Ex-civil servant now the boss
May 19, 2010, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
BAR owner Wei Wenjie sits at a reception desk to greet customers.
Last year Wei quit his job with the Shanghai Municipal Transport and Port Authorities because the opportunities for advancement were poor. He previously tried his hand as a driver and salesman but didn't find any job satisfaction. Then he decided to strike out on his own.
"I'm already over 30 and I can't wait for another five years before I find my way," he said.
He spent half a year choosing a location, getting a business license, fitting out the premises and selecting the games before he opened a game bar called Meet You last month.
"I love doing everything on my own," Wei said, with a smile, "It's tiring but satisfying."
Unlike Alex Chu (see story above), Wei believes that language is no great challenge to customers as he is capable of explaining the rules. About 80 percent of the 100 games on Wei's shelf are in English.
"I insisted on buying original edition of foreign board games for their quality and variety," he said, "and after reading all the instruction booklets, I feel my English has improved greatly."
Wei said he paid an average 300 yuan (US$43.93) for each game he bought. "The entry cost is relatively low," he said, "but so is the profit."
He spent 150,000 yuan of his savings to start the business and is still digging into his pockets to keep the enterprise going. About 70 percent of monthly expenses is the rent, and he spends over 3,000 yuan a month to advertise on a popular Website.
"I hope to break even in three months as the popularity of this place spreads," he said. "But even if it does not pay off as I expect, I can't give up because I made the choice and I am committed to it."
Last year Wei quit his job with the Shanghai Municipal Transport and Port Authorities because the opportunities for advancement were poor. He previously tried his hand as a driver and salesman but didn't find any job satisfaction. Then he decided to strike out on his own.
"I'm already over 30 and I can't wait for another five years before I find my way," he said.
He spent half a year choosing a location, getting a business license, fitting out the premises and selecting the games before he opened a game bar called Meet You last month.
"I love doing everything on my own," Wei said, with a smile, "It's tiring but satisfying."
Unlike Alex Chu (see story above), Wei believes that language is no great challenge to customers as he is capable of explaining the rules. About 80 percent of the 100 games on Wei's shelf are in English.
"I insisted on buying original edition of foreign board games for their quality and variety," he said, "and after reading all the instruction booklets, I feel my English has improved greatly."
Wei said he paid an average 300 yuan (US$43.93) for each game he bought. "The entry cost is relatively low," he said, "but so is the profit."
He spent 150,000 yuan of his savings to start the business and is still digging into his pockets to keep the enterprise going. About 70 percent of monthly expenses is the rent, and he spends over 3,000 yuan a month to advertise on a popular Website.
"I hope to break even in three months as the popularity of this place spreads," he said. "But even if it does not pay off as I expect, I can't give up because I made the choice and I am committed to it."
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
