Howdy people from the 852,
The email below is the one that kickstarted Reddit in 2005, the epic front page of the internet and my favorite social media.
Last week, Reddit was introduced at the NY Stock Exchange.
If you need first-hand insights about Hong Kong, head over to the city’s dedicated subreddit, which has a whopping 600K members.
In this edition of Better Read Paul:
Introduction: What’s your entrepreneur’s mojo? Money or status?
The LinkedIn Guide: A case study to write viral LinkedIn posts
My Entrepreneur Portrait: Naman has co-created Hong Kong’s unique sustainable beer brand: BREER
PS: Thank you to people who reviewed my website creation business plan, 2 amazing tips:
Add a monthly maintenance fees to generate extra revenu (I did)
Study Squarespace, another platform similar to Wix (I will)
Are you familiar with the "glamour paradox"?
See, when you start a business, you've got two ambitions: fame and money.
Yet, here's the twist: Many business owners who are often featured in media tell me that they struggle financially.
Conversely, those who are financially well-off say that they are not given enough media coverage.
This is the glamour paradox:
Running a “media-friendly” business (Usually from sustainable, art or social industries) doesn't mean you have a cash machine.
Some entrepreneurs even find themselves caught up in the glamour paradox, losing too much time talking about them and ultimately struggling to generate money.
Remember, your top priority is to find new clients and build a steady cash flow, money always come before status.
Fame will come sooner or later, be patient.
Paul
I’m visiting Shanghai for the first time this week. This pic taken in the 90’s features the construction of the Oriental Pearl Tower, the city’s most recognisable building.
The LinkedIn Guide
Last month, Khanh-Linh Nguyen-Trong, a face yoga teacher based in Hong Kong reached out to me for help on LinkedIn, so I became her ghostwriter.
Her goal was to generate more visibility for her local business and find new corporate clients.
Our first LinkedIn post followed the SAO framework (For Survive, Adapt, Overcome).
Results were really great. This post garnered +7000 impressions, 101 likes, 16 comments…and new opportunities!
The SAO structure is divided into 6 parts:
A catchy opening line
A professional challenge (Survive)
How you crushed that problem (Adapt)
Your conclusion (Overcome)
A top-notch advice to help people who face the same issue
A “PS” part to drop a call-to-action
Bear in mind that each part of your post must be catchy to push people to read further:
Step 1: Picture and Headline
When scrolling, users often pause when they come across an intriguing picture and captivating headline.
That's why it's important to have these two stuff perfectly prepared.
So, how do you make sure your followers get hooked with your first 3 lines, stop scrolling, press "...see more" and keep reading your stuff?
You must be sure your headline ticks at least 3 of these 4 boxes:
Intriguing
Funny
Slightly controversial
Written the way you speak
For this post, I created a catchy comparison, likening Khann-Linh to Nicole Kidman, whose TV show "Expat." became a controversial topic in the city. Additionally, I highlighted her father's legacy.
Step 2: The Why
After the eye-catching headline, I explained why Khanh-Linh started this business and the role played by her father legacy.
Step 3: The Challenge (Survive)
I showcased her difficulties and vulnerabilities.
Step 4: Overcoming the Challenge (Adapt)
Next, I elucidated how she overcame these challenges.
Step 5: Advice (Overcome)
I finished the post with a piece of advice for others.
Step 6: Call to Action (CTA)
Finally, I encouraged readers to connect with Khanh-Linh for a coffee
Now your post is almost done, you just need 3 hashtags. You can also add your CTA as a first comment.
SEEN IN HK
This pic was shot in North Point, Hong Kong, 1963. Great fashion style!
The Entrepreneur of the Week
Let's get real, sustainability isn't exactly a top concern in Hong Kong, where plastic reigns supreme. But that didn’t stop Naman Tekriwal — A 22 year old guy from New Delhi — to start an original sustainable beer business and become a Forbes’ "30 Under 30" nominee.
Here is his story:
“I hail from New Delhi, India, and arrived in Hong Kong back in 2019 to pursue my studies. You see, my dad runs a family business which focused on recycling tires and old materials.
From my dad, I learned the importance of financial literacy, and I put that knowledge to use by starting my first business at 13 years old. (My dad helped me register the company.)
I became the banker for my high school classmates, accepting 100 rupees from them and investing their cash.
This first gig was like a test run, but it turned out to be a success with 100,000 students registered.
Eventually, I sold that business for $20,000 in 2016 and moved on to a next project.
I decided to create a similar business, this time targeting people from the Indian countryside who are financially illiterate.
Today this business is still running but I left my CEO spot in 2019 to study management in Hong Kong.
It’s during an entrepreneur event organised by the university that I met my future co-founder, Anushka Purohit.
Interestingly, we were the only two asking questions to the speakers so we quickly got along! We were also both coming from New Delhi, the world's most polluted capital, and had a deep sensitivity to climate change and sustainability.
Anushka and I (along with 2 friends, Suyash, and Deevansh) joined the Enactus HKUST Competition and won the contest with a sustainable business idea: producing high-quality craft beer using surplus bread from bakeries across Hong Kong.
With the prize funds, we were able to start our sustainable project. We named this new business BREER (Bread + Beer), and launched it in 2019.
BREER is unique concept in Hong Kong.
Starting this business amid the pandemic was a great challenge. With all breweries closed, we had no means to initiate production of our first beer test batches.
So, we had to learn brewing techniques from YouTube while using home brewing kits.
Another hurdle was securing a consistent source of surplus bread. Larger bakery chains weren’t playing the game, perceiving us merely as "youngsters working on a craft beer project.”
So we shifted our focus to smaller bakeries for our first beer batches.
And then came the struggle of perfecting the recipe! We quickly realised that each type of bread contributed to the taste of the beer.
For example, using sourdough made the beer excessively salty and undrinkable.
We joined more than 20 local fairs, to get feedbacks on taste, and finally found our ultimate beer.
Today, BREER boasts:
400 client outlets
A remarkable achievement of saving 25 tons of bread from going to waste
A long-term partnerships with big names like Maxim's and La Rose Noire by Gerald Dubois.
We also joined the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia List in 2023.
Our next objective is to develop more partnerships with local corporates while launching a non-alcoholic beer.
Cheers!”
You can connect with Naman on Linkedin.
If you have not done it yet:
Read my thoughts on Linkedin (+6100 followers)
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Until next Wednesday!
Paul from Hong Kong,