My Small Entrepreneurship Experience Sharing

The scope of website development is broad. My first company was founded in 1999, specializing in high-priced projects, with fees ranging from 100,000 to 500,000 HKD. At that time, the tech bubble hadn’t burst, and even a basic website could command high fees. However, as the tech bubble burst, the company collapsed due to over-expansion.

After this failure, I decided to start a new company with two former employees. The first two years of entrepreneurship were extremely tough; my two partners left one after another, leaving me to manage the company alone. From setting up Linux servers, writing programs, to receiving clients, I did everything myself.

In 2003, the SARS virus caused an economic downturn in Hong Kong, and my company faced a crisis. Fortunately, a client commissioned me to build a system for his company, paying 100,000 HKD. I accepted the job in tears due to the immense pressure. This client was one of Hong Kong’s top modeling agencies, and it took me five years to complete their system. I still manage this system for them to this day.

However, I no longer take on system projects for other companies as they are too time-consuming and not economically beneficial. But this valuable experience enabled me to build my own company’s system. Creating a company system requires not only basic programming skills but also some business knowledge, and continuously improving the entire operational process to enhance cost-efficiency. Having my own system can significantly replicate profits. Once one client operates smoothly, subsequent cases can be replicated, greatly reducing costs.

In Hong Kong, I have been semi-retired since 2016 because I saw the rise of AI and felt that web design could no longer provide me with more cash flow, and I somewhat gave up at that time. However, I later realized that AI could be used to enhance my system.

In 2020, due to deciding to invest in immigration to Taiwan, I needed to upgrade my company system again to re-establish a web company in Taiwan. Taiwanese companies are very competitive, and I must work hard to catch up. After moving to Taiwan, I had to manage the businesses of two companies simultaneously, which was extremely stressful. Fortunately, my wife helped me handle other affairs.

In 2022, I realized my stress had reached its peak, so I thought of asking my brother for help. My brother had worked as a summer intern at my company during high school and had a certain understanding of our business. He had worked in a large company for over a decade and had reached a management position. Due to the pandemic, he gave up his high-paying job for over a year. The timing was perfect for both of us.

My only concern was that I might waste my brother’s talent. My company needs to transform, and doing business is not easy; I was afraid of delaying his career. This was the reason why I didn’t invite him to join the company right after he graduated. But I knew that what I needed was a partner, not an employee. I told him it was a gamble, and asked if he was willing. Thankfully, he agreed right away.

I emphasized that brotherly ties come first, and business comes second. When starting up, it’s fine, but once there is profit, it could hurt our relationship. Therefore, we always consider each other’s feelings before making important decisions. Fortunately, our values are very close, and communication is smooth. He’s grown up and can now take care of me, haha.

In 2023, I began using ChatGPT to help improve my company system. My company system includes billing management, basic customer management, client website management, and a content management system (CMS). Aside from CKEditor and jQuery, I don’t use other plugins, and for PHP, I only use a few general libraries like PHPMailer. I try to write the rest myself to better understand how my system operates.

Today’s popular WordPress has many issues: it’s difficult to manage updates, slow to load, and has high security risks. In recent years, many Hong Kong clients have switched from WordPress to our system because our backend is very user-friendly, allowing clients to update content themselves, greatly reducing our operational costs.

We have found a small niche to survive in this competitive market. International companies may have abundant resources, but small companies like ours have high flexibility. By finding our market position, controlling costs, and continually adapting our system to the market, we can survive well. We owe our survival to hard work and a bit of fate. The ability to work hard is a gift from above.

Now in 2024, I never expected that by upgrading our system and with my brother’s exceptional ability to handle new clients, our Hong Kong company’s cash flow has greatly improved, allowing us to continue surviving in this competitive market. I’m grateful to fate and my brother.

I am thankful for the second and third chances at entrepreneurship given to me. I no longer talk about early retirement; instead, I focus on doing my best at my job, with gratitude.

I wish peace and happiness to those who read this article. Thank you for reading.

July 2024