Zheng Weining, 56, originally from Dalian, Liaoning, and now living in Shenzhen, was born with haemophilia and was later diagnosed with diabetes and hepatitis. In 1999, he used a 300,000-yuan (HK$360,000) inheritance left by his mother and set up a website for people on the mainland who are in the same predicament. The website became the predecessor of his online and software company, which hired more than 1,200 workers, many of whom are disabled young graduates who cannot find a job in the harsh labour market.
What was your life like before you started the software company in 2002?
It was very difficult, and I attempted suicide three times. I couldn't find a job and was forced to sustain my livelihood for years with scant financial support from my family. Every time I stretched out my hands for money, my self-esteem shrank a little bit more. At the end, I felt worthless to the family and the rest of the world, especially since my wife's and my daughter's salaries together couldn't cover my medical fees of 200,000 yuan a year. To be honest, I didn't start my own business to live a better life, but to escape from my blank and empty life. I believed many disabled people shared the same thoughts, but they couldn't gather together and pour out their troubles because travelling alone is difficult and expensive.
Why did you decide to set up the software company?
I decided to set up a non-profit website for disabled Chinese so they could meet other disabled friends and live in a virtual community where people can understand their situations. I hired five disabled men with the inheritance left by my mother and set up the website in 1999, the predecessor of the software company. In 2001, we set up an internet cafe with only five computers before the 300,000 yuan was all spent. The business proved to be profitable, and we later increased the number of computers to 40 and earned up to 60,000 yuan a month. We also started to do typing and helping clients to build up their own websites for extra income.
In 2002, we decided to start a software business with an outstanding physics graduate from Tsinghua University who came to me after he had been diagnosed with progressive muscular dystrophy, a disease that could lead to many disorders and respiratory difficulty.
What was the turning point that made your company profitable?
