be your own boss

1、<p>　　Be Your Own Boss</p><p>　　SINCE the emergence of China’s first private business in 1980, the proportion of private enterprises in the national economy has grown steadily and swiftly. In 2004 the g

2、overnment enacted an amendament for the protection of private property in the Constitution, and in the following years created a series of policies that encouraged individual entrepreneurship. These efforts prompted a wa

3、ve of start-up businesses and formed the catalyst for the rapid development of the private sector. Despite the</p><p>　　Grassroots Effort </p><p>　　Xu Wengang, a 36-year-old rural villager of Su

4、qian City in coastal Jiangsu Province, got himself a job at a local factory after graduating from junior middle school. By 2009 he had brought his monthly income up to over US $400; together with his wife’s earnings from

5、 her part time work and the income from their crops, their budget supports a relatively stable and affluent life. </p><p>　　Back in 2001, Xu invented a new type of expansile screw, and applied for a patent.

6、However, he carried on with his factory job, never giving another thought to prototyping his invention and developing a new product. </p><p>　　It was not until April 2009, through the encouragement of the lo

7、cal government and the support of his family, that Xu made up his mind to resign and start his own business. In the beginning, due to lack of funds for setting up his own factory, Xu had to contract out the production to

8、 a partner and only sold the products himself. He was often away from home for weeks on marketing trips. </p><p>　　Before he saw any substantial sales revenue, his partner developed financial troubles that f

9、orced him to withdraw from the joint venture. Fortunately, a friend of hapless Xu came to his rescue, suggesting he sign up as a contestant for the Fourth Suqian City Entrepreneurship Competition in October. Xu took firs

10、t place, winning a prize of US $500 and a start-up fund of nearly US $5,000. That event helped him realize the first step in having his own business in his hometown ?C his dream. </p><p>　　Although Suqian is

11、 part of the prosperous east coast, it is one of the few conservative exceptions in the region,economically underdeveloped and relatively backward. Local villagers are content with a simple and easy life as long as they

12、have enough to eat and wear. Even creative minds like Xu would typically hang back from venturing into something unknown. </p><p>　　However, the local government is determined to disturb the stagnent conditi

13、ons by developing the local economy. In recent years, it has spared no efforts toencourage and guide local people to explore entrepreneurial ventures. The Entrepreneurship Competition is one of the vehicles. A municipal

14、government official in charge of the event told China Today: “The professional knowledge that private enterprise requires is teachable, but entrepreneurial spirit, enthusiasm and confidence needs a nurturi</p><

15、;p>　　The efforts have paid off. In 2008, over 40,000 private companies and individual industrial and commercial entities were established among the local population of 5.3 million, resulting in a 40 percent year-on-ye

16、ar rise in tax revenues for the city. </p><p>　　The Government’s Guidance </p><p>　　For a populous country like China, the private entreprise sector is significant for growth, not only in terms

17、of promoting economic development, but also in solving the nation’s unemployment problem. </p><p>　　The figure 1.3 billion is intimidating for any administration. Of rural China’s 900 million population, aro

18、und 200 million have left their hometowns in search of work in cities; but that still leaves the majority at home, either unemployed or semi-employed. The urban areas were not much better by the end of 2008; they too sta

19、red at unemployment figures exceeding 8 million, shuddering at the thought of 1 million university graduates joining them each year upon graduation. </p><p>　　The situation has been the major impetus for pro

20、mpting the Chinese government’s push for private enterprise. The primary driving force was the revision of China’s Constitution specifying the inviolability of private property. In addition, the central government contin

21、ues to encourage college graduates to take on official posts in rural areas, a move that relieves some of the unemployment pressures for college graduates. In return these college graduates are asked to assist local farm

22、ers in initi</p><p>　　Local governments around the country have begun rolling out similar supportive measures for new start-ups in tune with their local conditions. The government of Anhui Province, for exam

23、ple, has helped build 253 new business incubators scattered across almost every county and district in the province, with the stipulation that each incubator provides at least 200 job opportunities. In June 2009, the gov

24、ernment of Sichuan Province allocated RMB 50 million to sponsor college graduates to hang out t</p><p>　　Joint Efforts from Society </p><p>　　Some well-known enterprises and public institutions

25、are eager to take up the baton of social responsibility. The Communist Youth League of China and All-China Youth Federation jointly launched the Youth Business China project, aimed at assisting the nation’s youth in grow

26、ing their own businesses. The project, modeled after the Youth Business International program in Britain, will mobilize resources from all sectors of the society but primarily the industrial and commercial circles, to of

27、fer assi</p><p>　　Funded by businessmen from Zhejiang Province, a business incubator for college graduates is under construction in Hangzhou. Upon completion, it will be the largest park in the city’s econom

28、ic and technological development zone. At 23,000 square meters, it will be capable of housing 200 companies. Additionally, many top enterprises have gone ahead with their own assistance programs. Lenovo offered financial

29、 aid to college graduates or young entrepreneurs. In September 2009, Kaifu Lee resigned fro</p><p>　　In such an atmosphere, Chuangye Yingxiong Hui (Entrepreneurial Heroes Meet), a TV program produced by Chin

30、a Central Television, was bound to score high audience ratings. The program premiered on January 1 2009 during prime time, designed to help young people learn the art of launching new businesses that will offer employmen

31、t to others. Five top-drawer Chinese entrepreneurs, namely Yin Mingshan, Liu Chuanzhi, Ma Yun, Liu Yonghao and Guo Guangchang, were invited to share their expert opinions and</p><p>　　Several other local TV

32、stations followed suit and produced similar programs. Among them, Call Me Boss, broadcast on Shanghai’s Dragon TV, enjoys the highest ratings. This 20-episode reality television show premiered during the 2009 summer seas

33、on and broadcast over four weeks, attracting 22,787 people to register for participation. Twenty individual winners shared the start-up fund of RMB 20 million. </p><p>　　The List of the Nation’s Wealthiest C

34、ollege Graduates with their Own Business issued jointly by the Chinese University Alumni Association (CUAA) website and 21st Century Talent Report showed in its June release that 90 percent of those listed had raised fun