A Chinese Woman Builds a New Career in a Man’s World

This is Ray Hou. She’s a — — at Repair Sisters. Repair Sisters is an all-female home repair company in the city of Chengdu, the first of its kind in China. In China, if you needed something fixed, most likely a man would show up at your door. Ray and her colleagues are changing that. And they’re not just doing repairs. They’re building a brand. Going viral. And discovering that China’s growing population of single women need their service. Ray once managed a shopping mall in Xi’an, but as the economy slowed, her hard work stopped paying off. She was craving something real, work where she could actually see what she’d accomplished at the end of the day. So, at 40, Ray made a bold pivot. And studied for two months to become an electrician. Without any experience, Ray needed to find a skilled worker willing to take her on as an apprentice. So she packed her bags, got a one way ticket — “OK, let’s go to Chengdu.” And moved hundreds of miles to apprentice with Repair Sisters. There, Ray found a community of women willing to share their skills. One of Ray’s first solo jobs was to mount a cat furniture set on the wall. Ray’s clients, most of whom are women, tell her that they prefer female technicians because they’re easier to talk to. And, for single women in particular, a handywoman feels like a safer option. By 2030, around 35 million Chinese women in their 20s and 30s are expected to be living alone. This population is growing as more women are delaying marriage to pursue education and careers. More than half of the Repair Sisters had office jobs before joining. It’s not just about following their passion either. While traditional office salaries stagnated, blue-collar wages have been climbing at a faster pace. The Repair Sisters have managed to build a social media brand by telling their startup story. Their more than 600,000 followers means steady work, as well as partnerships with brands that want more female consumers. But their success and social media fame have also brought pushback. Income from Ray’s new career covers her expenses, but is still less than her manager salary.