Ho Ching Man and her husband, Zhong Zhiming

As she reflects on starting her business in Dongguan, in Guangdong Province, Ho Ching Man, from Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, says she was "very lucky." Why? She met and married Zhong Zhiming in Dongguan, and, sometime later, they established their company.

In 2014, after she graduated from university, Ho moved to Dongguan, to help her parents run their family business. A year later, she met Zhong, a graduate of Dongguan University of Technology, and they decided to start a business.

"In recent years, an increasing number of young people have come to look for employment or start a business in Dongguan. They think the city is full of opportunities. But, in the meantime, they may not fully understand the culture, economy and policies in the mainland. So, some of them will encounter various difficulties, or even fail in business," Ho says.

"My father is from Hong Kong, and my mother is a native of Dongguan. I was raised in Hong Kong, but I spent almost all of my summer and winter vacations in Dongguan when I was a student. My mother always encourages me to participate in various activities organized by Dongguan and Hong Kong, especially to promote exchanges and mutual understanding among youth. So, I am familiar with the differences in the cultures, economies and policies of Dongguan and Hong Kong. I think I can do something to support young entrepreneurs from Hong Kong," Ho adds.

In 2018, Ho and Zhong established an advertising company in Dongguan, to provide accurate brand-design services to enterprises. The company is committed to providing market research data to young entrepreneurs from Hong Kong and Macao, and to building brands for their businesses.

Prior to establishing the company, they had operated a creative-design studio for several years, and they had accumulated some business-related experience.

Most of the employees of the company are from Dongguan, Shenzhen and Hong Kong. They understand the differences in the cultures of the cities, and they have rich experience in new media.

"As a 'ferryman' of the cultures of Dongguan and Hong Kong, I would like to build a platform for exchanges and communications among youth. We organize various activities for Hong Kong youth, so they can have a better understanding of Dongguan, such as inviting them to visit leading companies in Dongguan," Ho says.

"I think I did the right thing in starting the business in Dongguan. We plan to take advantage of short-video platforms, to provide better brand services to our clients, and to raise our company's visibility. We will also organize more activities to promote youth exchanges … and to encourage more Hong Kong youth to seize opportunities to participate in the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and to strive for a bright future," Ho says.

Photo Supplied by Ho Ching Man

(Women of China English Monthly September 2021 issue)