Shop Ten Years: The Entrepreneurial Experience Of A Small Shopkeeper

It is easy to open a small shop now, but more than 20 years ago, it needed not only capital but also courage.

In the early 80s of last century, in the early days of reform and opening up, self-employed persons were the tail of capitalism, and they were looked down upon by others.

At that time, most of the people who set up shop were those who came back from labor reform and wandered in the society. They were discriminated against. They could not find jobs, no units were willing to accept them, but they also had to eat to survive. They could only rely on their own efforts. Under this initial desire, they started their career.

Reselling clothes is their first choice.

At that time, the shortage of materials was the end of the planned economy era, and the market economy was just sprouting up. People were not accustomed to bargaining, that is, counter-offer.

How much is the price tag, and how much you want to earn, depending on the conscience of the booth owner, how much profit do you think the profit space is?

At that time, there was also a phenomenon that girls generally disdained to marry a self-employed person. They would be described as "money oriented" money girls. Some boldly disregard their families' objections and marry those who are too rich to eat "ready to eat rice".

Of course, happiness is another matter.

In the late 80s and early 90s, the individual economy, as a supplement to the social economy, developed jointly with the public sector of the economy and acquiesced in policy acquiescence.

The individual economy has a "reputation", and it suddenly set off a climax.

At this time, the small boss who opened shop did not get rich easily in the past few years, but his business was good.

Due to the vigorous development of township enterprises in South of Jiangsu, a large influx of migrant workers has stimulated local consumption, and various kinds of shops have sprung up like mushrooms.

But at that time, the clothing store sold basically was popular clothing, which was relatively low-grade, because farmers had just got rid of poverty and had not yet reached the level of becoming rich. Most of the workers came from poor areas, and their salaries were limited. They paid attention to the practicality of clothing and did not care much about the ornamental quality of clothing.

At that time, I pferred from the substitute teacher to the cultural station in the town. The work of the grass-roots cultural station was very idle. It was to manage the video hall, the game room and the library, to collect money every day, and to write a bit of articles.

I don't want to spend a lot of time in reading newspapers and drinking tea. I'm prepared to use my spare time to do other things.

At that time, I thought of opening a shop and opening a clothing store.

But when I go to work, I can only take time to look after it. I can't sit in the shop. I want to ask my brother to take care of the store for me.

At that time, the storefront store was on the old street, and a row of shops behind the primary school was not downtown. If the shop level was graded, my storefront could only be considered as a grade C, but it could be a good place.

The general storefront is a private house. It is a broken wall. The rent will be paid once a year or half a year, and the storefront I rent is public. They will collect it once a month, so that I can save the capital of the shop and use it on the stock.

At that time, I only had 1500 yuan, my father supported 1500 yuan, a total of 3000 yuan of capital.

At that time, the average annual salary of the employees in Suzhou area was close to 3000 yuan, which was equivalent to that I took a year's salary to take the risk of opening the shop.

The simple decoration was made by my brother himself, because he worked as a carpenter and worked well.

Bought some hangers and went to Changshu to buy clothes wholesale.

I remember very clearly that the opening day was October 8, 1993.

I am 23 years old.

There are varieties of clothing, rent books and plastic photographs, and some small department stores.

I was a legitimate operator. Before I opened the shop, I completed the business license and tax registration certificate. Later, when they came to collect taxes, I remember that the business tax was 180 yuan per month, and the business administration fee was 300 yuan a year.

Renting books is also a way to attract popularity, and there is no investment to directly move the bookshelves in my home.

Facts have proved that although the rent book project did not earn much money, it made me acquainted with many friends and indirectly led to other income.

There is another important reason why I decided to open a shop decisively, because I had tasted the sweetness of doing business before I formally opened a shop. That was the plastic photo.

Since 1990, I have published several articles in the Journal of contemporary youth. At that time, the author's address was kept under the article. Many readers wrote to me. I also knew some pen friends. One of my pen friends in Fujian sent me photographs that were well sealed, which surprised me and gave me a flash of inspiration.

At that time, the first batch of citizen identity cards had just been issued, and it was also well sealed. If the picture could also be sealed up like this, it would not only be more beautiful, but also not easy to fade and yellowed, and it would be longer. It would be very popular.

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I asked many photographrooms in Suzhou that there was no such kind of plastic sealing machine.

There was no Internet at that time, and information search was far less convenient than today.

One day, I finally in a newspaper in the middle of the seam, see Jiangsu Yixing a plastic sealing machine factory, I was delighted, through 114 stations to check their factory telephone, asked their site, second days, I went to their factory, spent 1200 yuan, bought a plastic sealing machine.

This plastic sealing machine can be used to seal business cards, and 5 inch and 7 inch photos.

In order to test the market reaction and understand the acceptability of people's plastic photographs, I contacted the women's residential areas in the town, placed a booth at their doorway, and put several plastic samples on the table.

Thanks to the leadership of the residential district, I have sealed dozens of photos for them free of charge.

They are also very interested in this new plastic packaging technology.

I only had two days' stalls in the residential area, and I won the victory.

They usually go out to work, they will take many photos, but they are not easy to preserve, and can be sealed up. Even if the photos look brighter and clearer, they will not moldy and deteriorate, so that they can not help.

On the first day, a total of more than 350 plastic bags were sealed, and 280 were sealed in second days. The charge was 1 yuan each.

(nowadays photo galleries usually have photo plastic services, and the charges are also very low. But at that time, people were never seen and felt fresh, so they were very popular.

When I first tried the knife, I made a small profit and made me confident.

When I got out of the booth, there were still many people asking when to come back. When my clothing store opened, people saw the service of this plastic photo coming. Besides the working girls, they were also well received by the local people.

Half a year later, the photo studio was followed up and the plastic packaging service began.

My books are more complicated, including romance, chivalry, literature, life, and other subjects. There are quite a few people who read books. They can rent out about 100 books a day, and the fees are charged every day.

Those who came to borrow books, such as students, workers, teachers, businessmen, and leaders of some units, were familiar with each other. Later, they would buy clothes and plastic photographs in my shop. They were also sold well at the time of the album, address book and music box.

I usually work in the morning. After I have done the work well, I can come back to see the shop in the afternoon.

In the factory, a chest card will be hung on the front of the chest. Many manufacturers' badges are made after I have molded them.

A business card company is also linked to me, and the business cards they have printed have been sent to me for plastic wrap.

In fact, at the beginning of opening a shop, the accumulation of liquid capital comes from the business of plastic packaging. The business of renting books can cope with the daily expenses, and the profit gained from selling clothes will be put into the turnover of the next purchase, so that the clothing store can grow continuously.