A resident of Hong Kong, Chris Tsang graduated from Jinan University in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, two years ago and sensed there was business potential in serving Hong Kong students seeking higher learning on the mainland.

Despite the COVID-19 epidemic, Tsang launched his company, Yingcai Shengshi Education Technology (Guangzhou) Co, in the Nansha district of Guangzhou in March.

Tsang got the inspiration for his company while interning during university study in Malaysia, where he worked at an institution helping Malaysian Chinese students who wanted to study in universities in China.

"There is a market for the services, and such services are far from sufficient," Tsang said. He cited the fact that more than 7,000 Hong Kong high school students applied for mainland universities last year, and more than 10,000 did so this year, projecting the figure to grow further.

Some Hong Kong students desire mainland universities for the lower cost, job prospects on the mainland and－in the case of universities in Guangzhou, for example－proximity to Hong Kong and the development potential in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, though the students lack knowledge about mainland schools and cities, Tsang said.

The mainland is highly developed in many aspects such as e-commerce and e-payment thanks to its market structure, he said.

"If one lives on the mainland for some years and notices the opportunity, after graduation, he or she may identify the development course or more opportunities here," he explained. "To me, the Bay Area means co-sharing, not only in products, but also talent."

Tsang's company targets applicants for mainland universities from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, as well as some foreign countries.

It offers services from the point of high school graduation to potential university enrollment, including the preparation for entrance examinations and the selection of universities and majors.

Although the epidemic has hindered the effort to promote the services in Hong Kong, the staff, currently composed of five people, has been devoted to enhancing its products.

For example, it is working with a high school in Beijing on the development of online classes, which are expected to become available later this year. Thanks to an investor in Nansha, the company is building a 600-square-meter campus in the district. It is also working with firms in Hong Kong to promote its services.

In choosing Nansha, which is part of the China (Guangdong) Pilot Free Trade Zone and is a bit far from the city center, Tsang said the district is a suitable place for a startup company.

Like other districts in Guangzhou and other cities in Guangdong province, the Nansha government has rolled out a series of policies supporting entrepreneurial endeavors by－and the employment of－youths from Hong Kong and Macao, with some terms highly preferential.

In Tsang's case, corporate registration procedures are free, office space is free for three years, and both the company and its employees from Hong Kong and Macao receive subsidies. Well-decorated, low-cost apartments are available near the company.

While Tsang was studying at university, he learned various policies for promoting startups by Hong Kong and Macao youths, as well as for hiring of such people.

"Those policies are very practical," he said. "When students are aware that the government is taking care of them, it somewhat encourages them in their decisionmaking."

Lam Shing, also a Hong Kong resident and Jinan University graduate, joined Tsang's company after working at another company in Guangdong and in Hong Kong.

Lam is engaged in promoting the company's services through various multimedia platforms.

"With our company, we can help some young people in Hong Kong plan for the future, apart from my personal achievements. We can help them better understand the Bay Area."

Guo Jingyu contributed to this story.