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Paid Post:Ant Group
Meet 5 entrepreneurs from humble beginnings who made their business dreams come true
Paid Post:Ant Group
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  • Digital services provide opportunities for business owners to grow from small shops into globally connected operations
  • Tools such as digital payment app Alipay and blockchain-based smart contract platform Truple help businesses to better engage with customers

Morning Studio editors
Morning Studio editors
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Young entrepreneurs aren’t guaranteed fairy-tale endings. More often than not, the success stories we hear are about billionaires who began with substantial bank accounts or family money. But a growing number of entrepreneurs continue to take the leap from humble beginnings to pursue their passions – and many are making it to the top.

Digital platforms have opened up a new world of opportunities for entrepreneurs and small businesses, and have also become instrumental to their growth. The range of services provided by technology company Ant Group is helping many to connect more easily with customers, secure loans online or harness blockchain technology. Ant is an affiliate of Alibaba Group Holding, the Chinese e-commerce giant that also owns the South China Morning Post.

These five entrepreneurs made use of Ant’s hi-tech tools as they built and nurtured successful businesses from the ground up.

Finding success in paradise

Indonesian entrepreneur Nengah Natyanta runs a local retail and hospitality empire today, but he started out washing dishes and waiting tables at the Grand Hyatt Bali. Once he managed to save about 15 million rupiah (US$1,020), he opened a small restaurant called Coco with his now-wife, Ni Ketut Siti Maryati, in 2003.