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.
Time is often an incredibly finite resource. However, as COVID-19 threatened to drag on for an unprecedentedly long period, business owners across the country found themselves with no clients and a surplus of time. One would imagine this time was spent agonizing over what could possibly be done to bounce back once, or even if, the situation ever abated.
But for others like Ray Yue Heng, owner of Pebbles Courtyard, the surplus of time presented an invaluable opportunity to regroup before forging ahead. As someone who had lived through the SARS outbreak of 2003, Heng knew what to expect, and he had a very clear goal in mind – make the most of this time to ensure his business comes out bigger, better and stronger .
Ray Yue Heng and his family
How long have you and your family been in China, and what made you decide to move this far East?
I was born and raised in Sanlitun, although I spent almost eight years abroad for my education, in Australia and the US.
What do you do and how long have you been in business?
I am the chef/part owner of Pebbles Courtyard Mexican Restaurant with my wife. We’ve have been in business for ten years now (11th this year).
What were you and your family’s initial reactions when COVID-19 first hit the news?
I came back from Australia right before SARS, so I thought “Really? This again?” It felt like the second round of SARS, and we spoke of it jokingly.
What were your expectations as far as the virus and its effect on daily life and business in Beijing?
Well, we didn’t know what to expect actually, because SARS wasn’t this bad. Nothing was shut back then, not this strict at least. But daily life was okay, only the business has suffered a bit.
What has been the reality for you and your family?
The most important reality about all this is we’re all healthy and alive! Despite all this, we as a family really appreciate the time we have together, because back when it was normal, we didn’t get to be around with each other much.
How has your business been affected by the current situation?
The service industry lives on the daily grind and subsequent cash flow, so we’re definitely affected by it. But what can we do, right? We just continue to remain positive, while also trying to adapt to the current changes. As part of that we also started offering delivery services.
What form of support have you received from the expat community here in Beijing, for both your family’s and business’ well-being?
It has been great! Doing deliveries has opened up a new door for us, because we weren’t on any of the delivery platforms before, now gaining new customers (mostly expats)! We have also received lots of support from our loyal customers. So far it has helped us a lot, especially with covering the basic costs of running a business, and we are grateful for it!
Do you believe the current situation will permanently change the face of business in Beijing? If so, why and how? If not, then why?
For us I wouldn’t say it will change the face of the business, because I will still carry out what I’d planned for the year when it returns to normal. But it has definitely opened up a new branch in our business which is deliveries, so we’re just trying to do our best to adapt to the changes.
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?
The plan remains the same. We will just have to work harder to compensate for the lost months and make up for it. It’s going to be tough! But we have all the time we need to think about what we need to do, right? I’ll take it as a challenge. Staying positive and remaining dedicated to working hard is our only strategy to ensure our business continues to be less affected by the unexpected situation caused by COVID-19.
Has the current situation deterred you from continuing to be a part of the business landscape in Beijing or are you here to stay?
No, not at all! Not only won’t it discourage me from it, but it only continues to fuel me to do better, because this is a great time to adjust and reflect on how best to do business. At least we normally get this sort of time to reflect on such matters during the year. It has always been nonstop work. In that way, this situation has been a blessing in disguise.
What advice would you give to other business owners in Beijing at this time?
My best advice to other business owners at the moment is try not to waste all this time given, like I said, this is a great time to reflect on your business model and be ready for the wind rush when it returns to normal! Have faith that your business is strong enough to survive.
How can other expat families show their support for expat business owners in Beijing?
As a chef/owner the best thing I’ve been hearing back from our customers is,“Hey, we love your food! Our family really enjoyed! It has helped us through the difficult times at home!” Hearing that is really heart-warming and it shows our hard work has paid off. So as most expat business owners in Beijing are in the Food & Beverage industry, just show some support by ordering deliveries. I’m sure great business owners will return the favor by giving back great food and deals during these hard times!
Any words of encouragement or hope for the international community as a whole in Beijing?
In mid-January, we had just done our charity dinner to raise money for the Australian wildfires! Such a great opening for this year to come, and this virus puts the world on hold! This virus is far worse than SARS, not because of the virus, but because of the Internet. We didn’t have smart phones back then, and as such we weren’t prone to so much misinformation which is the order of the day now! It’s almost like we don’t know what to believe anymore. So stay sane, stay strong for your family, your friends and your loved ones and stay positive! Don’t let the Internet get to you and support each other.
Photos: Courtesy of Ray Yue Heng
