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The feature image is of people working at a coffee shop. I personally did a lot of brainstorming, planning and creating at a coffee shop in Seoul South Korea when I was teaching English. But you may be doing your work at your school during your prep times or maybe just at your home. And if your side business is something you do online, then you'll most likely want to find a quiet spot like me. However, your side business may require you to go from place to place or to network with various people. Whatever your side business is or your side business idea is, the most important thing is to take action. 

In this podcast episode, I share about some of the side businesses / projects I started and operated while I was teaching English in South Korea. Listen to the podcast for more details.

Here is a summary of the side businesses discussed:

-Business Network Korea (a networking event I created in 2012 while I went from working in a Korean company to teaching at a public school to starting up IGL English.)

I was able to dig up a flyer I made using Microsoft word. I made it in 2012 for one of the first networking events, I think it was either for the 2nd or 3rd event. I remember posting this flyer up in random areas. As you can see, I wasn't a designer in any shape or form, but it still was able to draw some people to the event. And honestly, the flyer is so not professional, but hey, you got to do what you got to do:

-IGL English (The English Gyosoopso I started with my wife in early 2013 and ran for about 4 years)

-Flower Gift Korea (The online/offline flowers and gifts business that started off as a side hustle while I was running IGL English. We were able to sell the business recently.)

Honestly, there is absolutely no excuse that you can't do something to prepare for your side business or even work on a side business. And as I share near the end of the podcast, you can always create content in the form of videos, blogs, podcasts, or even just regularly post on social media like Instagram and Facebook to build your brand. And if you have absolutely no idea what to do, start with networking with people who do. Then you can get some ideas from them, see what they are doing, and maybe get inspired to finally start your very own side business.

Contact me: [email protected]

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Subscribe to the podcast on: iTunes

I basically share a quick recap of my journey from English Teacher to starting and selling some of my small businesses in Korea. I guess the word "Businessman" may not have been the best word to use in my title, since a lot of people actually envision company workers dressed in suits who are most likely not business owners, but I was a small business owner in South Korea for about 5 years. As I talk about the different jobs and businesses I did in Korea, I also talk a bit about the experiences. If you have any questions about any of my experiences or businesses in South Korea, please contact me and I will be more than happy to create more helpful content.

Here is a summary of my journey:

   

Contact me: [email protected]

Facebook.com/Tonyteaching

Subscribe to the podcast on: iTunes

In this podcast episode, I get to speak with Mattue Gale. He goes by Matt and he is a personal coach. He shares a bit about his journey and a bit about himself, but he mostly shares about what he does. He uses a special method in his coaching and actually went through a coaching exercise with me. It was different for me because I never received coaching, except for when I was on sports teams. The things he talks about are very interesting and his take on entrepreneurship is different than our past guest. Check out the full podcast episode to hear more from Matt and about the benefits of his coaching method.

Related Links and Notes:

Matt's Contact:

Coaching Method:

Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP)

If you google the above words, you can find out more information about this method, which is what Matt utilizes in his personal coaching.

If you are an entrepreneur in Korea or an entrepreneur with connections to Korea, please contact me and let me know what you do, and I'll see if we can set up a time/date for a fun and informative podcast episode.

Contact me: [email protected]

Facebook.com/Tonyteaching

Subscribe to the podcast on: iTunes

In this podcast episode, I hang out with Kimchi Socks Founder and Owner, Jason V. Holmes. I had a lot of fun in this one as you can tell by all of the laughing in the episode. We get to hear Jason's perspective on entrepreneurship in Korea, some insight, as well as why he came up with the name, "Kimchi Socks". He shares a lot about "Drive" and shares a lot of his experiences networking and doing business in Korea as well as coordinating with his team in the US. His insight will help you in your entrepreneur journey in Korea. Here are the personal questions I ask him, followed by some show notes:

Q1. If you could spend a three day vacation in Korea, where would you go and why?

Q2. What is one Korean food you like and one you aren't so much a fan of.

Q3. What is one Korean Drama or Korean movie you have watched recently or want to watch?

Q4. Where is your favourite place to hang out in Korea?

Q5. Who is one Korean you would like to meet?

I like to ask 5 questions like these so we can really see the type of person our guest is, and we can learn about a new movie to watch or a new place to visit.

As mentioned, it was a lot of fun talking with Jason and getting to know him and his entrepreneur journey. And it was really interesting to hear his take on what a real entrepreneur is. I have spoken to other "entrepreneurs" and they have a different idea as to what an entrepreneur is. As for me, I keep it very simple; if you are making extra money or a living doing something you like (or something you have to do) that isn't a typical salary job (working for someone else), then you are an entrepreneur.

Related Links and Notes:

Jason's Business:

Kimchi Socks is a company that sells their own sock designs. They are present on social media like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, etc. They also have giveaways and the like. Check out the link for more information about Jason's company.

Link: KimchiSocks.com

Movie Mentioned by Jason:

Korean Movie - "Train to Busan (부산행)"

This is the movie Jason mentioned, which is one of the movies Maria from Wonderful from Podcast episode 2 mentioned. I got to watch this movie with my wife not too long ago and found it quite good. The main actor in this movie is "Gong Yoo", who you may know from his roles in the classic drama "Coffee Prince (커피프린스)" or one that is more recent, "Guardian : The Lonely and Great God, Dokkaebi (쓸쓸하고 찬란하神-도깨비)"

Vacation Place Mentioned by Jason:

Gwangali, Busan (광안리, 부산)

I had the chance of visiting Busan with my wife a few times and visited Gwangali area, but didn't stay there for too long. It is a nice area with a nice beach. Most people go to Haeundae, which is where I went, but Jason says Gwangali is the place to be. So check it out if you are ever in Busan. You can also check out the Jagalchi Market if you are in Busan.

Hangout Place Mentioned by Jason: Dongdaemun, Seoul (동대문, 서울)

Dongdaemun is a shopping area / market area in Seoul, which is famous for street vendors and shopping. You can see people there selling things like socks, underwear, clothes, wallets, etc. on the streets, as well as in department stores. There are less street merchants than there were in the past, but the ones that are there usually come out late at night, probably some time after 8:00pm or so. You can visit this place to see why Jason likes hanging out here.

Person Mentioned by Jason: Owner of I Hate Mondays Sock Company I didn't know what this company was until Jason mentioned it, but it is a sock company created by a Korean. Jason said that this is the company that gave him the idea of Kimchi Socks. You can check out there site via the link below.

Link: IHateMonday

Two Tools Mentioned by Jason:

Google Suite

Facebook Workplace

If you are an entrepreneur in Korea or an entrepreneur with connections to Korea, please contact me and let me know what you do, and I'll see if we can set up a time/date for a fun and informative podcast episode.

Contact me: [email protected]

Facebook.com/Tonyteaching

Subscribe to the podcast on: iTunes

In this episode, I talk about starting a business and how it has changed my life, and how you too can also be an entrepreneur or a business person.

I just finished taking a walk with my wife in the middle of the day, while not really losing any sales in my business, on a day that we are technically open and working. I obviously checked my phone to see if we received any enquiries or new orders, but my business was not affected. I love having a sustainable business that allows me to live a lifestyle I enjoy. It wasn't easy to get to where I am at, and I still have much more to achieve, but I am totally enjoying the process.

As long as I have my phone and Internet, I can manage my business! And I think that's awesome!

I have also grown so much as a person ever since starting my first business, and am still learning a lot. And I share a lot about my experiences and how you too can start a business in Korea one day. The important thing to do is to take action.

Here are some notes:

My very first registered business is Tony Teaching, Inc. It used to be a website that accepted consulting appointments, but it currently just re-directs to my LinkedIn profile. I still use this "business" to record sales for HagwonStart.com and other miscellaneous payments I receive for my services/products that are not related to Flower Gift Korea:

Link: Tony Teaching, Inc

My second registered business was my small Hagwon (gyosoopso), which was called IGL English. I still have the website running, though my school no longer exists.

Link: IGL English

My third registered business is my main current business, which is Flower Gift Korea. It is an online flower service that is also a physical flower shop, but we don't have set hours. We currently get around 95% of our orders online and we take appointments for people who want to pick-up flower orders. We are at the shop when we have orders to fulfill and some people come to buy some of the gifts we have available while we are making preparations.

Link: FlowerGiftKorea

Contact me if you have any questions/comments:

Facebook.com/Tonyteaching

Subscribe to the podcast on: iTunes

In this episode, I talk about going "Hourless". Hour as in 60 minutes, and store hours as in from when till when a store is open. Well, Flower Gift Korea has just gone hourless and I talk about why I did it. When we first opened up the shop in late December of 2016, our hours were 10am-7pm, Monday to Saturday. Then we took off Saturdays and were open from 10am-7pm, Monday to Saturday. Now, we are hourless! I also talk a lot about my lifestyle and how my business is a tool that supports my lifestyle. Some people have their life revolve around their business or job, and I am currently one of them to some extent, but I'm really making moves to have my business revolve around my life. I also talk about how my lifestyle has changed from running a small Hagwon (gyosoopso) to running a online flower service. And I also explain how I am no better than you and how you are more than capable enough to start your own business in Korea.

Here are some notes:

My Business that has now gone hourless is called, "Flower Gift Korea" 

Link: FlowerGiftKorea

My site where I talk about how to build a small Hagwon business (Gyosoopso or Gongbubang) is Hagwonstart.com There are a bunch of blog posts and podcast episodes you can access.

Link: HagwonStart

Author of The Four Hour Workweek is Tim Feriss. He has written a bunch of other books and does a lot of other things. He always has some cool tricks to share with others.

Link: Tim.Blog

The host of The Smart Passive Income Podcast/Blog is Pat Flynn. He talks about ways to create passive income and some tools you can use in your business.

Link: SmartPassiveIncome

Contact me:

Facebook.com/Tonyteaching

Subscribe to the podcast on: iTunes

In this podcast episode, I was able to spend some time with Paul Carver, who is a professional working at the Seoul Global Center. The Seoul Global Center offers a lot of FREE resources for foreigners living in Korea, especially those who are looking to start their own business. We start the podcast with a quick intro from him and then follow up with 5 fun non-Entrepreneur related questions. I had a really good time because I was able to get to know Paul more as a person and not the Director of The Seoul Global Center.

Q1. On your day off, what is one thing you really enjoy doing and why?

Q2. What is one Korean food you like and one you aren't so much a fan of?

Q3. Let's say someone gives you 100,000won and you have to spend it. How would you spend the money?

Q4. Is there are a famous Korean that you admire or would like to meet?

Q5. Have you ever been to Noraebang (singing room)? What song is your song?

I like to ask 5 questions like these so we can really see the type of person our guest is, and we can learn something new about Korea.

It was so good to have Paul on the podcast because I learned a lot of things about the Seoul Global Centre. I didn't realize how many resources they have available, and that they are all 100% FREE, except for the fact that you might have to pay a deposit on certain things, which you get back, and pay for a course book, which can't cost that much. Check out the podcast for more information.

Related Links and Notes:

The Seoul Global Center:

Paul Carver is the director of The Seoul Global Center, which is an organization that provides resources, help, consultation, events, programs, work space, etc. for foreigners living in Korea. The center is open Monday-Friday from 9am-6pm.

Courses offered (FREE)

1) Startup University (30 hour course) pretty much teaches you what you need to know and do to start a business in Korea.

2) The Trade Academy teaches you what you need to do to set up your own exporting/importing business in Korea.

3) General Korean language courses

4) Business Korean language courses

If you visit the center in Jogno, which is located near Jonggak subway station, you can go to the 4th, 5th, and 6h floor if you need help. Make sure you take the elevator on the left, because the elevator on the right is not accessible for everyone. Floor 5 is for daily life support and floor 6 is for business support.

They have 3 main centers and other sites. The 3 main centers are located in Jogno (English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean), Dongdaemun (Russian, Mongolian, Central Asia), and Gangnam in COEX.

They also hold networking events, help companies and potential employees connect, and have opportunities for students who are trying to get work experience or internships.

Check out the link below for more information.

Link: Global.seoul.go.kr

Paul Caver's Podcast:

Paul not only enjoys watching his favourite soccer (football) team Seoul FC play matches in person, but also likes to podcast about the K-League with two of his friends. If you've listened to the podcast, it is quite obvious that Paul is a huge FC Seoul fan and loves soccer or football as he would call it.

Link: 48shadesblog.com

Song Mentioned by Paul:

녹색지대 - "준비없는 이별"

Paul has worked in a Korean company for 8+ years, so he knows a thing or two when it comes to Noraebang (Singing Room). So I tracked down the Korean song he usually sings. Maybe you can hear him sing it one day. I also tried to get him to sing a bit of the song on the podcast.

Link: On Youtube

FC Seoul"

FC Seoul is Seoul's football/soccer team. The K-League is Korea's soccer league. I haven't been to a live soccer match in Korea yet, but you could check out FC Seoul in action at World Cup Stadium.

Comedian 신동엽 (Shin DongYup):

This guy is a comedian who is usually a talk show host. He is on a lot of the Korea SNL episodes, as well as a lot of talk shows.

It was really educational for me to have Paul on the Entrepreneur Korea podcast. I learned a lot of the Seoul Global Center and realized that there are a lot of free resources we entrepreneurs have access to. If you are thinking about getting into entrepreneurship one day, visit the Seoul Global Center in Jogno and go to the 6th floor to get your free consultation. And make sure to take advantage of the FREE courses! I wish these kinds of services were around when I first started my Hagwon business, but they did not exist. If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel fee to contact me.

Contact me: [email protected]

Facebook.com/Tonyteaching

Subscribe to the podcast on: iTunes

In this podcast episode, I was able to spend some time with Maria Lee, who is an Entrepreneur in Korea who founded a business that has recently changed its name from "AskAjumma" to "Wonderful". We start the podcast with a quick intro from her and then follow up with 5 fun non-Entrepreneur related questions. It was really fun discussing the following 5 questions with her:

Q1. If you had to choose one animal to describe your character what would it be and why?

Q2. What is one Korean food you like and one you aren't so much a fan of.

Q3. So someone is visiting Korea for one day and asks you to share two places they should visit, where would those places be and why?

Q4. What is one Korean movie people should watch and why?

Q5. Have you ever been to Noraebang (singing room)? What song is your song?

I like to ask 5 questions like these so we can really see the type of person our guest is, and we can learn about a new movie to watch or a new place to visit.

It was very encouraging to have Maria on the podcast. Her business is similar to mine because we both receive special requests that are tailored for individual customers, which can be challenging at times.

Related Links and Notes:

Past Podcasts with Maria:

As mentioned in the podcast, I have interviewed Maria before. This past interview was done not too long after she had launched her original business, "AskAjumma", which has now become "Wonderful". Check out the first interview I had with her and see how much she has learned and grown as an entrepreneur in Korea since then.

Link: MarketinginKorea.com/020

Maria's Business:

Maria is the founder and owner of "Wonderful", originally known as "AskAjumma". Her business is a virtual concierge service which offers memberships for expats all around the world who want to have things made easier for themselves.

Link: Gowonderfully.com

Movies Mentioned by Maria:

Korean Movie 1 - "Train to Busan (부산행)"

This is one of the movie's Maria mentions. I got to watch this movie with my wife not too long ago and found it quite good. The main actor in this movie is "Gong Yoo", who you may know from his roles in the classic drama "Coffee Prince (커피프린스)" or one that is more recent, "Guardian : The Lonely and Great God, Dokkaebi (쓸쓸하고 찬란하神-도깨비)"

Korean Movie 2 - "The Handmaiden (아가씨)"

I watched this movie at home with my wife and it was interesting. As I said, it's not my genre, but I do like the whole aspect of it being "you kind of don't know what to expect till the end" movie.

Place Mentioned by Maria:

Heyri Art Village (혜이리 예술 마을)

This is the place is really great if you enjoy art and coffee. There are a lot of small buildings you can visit and different types of art pieces you can see.

I had a wonderful time chatting with Founder and Owner of "Wonderful",  Maria Lee. It is always nice to speak with entrepreneurs and learn more about entrepreneurship in Korea. I had a chance to speak with her after we recorded the interview and we were able to relate on a lot of things, especially since we are both in the"Customer Service industry and have special requests made by our customers. If you are an entrepreneur in Korea, known of an entrepreneur in Korea that should be on the show, or have a topic you would like to see covered on the show, please contact me and let me know! And don't forget to listen to the podcast episode to hear more about the Entrepreneur Maria and some tips on starting up.

Contact me: [email protected]

Facebook.com/Tonyteaching

Subscribe to the podcast on: iTunes

In my first podcast interview, I invite Jessica fry, who is an Entrepreneur in Korea who owns a few businesses and is doing quite alright for herself. We start off the podcast with a quick intro and the 5 following non-Entrepreneur related questions, so we all can get to know Jessica a little more!

Q1. What is your idea of a perfect vacation? Q2. What is one Korean food you like and one you aren't so much a fan of. Q3. What is one Korean Drama or Korean movie everyone should watch and why? Q4. Where is your favorite place to hang out in Korea and why? Q5. Have you ever been to Noraebang (singing room)? What song is your song?

I like to ask 5 questions like these so we can really see the type of person our guest is, and we can learn some cool info about Korea. As entrepreneurs, we all are down-to-earth people who share similar preferences and experiences. And there's always something more we can learn about Korea.

We then talk more about Jessica's entrepreneurial journey in Korea and she shares some great advice about managing people and living a healthy life as an Entrepreneur. And I personally learned a lot about myself as an Entrepreneur speaking to Jessica and was very encouraged by her insight into living as an Entrepreneur in Korea.

Related Links and Notes:

Past Podcasts with Jessica Fry:

As mentioned in the podcast, I have interviewed Jessica before. Check out the first interview I had with her and see how much she has learned and grown as an entrepreneur in Korea since then.

Link: MarketinginKorea.com/026

She was also on another podcast episode where she spoke about a book club she had going. I have a feeling she no longer holds those in her diner, since her numbers have doubled since then, but feel free to give it a listen.

Link: MarketinginKorea.com/047

Jessica's Businesses:

Jessica is the owner of two business. The first business she started in Korea was Honey Hair Boutique Korea. She has two locations, one in the Osan Base and one at Camp Humphreys:

Link: NaturalbeautyKorea.com

She also has a diner, which was featured on a Korean Television show. Here is the video I took off their Facebook page. I'm sure she won't mind me sharing it here :)

Link: Facebook.com/jjsdinerKorea Korean Movie - "A Taxi Driver"

This is the movie Jessica talks about in the podcast. I still haven't watched it yet, but my wife, Brandy, wrote a blog post about the political background (in English) if you are interested in learning more about the backstory.

Link: koreanfloristcafe.com/the-background-of-the-movie-a-taxi-driver

AnMyonDo (안면도)

This is the place Jessica mentioned. She says she goes here about 10 times a year to energize. We as entrepreneurs all need time to relax and get our energy back, so it might be a place you could check out. After hearing about this place, I told my wife that we should check this place out, so I might be visiting AnMyonDo one day in the future. The hotel she mentioned in the podcast is, "Ocean Beach Hotel" and she said it was about 70,000won-80,000won a night.

Resources Jessica Mentioned

Gary Vaynerchuck: This is the guy Jessica brought up, who is someone I also follow and learn things from. If you are an entrepreneur or have entrepreneur friends on your Facebook page, you might have seen some of his short clips telling you that "Nobody cares about your feelings, bro!" or "It takes work". Google his name and you'll come across a lot of great information.

Pat Flynn (Smart Passive Income): This is the guy I mentioned, who I follow. He is a little different than Gary V., but he also has some great information.

For those of you who have listened to any one of my other podcasts, which are HagwonStart.com and MarketinginKorea.com, you may have asked yourself why would Tony start another one? Well I started up a podcast for EntrepreneurKorea.com because of the following reasons:

1) I genuinely love podcasting as it allows me to connect with like minded people and learn from them.

2) It truly allows me to reflect on my journey in life and energizes me as an entrepreneur in Korea.

3) I have been searching for something like this since 2011, which is when I first started my entrepreneurial journey in Korea.

4) I finally have enough experience and confidence to start this podcast.

I am looking forward to publishing more podcast episodes for the EntrepreneurKorea community for the years to come. Even though I was an entrepreneur in 2011, I just didn't feel it was time to start this podcast and website. Now, I will provide some information and content that my past self was looking for but couldn't find. And if you are an Entrepreneur and have some experiences we can all learn from, contact me and let's see if we can schedule a time to record a fun and engaging podcast episode the EntrepreneurKorea community can learn from.

Contact me: [email protected] Facebook.com/Tonyteaching