How to Find a Non-Teaching Job?

[headhonchoII]

You think the ways of doing business is 'unique' here? I think you'll find business is business wherever you go, you have to make a profit and provide a reasonable product/service for your customers. It's easy to open a business in Taiwan but it can be very competitive and price conscious unless you have a brand behind you. A lot of foreign owned businesses in Taiwan don't focus on the Taiwan market for this reason. The lack of population and income growth is not very encouraging either unless you focus on the 1%, and those guys tend to buy from each other.

[econ]

You think the ways of doing business is 'unique' here? I think you'll find business is business wherever you go, you have to make a profit and provide a reasonable product/service for your customers.

I agree. I guess I was more worried about unique, legal barriers. I've just heard that it can be a huge obstacle in some countries. I'm strongly considering moving to Taiwan as an English teacher (or something else, if I can get it). However, my long-term goal is to work for myself. And since I have a feeling that I might fall in love with Taiwan and never want to leave, I'm curious about how well a life there fits within my long-term goals. Thanks for the advice and opinions guys -- hopefully you'll keep them coming.

[Pingdong]

The trick isn't starting a business so much as starting a business that makes money. But I guess that's pretty much universal. If that hurdle wasn't so difficult to figure out, we'd all be working for ourselves.

Have you ever noticed how many Taiwanese people own their own biz compared to where you and me are from? And i personally find Taiwanese just as lazy as people back where I'm from, so ya its easy.

You think the ways of doing business is 'unique' here? I think you'll find business is business wherever you go, you have to make a profit and provide a reasonable product/service for your customers.

in the absolute most basic sense of a business yes its like everywhere else: make money. after that i consider Taiwan pretty unique in the fact shops here will outright ignore customers they don't think will make them money. not all, but many. the whole mental thought pattern here is different than any other place I have been. And once you start inquiring about something that you plant to make money from, while not using it for its intended use, my lord the amount of BS you need to play out with people is just painful.

It's easy to open a business in Taiwan but it can be very competitive and price conscious unless you have a brand behind you. A lot of foreign owned businesses in Taiwan don't focus on the Taiwan market for this reason. The lack of population and income growth is not very encouraging either unless you focus on the 1%, and those guys tend to buy from each other.

Yep. Its easy as pie to open a business. Its easy to make money selling to locals if you are the type that are willing to play retarded games day in and day out talking your ass off. I am not, many are and can make good money. I cant stand playing games while knowing the outcome, i prefer skipping the foreplay and getting down to it, so naturally i only focus my biz with exporting.

I think doing any kind of retail in Taiwan, and Asia in general, you need to be careful because people here copycat...its like a fricken airborne disease. Once people see your successful, every shop around will ave your product, but they wont be sourcing it from you. The best business here in my opinion is distribution/wholesale. You supply those 1000 market vendors with the exact same thing rather than spending all night every night making $3000 NT selling to people you have to argue with to make a sale.

That said I will defend til i die that at least at this time Taiwan is FAR easier to make and save money in than Canada/USA especially with no formal education/certificates of supremeness

[headhonchoII]

I get you, there are some strange attitudes in retail here. Trying to buy a car from a dealer was a real nightmare, they just did not want to negotiate with me for whatever reason. The other weird thing is the way you have to make friends or educate somebody to make a sale. Don't do business now but let's make friends!

[Pingdong]

ya for sure. Its not making friends, though i will say even business people are nice and will be friendly afterward if you didnt spit in their face. But they are clever enough, they guilt you into buying by making friends, offering you freebies etc that make you feel bad about not buying it in the end. I always turn down freebies from everyone for that reason, then I have no ill feelings about saying no thanks and leaving.

Despite sometimes losing days of sleep trying to deal with people and get shit rolling, i will say i quite enjoy the way its done here. If for no better reason than its really entertaining.

[Michaelrobert19]

After reading many of your posts, I've found that there are a lot of people that are looking for something new. I have been studying Chinese for the past five years, three of which have been in Taipei, and I am looking for something different. I am not sure what kind of jobs are out there for someone without any work experience other than teaching English. I am also unsure as to whether or not my Chinese is at a level that would allow me to use it in some sort of job capacity. I was just curious if any of you speak Chinese in the work place or whether or not you know of any job opportunities for foreigners with Chinese ability. Thanks.

Mike

[PigBloodCake]

After reading many of your posts, I've found that there are a lot of people that are looking for something new. I have been studying Chinese for the past five years, three of which have been in Taipei, and I am looking for something different. I am not sure what kind of jobs are out there for someone without any work experience other than teaching English. I am also unsure as to whether or not my Chinese is at a level that would allow me to use it in some sort of job capacity. I was just curious if any of you speak Chinese in the work place or whether or not you know of any job opportunities for foreigners with Chinese ability. Thanks.

Mike

Start a Western restaurant in Taipei proper. Hire people who can at least pretend to cook that type of meal and serve with a smile

[upandover]

You want a non teaching job in taiwan

have skillz.....

you can't come to a foreign country, (or any country for that matter) with no training and expect to magically get a job in well....anything

Ya, there's non teaching jobs out there, but a stock market exchange company is not going to hire your lilly white a** simply because your white, not if you don't have any training in stock markets (really people this is common sense, which apparently is not so common)

How many posts have I read on this forum where joe blow, with a degree in basket weaving wants to come to Taiwan to work, but wants an "exciting" foreign job experience not stuck in a classroom with kiddies. Really.....


As an example, If your a massage therapist and want a job in massage therapy, well you stand a pretty good chance of getting a job in massage therapy. there are plenty of niche health clubs for the rich that will hire foreign faces to give their clubs a more "American" feel.

Just don't expect your A+ in abstract playdough art design to land you that job though.

(unless you got powers from above looking out for you)