With his family mired in poverty during the 1950s, Ng Yiu-ming, the founder of Chinese herbal food chain Hoi Tin Tong, was unable to further his education after finishing primary school.
Although he faced an uncertain future, little did he know that what he learned from selling freshwater turtles, teal and partridges in the 1960s would ultimately help him pave the way for his business success.
After finishing school in 1965, Ng was offered a job as an apprentice by a relative whose business was selling wild animals to Chinese eateries in Hong Kong where, at the time, there were no rules regarding the import and export of exotic wildlife. The turning point for Ng came when, after working in the shop for 15 years, he got an unexpected break.
'My relative passed away and I was offered the opportunity to take over the business. After 15 years of apprenticeship and training, I was already quite knowledgeable about the business and established a group of loyal customers,' Ng said.
He changed the business strategy by concentrating on only selling turtle jelly products instead of exotic wildlife. This change came when his mother was diagnosed with cancer in the early 1980s.
'I was devastated to learn about my mother's illness, so I sought advice from friends and relatives and, through self-study of Chinese herbal medicine, I managed to make herbal soup [by mixing] freshwater turtles and various Chinese herbs that are believed to ease pain and [slow] the growth of cancer [cells],' Ng said.