Capital and counseling are essential

I was born in Nagqu city into a family known for practicing traditional Tibetan medicine for generations. At age 7, I was hand-picked by my uncle to become his apprentice, kicking off my decadeslong journey as a practitioner.

In 1997, I enrolled at a local school of Tibetan medicine. Later, I studied Chinese literature at Minzu University of China in Beijing and then pursued advanced medical training at the University of Tibetan Medicine in Lhasa, capital of the Tibet autonomous region.

I wanted to start a business after graduation, but I had no money. To save for that purpose, I worked as deliveryman on a three-wheeled bike and helped out on construction sites.

The first company I started was Suoru, which sold medical goods, incense and other traditional handicrafts. It had a bumpy start, making little revenue.

I decided to take management courses outside Tibet. After applying what I had learned to my company, its performance improved. Then, I established a human resources company and a traditional Tibetan medicine clinic. Both of them thrived.

All my experiences have convinced me of the importance of capital and counseling for startups.

Last year, a friend and I launched the Tibetan Medicine Mass Creation Zone in the hope of helping college graduates who want to preserve traditional techniques. At present, we have some 20 people on board.

The government offers good policies for people starting businesses, but the number of trainers is limited. We need more trainers to guide people who are starting from scratch.

Gonpo Dorje spoke with Li Lei.