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Growing a good business in the Back Yard
By Wu Yiyao (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-04-05 10:48
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Board game bars are the latest entertainment trend in Beijing, and a growing number of people are spending hours in them playing cards, chess and board games. [China Daily] |
Shen Zijie, a 26-year-old Shanghai-born gamer, has played his way from his hometown to Beijing.
Shen quit his job in one of the Big Four accountancy firms and opened a board game bar called Back Yard Youth in a siheyuan (courtyard house) at Dajiangfang hutong near Xidan.
"When it's a business, you are never playing," said Shen Zijie as he shared his experiences with METRO.
METRO: Why did you decide to start Back Yard Youth?
Shen: For two reasons. One is that I want to have more freedom and work for myself after working intensively for a firm for two years. Another is that I want to provide opportunities for myself and friends to have fun.
When I quit my job last year, I brought a sum of money my grandmother left me and came all the way to Beijing. Most of my closest friends are here.
I often went to board game bars when I worked in Shanghai, but I didn't find many in Beijing. I thought if I could start a business, I should start with something I am familiar with and something unique. So here it is - Back Yard Youth.
METRO: How did you choose to locate your business in a siheyuan?
Shen: It's private and it's cozy. A siheyuan is not just a location for business, it's a place for friendship and intimacy where trust and fun grow.
Actually, many factors that will impact the performance of a business have much to do with location. Location decides what kind of decoration style will be used, how the service items will be priced and how to compete with other similar services. A siheyuan echos the purpose of playing in a board game bar.
METRO: Did you have difficulties when your business started?
Shen: I had many difficulties when I set up the business. I had to learn all the details about registration, pricing, recruitment and many other things I had not gone through before. The paperwork took a long time because I had to run back and fourth from department to department. I had no job, limited money, but I could not give up. My closest friends, who later became my partners, gave me the greatest support at that time.
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Shen: Well, in terms of pressure and work time, nothing has changed much. I work for long hours every day, 14 hours a day sometimes, like I did before as an auditor. However, I am not complaining about the pressure and overworking, because I have more say in what I will do and what I do not want to do. More freedom is definitely a gain.
