At the best of times, running a business is an uphill battle, an
endless struggle to innovate ideas that put you ahead of the competition
and continually turn a profit. In a post-COVID-19 world however, those
challenges have not only grown in scale, but morphed into something entirely unrecognizable. In this series, we talk to expat-entrepreneurs and find out what they’re doing to remain successful in business, and happy at home.
When Timothy Chia and his family headed back to
Singapore for Lunar New Year, it was just as COVID-19 began to grip the
globe’s attention. The situation in China and the rest of Asia was
beginning to get dire, and places like Hong Kong and Singapore would see
the curious panic buying of toilet paper, which has become a sort of
trademark move by shoppers in countries only now experiencing the worst
of the virus.
Still, Chia and his family had one simple goal; to return to
Beijing, a city they have come to love and call home. Chia had hope,
but it would get a lot worse before it got any better, something that
would affect both his business and his family in unexpected, albeit
positive ways.
How long have you and your family been in China and what made you decide to move this far East?
I’ve been in China since the middle of 2014 and I was single when I
first moved here. My wife used to work in the Singapore Embassy in
Beijing and she was the main reason I came to check Beijing out. I liked
Beijing so much that I’m still here more than five years later.
What do you do and how long have you been in business?
I’m the Chief Marketing Officer and a partner at TRIBE, a lifestyle
group which currently includes a healthy eats restaurant in Solana
Lifestyle Mall, an online waimai restaurant in Shanghai (also
called TRIBE) and TRIBE Nutrition, a meal plan delivery service that’s
available in both Beijing and Shanghai. We’re also probably the
restaurant that runs the most events in town! We’ve done everything from
exercise classes such as yoga, pilates and HIIT classes and creative
workshops like English calligraphy and flower arrangement classes in our
restaurants, to city cycling, jogging, and wellness retreats to the
countryside. Our very first TRIBE restaurant was founded in 2014.
What were you and your family’s initial reactions when COVID-19 first hit the news?
We were, like most people, a little worried as we watched the news
unfurl. However, as we headed back home to Singapore shortly after for
Chinese New Year, we also got to experience how people there reacted to
COVID-19, and did things like the panic buying of toilet paper which
seems to have become a global trend, though not in Beijing, thankfully.
What were your expectations as far as the virus and its effect on daily life and business in Beijing?
We did expect it to put a pause on many things and that the city
would feel like it’s on an extended Chinese New Year break, which it has
effectively been with so many businesses closed and hardly anybody
going out.advertisement
What has been the reality for you and your family?
Beijing has never seemed quieter. I got back to Beijing in
mid-February and my family returned at the beginning of March. During
the period that I was self-quarantined, apart from keeping myself busy
whilst working remotely from home, on the whole, it was an interesting
experience to say the least with lots of time for personal reflection,
body weight exercises and YouTube videos. Life is much better now that
my family is back here with me in Beijing and we’re enjoying lots of
family time together. We appreciate the quietness of the city now, but
we do miss the hustle and bustle of Beijing.
How has your business been affected by the current situation?
It’s been affected negatively on many levels, from some staff not
being able to return to Beijing/Shanghai from their hometowns to an
approximate 70% decrease in business due to many customers neither
visiting the restaurant nor ordering waimai or meal plans.
What form of support have you received from the expat community here in Beijing for both your family’s and business’ well-being?
Our friends here, both expats and locals, have been a great source of
encouragement and a much-needed support system for my family. Just
having a community of people to talk to and walk through this alongside
us has made a huge difference. On the business front, it’s been
heartening to see our expat customers make an effort to visit and
dine-in/pick up their orders at the restaurant. Others have ordered waimai and meal plans, all of which we really appreciate.
Do you believe the current situation will permanently change the face of business in Beijing?
Yes, it’s changing not just the face of business but culturally. It’s
even changing attitudes towards hygiene which is not a bad thing. I
believe that businesses everywhere are paying a lot more attention to
keeping their premises clean and disinfected multiple times a day which
is a good practice to maintain once this virus has passed.
Moving forward, what are some of the plans you have set in place for
your business to ensure it is not adversely affected by such an
unexpected situation?
Operationally, some of our staff have willingly and enthusiastically
risen to the occasion and taken on new roles to keep the business going.
For example, our restaurant’s head chef has been helping the meal plan
service’s kitchen team cook their meal plans as the latter’s kitchen
team is lacking chefs who have not been able to return from their
hometowns due to the virus.
Has the current situation deterred you from continuing to be a part
of the business landscape in Beijing or are you here to stay?
We are here to stay as long as we possibly can.
What advice would you give to other business owners in Beijing at this time?
This is a great opportunity to really get to know your customers
better. For example, we have an active WeChat group in which both the
TRIBE staff and some of our loyal fans have been sharing photos of what
everybody’s been cooking at home (when we’re not eating TRIBE) or even
have our in-house nutritionist give nutrition tips to our customers.
How can other expat families show their support for expat business owners in Beijing?
By giving them business and encouragement. There are a fair number of
active expat-targeted WeChat groups and media accounts around so it’s
not hard to know which expat-owned businesses are still operating.
Any words of encouragement or hope for the international community as a whole in Beijing?
Hang tight, guys! Beijing expats are like the locals, resilient! We’ll get through this together, stay positive and safe!advertisement
Photos: Courtesy of Timothy Chia, The Beijinger