Does China Bring Out Your Inner Entrepreneur?

There is something different in the air in China, and I’m not talking about particulate matter.

It’s something else.

Something that ignites a fire under the ass of your inner entrepreneur.  And it doesn’t blow out.

China Manufacturers Entrepreneurs*

Virtually ever person that I know who has spent a significant amount of time in China and who didn’t have a high paying job upon landing here has turned into an entrepreneur.  Have you noticed the same?

Exporters and … ?

The number one and most lucrative choice seems to be exporting of all shapes and sizes, but I also have friends who:

• Started an advertising company
• Took photography from a hobby to a part time income
• Established e-commerce stores
• Manufactured their own branded goods
• Developed online courses

There are also some well known examples from the China expat blogosphere:

• John at Sinosplice has been working for Praxis since the early days of Chinesepod.com
• Ryan at Thehumanaught.com started Daobydesign.com

So What Is It?

What do you think causes China to give birth to so many entrepreneurs?

I think it’s something in the air - something that infects Chinese people and foreigners.  Something called freedom, at least in the cash money sense.  Capitalism at its messiest and finest, except for some very serious political freedom & lack of basic legal protection issues, is driving China’s growth.

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* Let’s broaden the definition of entrepreneur to include people working in startups and doing significant amounts of freelance work

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1. 1|Ryan says:
   

   I always suspected my inner entrepreneur was a skinny red stick man.

   I think part of the reason might be because folks get out of their element. When you’re in your home country, hometown, home… you tend to just look at your situation how those around you look at their situations. But when you pull yourself out of it and come to China, you can’t help but re-examine whether or not you want that box waiting for you back home.

   Of course, there’s no reason you can’t return home and blaze a new trail, but China’s got a bit of an energy about it. As folks more clever than I have coined it - the Wild East. There’s a sense of adventure and opportunity.

   That said, I just got real sick of teaching and love working in my pajamas.

   Props again for the sweet new design. And keep those cartoons coming!

2. 2|Jeremy says:
   

   @Ryan - That’s a good point about closely re-examining your surroundings.

   Still think there is something different in the air that causes him to break out, but it does seem if and when I go back home that the little red stickman won’t go back to his previous abode.

3. 3|jesse says:
   

   i agree that china does bring out your inner entrepreneur. there are so many opportunities to be had here. although lately i am feeling more strongly about photography as art than using it for business. that being said, it still can make a good chunk of change if you get the right gigs.

4. 4|John says:
   

   I think it’s just necessity.

   After being in China for a while, you’re faced with a decision: do I stay here and make a career for myself, or do I move on?

   If you choose to stay, then you need to look realistically at your options. If you want teaching English as your career, great. You’re set. If you don’t, you need to find something you can do that local Chinese can’t do for cheaper. Most often, this involves a new business.

5. 5|Jeremy says:
   

   @Jesse - and hope that you can get a good bit of good paying gigs, no matter what you want to pursue it for long term

   @John - Without the necessary experience to hop into an expat gig, it’s either start at usually very low pay or do your own thing just as you are saying.

   But pretty much every Chinese friend I have very much wants to go into business for themselves - very different than back home.