ZOMBIE

Noodle & soup shop survived 7 yr · ZOMBIE

Liu Shih-han, 47 · 7 yr

“Hard, but I’d do it again. It’s mine. lol”

The shop is open. So why am I still doing this?

The shop is open. Nothing is left over; every month you top it up from savings. Cash NT$246,999, debt NT$345,811, 1 employee, 1,735 customers. You open the door every day, but you are not sure why. The reason you cannot close and the reason you keep going feel like the same thing.

How it went

1. 2026 · preparing to openLiu Shih-han, 41. You have decided to try starting a company in Taipei. No idea, no product yet. Savings NT$658,698, no job.
2. Debt from day onePersonal debt: NT$3,163 a month for 94 months. It comes out regardless of the company.
3. 9/2026: what now?Start a business: «Florist» — You are going with «Florist». Next: a location and people.
4. Where to start, and with whatGround floor with foot traffic — It is a good spot. People walking by see the sign. The money going out every month got heavier.
5. Who opens the doors with you?Hire one experienced person properly — In the interview they knew this trade better than you. A little uncomfortable, a lot reassuring.
6. 2026 · year 1 beginsA Quiet Year
7. 9/5 · Your mentorAn old mentor called. “What scares you most right now?” they asked.
8. An insurance agent dropped byOnly the compulsory cover — The bare minimum. The rest is luck.
9. 10/14 · Heavy rainHeavy rain cut the foot traffic to nothing. Two reservations cancelled.
10. 10/15 · A competitor made a moveThe shop directly opposite started 30% off. A few regulars went there.
11. 11/12 · Reviews piled upThree one-star reviews with the same wording appeared in one day. You could not tell whether they were customers or a competitor.
12. 11/27 · Funding costs rose againThe US 10-year yield rose to 5.29%. The bank is taking another look at your loan terms.
13. How to handle the bad reviewsSend a certified letter — The accounts that received the certified letter went quiet. It felt less like winning than like spending money and time on a fight.
14. 12/29 · Loan payment dayLoan payment day. NT$8,761 in principal and interest left the account. The balance is NT$781,870.
15. 2/4 · Supplier price increaseA new price list came from the supplier: your most-used items are up 5%. You redid your prices.
16. A customer fell in the shopApologise and pay — You took a fruit basket to the hospital and got the settlement signed. Anti-slip tape now lines the entrance.
17. 3/12 · Word got aroundA post in a local community said “this place is good.” Customers came in without warning today.
18. 4/3 · A family emergencySomething came up in the family. You dropped what you were doing and went over.
19. 4/4 · Equipment stoppedA key machine broke. Three days for the part to arrive; you did it by hand until then.
20. 5/6 · Oil reached the cost baseBrent rose to $122 a barrel. Quotes for packaging and freight are not what they were last month. You redid the cost sheet.
21. 5/13 · Building repairsWater leaked from upstairs. You and the landlord argued over who pays for the stain on the ceiling.
22. The “NT$320,000 a month or your money back” courseBlock the ad — You block it and another account posts the same ad. The money is still in your account.
23. 6/14 · Loan payment dayLoan payment day. NT$8,761 in principal and interest left the account. The balance is NT$742,547.
24. 7/22 · Funding costs rose againThe US 10-year yield rose to 5.29%. The bank is taking another look at your loan terms.
25. 8/23 · Heavy rainHeavy rain cut the foot traffic to nothing. Two reservations cancelled.
26. A review farm makes an offerDecline — You deleted the message. That week one customer left a good review on their own. One.
27. A Quiet YearNothing much happened. You got up at the same time every day and did the same work. That repetition can build something, or wear a person down.
28. Year 1 closeRevenue NT$5,342,393, operating profit NT$989,012. Cash NT$631,666.
29. 2027 · year 2 beginsThe Minimum Wage Rose
30. 9/19 · Street festivalA festival opened nearby. Foot traffic doubled.
31. 9/15 · Loan rate went upThe variable-rate loan followed the central bank up. Monthly payments rose by NT$264.
32. 10/24 · Equipment stoppedA key machine broke. Three days for the part to arrive; you did it by hand until then.
33. 10/30 · Reviews piled upThree one-star reviews with the same wording appeared in one day. You could not tell whether they were customers or a competitor.
34. 11/18 · More regularsA regular brought a coworker. “I’ve told everyone about this place.”
35. Staffing up before peak seasonDefer for free — You spent nothing and will reconsider at another opportunity.
36. 12/10 · Loan payment dayLoan payment day. NT$9,025 in principal and interest left the account. The balance is NT$703,157.
37. 12/18 · FamilyYou talked with your family for a long time. Someone said, “You come before the money.”
38. 1/13 · Word got aroundA post in a local community said “this place is good.” Customers came in without warning today.
39. 1/17 · Funding costs rose againThe US 10-year yield rose to 6.38%. The bank is taking another look at your loan terms.
40. 2/3 · Rate hike newsThe news said the policy rate went up. You reread the terms on the existing loan.
41. 2/24 · The bank asked for documentsThe bank asked for revenue evidence and the business plan again. One line said they would review whether the existing limit can be maintained.
42. Demand is outrunning the teamDefer for free — You spent nothing and will reconsider at another opportunity.
43. 3/14 · Supplier price increaseThe supplier said prices go up 4% from the next order. You need to find another supplier.
44. 4/16 · Equipment stoppedA key machine broke. Three days for the part to arrive; you did it by hand until then.
45. 5/11 · Card terminal outageThe card terminal died at the busiest hour. You served only customers paying cash.
46. 5/22 · A competitor made a moveThe shop directly opposite started 20% off. A few regulars went there.
47. Raise the service standardDefer for free — You spent nothing and will reconsider at another opportunity.
48. 6/17 · An employee quitAn employee said this month would be their last. The big store down the road pays more an hour.
49. 6/28 · Your mentorYour mentor sent a link to an article. “This sounded like you.”
50. A gap opened in the rotaMake an urgent replacement hire — You hired the person who laughed most in the interview. Customers learned their name before you did.
51. 7/14 · A family emergencyAn urgent call from a sibling. You were away for half a day.
52. 7/23 · More regularsYou now know more than ten customers by name, and you catch yourself asking, “The usual?”
53. Do you raise prices?Hold prices — The price tags stayed. The account got thinner, but the regulars stayed. You decided to believe that was right.
54. The Minimum Wage RoseThe minimum wage rose. Employee pay goes up, but if you raise your prices by the same percentage, customers leave. You have to do the math again between labor cost and price.
55. Year 2 closeRevenue NT$6,052,159, operating profit NT$1,299,887. Cash NT$1,318,049.
56. 2028 · year 3 beginsThe Tech Investment Cycle Came Back · Rates Rose
57. 9/22 · Supplier price increaseThe delivery driver said a freight charge starts next week. In effect, a 5% rise.
58. 10/3 · Reviews piled upThree one-star reviews with the same wording appeared in one day. You could not tell whether they were customers or a competitor.
59. 10/12 · Equipment stoppedA key machine broke. Three days for the part to arrive; you did it by hand until then.
60. 11/16 · Loan payment dayLoan payment day. NT$8,904 in principal and interest left the account. The balance is NT$629,773.
61. 11/18 · Street festivalA festival opened nearby. Foot traffic doubled.
62. The competitor cut pricesCompete on quality — Customers came for the price and stayed for the quality. It took three months for that difference to reach revenue.
63. 12/13 · Building repairsWater leaked from upstairs. You and the landlord argued over who pays for the stain on the ceiling.
64. 1/24 · A family emergencySomething came up in the family. You dropped what you were doing and went over.
65. 2/5 · An employee quitAn employee said this month would be their last. The big store down the road pays more an hour.
66. Someone else has quitMake an urgent replacement hire — A new colleague joined. Work is shared, but payroll and onboarding are now recurring responsibilities.
67. 3/6 · Supplier price increaseA new price list came from the supplier: your most-used items are up 6%. You redid your prices.
68. 3/21 · Down sickA sore throat and a fever. You got through the day in a mask.
69. 4/16 · The bank asked for documentsThe bank asked for revenue evidence and the business plan again. One line said they would review whether the existing limit can be maintained.
70. 4/25 · Records requested by the tax officeNational Taxation Bureau requested records for LINE Pay and JKOPAY sales and cash sales. You opened the books again.
71. 5/8 · Reviews piled upThree one-star reviews with the same wording appeared in one day. You could not tell whether they were customers or a competitor.
72. 5/9 · Heavy rainHeavy rain cut the foot traffic to nothing. Two reservations cancelled.
73. Demand is outrunning the teamDefer for free — You spent nothing and will reconsider at another opportunity.
74. 6/3 · Your mentorLunch with an old mentor. “Forget the numbers. Are you sleeping?”
75. 7/17 · Equipment stoppedA key machine broke. Three days for the part to arrive; you did it by hand until then.
76. 7/29 · A family emergencyAn urgent call from a sibling. You were away for half a day.
77. 8/4 · Word got aroundA post in a local community said “this place is good.” Customers came in without warning today.
78. 8/27 · Street festivalA festival opened nearby. Foot traffic doubled.
79. Do we issue uniform invoices?Issue uniform invoices and file at 5% — The first return was long. But company clients became regulars, and mail from the tax office got a little less frightening.
80. The Tech Investment Cycle Came BackSpending on AI infrastructure and software increased, and chip and IT export figures improved. Even with recession talk everywhere, only technology budgets were moving in another direction.
81. Rates RoseMarket rates rose. Variable-rate loans cost more, and so does any new borrowing. More people stood at bank counters tapping calculators.
82. Year 3 closeRevenue NT$6,360,437, operating profit NT$1,350,148. Cash NT$1,961,644.
83. 2029 · year 4 beginsThe Neighborhood Is Changing
84. 9/20 · Card terminal outageThe card terminal died at the busiest hour. You served only customers paying cash.
85. 9/21 · HeatwaveA heat warning. The air conditioning ran all day. The electricity bill is on your mind.
86. The lease is upSign on those terms — You signed. The regulars, none the wiser, came in as usual.
87. 10/28 · The rush before the long holidayOrders rose ahead of the long holiday. Delivery and stock both became tight at once.
88. 11/10 · A small price riseEvery day there are more customers than you can take. You raised prices 5% and they kept coming.
89. 11/21 · Supplier price increaseThe delivery driver said a freight charge starts next week. In effect, a 8% rise.
90. Do you open a second location?Open a second location — You hung the second sign. The first month was exciting. The second month brought two sets of bills.
91. 12/15 · Building repairsWork started on the building’s facade. Scaffolding went up in front and hid your sign.
92. 1/5 · A competitor made a moveA nearby competitor started heavy social ads. Search for your shop and their ad comes up first.
93. 1/14 · Your mentorAn old mentor called. “What scares you most right now?” they asked.
94. 2/13 · Word got aroundA post in a local community said “this place is good.” Customers came in without warning today.
95. 2/24 · Down sickDay three of a cold that will not lift. No time to see a doctor.
96. Priorities for the next three monthsImprove quality — You fixed the small annoyances one by one. Customers did not mention the change, but they came back.
97. 3/9 · More regularsThe same customer came three times this week. “I don’t go anywhere else,” they said.
98. 4/18 · Records requested by the tax officeNational Taxation Bureau requested records for LINE Pay and JKOPAY sales and cash sales. You opened the books again.
99. 5/4 · HeatwaveA heat warning. The air conditioning ran all day. The electricity bill is on your mind.
100. 5/27 · An employee quitAn employee said this month would be their last. The big store down the road pays more an hour.
101. Lee Wan-ting asks to borrow moneyLend half — You sent half. The thanks came a little later.
102. One pair of hands short at the rushMake an urgent replacement hire — There were a few mistakes in the first week. From the second week you had time to rest.
103. 6/11 · FamilyYou talked with your family for a long time. Someone said, “You come before the money.”
104. 6/18 · Global growth forecasts fellWith the IMF and World Bank forecasts diverging, global growth came down to 1.9%. Replies to overseas inquiries got slower.
105. 7/26 · Loan payment dayLoan payment day. NT$13,107 in principal and interest left the account. The balance is NT$783,208.
106. 8/28 · Down sickYou came down with something. You took medicine and pushed through, but could not concentrate.
107. 8/7 · Your friend paid you backLee Wan-ting paid back the NT$42,859. “Sorry it took so long.” The words were worth more than the money.
108. Demand is outrunning the teamDefer for free — You spent nothing and will reconsider at another opportunity.
109. The Neighborhood Is ChangingA redevelopment notice went up. In six months, half of this street will be a construction site. Rent may be cheaper for a while, but customers will not come.
110. Year 4 closeRevenue NT$6,804,906, operating profit NT$515,193. Cash NT$1,383,687.
111. 2030 · year 5 beginsConsumption Froze
112. 9/29 · Equipment stoppedThe technician said a repair would cost nearly as much as a new one. You bought new.
113. 10/16 · Reviews piled upThree one-star reviews with the same wording appeared in one day. You could not tell whether they were customers or a competitor.
114. 10/17 · Street festivalA festival opened nearby. Foot traffic doubled.
115. 11/28 · Supplier price increaseThe delivery driver said a freight charge starts next week. In effect, a 9% rise.
116. Priorities for the next three monthsImprove quality — You rewrote the notices around the questions people ask most. The same questions dropped off noticeably.
117. 12/28 · Global growth forecasts fellWith the IMF and World Bank forecasts diverging, global growth came down to 1.9%. Replies to overseas inquiries got slower.
118. 1/23 · More regularsA regular brought a coworker. “I’ve told everyone about this place.”
119. 1/27 · An employee quitAn employee said this month would be their last. The big store down the road pays more an hour.
120. Someone else has quitMake an urgent replacement hire — You hired the person who laughed most in the interview. Customers learned their name before you did.
121. 2/5 · A small price riseEvery day there are more customers than you can take. You raised prices 5% and they kept coming.
122. 3/3 · Down sickDay three of a cold that will not lift. No time to see a doctor.
123. 3/30 · Your mentorAn old mentor called. “What scares you most right now?” they asked.
124. 4/14 · Word got aroundA post in a local community said “this place is good.” Customers came in without warning today.
125. 4/23 · A competitor made a moveA nearby competitor started heavy social ads. Search for your shop and their ad comes up first.
126. 5/29 · FamilyYour family packed you lunch. The note said, “Eat properly.”
127. Priorities for the next three monthsImprove quality — You reread the complaint log from the start and fixed the most common one this month.
128. 6/5 · Supplier price increaseA new price list came from the supplier: your most-used items are up 3%. You redid your prices.
129. 8/27 · Records requested by the tax officeNational Taxation Bureau requested records for LINE Pay and JKOPAY sales and cash sales. You opened the books again.
130. Demand is outrunning the teamDefer for free — You spent nothing and will reconsider at another opportunity.
131. Consumption FrozeMore people cut card spending and nights out. The streets are quiet even at weekends. A recession reaches the takings before it reaches the news.
132. Year 5 closeRevenue NT$6,929,177, operating profit NT$926,165. Cash NT$1,535,445.
133. 2031 · year 6 beginsUS Rates Rose Again · Ingredient Prices Rose
134. 10/10 · An employee quitAn employee said this month would be their last. The big store down the road pays more an hour.
135. 10/29 · Loan payment dayLoan payment day. NT$12,934 in principal and interest left the account. The balance is NT$616,669.
136. One pair of hands short at the rushMake an urgent replacement hire — A new colleague joined. Work is shared, but payroll and onboarding are now recurring responsibilities.
137. 11/25 · Building repairsWork started on the building’s facade. Scaffolding went up in front and hid your sign.
138. Priorities for the next three monthsImprove quality — You fixed the small annoyances one by one. Customers did not mention the change, but they came back.
139. 12/5 · FamilyYou talked with your family for a long time. Someone said, “You come before the money.”
140. 2/4 · Word got aroundA post in a local community said “this place is good.” Customers came in without warning today.
141. 2/21 · A competitor made a moveThe shop directly opposite started 10% off. A few regulars went there.
142. 3/3 · Equipment stoppedA key machine broke. Three days for the part to arrive; you did it by hand until then.
143. 3/20 · Supplier price increaseA new price list came from the supplier: your most-used items are up 6%. You redid your prices.
144. 4/11 · Street festivalA festival opened nearby. Foot traffic doubled.
145. 4/16 · More regularsA regular brought a coworker. “I’ve told everyone about this place.”
146. 5/19 · HeatwaveA heat warning. The air conditioning ran all day. The electricity bill is on your mind.
147. 5/22 · A small price riseEvery day there are more customers than you can take. You raised prices 5% and they kept coming.
148. Priorities for the next three monthsImprove quality — You rewrote the notices around the questions people ask most. The same questions dropped off noticeably.
149. 6/9 · An employee quitAn employee said this month would be their last. The big store down the road pays more an hour.
150. Someone else has quitMake an urgent replacement hire — There were a few mistakes in the first week. From the second week you had time to rest.
151. 8/11 · Building repairsWork started on the building’s facade. Scaffolding went up in front and hid your sign.
152. 8/12 · A family emergencySomething came up in the family. You dropped what you were doing and went over.
153. Keep going like this?Switch industry: Noodle & soup shop — It is practically a new start-up. You know less than you don’t, but at least it is not the same wall again.
154. US Rates Rose AgainSignals of Fed tightening strengthened the dollar, and this country's funding rates followed. When the TWD/USD rate jumped, costing got complicated again for anyone buying imported ingredients or parts.
155. Ingredient Prices RoseWholesale prices went up. The same stock now costs 7% more. Raise the price and customers leave; leave it and nothing is left.
156. Year 6 closeRevenue NT$7,432,373, operating profit NT$936,859. Cash NT$1,645,563.
157. 2032 · year 7 beginsA Competitor Opened Right Outside
158. 9/11 · The bank asked for documentsYour bank contact changed. The new one asked for the past year’s statements again.
159. The lease is upNegotiate the rent down — The landlord came down to 3.5%. “If you are staying a while.”
160. 10/17 · Equipment stoppedThe technician said a repair would cost nearly as much as a new one. You bought new.
161. 10/23 · Supplier price increaseA new price list came from the supplier: your most-used items are up 6%. You redid your prices.
162. 11/8 · Your mentorYour mentor sent a link to an article. “This sounded like you.”
163. Demand is outrunning the teamDefer for free — You spent nothing and will reconsider at another opportunity.
164. 12/5 · Reviews piled upThree one-star reviews with the same wording appeared in one day. You could not tell whether they were customers or a competitor.
165. 12/13 · Word got aroundA post in a local community said “this place is good.” Customers came in without warning today.
166. 1/9 · Loan payment dayLoan payment day. NT$12,886 in principal and interest left the account. The balance is NT$441,809.
167. 2/27 · An employee quitAn employee said this month would be their last. The big store down the road pays more an hour.
168. One pair of hands short at the rushMake an urgent replacement hire — You hired the person who laughed most in the interview. Customers learned their name before you did.
169. 3/9 · Card terminal outageThe card terminal died at the busiest hour. You served only customers paying cash.
170. 3/30 · More regularsThe same customer came three times this week. “I don’t go anywhere else,” they said.
171. 4/22 · The exchange rate pushed up import billsThe TWD/USD rate rose to 32.82. Imported flour and cooking oil follow it up.
172. 5/16 · The bank asked for documentsYour bank contact changed. The new one asked for the past year’s statements again.
173. 5/30 · Building repairsWater leaked from upstairs. You and the landlord argued over who pays for the stain on the ceiling.
174. This time you sell the courseWalk away — The agency probably sent the same pitch to another owner the next day. You opened the books again.
175. 6/22 · Supplier price increaseA new price list came from the supplier: your most-used items are up 7%. You redid your prices.
176. 6/25 · A small price riseEvery day there are more customers than you can take. You raised prices 5% and they kept coming.
177. 7/3 · HeatwaveA heat warning. The air conditioning ran all day. The electricity bill is on your mind.
178. 7/8 · Hygiene inspection noticeWord went round that a shop on your street was fined at inspection. You redid the kitchen cleaning rota.
179. 8/21 · A competitor made a moveThe shop directly opposite started 15% off. A few regulars went there.
180. You are short of moneyHold on — Instead of a loan you opened the household budget. No more eating out; repairs that could wait, waited. Holding on needed a plan too.
181. A Competitor Opened Right OutsideSame trade, similar goods, prices 10% lower. From the first week, your regulars walk toward it. Competition is not an abstract word; it is the sign visible outside your window.
182. Year 7 closeRevenue NT$4,209,598, loss NT$210,009. Cash NT$246,999.

Start simulationFounder failure stories