Xania Wong, Founder & CEO of JOBDOH Ltd.
13 Jan 2016
Xania Wong is a busy woman. Now launching her 4th business, JOBDOH, she aims to revolutionise the temporary staffing industry, with just a click!!
What’s your story? JOBDOH, a smart-hiring and matching platform for temporary workers, was born after winning Google’s Empowering Young Entrepreneurs program in 2014. At that point I was also running a wine business and discovered the holes in the distribution of short term work in the hospitality industry. JOBDOH is my fourth business and was created 6 months after I returned from winemaking in Europe and after quitting my corporate job at a financial institution. I grew up and live in HK but was born in Canada and have lived in Canada, France, Belgium, Singapore, China and Indonesia. I’m a CFA and did my MBA in INSEAD.
What excites you most about your industry? The staffing industry is in need of a makeover! We believe in transforming the way people work and live. There’s an inefficiency in how people search and find temporary work, and we are determined to solve this.
People’s circumstances change and flexible work allows them to have a better quality of life. For example, to date, we have generated hundreds of jobs for mothers trying to return to the working world after a long break; ethnic minorities seeking better opportunities or elderly people wanting to give back to society.
What’s your connection to Asia? I was born in Canada but raised in HK. I have also lived, worked and started businesses in Asia in China, Indonesia and Singapore. My love for travel also took me to many developing countries in Asia, where I wish to expand our business.
Favourite city in Asia for business and why? It’s difficult to say as each city is different, and it really depends on the business you conduct. For example, Jakarta is horrible in terms of traffic but locals are friendly and the economic potential is huge; Bangkok citizens are also friendly and have a relative high artistic sense but are quite relaxed, Japanese are systematic but less flexible, and so on. In the end, whether it is a good city really depends on your business scope and whom you meet.
What’s the best piece of advice you ever received? I have received a lot of advice in my life as I love seeking out opinions from experienced entrepreneurs and other inspirational people. However what I remember the most is usually the negative feedback from people who might or might not understand me or the business. I use them to re-examine my business models and to motivate myself to achieve more. Yes I’m also competitive so I like to prove those negative people wrong.
The book I go back to when I’m feeling discouraged is the Alchemist, with its famous quote, “When a person really desires something, all the universe conspires to help that person to realize his dream.” This quote lifts me up when I feel discouraged.
Who inspires you? Elon Musk. Need I explain more?
What have you just learnt recently that blew you away? Probably some science I learnt while watching the Martian.
If you had your time again, what would you do differently? Re: my life, it was probably to study computer engineering. I wanted to, but sadly listened to my uncle who encouraged me against it. Re: my company, put in a proper company governance structure earlier on.
How do you unwind? I love sports and theatre. I try to get out and play sport or catch a play every so often. However it’s been tough given my schedule. So the quicker way to unwind is to sleep.
Favourite Asian destination for relaxation? Why? Hmm.. I suppose Singapore for relaxation since I have lived there, and it’s a very easy place to travel. However there are quite a few destinations desired depending on my mood – Japan for overall inspiration, Myanmar for adventures and Thailand for exploration.
Everyone in business should read this book: The Alchemist
Shameless plug for your business: Hire short-term, temporary or last minute quality workers at your finger tip!
JOBDOH app relieves your hiring headache with its smart-hiring booking platform for quality temporary workers. All JOBDOH’ers have been verified and analyzed in advance to ensure legitimacy and compatibility. Our record from job postings to arrival on premise is under 1.5 hours.
Download JOBDOH app today and start hiring!
JOBDOH platform has won several awards and seats in top incubation around the world, including HK government’s Cyberport Creative Micro Fund, HK Cyberport’s incubation program, Europe’s Seedcamp and Google’s “Empowering Young Entrepreneurs” Program. For more details, visit our FB page https://www.facebook.com/pages/JOBDOH/1518056161749852.
How can people connect with you? [email protected]
Twitter handle? @jobdoh
料政府成立基金助初創企業發展
08 Jan 2016
新一份《施政報告》下周三公布，預料創新科技政策是一大重點。有創新及科技諮詢委員會委員預計政府會投放五至六億元成立配對基金，吸引專業投資者投資在香港已有一定基礎的初創企業。
他們各有各的創業夢。 Elliot 開發的應用程式幫人互相借東西， Xania 的讓人配對兼職， Ricky 就售賣 3D 打印機。
據了解，創科局成立後的首份施政報告會有新猷，政府計劃投放五至六億元成立基金，專業投資者每投資兩元到初創企業，政府就會投資一元；如果有錢賺，會按比例撥歸基金。受惠對象不是由零開始的創業人士，而要像他們公司已有一定規模、屬於「天使輪」級數。
所謂「天使輪」是行內術語，初創企業剛剛起步的叫種子階段，目前數碼港、科學園都有計劃扶助這類公司，到它們成長到投資額需要數百萬元、甚至一至二千萬元就屬於「天使輪」，新的配對基金專門協助這一級的企業融資晉級上「 A 輪」。
創新及科技諮詢委員會委員楊全盛相信，政府會傾向投資在與智慧城市、將物件和互聯網結合、金融科技、或機械人工程有關的初創企業。
一個電召客貨車的應用程式，由兩年前兩萬多港元本金、發展到近期估值三億美元，創辦人 Steven 表示前年及去年分別在新加坡和內地融資，現在已超越「 A 輪」。他認為香港政府如果想鼓勵投資，不應該選擇行業。
被投資的初創企業亦有些條件，例如總部要設於香港、或在香港已營運一段長時間，負責人或創辦人是香港人，至少符合這兩個條件才合資格。