University student entrepreneurs：Enjoy it！

 

By Amy Zeng, Wendy Li, Lisa He

 

 

In Macao, as student entrepreneurs, they have many advantages and opportunities to start their business. University entrepreneurs face less pressure as they could get support from government and local associations. For example, the local government-funded “Young Entrepreneur Aid Scheme” provides an interest-free loan to its applicants. In addition, universities also encourage students to show their talents and provide chances for them to gain entrepreneurial experience. The University of Macau (UM) and the Entrepreneurship Society of UM Student Union (UMSU) have co-organized the “Campus Entrepreneurship Program” since 2009 in UM. This program provides certain locations on campus for students to run their business.

 

However, data from the Student Affair Office of UM (SAO) reveals that only 1.7% of students would start their own business after graduation, while 76.1% of them preferred to find a job.

 

For university students, entrepreneurship is still difficult because of its risks and uncertainties. Probably they spend a great deal of time on running a shop but they may still lose money at the end. Some student entrepreneurs, however, find their happiness in entrepreneurship and enjoy running their shops more than making money.

 

Bittersweet moments

 

Yeung Ning Kit, the former head of Entrepreneurship Society of UMSU, was a first-time entrepreneur in his second year. He founded the discontinued popular food shop called “Tuk Tuk” on the old campus.

 

Yeung still kept in mind the unforgettable experience when operating the “Tuk Tuk”. “When you really start your own business, you’ll find how hard it is,” He said. “We had to take turns to look after the shop and I always started working at 8:00 in the morning.” He described himself as a sleepy guy boiling the fish-balls every morning on the old campus.

 

Nevertheless, Yeung believed this business gave him a chance to meet more people, and gradually he found pleasure in the experience. “At first they were my customers, but as time passed, they became my old acquaintances,” Yeung said. “I saw some students come here regularly at a specific time to buy the same food. It was not just an ordinary relationship between a buyer and seller.”

 

If Yeung had not been a student entrepreneur, he said, he would have missed the chance to experience the bittersweet moments. “Every smile, every ‘thanks’ made me feel that this entrepreneur thing is meaningful,” he said.

 

Positive feedback

 

Lai Hon Sam is a Year 4 student at UM. He joined the “Campus Entrepreneurship Program” with his like-minded friends last year. His team was one of the winners in this program and is operating “Miss U Refectory” in the Student Activity Center on campus.

 

“For businessmen, time is money,” Lai said. “The quicker you make a meal, the more money you earn.” Nevertheless, as a student entrepreneur for about one year, what makes him delighted most is praises he received from customers. “Customers’ positive feedback of our dishes makes us feel great.”

 

To serve customers high quality dishes, Lai and his partners spent a lot of time on designing a special menu. “I was so happy that our special meal attracted so many customers and they really enjoyed it,” Lai recalled.

 

Lai also mentioned that he enjoys the time working with his partners more than making a profit. He added, “Sharing the same goal and working together with them contribute to my happiness.”

 

Combining interest and business

 

Lei Un Leng, another student of UM, has run an online store selling handmade crochet products with her roommate for more than one year. She discovered an opportunity to turn her interest into a business.

 

“My roommate and I like doing crochet. We enjoyed designing and making crochet in our spare time,” Lei said. “It could be a good way to relax when the school life gets busy.” As doing crochet is Lei and her roommate’s interest, they are willing to spend time on it. “Regardless of how much money we can make, we feel happy and enjoy running this online store. That’s enough!” she remarked and laughed.

 

In fact, each student entrepreneur faces different challenges while running his/her first business. But as university students, youth is their capital. With brilliant ideas, courage and passion, to do what they like and enjoy all the happy moments in the process is more important than counting how much money they are earning.