them feel better even though they can't.
I hope you haven't left out luck. Innovation and timing in business is critical to success and growth. It's easy to find successful people will tell you their story. It's just as easy to find unsuccessful people who will tell you they had the same kinds of aspiration, but their timing was off or other factors entered in that had nothing to do with their perseverance, skill or ability.
Forced to put the schooner Heimdall into dry-dock for repairs and modifications, the crew chooses to holiday in Southern Utah so they can rendezvous with the Professor, a brilliant confidant from Rabat. What he shares at the summit stuns the crew and
