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Counterclockwise from top: Photos taken when Dai Kun was decommissioned in 2020. A photo of Sun Hao during his military days. Liu Wenyue and her dog at the dog training facility she founded with her fellow veterans. [Photo provided to China Daily]
Chinese veterans are redefining entrepreneurship, launching successful businesses in domestic services, dog training, and digital platforms, demonstrating resilience, innovation, and a commitment to social impact.
Sun Hao first discovered information about the house organization and cleaning industry on the Internet when he was still serving in the military in 2021. This era was known as the “lazy economy,” where young people preferred to leave daily chores to professionals and spend more time enjoying life.
Sun saw potential in the industry and decided to set up his own domestic service company with two colleagues after retiring in 2022.
Sun said the military’s strict internal hygiene standards taught veterans like him thorough self-standards, which they applied to their new professions. “As consumer demands for a better quality of life evolve, basic household cleaning is no longer enough to satisfy people’s desire to improve their lifestyle,” said the 27-year-old. he said.
Sun and his colleagues are part of a remarkable group of young entrepreneurs in China. They are veterans who have bravely served their nation and are now using their skills and experience to forge a new path in the business world.
After starting his business, and despite having a thorough corporate plan, Sun realized that the requirements of the job were very different from those in the military. “In the military, cleaning is primarily done with cleaning cloths, and difficult stains are usually resolved with steel wool,” he said. “However, while working as a cleaning professional, he noticed that different tools and different detergents are used for different stains to avoid damaging items.”
Sun’s career is full of memorable moments, one of which occurred in the company’s early years.
In April 2023, Sun received an inquiry from an elderly woman asking if she could make dumplings as part of her service. Ms. Sun knew she must have made her mistake, but she did not immediately refuse her request and spoke to the woman, who revealed that she lived alone and had a physical illness. and found it difficult to move around. The next day, Ms. Sun and four of her colleagues visited her house, cleaned her house for free, and made her dumplings for her.
“At that moment, I felt a great sense of accomplishment,” Son said. “With the support of military personnel, we are able to contribute to the public welfare on our own even though we are retired.”
From time to time, the Sun team encounters typical comments about the home services industry that undermine the skilled nature of the work. According to Sun, home services include complex tasks such as whole-home space planning and customized design based on the customer’s age, gender, preferences and occupational characteristics.
“For example, if we receive an order from a beauty video blogger, we need to pre-purchase storage products based on their professional characteristics and optimize the space in their home,” Sun explained. “Also, for our female clients, we always make sure that a female organizer is part of the team to meet their needs.”
Sun’s team currently consists of 20 players, 18 of whom are veterans. “We primarily focus on recruiting veterans to increase employment and business opportunities,” he said.
Looking ahead, Sun has outlined a broad long-term strategy. “The lazy economy is thriving and we plan to expand the scope of our service projects. For example, the recently popular home cooking service is perfect for military chefs.”
He also sees significant gaps and ample growth potential in areas such as elderly care and hospital consultations. He believes their image as veterans will earn them more trust from seniors and their families to entrust them with these services.
“My goal is to lead more veterans to collectively innovate in employment and help more people,” Sun said.
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