2003: Starting with Foreign Trade

Chapter 20 A Single Shuttle (Two-in-One, 4K)
The owner of the garment factory was also surnamed Zhang, named Zhang Haiping, a very regional name. He was tall and thin, and looked to be about thirty-six or thirty-seven years old.

According to the owner, Xiaxi Village, including the surrounding villages, is mainly inhabited by people with the surnames Zhang and Hu.

In fact, when Tan Jincheng went to draw the drawings, Zhang Haiping already knew that two young men had come to the village and were going from house to house asking about sample matters.

The village is so small that if something happens, a phone call or a text message is usually enough to find out.

Zhang Haiping just didn't expect that when the two of them arrived at his home, they would use a different tactic.

Based on his intuition, Zhang Haiping didn't think the two men were scammers; because when he was young, he had done similar door-to-door sales work and suffered a lot of scorn.

That feeling was truly unpleasant. These two were clearly in the same boat as I had been back then, not having found a solution yet, which is why they were being mistaken for scammers.

"If you can't study well, you can only come out and make money." Tan Jincheng replied with a smile in response to Zhang Haiping's curiosity.

Then, they introduced themselves and Zhang Xupeng.

After chatting for a while, Zhang Haiping pointed to the sketch on the table and got straight to the point: "The companies you visited have sent word back. You want to see samples, right?"

"Yes, we can't hide it from Mr. Zhang. We do want to see the samples and place an order for some samples first."

After being exposed, Tan Jincheng didn't feel embarrassed at all; in a village, there are always a few well-informed people.

"What do you want to do?"

"We'd like to buy a batch of clothes to take back to our hometown to sell, as the clothes are cheaper here; also, these sketches of mine, although a bit ugly, can be turned into decent samples with some embellishment by a designer, what do you think, Mr. Zhang?"

The sketches were drawn by Tan Jincheng from memory. They were all popular Taobao styles from his previous life, featuring both men and women. They were uncolored and looked rather abstract.

Now that the drawings were complete, Tan Jincheng didn't intend to give up. He planned to find a fashion designer to redesign them and produce samples of the sketches.

Whether future styles will suit the current market is unknown to Tan Jincheng, but there's no harm in trying. If they sell well, he can rethink them.

If they really can't be sold, they can indeed take them back to their hometown to sell. These days, export overstock is still quite popular.

In short, it's unlikely that we'll lose money.

Since China joined the WTO, the export surplus stock business has always had a large market in China and was popular for a long time.

I don't know when it started, but the perception that export products are of better quality has become ingrained in people's minds.

Buying better quality goods at lower prices is a common consumption strategy among some consumers in third- and fourth-tier cities and counties.

Among these, clothing, bags, shoes, socks, and accessories are the best-selling products.

The reason for choosing to enter the apparel industry is also this: the remaining stock from export orders can be sold in the domestic market to maximize the return of funds.

Zhang Haiping didn't quite believe Tan Jincheng's claim that he was buying goods to sell back in his hometown; if he really wanted to buy goods to sell back home, Sijiqing, the textile city, or even Huzhou would be much more convenient than Beicang.

However, Zhang Haiping didn't care about any of this. Merchants all have their own secrets, and there's no need to pry into them.

With ample production capacity, Zhang Haiping didn't mind allocating a portion of his production to supply these two young people.

While earning a processing fee, I can also get to know two young men. If their clothes sell well, I might be able to earn some money too.

Being young means endless possibilities.

"Alright, come with me. I'll show you the samples here. As for your own sketches, if you want to make them, you'll have to find someone to design them yourselves. I don't have that kind of equipment here."

Small family-run factories like theirs can't afford to hire designers; they have to find temporary part-time workers and pay a fee for it.

Tan Jincheng nodded in understanding. He said they would discuss the sketches in a few days, and that it was already very good that they had the opportunity to see the samples today.

Actually, it would be better to wait until Jinpeng Trading officially obtains its business license before looking for a contract manufacturer, as this would make them more trustworthy.

However, since it was close to the opening of the Canton Fair, and we had nothing else to do anyway, it would be good to let Zhang Xupeng experience it and get him into the swing of things in advance.

The three arrived at the sample room, which was more like a warehouse than a sample room, containing all sorts of samples, both from the past and those currently in production.

Zhang Haiping introduced each of the samples, and also mentioned which samples sold better, but whether they actually sold well is unknown.

However, it's unlikely to be a scam. Zhejiang merchants generally value their reputation and adhere to the philosophy of "let's all make money together."

Besides, there's not much left for the two of them to fool these days.

But no matter what, when it comes to selling clothes, the first thing to consider is the quality. Often, a garment designed to appeal to the general public can become a bestseller.

This involves personal aesthetic sense and market judgment.

In terms of aesthetics, Tan Jincheng personally prefers a minimalist style. His past and present life experiences as a seaman on two ocean voyages have allowed him to witness the clothing styles of different countries and different groups of people.

With some knowledge and experiences from his previous life, Tan Jincheng wouldn't dare say that his product selection would be a bestseller, but at least it wouldn't be ignored.

This is the advantage of having foresight; like information asymmetry, it allows for full utilization.

"Ah, if it were like in online novels, where you're reborn with a system or a cheat code, that would be even better."

Staring at these samples, Tan Jincheng thought to himself, somewhat nonsensically.

Back when I had some free time, I read web novels on Qidian.com and thought the idea of ​​being reborn with a system was ridiculous. But then, the story of being reborn actually happened to me.

Tan Jincheng just wanted to say to God: "Please give me a system!"

Unfortunately, fate was not so kind; after a moment of confusion, Tan Jincheng had no choice but to pull himself together and carefully select the products.

At the same time, I was thinking about how much of the goods I should order for my first order.

If there are too many goods, there is no money; if there are too few, the boss may not be willing to take the order. Zhang Haiping was thinking about places like Sijiqing and the Textile City, which Tan Jincheng had also looked into.

In short, it all boils down to one thing: we're too poor!
Although wholesale markets are also cheap, factories at the source are even cheaper; moreover, Tan Jincheng wants to establish a long-term cooperative relationship.

The sample selection process takes time, so after Zhang Hai finished his introduction, he stopped staying with the two of them and went to attend to his own business.

There's nothing to worry about within our own factory.

After Zhang Haiping walked away, Zhang Xupeng finally couldn't hold back anymore. He hadn't said much while watching Xiao Tan's performance all afternoon.

He was a little nervous during his first visit to the factory.

"Xiao Tan, where did you learn to lie so easily and without batting an eye? Teach me."

Zhang Xupeng looked at Tan Jincheng with a grin and said, "Very good. You didn't ask the mindless question of why he lied. You have some talent for doing business."

“Once you get used to interacting with people, you’ll naturally learn it; these things will be entrusted to you from now on, so you need to adapt as soon as possible,” Tan Jincheng said with a smile.

"Okay, I'm a little nervous for the first time. I'll try to adapt quickly." "Yeah, we need to make the most of our time and try to earn enough before the New Year so we can have some confidence when we go home."

"Yes, by the way; how much stock do we need to order this time?" Zhang Xupeng asked.

Zhang Xupeng was aware that the company was short of funds.

Financial pressure is the biggest problem the two are currently facing; moreover, it is now autumn and winter, and the ex-factory price of a single garment is much higher than that of summer clothes.

After thinking for a moment, Tan Jincheng looked at Zhang Xupeng and said, "8 yuan, what do you think?"

An order worth 8 yuan is not a small order for a family-run workshop these days.

In 2004, the average wage of urban workers in Ningbo was about 2.6 yuan, which averaged less than 2200 yuan per month.

In small garment factories, workers earn slightly more due to the long working hours, but not by much. If you work too much, the boss will try to lower your wages.

An order worth 8 yuan, regardless of cost, can at least cover the annual wages of two workers.

For a small factory like Zhang Haiping's with fewer than 20 workers, this is quite considerable.

"8? Isn't that too much? That would leave us with only 2 in reserve funds, and we still have to pay rent and stuff."

“It’s okay. The 8 yuan isn’t paid all at once. We can pay a deposit first. 2 yuan should be enough to cover the rent.”

"After we get the business license and other documents sorted out, we'll withdraw a little more of the 8 yuan registered capital."

Seeing that Zhang Xupeng was still hesitant, Tan Jincheng encouraged him again: "We only have one chance. It's all or nothing, so let's just go all in and use all the funds we have. Don't think too much."

"Give it a try and your bicycle will turn into a motorcycle!"

"That's true. If we really can't sell them, we'll still lose money. There's no difference between 8 and 5."

Perhaps it was Tan Jincheng's saying, "A bicycle can turn into a motorcycle," that inspired Zhang Xupeng, leading him to finally agree to Tan Jincheng's suggestion.

Zhang Xupeng originally thought that spending 5 yuan to purchase goods was the limit.

"Hehe, we won't lose money. If we really can't sell them overseas, we'll set up a stall and put up a sign saying 'export surplus.' At most, it'll just be a waste of time, but we can still make money."

"You can do that?" Zhang Xupeng asked, somewhat surprised.

"Yeah, what else did you expect? When you have time, go shopping at the clothing stores on the street, especially those with signs saying 'export surplus stock'."

"Okay, I got it; since that's the case, how about we bring in a little more, maybe 10? If we don't have enough money, I'll take out the tens of thousands of yuan I had before."

"No need for that. Let's use this 18 first. If we need more later, we can ask you for a loan or think of other ways. Let's keep our public and private matters separate."

"Alright then, I'll do as you say."

The principle of separating public and private matters was agreed upon when the two signed the equity agreement. If the 18 yuan used for company operations were lost, they would accept it without complaint.

However, if funds beyond 18 are needed, then that won't work; any losses will be shared equally.

Reborn in 2003, whether or not Tan Jincheng can make money is beyond doubt. With nearly 20 years of opportunities, he could easily seize any one of them and not have to worry about money.

Now it all depends on whether we can make something of ourselves and surpass our achievements in the past. It all depends on whether we can make a good start.

The two discussed and selected samples at the same time.

After spending more than half an hour selecting, Tan Jincheng chose four samples, all of which were tops; compared to pants, tops were easier to sell, and the sizes were also easier to control.

The sizing of Europeans and Americans is somewhat different from that of people in China; it is relatively larger, and tops are more forgiving in terms of size.

In this way, leftover stock will be easier to sell domestically.

Holding four samples, Tan Jincheng approached Zhang Haiping again.

Looking at the styles of the samples in Tan Jincheng's hands, and listening to the requirements for size adjustments, Zhang Haiping couldn't help but feel a smile to himself.

"These aren't meant to be taken back to our hometown to sell; they're clearly meant to be exported. Haha, these two young men are quite interesting."

Zhang Haiping wasn't entirely ignorant, but he didn't expose Tan Jincheng's clumsy lie.

On the contrary, Zhang Haiping was somewhat hopeful that Tan Jincheng wanted to do export business.

Compared to the domestic market, which is still in its infancy, the overseas market is much larger.

If these two young people have the ability to develop overseas markets, they might become a stable business partner in the future.

"How much stock do you want?" Zhang Haiping asked.

"How about 8 yuan? Mr. Zhang, could you give me a price for each sample individually?" Tan Jincheng replied with a smile.

"8 yuan? Do you have that much money?" Zhang Haiping said in surprise.

I've taken on big orders before, but these two young men in front of me are clearly new to the workforce. Where did they get so much money?

Although the young man surnamed Tan appeared more mature and was much more experienced in speaking and dealing with people than the young man surnamed Zhang, this was probably his first time starting a business.

At the very least, this is definitely their first time working in the clothing industry.

Although Tan Jincheng made many preparations, he still couldn't hide it from these experienced small business owners.

"Yes, Mr. Zhang, don't worry about the money. We have the capability to handle it."

"Also, to be honest, Mr. Zhang, in a few days, the business license for the company we're starting will be officially issued, and then we can sign a formal contract."

As Tan Jincheng spoke, Zhang Xupeng couldn't help but think, "I lied to them before, saying I was selling it back to my hometown. Won't the company's business license reveal the truth soon enough?"

However, seeing that Zhang Haiping didn't react, Zhang Xupeng suddenly realized that this Mr. Zhang must have guessed that Xiao Tan was talking nonsense before.

Similarly, Xiao Tan remained unfazed; it seems that doing business requires developing a thicker skin.

"Oh? Is that so? Then it seems I underestimated you two young brothers. In that case, there's no problem."

With a formal company entity and contract, plus an advance payment, Zhang Haiping no longer needs to worry about money.

Next, the two parties began to discuss the sample unit price and some contract details.

With this, Tan Jincheng and Zhang Xupeng officially took their first step in starting their business.

(End of this chapter)