Chapter 488 Renovation
Li Xiaoxuan invited Nan Zhiyi, Zhao Liping, and Chen Wenjuan to her home for a small gathering, mainly to discuss matters related to the beauty salon.
When Nan Zhiyi arrived, Zhao Liping and Chen Wenjuan were already there, and their children were playing with toys in a corner of the living room.
Nan Zhiyi first handed several small paper bags to the children, saying apologetically, "We originally planned for Gu Zhao to come and play, but he made plans with the other children today, and I feel really bad about it. These little things are for you to play with. Consider it my way of apologizing to you on behalf of Gu Zhao. I'll definitely invite him next time."
The paper bag contained things she had specially prepared, all of which were rare and interesting items that children would love.
Li Xiaoxuan took her coat and hung it up, then said reproachfully, "Does it even deserve a proper apology? The kids all have their own playmates now. Let's just hang out in peace and quiet."
"They're just little gadgets anyway, let the kids play with them."
The children thanked him and were quickly attracted by the new toys. Chen Wenjuan's youngest son, Xiaolei, who is already ten years old, took the initiative to lead Zhao Liping's youngest son and Yaoyao upstairs to play with the toys, leaving the adults with space to talk.
Several women sat around the sofa, waiting for the maid, Liu Mama, to serve them brewed jasmine tea and several delicate pastries.
Li Xiaoxuan cut straight to the point: "We've already found someone to design the shop and a renovation team. Construction will begin after the Lantern Festival. The basic renovations, such as the walls, floors, and plumbing, should take about a month to complete. The key is ventilation. The smell of the paint and boards must dissipate completely, otherwise customers will frown as soon as they walk in, which will diminish even the best service. I estimate it will take at least two months to air out the shop."
“I’ve already asked my cousins to inquire about the equipment,” Zhao Liping said. Her relatives have many connections. “They can find a way to get the latest steamers, facial massagers, and high-end skincare products. It’s just that they’re expensive and it takes time to transport them.”
Li Xiaoxuan nodded: "We've estimated these costs before, and we can afford them. The key now is, after the renovation is complete, the machines are in place, and the products are ready, how do we take this first step and build a reputation?"
She looked at Chen Wenjuan and said, "Wenjuan, you know a lot of people, so we'll have to rely on you to make connections."
Chen Wenjuan put down her teacup and smiled, "Don't worry about that. Which of the ladies and young women I know doesn't love to dress up? As long as our environment is good, our products are authentic, and our craftsmanship is excellent, we won't have to worry about attracting customers. I'll invite some close and influential people to experience it first. If we provide meticulous service and make them feel comfortable and proud, they will naturally be happy to bring their friends. Word of mouth is better than any advertisement."
Nan Zhiyi listened quietly, her fingers gently stroking the warm porcelain cup.
After they had finished speaking, she slowly said, "Sister Wenjuan is right, reputation is important, but perhaps the first invitation and the subsequent maintenance could be handled more skillfully."
Everyone looked at her.
“Since it’s a ‘salon,’ it should have a certain style and exclusivity. We can design an invitation that doesn’t need to be too fancy, but the paper, printing, and wording should be carefully chosen. It should only be sent to the first batch of invited guests to make it seem more formal. The invitation can specify the exclusive experience programs and times for the initial members.”
Seeing that they were listening attentively, she continued, "Once these first batch of customers have had a good experience and are satisfied, we can then launch a membership system. We can design an exquisite membership card that is not only a discount voucher but also a symbol of status and recognition. Based on spending or attracting new customers, customers can be divided into different levels and enjoy different priority booking rights and new product experiences. This will not only retain existing customers but also incentivize them to refer new customers."
The living room fell silent for a moment.
"Oh my!" Chen Wenjuan clapped her hands first. "Zhiyi, how did you come up with this idea! The invitations are so classy, people won't want to throw them away! The membership cards are even better! Let's do it this way! Some ladies and young women really fall for this!"
Zhao Liping smiled and nodded, "Improving services can also lock in long-term customers. Zhiyi, I didn't expect you to be such a good writer and also have such ideas about business."
Li Xiaoxuan put her arm around Nan Zhiyi's shoulder and said with a big smile, "I knew it was the right choice to partner with Zhiyi! She's meticulous and resourceful! You'll probably have to put a lot of effort into designing these invitations and membership cards; your aesthetic sense is definitely better than ours!"
Nan Zhiyi was a little embarrassed by their praise and quickly said, "I was just saying it casually. The actual implementation still depends on everyone. I can try to design the blueprints, but the final draft will need your joint review."
"It's settled then!"
Li Xiaoxuan made the final decision with great enthusiasm, "Once the renovation drawings are ready, we'll discuss it again and refine these details. It seems our business really has a future!"
The women got along better and better as they talked, from the details of the renovation to employee training, from product selection to the services that might be added in the future, and even fantasized about whether they could actually get their hands on some French products in the future... The conversation snowballed, getting bigger and bigger, but also more and more specific.
...In addition, there are the extensive networks of contacts they have in the military, political, cultural, commercial, and medical fields.
The more Nan Zhiyi examined the investment, the more she felt that as long as there were no major mistakes in its execution, the probability of making a profit was quite high.
This made her feel secretly excited.
After signing the contract before the Lunar New Year, Nan Zhiyi had already transferred the first payment to the initiator, Li Xiaoxuan, through a trust. She was the one who spearheaded the project, providing the majority of the initial capital, and was also mainly responsible for running the daily operations, holding a 30% stake.
Nan Zhiyi contributed roughly the same amount of cash as Li Xiaoxuan, holding a 20% stake. She did not participate in the salon's operations, but was only responsible for the copywriting for initial promotions, the design of invitations and membership cards.
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