With more courage (or naivety) than fear, I left a well-paid job 16 years ago to found my design practice. Since then, work has never been just a job with regular hours.
From a lone warrior in the beginning to a team of 10 at our peak, the struggle never ended. The company has always operated in a survival mode. Someone who wants to pursue an MBA degree should consider the alternative of starting a small and medium-sized enterprise – they will immediately learn what it means to sink or swim.
An SME owner is often the chief executive officer, chief financial office, chief marketing officer, HR manager and IT technician all rolled into one. He or she is likely the person preparing the deliverables and services, fixing the printer if it is jammed and unclogging the toilet if it is blocked.
Ever since the days of former financial secretary John Tsang Chun-wah, I have looked forward to the budget speeches, paying particular attention to see what’s in store for SMEs.
The speeches have promised substantial amounts of funds to back loans to SMEs. Recently, lawmaker Jeffrey Lam Kin-fung also made headlines by appealing to the Hong Kong Monetary Authority to pressure banks to lend to SMEs.