Young Entrepreneur Offers Instant Pastime, Delivered to Your Door

Young entrepreneur Cho Yu-jin runs a subscription business to promote people to develop pastimes. Subscribers to the service called "Hobby in the Box" receive a box, on a monthly basis, which contains a starter kit for a particular pastime based on their choice among various themed fun activities. It costs W39,900 per month, offering a different kit every month (US$1=W1,079).

Advertisement

"People often feel very exhausted almost every day due to their work, and hardly ever have their own hobbies or try something new. All they can do after work is just play on their smartphones or watch television", Cho said. "But doesn't it seem like a waste? That's why I launched the service to help people discover what they like and let them enjoy it during their leisure time through a variety of kits that are delivered to them, allowing them to indulge in their newfound hobbies".

"We're working hard to make each box special and fun-filled. Some boxes are made in collaboration with outside experts or specialists. The most popular one was a kit giving tips on how to brew coffee at home. Many people drink coffee every day, but only a few know how to make it. To help subscribers brew their own coffee, we put several tools and different kinds of coffee beans in a box", Cho said. "We also offer boxes reflecting the latest trends or seasonal festivities, which help users spend some quality time with their families or friends".

A user's manual is provided sometimes along with a link to an easy-to-learn instructional video to help users put a particular kit together, but Cho said she tries to make boxes simple by minimizing the number of items inside each kit. "I think people prefer simple things as they do not want to get stressed as well from doing their hobbies", she added.

When asked the reason she launched her start-up, Cho, who is in her late 20s, said, "I decided to take a risk and pursue what I really wanted to do while still in my 20s. That's why I started my own business".

"I want my service to be the first thing people think of when they're looking for a hobby", she said.