Yu Yao had long anticipated that the recruitment process wouldn't go smoothly, but she hadn't expected it to be this bad.
The plan is to recruit 30 employees in the first batch, but only two or three people have signed up so far.
This was so different from what she had imagined.
Unlike other fruits, mangoes change almost daily once they enter their peak fruiting period. To make dried mangoes, you can't choose ripe mangoes; you have to select firmer ones.
With over 100,000 kilograms of mangoes at their disposal, they didn't have much time. They had to harvest all the mangoes within half a month and process them into dried mangoes.
This is no small project. Even if the tedious preliminary steps such as selection, cleaning, and peeling are outsourced to the main team, the supervision and guidance of the sideline team are still required.
Thirty people was the minimum number she and Zhu Xiudan decided on after careful consideration; losing even one person would delay efficiency.
Zhu Xiudan was also worried. "If all else fails, we can take a portion of the remaining funds and pay the workers who come to help out on the spot."
However, this means that the plan to purchase a cutting machine will have to be postponed.
Yu Yao had to ask Zhu Xinmin for help and go to great lengths to get this cutting machine. It was a machine that had been discarded by a state-owned food factory in the neighboring province. It was used to cut mangoes and could greatly improve the efficiency of making dried mangoes.
They had already agreed to pay a deposit, and if the money was spent now, they definitely wouldn't be able to buy the machine.
There may not be such a good opportunity to buy suitable used equipment in the future, and even if there is, the price will not be this cheap.
Under no circumstances should this money be touched.
After thinking it over, Yu Yao said to Zhu Xiudan, "Sister Dan, this money cannot be touched. I have another way."
Zhu Xiudan leaned forward. "What method?"
Yu Yao's gaze was resolute: "I'll write an IOU."
"IOU? Will that work?" Zhu Xiudan frowned, pondering the possibility of this method.
The main reason why people are reluctant to sign up is that they are afraid that, like last time, they will work hard for several months, but the products they make will not sell, and in the end, they will only be able to take some things back to offset their wages.
"Of course it can work. Sister Dan, think about it, the main reason why people are reluctant to join the side hustle group is because they are worried about working for nothing. If we can promise to pay wages in the form of IOUs, people will be less anxious."
"Once we deliver the inventory from the warehouse to the local specialty products company and receive our first payment, we can pay off these IOUs first."
Zhu Xiudan listened carefully to Yu Yao's opinion. "What you said is indeed a good method. Although there is no precedent for issuing IOUs to workers, we should act expediently in this emergency and get through the current difficulties first."
Yu Yao then explained the mango harvesting plan to Zhu Xiudan.
Based on a 15-day timeframe, it would take more than 10 days to harvest 100,000 jin (50,000 kg) of mangoes, requiring approximately 12,000 jin (6,000 kg) to be picked each day.
She came up with two options: one was for the production team to harvest the produce, while they would be responsible for processing it themselves.
Another approach is to outsource the initial steps of making dried mangoes, such as selecting, washing, peeling, and slicing, to production teams.
The production team had plenty of manpower, so they outsourced the work to them. They directly collected mango slices, and the price was three cents more per pound than fresh mangoes, so they paid five cents per pound. They were responsible for preparing the syrup and drying the mangoes.
Both she and Danjie preferred the second option. Although the first option was cheaper, it was time-consuming, labor-intensive, and time-consuming.
The second option is different; although it costs more money, the efficiency is indeed greatly improved.
The production team's workforce was equivalent to temporary workers in a sideline production group; they only needed to be paid per piece and did not need to be supported long-term.
This approach is more flexible for current side hustle groups.
The two discussed the specific execution details in the office for a while. During this time, several more people came to sign up. By noon, a total of five people had signed up.
This number is still too small.
Just as Yu Yao and Zhu Xiudan finished arranging the afternoon's tasks and were about to leave, a commotion broke out outside the office.
Seven or eight military dependents walked into the office together. Su Meihua and Sun Yu were at the front. Although they didn't recognize the other women, they were familiar faces from their daily trips to the mountains and the sea.
Yu Yao asked in confusion, "Why are my sisters-in-law here?"
Su Meihua laughed loudly and said, "Yu Yao, Sister Dan, we heard that the side business group is short-handed, so we've come to sign up."
Yu Yao and Zhu Xiudan were somewhat surprised, "You're all here to sign up for the side hustle group?"
The military families nodded.
Zhu Xiudan: Aren't you afraid that the side business will collapse again, and you won't be able to pay salaries, and all your hard work will be for nothing?
"Sister Dan, we all know that the military sets up side businesses to increase income and improve the lives of the family members in the compound. As members of the family members' compound, we also want to do our part."
Sun Yu said, "It doesn't matter if we can't do it. It's just a little effort. We have nothing else but our strength."
Upon hearing this, everyone laughed and chimed in, "Sister-in-law Sun Yu is right. We're all farmers; we may lack money and ration coupons, but we certainly don't lack strength."
"Besides, we have confidence in Sister Dan and Sister Yu Yao. With you two, the side business group will definitely succeed. If the side business group is successful, we will have a more stable job."
That's what they say, but nobody knows what will happen next.
Yu Yao and Zhu Xiudan were very grateful for everyone's trust and explained that they had signed a cooperation agreement with the local specialty products company.
Everyone was happy for them after hearing this.
Su Meihua's face was full of pride; her judgment was never wrong. "I knew it. With Sister Yu Yao and Sister Dan, this matter would definitely be accomplished."
The other people looking at Yu Yao were filled with surprise.
Who would have thought that Yu Yao would quietly accomplish something big, signing an agreement with a local specialty products company and selling 28,000 jin of dried mangoes in one go.
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