I’m a little disappointed with the developments in my life over the past year. Had lots of talks with people about starting a new venture in gastronomy but non worked out. Had talks with someone in Xingdao (Tsingdao) but after some research that turned out to be more or less a scam in the making …
Anyways, about July I started looking into the possibility of going back to study and try to get a BA hotel management. But then I’ve to go back to Belgium (Brussels) and it will take me about 3 academic years to complete. Need to find a part-time job, find a place to stay because my parents’ home is to far for daily commute .
The majority of students will be 19-20-ish, so that makes me … old.
I just got the e-mail that my request is approved and I can come over and start the course late September. I’m thinking now about the fact that my life here will … end for now … and I need to go back to a cold climate, expensive food and other stuff I really like to avoid.
So, if I should go I’m having this question in my mind … should I sell all the kitchen equipment I still have or keep it in storage for in about 3 years when I return to Taiwan and maybe set up a new business … or should I sell?
But the main question is … is it worth it, going back to study for 3 years, get a BA or should I just stay and keep trying to start-up a new venture in gastronomy?
Opinions anyone …
BTW, I was also trying to get my photography back on track the previous year but I ran into some hurdles and it’s not that easy lately, so I pretty much gave up on that one, although I enjoy photography very much … but I guess I can’t make good money out of it …
As far as employment by a third party is concerned … yes, it will improve my chances …
As a self-employed person it will improve my managerial skills … but in the turning, I lose three years when it comes to money making if I would be able to start something soon … but then, when this should fail, I’m back to square one.
A lot of the philantrophist who give millions to colleges didnt ever go to college themselves or didnt graduate. But they started at an early age DOING THEIR OWN BUSINESS.
But I feel that one should get as high an education as possible as soon as possible and get that out of the way. And then you are well armed for what life has to bring.
[quote=“Belgian Pie”]As far as employment by a third party is concerned … yes, it will improve my chances …
As a self-employed person it will improve my managerial skills … but in the turning, I lose three years when it comes to money making if I would be able to start something soon … but then, when this should fail, I’m back to square one.[/quote]
BP, question is, do you want to be employed by a third party? I’ve always found that the entrepreneurial types like yourself, will always have that itch to break out of the corporate world and strike again. It may just be delaying the inevitable, namely your finding another new venture somewhere, somehow. The opportunity cost may be too high.
As for improving managerial skills… I would say not exactly to highly unlikely. You’ll learn the “theories” but, nothing beats hands-on experience when it comes to management. The theories, you can learn on your own from a few simple-to-read books. Your experience running your own business makes you a far more experienced manager than most of the freshly minted graduates (BA or MBA) who’ve had no real-world experience.
I’ve come across a couple of colleagues/friends who are in similar shoes as you, looking to complete their schooling but because as a corporate slave, that’s a must in order to have any decent future. But I see these people who have golden handcuffs, because the money is good. But in their hearts, they’re itching for more, maybe entrepreneurial in nature, but need to be there for the hands-on learning/experience for the future. There are distance learning programs, HK Open U is an option that we’ve looked into for them. That might give you what you feel you need without too much sacrifice.
All that’s been posted is true but depends, I have that thought in my head of going to study, learn a few more languages meanwhile (it’s part of it) and start working part time in a hotel … than I was planning on around 2014 or earlier if possible to be a resident manager, duty manager in some upscale hotel somewhere in Asia, possibly a few years later arriving at a boutique hotel in a resort area or something … until retirement.
I suppose it’s doable … but without a BA hotel management I guess not, as far as I can thrust information I gathered.
As for opening another place in Taiwan I’m pretty limited as I’m basically on my own … my wife works hard but she doesn’t like working in the gastronomy/hospitality business … one person can only do so much … and I don’t have a choice of financial backers …
why can’t you just open your own hotel in taiwan? I realize it’s a little different idea than yours, but most hotels, even the nicer ones, in taiwan are crap. I always thought that if a foreigner opened one up, you may even have to build, but I bet you could make a killing from a well run place, and you could really make good, I think, if you had a great resturant there and marketed it for weddings. The whole package. I think people would love it. Well, I would.
I think you need a mentor in your area of interest. You should find someone that is retired and was successful in the industry you want to enter. The beauty of this arrangement is that you get the knowledge you really want.
At this stage of your life school might be meaningless if you plan to do your own business again.
I know some entrepreneur that gave up their business and went to work in a large casino hotel resort for the stable income. A few years later he left the hotel and started another business because he wanted more freedom.
[quote=“Belgian Pie”]I’m a little disappointed with the developments in my life over the past year. Had lots of talks with people about starting a new venture in gastronomy but non worked out. Had talks with someone in Xingdao (Tsingdao) but after some research that turned out to be more or less a scam in the making …
[/quote]
I’ve been thinking pretty much the same as you, BP (apart from the bits about being an old fart). I have a decent living from self employment and a very easy life in Taiwan but it wasn’t exactly what I saw myself doing and at the back of my mind I know the current venture won’t last forever.
I never technically even finished high school so I often wonder what I will do if I have kids and my business runs out of steam etc. A lot of people with degrees say how experience is way more important than qualifications, but they never tried getting a job above 7-11 clerk with no degree. Then again, I looked at the options that having a degree would open and to be honest most of them are crap.
I thought about taking a degree in physics or medicine but the foreign student fees for non-business/Chinese subjects in Taiwan are really high and then what would I do with it anyway? Spend 7 years and a shitload of money grinding away to become a doctor or a more reasonably 4 years and slightly less outrageous fee for a physics degree to… err… have a physics degree. I always wanted to be a pilot and it would cost about the same as a BSc but I would have to leave Taiwan for at least two years and take a big risk. I guess I have a few years to decide before the airlines would consider me too old to bother training.
I think guys like us are just destined to be self employed and should probably just accept it.
I didn’t fully post before. sorry, I really don’t have much time. But I want to say that I’ve just turned 36 and gone back to grad school this month. This one year of tuition, two semesters, will cost me more than my entire BA did. (I graduated 10 years ago.)
But, my Taiwanese marriage went way past the bottom, I have almost no American family, and am having to start again with nothing. But my BA (English), while great for teaching in Taiwan, overqualifies me for everything available where I live, but I have no specific qualifications for things like management or even secretarial jobs. I have to return to school to be certified to teach in this counrty.
But school is so expensive, and teachers are paid so little, that I don’t see a way to realistically relieve any of my financial pressure by teaching after graduation. I’ll very likely return to Taiwan and use my advanced education to get a better job and start my own business.
So, build that hotel, man. It can’t be impossible to find the financing, and you could, like an earlier poster said, find a mentor to partner with. You still learn what you want and need to know, but you get to invest in something concrete and really see the returns.
And you could always visit Belgum first, for a vacation, and be reminded of all the reasons you don’t live there, without the commitment to live there for three years.
Would Macau be an option? The casinos are booming over there and “nouveaux riches” go there by the plane load… There must be a place for a Western catering manager of some sort, with or without the diploma… Would that float your boat (or gondolla)??? From what I know from Macau, the salaries are not bad and the cost of living is really decent (tax rate is loooow), the place is international enough, and if you need a real international fix, HK is an hour away… The old world feel is indeed really nice.
You might be able to get the kind of job you are looking for without having to get that diploma. From then on, build experience and voila!!!
Bonne chance!
[quote=“Belgian Pie”]I’m a little disappointed with the developments in my life over the past year. Had lots of talks with people about starting a new venture in gastronomy but non worked out. Had talks with someone in Xingdao (Tsingdao) but after some research that turned out to be more or less a scam in the making …
Anyways, about July I started looking into the possibility of going back to study and try to get a BA hotel management. But then I’ve to go back to Belgium (Brussels) and it will take me about 3 academic years to complete. Need to find a part-time job, find a place to stay because my parents’ home is to far for daily commute .
The majority of students will be 19-20-ish, so that makes me … old.
I just got the e-mail that my request is approved and I can come over and start the course late September. I’m thinking now about the fact that my life here will … end for now … and I need to go back to a cold climate, expensive food and other stuff I really like to avoid.
So, if I should go I’m having this question in my mind … should I sell all the kitchen equipment I still have or keep it in storage for in about 3 years when I return to Taiwan and maybe set up a new business … or should I sell?
But the main question is … is it worth it, going back to study for 3 years, get a BA or should I just stay and keep trying to start-up a new venture in gastronomy?
Opinions anyone …
BTW, I was also trying to get my photography back on track the previous year but I ran into some hurdles and it’s not that easy lately, so I pretty much gave up on that one, although I enjoy photography very much … but I guess I can’t make good money out of it …[/quote]
The question to ask is why are you going back to school? Is there some part of your hotelier/restaurant toolkit that is missing? Or is it that this will open doors to some hotel job. Think also what specifically what you are looking for from some job at a big hotel (other than a living)? Experience? Exposure? Networks to future potential backers? Can you realistically get there without the school? Sounds simplistic, but you need to understand these things clearly before you make a decision.
If you go to school, divest the equipment. You have no idea where you’ll be in 3 years and you may need the capital.
I’m getting plenty mixed reactions here which doesn’t make it easier to decide.
I suppose that as some of you suggest just to go out there, find a mentor or apply for a job in management won’t be easy, let alone be possible.
Hotels are not waiting for people without experience in the field. And by the field I mean hotel sector, not having owned a restaurant. My searches came to one conclusion, if I want to make it in this sector I need at least a BA in hotel management or similar …
Anyway, thanks for the suggestions …
[quote]My searches came to one conclusion, if I want to make it in this sector I need at least a BA in hotel management or similar … [/quote] If that is what you want, then there is your answer.