Bring Your Business to the Next Level

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in business consulting and services but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Sylvia Chan, Founder of Charmance Group Limited, located in Wanchai, Hong Kong.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Charmance Group Limited works with business owners, human resources directors, program managers, presidents, or CEOs with 5 to 500 employees who want to increase productivity and reduce overhead costs. Specifically, we specialize in business consulting to take the business to the next level by providing business strategies, change management, corporate restructuring, and documentation for fundraising and listing. We recognize executives, management, and key staff are the backbone of company success; therefore, we also offer corporate training, keynote speaking, and executive coaching to help them increase productivity, communicate better, cultivate leadership, and maintain high performance.

Tell us about yourself

I've been helping out in my family business since I was young, so I always look at business opportunities and challenges from an entrepreneurial perspective. After consulting with many businesses, I found many business owners and senior management could benefit from having an outside perspective to look at the challenges they are facing and discuss possible solutions. We could leverage the know-how and our professional network to support our client's business. I love problem-solving, and I feel honored to be able to contribute to my client's success.
I read Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends and Influence People" as a teenager. I was transformed when I attended Dale Carnegie's Skills for Success training. I was so inspired by the impact of Dale Carnegie's training that I trained to be a Certified Dale Carnegie Trainer. I have been sharing these valuable insights to elevate and empower the growth of leaders and team members in various businesses since 2015.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment would be seeing businesses I work with transform. Some companies I helped to raise funds and progress to the next level of development. But the most fulfilling work is to see mindset changes in leaders and team members that get them unstuck and become confident to seize their growth opportunities.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

One of the hardest things for me would be to acknowledge that there are clients we cannot help. Sometimes clients would not make the necessary changes or action some sensible advice because of people dynamics, power structures, corporate directives, or sometimes just personality clashes.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

Do what you love – Life is too short to endure daily suffering on work that we don't love. Nowadays, the market has changed; we don't necessarily need to work for big corporations, climb the corporate ladder and wait for our retirement. People can start a business doing what they love and make a good living.
You DO have a choice – Many people are stuck in their own prisons created by limiting beliefs. We disempower ourselves when we keep telling ourselves that we have no choice due to our education, family background, work experience, political environment, or the country we live in. But in fact, we do have a choice. Even when we end up doing the same thing as before, acknowledging that we choose to do it will give us our power back. Trust your inner wisdom, not your fear, when making business decisions.
Embrace changes – Expect changes to happen and stay curious about the possible development. Things change; we might be pushed out of our comfort zone, or what we planned no longer work. If we adjust our mindset to welcome change, we can stay positive and see the opportunities. Be brave and venture out of your comfort zone; that's where the growth opportunities and the magic happen!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://charmancegroup.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sylviachanhk/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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