Canadian entrepreneur thinks new domain names may boost business startups in China

Colin Campbell, one of the best-known international internet infrastructure entrepreneurs, recently visited Beijing Foreign Studies University, providing guidance to students interested in starting up their own internet business upon graduation.

Colin Campbell,one of the best-known International internet infrastructure entrepreneurs, delivers a speech at Beijing Foreign Studies University, offering advice to China's future entrepreneurs.[Photo: China Plus]

Campbell says the availability of new internet domain name registration companies, like dot CLUB, are offering Chinese college graduates more opportunities.

"There's lot of individuals who have ideas; great ideas, but they just never acted on those ideas. I think it's really important for them when they think of an idea, to really sometimes just jump ahead and do the idea and raise the money and be excited about it. And today, there's an opportunity for individuals to get a good domain name or brand for their business with new domain extensions, like obviously we have 'dot com' and 'dot cn'. But there's also now dot CLUB."

An internet pioneer since 1993, Campbell and his business partners have built several internet companies that include Tucows Interactive and Internet Direct Canada Inc. His companies have won several awards including Profit magazine's 7th fastest growing company in Canada in 1997, Profit magazine's 2nd fastest growing company in Canada in 1998, and Canada's fastest growing company in 2005.

Campbell says China is particularly good at supporting young entrepreneurs; for example, at Chinese universities there are business labs for startups, and it's very helpful for individuals to receive their support and guidance.

This is his second lecture at the university. The first one was in 2015.

His current venture with dot CLUB has been grabbing more public attention in China since pop superstar Jay Chou had his International Fan Club using dot CLUB to register a website as "jay2u.club" in 2014.