Honestly, as much as we want to live forever, it is inevitable that we all will depart from existence. These thoughts are scary, and people often think about leaving a legacy behind them. It is where Will and Estate planning come in, which involves decision-making to establish who will receive one’s assets eventually and makes it known how one wants their affairs to be handled. However, the process of will-making can be complicated and feel overwhelming. That is why Amy Kwan founded Good Wills HK when she realized that her passion lies within Will and Estate area. Amy serves as the CEO and understands the importance of having a Will. A Will that correctly reflects the deceased’s wishes and intentions.
Let us unveil her journey together.
An Unexpected Journey
Even though Amy had never planned on an entrepreneurial drive, founding Good Wills HK has been an eye-opening and extremely rewarding journey for her. It exposed her to the business side, meeting new people and entrepreneurs like herself managing the business from operational and sustainability perspectives. She says, “If I’m given the opportunity to choose again, I will definitely go with the entrepreneurship journey without any hesitation.”
The Vision & Mission of Good Wills
Good Wills has a simple vision that is “Everyone is entitled to and needs a Will.” Amy expresses that Will is not only for the rich and the elderly but also for anyone at a different stage of life. People often relate Will with death, especially in the Asian community; talking about Will is often considered “taboo,” and people would avoid talking about it.
From Amy’s perspective, Will is merely part of your life estate planning. If one thinks a step ahead, one knows that Will is the only tool and channel that one can have while one is alive to plan for loved ones and dictate the distribution of one’s assets after one has passed. Amy questions why you would leave something behind that you’ve worked hard for all your life, without planning for your loved ones while you can and let the law dictate how your assets should be distributed?
Amy’s mission is to change people’s perception towards Wills, and to do so, providing a Will writing service that is simple and easy to follow is how she thinks would help her achieve her mission.
Driving Inspirations
Having practiced estate laws i n Queensland, Australia, made Amy realize that Hong Kong is far behind in the Wills and Estate Planning area due to the cultural “taboo” that she mentioned. Knowing that Will is something that everyone needs from her past legal experience, she is determined to bring that realization to the community in Hong Kong.
After helping her clients with their Wills, the smile on their faces and the relief that Amy could see for herself really motivate and drive her to continue with what she does. Her clients’ feedback and encouragement are also her sources of inspiration to do even better and provide better service to all her clients.
Overcoming Hurdles
Amy has designed several process-flows that would make things as simple as possible for her clients. The main challenge was when COVID-19 emerged when she could no longer conduct face-to-face meetings with her clients, be it for the information sessions, instruction taking, and for Will signing sessions, despite being seen as a “traditional” industry. Luckily, Amy’s team has reacted to the changes effectively and has developed new flows to conduct these sessions online, and Good Will has since provided such options to its clients.
Taking Pride in Work
Amy expresses that every successful referral of her Will writing service by her clients to their family and friends is the achievement that she is most proud of, as they have not only planned ahead for their loved ones, but they have also changed their mindset and understanding towards the importance of Will and more importantly, sharing this important message among their family and friends. This strongly ties with the mission and vision for Good Wills, and Amy is very proud and thrilled to see the market responding effectively to the work that she puts on.
In addition, Amy is also grateful for the recognitions and acknowledgments by several organizations on the contributions that Good Wills has made in the Will writing industry, with numerous online media, television, and newspaper interviews and awards being presented to Good Wills.
Balancing Personal & Professional Life
Amy expresses that as an entrepreneur, it is important to maintain a great work-life balance. She adds it is helpful to your business and your mind, body, and soul. She continues that sometimes things can be really difficult running your own business, especially with external factors that you could not control, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. At times like this, a healthy mindset and perspective would help you push through tough times, and these positive mindsets do not come overnight. Amy says that you need to constantly replenish and take good care of yourself to maintain such positivity and momentum to keep going.
Strategizing for Future
Amy states that COVID-19 has given her challenges but provided some insights and opportunities to provide better service to her clients. The only constant in this world is changing, and one has to adapt to changes efficiently for long-term business success.
Good Wills had the opportunity to take advantage of some technology capabilities during the pandemic times, with its complimentary online Emergency Rapid Response Checklist on its website, and the response was overwhelming, reaching different groups of the audience who are out of its initial reach.
Good Wills has invested in several projects in e-communication and automation of its services to reach out to a bigger audience, including the recent launching of InstaWill in October 2021 – a simple online DIY Will writing tool that anyone can use to create such important legal document easily, truly making Will writing down to earth.
With the successful use of various technology implementations, Amy is looking to further expand such capabilities in other areas of the services of her venture to improve the simplicity of its Will writing services.
Passing the Torch
“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” has always been Amy’s favorite go-to quote. It has been her motivator when times are tough. She passes on the same quote to the upcoming female entrepreneurs.
On top of that, Amy says, “be passionate of what you are thinking to do, be determined and disciplined enough to stay consistent, and remember to invest in yourself not only for the business’ sake but also for the sake of your own personal well-being. At the end of the day, you need to enjoy what you are doing and enjoy life.”