Chapter 168 Marriage Agency? Time flies...
Time flies. It feels like only yesterday that Guan Lixin’s clothing store opened, but before she knew it, it was time for the first dividend distribution.
When the clothing store opened, Guan Lixin had agreed with Shouhou and Mingxi that they would share profits every three months. When the three months were up, Guan Lixin invited Shouhou and Mingxi to his home.
When Mingxi and Shouhou arrived at the Guan family's house, Guan Lixin had already laid out the account books on the table.
Guan Lixin: "Even close brothers should keep clear accounts. We three have a good relationship, but when it comes to business, we need to be clear about things. We can't be vague. Otherwise, we'll easily fall out over time. This is our store's account book for the past three months. I've kept a clear record of our store's daily income and expenses for the past three months. I've checked the accounts every day. You two take a look."
Mingxi waved her hand: "We won't watch it, we believe you."
Skinny Monkey scratched the back of his head, chuckled twice, and said, "Yeah, Brother Guan, we trust you, so we don't need to look after the elders. Anyway, I don't really understand this stuff."
Guan Lixin: "Okay, it's fine if you don't want to see it. I usually keep this ledger in the shop. If you want to see it, you can come to the shop anytime."
He kept meticulous records, which Mingxi and Shouhou could access at any time.
He did this because he was afraid that something might go wrong and cause conflict later on.
After discussing the accounts, he got to the point: "The reason I called you two over today is because we agreed on a profit-sharing arrangement every three months. Our store has been lucky; it's only been open for three months and it's already making a profit, so we're going to distribute the profits!"
Guan Lixin's clothing store had all the advantages of timing, location, and people. From its opening day, business was booming. It was also the first individually owned clothing store in Beicheng, and a reporter from the Beicheng Daily even gave it a special interview and report. Business was already good, but after being featured in the newspaper, it became even better, making a name for itself in Beicheng within just three months. Not only locals would travel long distances to buy clothing, but even people from out of town on business trips to Beicheng would make a special trip to Guan Lixin's store.
In other words, there is no such thing as a "celebrity store" now. Otherwise, Guan Lixin's store would definitely be the number one celebrity store in Beicheng, even surpassing state-owned stores.
Guan Lixin has indeed put his heart into running his store. Not to mention the store layout and clothing selection, the store's employees are also a good example.
He pays high wages, a base salary plus commission. The base salary is 20 yuan a month, and the commission is based on the sales revenue of clothes sold. The more you sell, the more you earn. The highest commission a single employee in the store earned in a month was 100 yuan, and even the lowest commission was more than 60 yuan. Combined with the base salary, that's more than many master craftsmen in factories earn. The store's benefits are also good. The workday is from 9 am to 6 pm, with an hour for lunch. It's an eight-hour workday, and they provide a meal allowance for lunch.
He treats his employees so well, and he only has one requirement for them: to serve customers well, not to treat everyone differently, and to always serve with a smile, even if the customer doesn't buy anything.
Besides his employees, Guan Lixin also strives for excellence in other aspects. Recently, due to the hot weather, the store's customer traffic has dropped significantly. After realizing this problem, Guan Lixin immediately ordered an air conditioner to be delivered.
As soon as word got out that Xiaoxi had installed air conditioning in the store, the store's customer traffic immediately rebounded.
It is precisely because of Guan Lixin's approach of providing exceptional service that his clothing store has accumulated a considerable number of repeat customers in just three months since its opening.
To be honest, Guan Lixin himself didn't expect his store to do so well. He thought that he wouldn't be able to break even in the first two quarters, and that he would have to wait until the third quarter to receive dividends.
Unexpectedly, during the first quarter's accounting, we discovered that the principal had already been recovered, so today we called Mingxi and Shouhou over to share the profits.
Guan Lixin: "Excluding the budget for the next quarter, the total profit for the first quarter after opening is 10,000 yuan. According to our initial investment ratio, Mingxi, this is your share, Shouhou, this is yours, and the rest is mine."
Guan Lixin took out three stacks of paper wrapped in cash and distributed them to each person.
Mingxi touched the thick stack of money in his hand, his mouth stretching into a wide grin.
Skinny Monkey was alright; he was in the store every day keeping an eye on things and knew exactly how much profit the store made, so he wasn't surprised at all.
But Mingxi was different. When she invested money in Guan Lixin, she never expected to see a return so quickly.
She was busy with work and didn't have time to keep an eye on the clothing store, so she only knew that the store was doing well, but she didn't expect it to be this good.
Doing business these days is really profitable.
Why doesn't she open a shop and start a business?
Mingxi had this idea in her mind, but then she thought again that she wasn't cut out for business!
Mingxi has a clear understanding of herself. She has memories of her past life and is somewhat clever, but compared to Guan Lixin, it is clear that she is not cut out for business. She lacks Guan Lixin's vision and his boldness.
If there's anything she's good at, it's probably matchmaking.
Is she planning to open a marriage agency?
Mingxi chuckled at the thought and abandoned the idea of doing business.
After distributing the money, Guan Lixin started talking about future plans.
"Business is good at the store now, but we don't have enough staff. I plan to hire another batch of employees."
Skinny Monkey: "We need to hire people."
He frequented the store and genuinely felt that there weren't enough staff. When there were many customers, both he and Guan Lixin had to step forward to serve them. It wasn't that he felt there was anything wrong with him and Guan Lixin serving customers; it was that the customers felt uncomfortable.
They run a women's clothing store, and most of their customers are women. They felt awkward when they saw two men coming over to recommend clothes.
Guan Lixin: "Well, I plan to hire an accountant this time. Business is good, so we need to find a professional to handle the finances. We also need to hire two more sales clerks. After observing her for a while, I think Wang Li has some talent. I plan to train her and promote her to store manager later. She will be in charge of the store, and the two of us won't have to keep an eye on her every day."
It had been agreed before that Mingxi would not interfere with the store's operations, so she didn't say anything and just listened quietly.
Guan Lixin: "Once this store stabilizes, I plan to open a new store. I don't plan to focus on high-end women's clothing in the new store. The current store is enough for high-end women's clothing. In the new store, I plan to focus on volume and sell affordable clothing."
Guan Lixin had his own plans. His clothing store had already made a name for itself in Beicheng. He was not short of money, and fashionable women would choose his store as their first choice when buying clothes.
If his branch continues with this style, it will only divert existing customers from the store and fail to attract new ones.
Then it would be better to switch to a different route, take the affordable route, and sell men's clothing, underwear, and all sorts of random things.
If the goal is to sell at affordable prices and in large quantities, the store decoration doesn't need to be as elaborate as it is now, and the investment wouldn't be too much, which is perfect for his current development.
Skinny Monkey: "Brother Guan, that's a great idea!"
Skinny Monkey has worked with Guan Lixin for so many years, so he has some insight into this area.
He approached Guan Lixin in advance and said, "Once the new store opens, I'll take charge of it. What do you think, Brother Guan?"
Guan Lixin: "Sure, why not?"
He readily agreed, but he also told Skinny Monkey in advance that he was thinking of opening a new store, but it would be a while before the store opened.
Once the current store's operations stabilize, the process of choosing a location, decorating, and stocking up for the new store... even if things go as fast as possible, it will probably take at least three months.
Skinny Monkey was in high spirits: "It's okay, Brother Guan, I'll be waiting!"
Seeing the two of them so enthusiastic and ambitious, the little flame that had just been extinguished in Mingxi's heart couldn't help but rekindle.
She suddenly blurted out, "Hey, what do you guys think about me opening a marriage agency?"
Guan Lixin and the skinny monkey were taken aback. The skinny monkey scratched his head and asked blankly, "What does a marriage agency do?"
"It's about introducing people to potential partners, it's..."
Mingxi explained it to him, and the skinny monkey, puzzled, asked, "What's the difference between this and a matchmaker?"
Aren't they all just introducing people to potential partners?
Mingxi: "That's still a bit different..."
She spent a long time explaining to the skinny man, going back and forth between several aspects such as professional procedures and professional pricing, but after a long time, the skinny man still didn't quite understand.
He scratched his head: "A matchmaking agency is just a more professional matchmaker, right?"
Mingxi was tired of explaining for so long, so she simply nodded: "Yes, that's pretty much the idea."
Skinny Monkey: "Oh, then go ahead and open one. Don't you think the matchmaking business is pretty good?"
Guan Lixin then asked, "Mingxi, aren't you still at work? Are you managing?"
Mingxi: "Hey, if this marriage agency can be opened, I plan to have my mom in charge."
Mingxi's idea of starting a business was actually because of Zhao Sulan.
Zhao Sulan's back injury has not healed. Although she kept saying that her back injury was nothing, that it didn't hurt or bother her after being discharged from the hospital, she worked in the cafeteria and stood all day. When she came home from get off work, she often rubbed her back in pain.
Mingxi had long wanted to persuade Zhao Sulan to retire, and she had mentioned it to Zhao Sulan before, but Zhao Sulan was unwilling. She said that she was not yet fifty years old and was far from retirement age. She could still work, so why should she retire?
To be honest, Zhao Sulan was used to hardship. Now that her family's financial situation has improved, she is worried about them. So she is thinking of earning as much as she can to save some money for Mingxi.
Mingxi could understand Zhao Sulan's thoughts, but she couldn't bear to watch Zhao Sulan continue working in the cafeteria.
Whether or not it makes money is secondary when it comes to opening a marriage agency; the important thing is to keep Zhao Sulan tied down and make her job easier.
Mingxi shared her thoughts with Guan Lixin and Shouhou, and the two of them understood.
Skinny Monkey: "Why don't you talk to Aunt Zhao about it? I think it might work."
Guan Lixin: "Yes, you should discuss it with Aunt Zhao. Once you've made up your minds, let me know if you need any help later."
Mingxi didn't stand on ceremony with Guan Lixin and said directly, "Okay, I'll look for you then."
If we really want to open a marriage agency, we'll probably need Guan Lixin's help with finding a place and getting the necessary permits from the business bureau. To be polite now, we'll still need to trouble Guan Lixin later.
It's better not to say anything at all, then.
At worst, she can just stuff a thicker red envelope into Guan Lixin's and He Li's baby's full-month celebration gift!
-----------------------
Author's Note: There will be another chapter this afternoon.
I apologize for the frequent absences and irregular updates lately. I've genuinely been sick. My immune system is likely weakened; since last month, I've been experiencing inexplicable allergies, colds, migraines, and menstrual cycle fluctuations. Just as the cold subsided, allergies triggered rhinitis, which then triggered more migraines. Additionally, some parts of the story have been particularly difficult to write recently, and my current ideas differ somewhat from the initial outline, leading to a slower writing pace and the current situation. I still want to apologize. No amount of excuses can justify my slow updates and absences. It's due to insufficient preparation before starting the story, or perhaps it's something else entirely. I won't abandon the story; it's already being finished, and I'll try my best to resume regular updates soon.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com