36
JUMPSTART
JUMPSTART
Student Entrepreneurs of Hong Kong
In every issue we’ll highlight several remarkable students who pursued enterpreneurship while still in school.
INTERVIEW WITH
STANLEY PANG
FOUNDER OF GOLD MINE
INTERVIEW WITH
VIN NG
Stanley is a student at Hong Kong University,
graduating this June 2014.
T
he ambition for my project, Gold Mine,
is to transform the perception of a
locked screen to users. Our Android app
idea started with the question, ‘Why should
there be a locked screen for a phone?’. Our
team thinks that the current locked screen is
boring but it could be fun. By providing a fun
experience and customized contents within
the 2 seconds used for unlocking, the Gold
Mine team hopes that users can indeed feel
that they are using a ‘smart’ phone.
FOUNDER OF
DIRECTION.HK
Being a student and an entrepreneur at the same time is not
easy. First of all, it is very hard to find student start-up partners
in Hong Kong. Many do not want to give up their highly paid
ibank offers in exchange for an unpaid start-up role. Also,
fundraising takes a lot of effort, as it is not easy to make people
trust inexperienced teenagers. Fortunately, the endorsement
by Cyberport of this project has helped us to gain partners.
Despite all the limitations, we have never thought of giving
up as we are so passionate about our project and nothing can
extinguish the fire in our hearts.
Business Portrait Photography
I
began my startup company,
direction.hk, when I was studying
for a degree in economics. My
company is based in Hong Kong and
specializes in providing high-quality,
tailor-made T-shirts, polo shirts, jackets,
customized corporate uniforms, and
fine gifts for different organizational
groups. From a young age, I had an
interest in business, and while at
university I set a goal to start my own
business. My inspiration was because
of my childhood background. I studied
in England, and my parents worked
hard for me to have that education.
Therefore, I wanted to start a business
to earn money and have flexibility to
spend time with my family.
The reason I chose to start this
business was because I noticed
that the uniform and T-shirt
market was monopolized by a few
companies, and I felt that there
was an opportunity in terms of
sales volume. At the beginning, I
promoted the company through my
network of friends and relatives.
Then I shifted the focus to online
social media marketing, such as
Instagram and Facebook. One way I
promote is through the distribution
of leaflets. I go to corporate offices,
organizations, and schools as the
most direct, effective way to reach
the clients.
Managing my academic work
and my business is difficult.
However, I feel the key factor
in balancing the two is time
management. I schedule time
for work and time to focus on
academics, which often means
giving up free time with family and
friends. I also balance work and
school by cooperating with my
partners. It is important to have
partners who are willing to help
share the work. The uniform and
T-shirt industry has a low barrier
of entry, meaning that many
people can enter the market with
few resources. This has caused
a challenge for my company, as
more competitors start to appear.
Hong Kong is a very informationmobilized society, and my goal is
to continue to have my company
stand out in the market.
Get Your Photograph Taken For
Marketing Materials, Social Media, LinkedIn etc.
We Offer On-Location 45-Minute Session,
After Which You Will Receive 3 High Resolution,
Fully-Retouched Photos.
Special
Offer
Through
June 30,
2014
$1,500
Book now!
[email protected]
+852.9740.6091
www.pimphotography.net
37