Insomnia, Simon Squibb, crying in your beer, Law Society regulations, help, timing and collaboration is the takeaway.
By HK Lawyer AJ Halkes Barrister-at-Law
When my law firm was representing Insomnia in Lan Kwai Fong, we also knew Simon Squibb, who went on to great heights with HelpBnk after selling his HK company and relocating to the UK.
The moment the Law Society of Hong Kong allowed solicitors to advertise, we had a word with the team at Insomnia and with Simon, who at the time was launching a beer mat advertising business. He has since shared how he swiftly made 2 million dollars with that idea, and our play was built on that.
We were focused on full service for food and beverage venues, especially licensed premises; never particularly targeting defending people who got into trouble … let alone in bars! We were more interested in supporting the broader F&B community.
Simon sorted out a supply chain for branded beer mats, and the Insomnia team provided the venue (happy with free mats and to help our business grow). We then went with a simple, humorous message, and the phone started ringing: the collaboration had cost us next to nothing.
Insomnia is sadly no longer, though I’m still trying to help a client installed in that iconic LKF location.
Simon Squibb has gone on to build HelpBnk and found his next big purpose in life: to help people.
I’m in Hong Kong helping people navigate what can be very complex regulatory waters.
The takeaway of that very simple message about getting help remains as valid today as it was back then:
If you have a problem … don’t cry in your beer.
If you need specific input regarding a strategic Hong Kong challenge or related legal matters in the HKSAR you can always DM me and check out my profile at https://www.ajhalkes.com
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