"The company provides a good platform and logistical support, which is especially suitable for young people to develop. As long as you work hard, you will reap rewards. I myself started as an ordinary café waiter of Nan Yuan Hotel and grew into a department manager. I am now 31 years old and already a senior employee."
This was my speech at a foreign trade stability and growth promotion event with Tom Tang 10 years ago, and it was reported by Ningbo TV station at the time. The past is like smoke, and I will quote the news report from back then:
In the second half of 2003, at the old factory of Jiangdong Sangjia, the average age of 14 people was 23. In 2004, the company's output reached 11.66 million US dollars, with a growth rate of 100%, and the number of employees increased to 26 by the end of the year. In 2008, the company did not lay off any employees, but increased salaries and achieved a 21% growth rate against the trend. In 2010, the company's export trade volume exceeded 112 million US dollars, with a growth rate of 78%, and the number of employees reached 319. In 2011, the company's employees traveled more than 3 million kilometers and covered more than 100 countries and regions. The self-support export trade volume reached 200 million US dollars. In 2013, the self-support export trade volume is expected to reach 300 million US dollars.
Ten years ago, not many people knew about her, but she has always persisted in the power of youth, innovated internal talent training models, constructed product design and research and development systems, opened up operational service channels, and increased brand investment... With the joint efforts of multiple innovations, she now shines brightly. She is MARKET UNION, with an average employee age of 26.6 and 750 employees.
In the blink of an eye, ten years have passed, and MU is about to celebrate its 20th anniversary.
In the minds of many foreign traders, the Canton Fair is synonymous with foreign trade, and countless people have made their first fortune there. Established in Guangzhou in 1957, the China Import and Export Fair is the largest and most authoritative comprehensive exhibition in China, and has since become the "barometer and vane" of China's foreign trade, as well as a "golden signboard" in the eyes of global merchants. The words "foreign trade" and "Canton Fair" almost appeared simultaneously in my memory.
In 2004, I finally had the opportunity to attend the Autumn Canton Fair with my boss. The venue was in Liuhua, not very large, with old and dilapidated stairs, and both upstairs and downstairs were crowded with people, even the aisles were very crowded. The booths were small, with no space to eat, and everyone was eating take-out outdoors with their lunch boxes, a busy scene of "brick-moving".
The scene was a bit like the Yiwu San Ting Road Night Market just after the outbreak of the epidemic this year, with people crowded together. The exhibition style was also relatively rough, with hooks bought and carried over, and products hung on the shelves or tied with zip ties.
The boss learned English by himself, and he took every opportunity to actively chat with customers and exchange business cards, while I was more of an observer and learner. Many foreign customers lined up in front of the booths, placing orders with US dollars. It was the first time I had seen such a scene, and it opened up a whole new world for me!
After arriving at MU, I heard an even more inspirational story about the Canton Fair. President Patrick Xu of Sellers Union went to the Canton Fair for the first time, but didn't get a booth, so he directly set up a street stall at the entrance, handed out business cards to foreigners, looked at sample albums, and still reaped a rich harvest!
At that time, doing foreign trade was very profitable, with gross margins of up to 30%, 50%, or even 100%! Nowadays, the competition at the Canton Fair is becoming increasingly fierce, and the seller's market of the past is unlikely to be replicated. Although with the development of e-commerce, there are more and more online customer acquisition channels, the Canton Fair is still the best platform for consolidating old customers and developing new ones.
Thanks to Patrick 's introduction, I went to interview with Global Union, which is run by the Sangjia. However, after reviewing my resume, General Manager Daniel Wu also said that they were not in urgent need of personnel.
During a moment of my frustration, I received an interview invitation from MU. It was then that I realized MU was actually located right across the hallway from Global Union. Tom Tang, the General Manager, had a brief chat with me and the next day he sent a text message saying, "You're hired, come report for duty tomorrow!"
Author in 2007
I was fortunate enough to start working at MU on May 21, 2007. Shortly after, on September 1, GENERAL UNION was established and I was transferred there after the National Day holiday. GU and LC were established on the same day, and we set up a few flower baskets and a red cloth in the hallway to hold a simple ribbon-cutting ceremony. Tom Tang gave the most concise speech in history:
"Dare to reach for the moon and catch the turtle in the five oceans!"
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Starting with the Italian client, I handled everything from order tracking, procurement, quality inspection, and export sales, truly managing the entire business process. At the time, I was working in coordination with Edward Du, who was responsible for product procurement in Yiwu, while I was responsible for the Ningbo area, thus forming a joint battle zone. I would also like to express my gratitude to my comrade-in-arms, Edward.
However, the good times did not last long, as the Italian client adjusted their business, and the stationery sector slowly shrank. During this difficult period, Mr. Luo handed the very challenging Mexican client to me, and also provided a college student to assist me. This was a rare opportunity for me. Only by succeeding where others had failed could I demonstrate my abilities!
The Mexican client was large in scale and strength, but the prices were very low, with virtually no profit margins. How could I solve this problem? I chose to start with supply chain management, drawing on my previous experience in stationery products. Taking glue products as an example, I summarized them as the "5-step method".
Visiting Hungarian clients in September 2013
The difficulty with groceries lies in their variety, but the best way to handle it is also the simplest: visit the factories extensively beforehand to ensure product quality and delivery capability. As the saying goes, sitting in the office only brings problems, while going out to conduct research brings solutions. During that time, we worked overtime almost every day until midnight, gradually building up our business with Mexican clients and achieving new heights within a narrow profit margin.
I remember when I first started working, due to business development needs, General Manager Zhuang independently established a new department and built a new team from MU Group A. At that time, I had a voice in my heart, "When will I be able to lead my own team like you?"
When I went up on stage that day, I was touched and emotional. As someone who rarely cries, I could no longer hold back my tears of excitement.
At MU, I had no connections, no background, and no impressive educational qualifications. The only capital I had was 10 years of hard work and dedication. Through teary eyes, I could see the young waiter in the Nan Yuan Coffee Shop 20 years ago, who often gazed enviously at the foreign trade businesspeople drinking coffee around him...
As time passed, that former coffee shop waiter now stands on the entrepreneurial stage of foreign trade, a grassroots stage of entrepreneurship!
Anji Trip of GENERAL STAR DIVISION OF GU in 2017
At the most difficult time, salaries could not be paid. I felt sorry for the trust of my leaders and the hard work of my colleagues. I was on the verge of depression and collapse! The Grim Reaper forgave me. If there was another blow, my career might end here. Under tremendous pressure, I started to exercise and train my willpower through physical exhaustion for self-redemption.
After experiencing the pain, I realized that I had to take drastic measures and not let this situation spread. The new project ended in failure, causing huge losses to the company. I think, if it were not for MU, this mistake would be hard to forgive. I am always grateful for this.
Because of the choice of trust and openness, MU has encountered some difficulties, but we still choose trust and openness today. Now, everyone who joins the company has to sign a confidentiality agreement. If the confidentiality agreement has no time limit, I am willing to sign it for a lifetime!
But what about behind the glamour? You have to work overtime and bear all kinds of unexpected pressures. The biggest difference from other industries is that working hours are not fixed, and there are time differences. A phone call or an email, and you have to rush over, even during the Chinese New Year.
Success in foreign trade is 99% effort and 1% luck!
If you don't put in the 99% effort, can you seize the 1% good luck when it comes? If not, then you can only be an ordinary foreign trader and can only be someone else's assistant. Always be prepared, opportunities are always left to those who are prepared! Burst a piece of news that Tom Tang, in order to learn English, took all the faxes sent by customers home and memorized every word. This is the spirit of a foreign trader!
Cycling with colleagues in November 2021
From a newcomer who stepped out of school to becoming a backbone of the company, every step requires infinite effort, and only then can you achieve some success! Here, you have the opportunity to showcase your talents and ambitions, as long as you are willing, no one will limit you, but it depends on your self-discipline. The master leads the door, and the practice depends on the individual.
Action is power, and ten thousand hollow preaching is not as good as one concrete action.
Life is born for action, just like fire always rises, and stones always fall. Without action, it doesn't exist. Reality is on this side, and ideals are on the other side, with a turbulent river in between, and action is the bridge over the river. Yesterday's thoughts bring today's results; today's actions will determine tomorrow's achievements.
Persist in the ordinary, persist in the ordinary every day, and then you have what you have now. 20 years ago, I had the opportunity to enter foreign trade, just because someone left the company, and others' lack of persistence gave me the opportunity, which I cherish very much. In life, many times, there is no way out, which is the way to victory.
The competition in the industry is gradually becoming fierce, but often more opportunities will appear at this time. Are you ready? The war is about to begin, and every month in 2023 is critical and a decisive battle. The resounding oath of the oath-taking ceremony is still in my ears: Achieve the goal! Go all out and be invincible! Victory! Victory! Victory!
The author, Jason Woo, was born in 1981 in Ninghai, Zhejiang. He graduated from Zhejiang Gongshang University with a major in business administration in 2006. He joined the company in May 2007 and has served as manager assistant, deputy manager, and manager. He has won the Outstanding Business Award, Outstanding Contribution Award, and Excellent Operation Award. He is currently the general manager of the GENERAL STAR DIVISION OF GU.
Post time: Apr-28-2023