Jingjing Huo graduated with a taught masters degree in Management in 2015 and started a business through the Start-up visa scheme. The business is called UK-CN Cultural Exchange Ltd and it offers students aged 6-14 the chance to book piano summer camps in the UK and China. There is also a cultural exchange element to the business inviting musicians to attend commercial concerts in China and more recently there is an online piano course available to users.
Jingjing Huo's story:
I had previously helped to run our family business back home in China and also gained a lot of knowledge through the fantastic UK professors. I wanted to challenge myself to set up a business in the UK. I found there was a gap of music education between the UK and China. The UK has rich music education resources and in China there is a great demand for high quality international music education - my business brought these two together as one. After evaluating the risks and benefits I decided to apply for a Start-Up visa and go for it.
The season reviews let me not only get further guidance regarding my business development, but also let me feel I am not alone. There were challenges along the way - hiring local people was and is a current challenge for me. Editing job descriptions, web and face to face interviews take time to organise, study and carry out.
Tips for International entrepreneurs
My top tips for International entrepreneurs who are looking to start a business in the UK are; evaluate the risks and benefits to your business idea, build up networks before you set up the business, do your market research, adjust business model if necessary and build up business reputation.