~ Written for you who are hesitating.

Recently, it feels like there’s been a lot of negative news.
 Economic slowdown, inflation, US-China trade war, Russia-Ukraine war, now Iran and Israel also at war—open any news page, and it’s all “things will get worse”.
 Same in Malaysia—floods, petrol subsidies restructuring, SST expansion, and everything has increased in price: a cup of coffee, a parking session, even a small service.

At this moment, a friend came and asked me: “Amelia, I really can’t see any hope now. My current job has no future, so should I just try something now? Do something I like, boldly chase a dream...? But... with this kind of external environment, do I really dare to start a business?”

I was silent for a moment after hearing that. This is indeed what many people feel now—
 and it’s also a question I’ve asked myself many times over the years of starting my business.

Today, I want to share based on my own experience, and also a few stories from my friends who have already started their businesses: In such a bad external environment, is now really a suitable time to start a business?

Bad external environment = Cannot start a business?

First, let’s be realistic: a bad environment does increase the difficulty of starting a business.
 Weaker spending power, more cautious customers, tighter cash flow— every step taken by an entrepreneur has to be even more careful.

But on the other hand, those who have thought it through and are well prepared—
actually have a better chance to stand out during such times. Why? Because the number of competitors has decreased. The flashy ones, the trend followers, the unserious ones have exited the market. What’s left—are those willing to take responsibility for their dreams,
 and create real value for the market.

Starting a business is not to chase hype, but to solve problems.

Have you noticed? Even though there are a lot of products in the market now, those with true quality, sincerity, and the power to move people—are actually not many. That means: if you seriously create something good, you are more likely to be seen.

Ask yourself three questions first

If you are now hesitating whether to start a business, I suggest don’t act yet. Ask yourself these three things first:

  1. What I want to do now—is it an “interest” or a “responsibility”?
     A lot of people say they want to chase a dream, but they are actually trying to escape reality. What you want to do—is it something you’re prepared to be responsible for as your career? Or is it just a temporary excitement? If you are willing to take responsibility for this thing every day, then it’s truly worth your full effort.

  2. Does my product/service have “necessity”?
     In a poor economy, customers won’t simply spend. They will only pay for what is “worth it”, “necessary”, or has “emotional value”. Can the value you provide truly solve the other person’s problem?

  3. Am I willing to “take it slow”?
     Starting a business is not about getting rich quickly, but long-term accumulation. The worse the environment, the more it tests your endurance. If you are mentally prepared to survive even three years without profit, then you are already more likely to succeed—because you won’t give up halfway.

My experience: Real opportunities often hide inside crises.

When my husband and I started Kamicarv, in the Malaysian market, no one was seriously working on the “paper carving art” field. At that time, I asked myself hundreds and thousands of times: “Is it too hard to start now?”

But I also realised—The more people don’t do something, the more space there is for us to be unique.

From clients saying, “Wow, this can be customized?” To brands starting to approach us for tailor-made designs; From a solo studio, to building a small team... We didn’t go viral. We’re not the kind of brand chased by media. But we’ve always been “accumulating value that earns trust”.

My final advice is: Now may not be the best timing, but it may be your clearest moment.

When the economy is good, it’s easy to act impulsively, follow trends, make quick decisions—and fail quickly too. But in a time like this, when everything feels uncertain—
 If you can still clearly know what you want, what problems you want to solve, and for whom you want to create value— then you are already ahead at the starting point.

So, don’t decide whether to start a business based on the news— but based on how much you’re willing to take responsibility for your value.

No matter how bad the era is, things with real value will always have a market. If you’ve already thought it through— Then now, is the most suitable time to begin.

If you feel this article is helpful to you or your friends, feel free to share it. We are not alone. As long as you’re still willing to believe, still willing to act— the future will always be worth looking forward to.

( Translated from the original Chinese text )

Tags: All Post