SKILLS Stories June 2020 | Youth Hong Kong
Branding strategy A
photography production and support service, a marketing agency and training service for company employees: these three distinct lines of business emerged as Sam Sio built a career of entrepreneurship. They all grew from his first contact with HKFYG.
“Entrepreneurship wasn’t exactly a hot topic when I was a teenager but I knew I wanted to start up a photography business. The trouble was, I didn’t know where to begin.” He started by searching for information on startup support. “There were only two possible organizations. One of them was YBHK (Youth Business Hong Kong) and that’s the one which suited me. It providing mentors to help solve problems and follow up on progress, financial assistance, skills training, legal advice for accounting issues and social network building. Everything I really needed!” For a new brand or a new company there are three essential factors, he says. “You need exposure in the market for your company and products; an effective introduction of your product to the target customer group; and network-building in the relevant sector.” YBHK was ideal for Sam because it offered him immediate exposure in a partnership programme that HKFYG had with TVB. It involved a show with competitive pitching sessions. That meant many potential customers found out about Sam’s business. “The show’s jury challenged our business model, tested its competitive strength and queried the ways in which we planned to expand. In effect, it helped us clarify what we do and how we do it.” As the photography business developed, it used an innovative photo booth. This was disruptive technology: it made a photographer redundant.
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pp Sam Sio in the centre
