Some of the readers may be wondering why I decided to leave the security and potential high earnings associated with working for a large corporation. I mean, my parents came over to this country with a few hundred dollars in their pocket to make sure that their children would have opportunities such as job security. I sometimes still question that myself when I see some of my peers who are now beginning to reap the rewards of from paying their dues at these large companies. I mean, they work only Monday to Friday 9 to 5 (so they can go for Saturday or Sunday morning dim sum with the whole family) are guaranteed 2 weeks vacation out of the year (so they go visit family abroad and have morning dim sum with them everyday while on vacation), they get dental benefits, and are guaranteed a pay raise of at least 3% every year and to top it off, most even get a pension plan with where they work. Now compare that now to working at least 12 hours a day (I don’t care what anyone says, on your first venture, you are going to be working a minimum of 25 hours a day, 8 days a week), guaranteed to not have any vacation time (so where’s the time for your dim sum…McDonalds it is or generic brand instant noodles if you’re a little less westernized!), putting off the dentist until you have extra money, a pay raise…how about even getting a pay cheque, because you have to pay your rent and staff first (hence more McDonalds or Generic brand instant noodles), and a pension, you only get a retirement fund when you get your business profitable enough to sell, but until that time comes, everyday is an uphill battle. Sure there is also “stress” with a job, but they never have to worry that if a deal or sale does not go through, they still get a pay cheque at end of the week. So what is so wrong with a job? The answer, is nothing. But for myself, those are the very things that scare me about “getting a job” (Don’t get me wrong, there are many things that is scary about being an entrepreneur also, but we can get into that at a later time).
The decision to really follow the path of an entrepreneur was that there is a certain desire I found within myself that my life is in my own control by being an entrepreneur. By being in control, I’m referring to that fact that I would never be subject to a company downsizing, and losing my job. My ability to advance, and earn more money is not in the fate of someone else’s opinion of me or my work ethic. If I put in the extra effort, my reward is not merely an extra time and a half of pay (which after taxes, amounts to maybe a dinner and a movie) or banking overtime hours for some extra time off. There is also the fact that there is a degree of flexibility when you own your own business. For example, if an emergency situation arises (such as family emergency’s) you are able to really put what’s important to you first. You do not need to worry about “taking too much time off” because you will be in trouble at work. You do not need to ask permission to be with a loved one in their time of need.
Another thing, despite that we are jooksing, we are still very much truly “Chinese”, it has been engrained in our being that we must care for our parents when they get older. Sure, we may not all be living in the same house together (thank the god they came to Canada!) but we must still make sure they are financially cared for, have a roof over their heads (or else they will be living with you FOREVER), make sure they can go have dim sum whenever they want and be their personal driver wherever they want to go (which is usually to a friends place to play Mah Jong, where oddly enough, our parents have their own drivers licenses…and their own cars!) After all, life is really about the ones that matter most in your life, and ultimately, a job in my opinion should not be a deciding factor to those moments.
So that is the main inspiration for me to pursue the life of an entrepreneur. The desire to take my life in my own control, and to be able to have some flexibility in life for the things that really matter to you! And yes, paying for a second mortgage, and being your parents personal driver is really one of them! But don’t worry, the positives of this is that when you have children, your baby sitter is free! Your parents would dis-own you if you sent their grandchildren to a day care!
Owen Ma.
The Modern Jooksing Businessman