Seeing that Wang Lijun did not understand, Ye Linchen shook his head and patiently explained.
"It's not about financial management, but about helping you plan your finances wisely in the early stages of starting a business and avoid some common risks."
"For example, whether you need to take out a loan, how many people you should hire, and whether your cash flow will be disrupted—these are the areas where many startups are most prone to problems."
"I studied finance, so I can help you with risk assessment from a professional perspective and provide some solutions. It's free for you, and we will also include these cases in our startup project report."
After listening, Wang Lijun was stunned for a long time, and a complex expression gradually appeared on his face.
His initial enthusiasm was dampened, but upon reflection, he realized that what the girl in front of him said wasn't entirely without merit.
"What you're saying...can it really be useful?" Wang Lijun thought for a moment. "If it's useful, why are you willing to provide it for free?"
“Of course,” Ye Linchen nodded. “It’s free for you, but it’s also an opportunity for me.”
“You need someone to help you see the risks in advance, and I need you as a case study. It’s a win-win situation for both of us.”
The office was quiet for a few seconds, and the young people next to them couldn't help but prick up their ears to listen.
They had initially thought the girl was there to place an order, and were somewhat disappointed when they learned she wasn't.
But as Ye Linchen explained, they all showed thoughtful expressions.
Wang Lijun scratched his head and said with a wry smile, "To be honest, we were so focused on writing the program that we didn't think about the financial risks. Since you put it that way... we can talk about it."
As Wang Lijun spoke, he looked back at the messy office, trying to find a place where the two of them could sit down and talk.
But the whole office seemed a bit dirty and messy.
Wang Lijun coughed awkwardly twice, found a relatively clean desk, and gestured for Ye Linchen to sit down.
He casually pushed aside the instant noodle containers piled on the table, then found a slightly wobbly wooden chair and invited her, "Come on, sit down and let's talk."
After Ye Linchen sat down, he glanced at the documents on the table.
Most of them consisted of thick sheets of code, handwritten flowcharts, and a few professional books with worn-out edges.
The group of people looked quite young, with youthful faces, but their eyes showed signs of fatigue, clearly indicating that staying up all night coding was a common occurrence.
"Mr. Wang, how many people are there in your studio right now?" Ye Linchen asked first after sitting down.
“Including me, there are five in total.” Wang Lijun scratched his head. “There are two undergraduate classmates, one master’s junior, and one veteran brother who is in charge of equipment and network. We all live nearby and usually work together here.”
What about funding?
Wang Lijun paused, and the smile on his face froze slightly.
He hesitated for a moment before saying in a low voice, "Funding... is actually very tight. When we started this business, the little seed money we scraped together was mostly from our families."
"After buying equipment and renting an office, the money was almost gone. In recent months, I have been making a living by writing some small programs for others, and sometimes I even have to take on part-time jobs to make up for the shortfall."
At this point, he gave a wry smile: "To be honest, the fact that we've managed to hold on until now is just a matter of toughing it out."
Ye Linchen nodded quietly, not in a hurry to interrupt, but continued to ask, "So, do you have any stable clients now? How are the orders?"
This time, it was a young man wearing round-framed glasses who answered.
"To be honest, almost none. Occasionally there are some odd jobs, like making an inventory spreadsheet for a small factory, but they're all one-off. There are no big orders, and the company is in dire straits right now."
The atmosphere in the room suddenly became heavy.
The young people's expressions were not good, and even Wang Lijun, who had been excited, subconsciously sighed.
Ye Linchen nodded: "You don't need to be too anxious, this is actually quite normal. Most startups encounter the same problem at the beginning. It's not that the technology is lacking, but that they haven't identified their target customers."
"Target customers?" Wang Lijun repeated, his brows furrowing slightly.
“Yes,” Ye Linchen explained to them, “Your software is for financial and warehouse management. The target customer base for this type of product should be small and medium-sized factories, wholesale enterprises, and even the finance departments of some state-owned enterprises.”
"But now you're advertising in the Jiangcheng Daily, a newspaper with a wide readership, but the vast majority of those readers have nothing to do with your product."
"Even if ordinary citizens see it, they won't need it."
She paused for a moment: "That's because your marketing is inaccurate. You've fired your bullets into the ocean, of course there won't be any response."
The young people were stunned.
Wang Lijun opened his mouth, but didn't say anything.
The young man with round-framed glasses frowned and couldn't help but retort, "But we have no other choice! People have to read our ads, right? How will our clients know about us if we don't advertise in the newspaper?"
Ye Linchen didn't rush to refute, but instead spread his hands and calmly said, "The problem lies in 'who is the customer.'"
“Your customers aren’t the citizens who buy newspapers every morning, but the finance managers and warehouse supervisors of companies. They are the ones you should be looking for.”
"How do we find it?" Wang Lijun pressed.
Ye Linchen analyzed carefully: "First, we can visit small factories in various light industrial parks, especially garment factories and electronic component factories."
"Their management is chaotic, and they desperately need software to improve efficiency."
"You can give demonstrations, or even offer a one-month free trial. This way, customers can intuitively feel your value."
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