A show of entrepreneurism at award ceremony

DHL Express (Hong Kong) and the South China Morning Post announced the winners of the first Enterprising Hong Kong Awards yesterday. The awards highlight the achievements of startups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the city.

The goal was to encourage local entrepreneurs and small businesses to keep up the good work, said Robin Hu, the chief executive of SCMP Group.

"We felt it was high time for a high-calibre, independently judged business award that recognised the operational excellence of this fine city's small and medium-sized enterprises, and to celebrate the indomitable spirit of entrepreneurism that defines this city - whether it is characterised by our resourceful retailers, industrious manufacturers or dynamic importers and exporters," Hu said.

Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Greg So Kam-leung said SMEs were key to creating a vibrant economy in a speech that warned of the perils to the city of allowing an erosion of confidence to take hold amid a current bout of political tension.

The Young Entrepreneur Award went to Alan Lim, the founder and chief executive of E-Services Group, an e-commerce platform.

When studying in London, Lim noticed that cameras were cheaper on eBay on days with football games and cost more on rainy days, when people spent more time at home bidding. He profited from the difference and set up his company in 2004.