In China it is all about capitalizing on the opportunity. Opportunists are everywhere. Often, these business opportunities won't last for long and won't make anyone a millionaire. Yet there are some exceptions to the rule, such as Mobike, which we will explain later. For the most part though, these opportunists are simply looking to make the proverbial "quick buck".

Transportation

Opportunists looking to make money off of driving are everywhere. "Black cabs" are nothing new. Back in the day, before smart phones and apps these opportunistic drivers had to stand around for who knows how long as they harassed potential passengers passing by. Today, the "black cab" opportunity has taken a hefty blow by the legalization of web-based car booking services such as Didi. Still, the opportunity isn't dead. Take a trip to main transportation hubs, like the Tianjin train station, or the Tianjin Tianhuan bus station and pretty much any day of the week and at any hour there will be a collection of aggressive, feisty, pushy "black cab" drivers looking to lure the unsuspecting and capitalize on the opportunity. They are all to easy to identify, as they will probably be the person in your face incessantly repeatedly some destination like: "Beijing, Beijing, Beijing." Most of them tend to be men and look more like a convict than a driver. These guys love to pray on people after they've missed the last train, bus, or subway to an intended destination. It is best to not engage them and keep moving with a purposeful appearance, getting away from the immediate area as quickly as possible. Also, if using Didi to book a car, be sure a driver has picked up your fare before exiting the station. Stay inside and away from the "black cab" commotion until your car has arrived to pick you up. Be aware, not all Didi drivers will pickup at major stations, like the Tianjin train station. This may be because not all drivers have completed the proper paperwork to drive officially and may face fines if caught. Therefore, when needing to be picked up or taken to any of the Tianjin train stations or the airport, it is best to book an official cab with Didi and not a private car.

Cars aside, bikes are another big opportunity. It used to be, to get a bike meant buying, borrowing or stealing one. Now, its all about renting a bike. Mobike seems to be leading the pack in terms of bike rental/sharing apps. The key to these companies success though, really is understanding the opportunistic nature of Chinese consumers. Two key characteristics for something to succeed in China are it needs to be cheap and convenient. Understand cheap doesn't always mean not a lot of money. Rather, cheap mainly means perceived as a "good deal". Chinese consumers are absolutely enamored by what seems to be a "once in a lifetime," "too good to be true" opportunity. If you want to see this in action, observe the mayhem when a box truck full of cabbage stations itself outside of a grocery store to sell its inventory at a special price. But back to the bike opportunity. There is the base need, that of a bike. Add to this, the opportunity to use a bike at a price "cheaper" than buying/owning one. Bike ownership not only involves the initial expense of buying it, but maintaining it, storing it, and protecting it via something like a pricey lock. Despite all effort, it will probably still get stolen resulting in more money needing to be spent to replace it. If the perceived cheapness of renting a bike wasn't enough, the deal becomes virtually irresistible with the convenience of simply walking away after using it. Opportunistic riders get to leave the bike pretty much anywhere one pleases and essentially have zero responsibility or stress over what happens to it.