Why not cooperate?
Shu Yan knew that business was good in the 1990s, but she didn't know it was this good.
This collaboration with Lao Zhang on thermal underwear revealed that the market is largely untapped, presenting the perfect opportunity to create a brand.
Hu Ruixue has funds and connections, and she also said that she doesn't need to spend too much energy on this collaboration. It would be foolish for her to refuse such a partnership.
First, they needed to decide on a name. Hu Ruixue suggested a simple and straightforward name: Yan Xue, which would be one character from their names.
Shu Yan felt that this name was fine as a company name, but as a brand name? It wasn't grand enough.
“Where is it not grand? Yan Xue, it sounds so nice.” Hu Ruixue felt that she was really a genius at naming.
"How about calling it 'Qianxue'?" It's lingerie, so let's go for a softer name.
“Qianxue is a good name too. How about this, the lingerie brand is called Yanxue, and we can set up two more clothing brands in the future, one called Qianxue and the other called Qianyan. The name of your current store is also good, Yanni... how about Xueni?” The more Hu Ruixue thought about it, the more feasible it seemed.
Shu Yan almost rolled her eyes at her. "You're really thinking way ahead. The lingerie brand is barely even a concept and you're already thinking about clothes, and four of them at that. Why don't you think about covering everything?"
Hu Ruixue was ambitious: "I want it all. A person should have a long-term vision and dare to think and act. If you don't even dare to think, how can you do it? These four names are all good. I'll register them first, and then I can develop clothing, accessories, shoes, and bags in all aspects. By the way, you designed these thermal underwear. Do you have any other good ideas? Bring them all out."
Logically speaking, since the two hadn't signed any agreement, it would be dangerous to voice the idea in her mind at this point. If Hu Ruixue turned against her later, Shu Yan would have no recourse. However, Shu Yan believed that Hu Ruixue wasn't that short-sighted.
"I actually have quite a few ideas. For example, these thermal underwear are currently thin, suitable for early winter, but they might be too thin for deep winter. I'd like to add a thin fleece lining, and in the north, we could add a thick fleece lining. In terms of style, there could be round necks and pointed necks, and the materials could be differentiated to cater to different consumer levels. Also, underwear could be made into sets—sexy, loungewear, comfortable—you name it. Then there are pajamas; I saw some pretty nice pajama designs in foreign magazines before, and we could improve upon those." Shu Yan's vision for her future lingerie brand truly encompassed everything.
"Are you trying to collect all the underwear?" Hu Ruixue felt that Shu Yan's ambition was no less than hers.
"This is just a suggestion. You said we need to have a long-term vision and dare to dream big. Am I daring enough? For now, we'll focus on thermal underwear. Regarding advertising, if we have enough funds, I suggest a massive advertising blitz in newspapers and on television. Within a month, our brand can become a well-known domestic brand. Once the quality and styles catch up, we can establish a firm foothold in the underwear market, and then we can smoothly enter other fields later." Shu Yan hadn't looked into advertising, but she figured it wouldn't be cheap.
"Any suggestions regarding advertising?" Hu Ruixue never worried about funding issues.
Speaking of advertisements, Shu Yan recalled a type of underwear called Tingmei in her own world. It was a truly brainwashing advertisement. She didn't know how many people bought it, but a lot of people knew about it. Moreover, it had a very clever feature: instead of choosing the most expensive prime time slot, it chose a time when prices were discounted. The long advertisements were really easy for people to remember.
"I have an idea, but I can't explain it clearly right now. I'll put it into writing when I get home and give it to you." Besides that plan, Shu Yan also thought of some similar brainwashing advertisements, which she would think about carefully when she got back.
“Okay, then I’ll go find someone to register the company first. I also need to find a storefront to open a directly operated store, which can also be considered a showroom, so that I can take people there to see when they come to buy goods.” Hu Ruixue just hadn’t done business before, but if she really wanted to, she would be just as quick-witted.
“I have a storefront that I haven’t rented out yet, which I can use as a directly operated store,” Shu Yan said after thinking for a moment.
"You even bought a storefront? You've kept it well hidden. Okay, I'll bring someone to take a look later and rent it under the company's name." Some things need to be clearly distinguished.
Shu Yan shared the same thought, so when Hu Ruixue suggested renting, she didn't say anything.
"I just happened to find someone selling it, so I bought it. The Chinese people's obsession with land is really ingrained in their bones. It's actually a small-farmer mentality. They feel more at ease buying real estate," Shu Yan said with a self-deprecating laugh.
Perhaps it's because she lacks a broad perspective. In the novels she's read, the men who are reborn or transmigrate never buy houses with their money; instead, they constantly expand their businesses. Of course, Shu Yan also hopes that her business can be as big as theirs, but she knows her own limitations. She'd rather honestly buy houses and shops and wait for the insurance of appreciation.
Moreover, she has two children, so it's no wonder that she's more conservative in her thinking. If it weren't for Hu Ruixue's good terms for cooperation, Shu Yan wouldn't have dared to take this step.
"I'm not like you, all rich and powerful. By the way, how much is the initial investment for this company? Let me make this clear, I don't have much money on hand. If it's too much, I might really have to borrow it from you," Shu Yan said, half-seriously and half-jokingly.
Hu Ruixue waved her hand and said, "You don't need to worry about funding. Let me register the company first."
"Oh, right, I've already registered the Yan Ni brand, so you don't need to register it." And it's not just clothing, but also jewelry, shoes, bags, cosmetics—basically, everything Shu Yan can think of has been registered.
"It's clear you've always been ambitious." Hu Ruixue didn't think Shu Yan was being overly ambitious; she just had a long-term vision but was still down-to-earth in her work, as evidenced by her current clothing store.
She definitely needs to invest some money herself; otherwise, even if it's a no-brainer collaboration, if the money runs out, she'll have to ask Hu Ruixue to cover the costs.
The advantage of aligning yourself with a powerful patron is that you don't have to worry about problems at various stages, funding issues, or future disputes over money. Of course, you also need to be aware of your own limitations and not take others for fools, otherwise, it won't be fun if that powerful patron turns against you.
We briefly discussed the company's direction; the specifics will be discussed later. The rest is up to Hu Ruixue.
Instead of returning to the shop, Shu Yan went to find Lao Zhang first. His wife had gone to Hangzhou overnight, and he didn't know what the situation was like there.
"President Shu, you're here! Please have a seat." Old Zhang was in high spirits, his face beaming with joy. "President Shu, sales in Hangzhou are going crazy. Just yesterday, they placed an order for 5,000 sets, and another 5,000 sets this morning. I'm just worried that the factory can't keep up."
This is also what Shu Yan is worried about. The orders will only increase, and if the factory can't produce them all, then they will miss out on the opportunity to make money.
"How many clothes can the factory produce a day now?" Shu Yan felt that with more and more orders coming in, she should make plans as soon as possible.
"Don't worry, I've already had them work overtime to finish it. I've also called back a group of experienced employees. They can produce more than three thousand sets a day. If all else fails, I have a few friends who can do contract manufacturing. We can definitely get the goods out." This was the first time Old Zhang had thought of a solution for not being able to finish the goods. This was a completely different matter from worrying about not having any goods to produce.
"That's good. There's something else I need to tell you." Old Zhang was a man of his word, so he came to tell her before he started making thermal underwear. Shu Yan naturally couldn't break her word and cooperate with someone else without saying a word. "A friend of mine wants to cooperate with me to start an underwear brand. Currently, the main products are thermal underwear."
Upon hearing Shu Yan's words, Old Zhang's heart tightened, and he almost lost his smile.
"Don't worry, I don't mean to terminate our cooperation. We'll continue our cooperation as usual. I just wanted to let you know that in about a week, other factories will probably start making thermal underwear too, and business will definitely be worse than it is now. What are you thinking? Are you going to focus on thermal underwear, or go back to making clothes?" Shu Yan felt that as long as Lao Zhang's factory found its niche, it wasn't impossible to revive it.
After hearing Shu Yan's explanation, Old Zhang finally felt relieved.
"I've decided to make thermal underwear." Old Zhang has come to terms with the facts. He really doesn't have a good eye for fashion and can't keep up with trends, so he might as well just make thermal underwear.
Shu Yan nodded, "I also think you would be better suited to make thermal underwear. That way, once you've made some money and have enough capital to run the factory yourself, we can terminate our partnership."
"Mr. Shu, what are you saying? I, Lao Zhang, am absolutely not the kind of person who would kick someone after they've served their purpose. As long as I'm making thermal underwear, our cooperation will remain valid forever," Lao Zhang said, slightly agitated.
"I didn't mean anything by it, it's just that I might not have that much energy to come later on. This time it's called a collaboration, but you and my sister-in-law are the ones who are busy. I'm the one who's benefiting." Shu Yan originally planned to make a profit and then withdraw.
Old Zhang shook his head, saying that's not how it works. Although they put in a lot of effort, they didn't contribute a single penny. Sometimes, physical strength is the least valuable thing. Anyway, he knew what he was doing and wouldn't let Shu Yan suffer any losses.
After browsing the store for a while, Shu Yan went to pick up her child. She noticed that Jing Jing was carrying a lunchbox, the same one she had given to Fang Zeyu yesterday. Shu Yan asked, "Who gave you this?"
“An uncle left it at the gatehouse and asked the school security guard to give it to me.”
"I understand. Remember what Mom told you: don't talk to strangers, and don't take anything from strangers, even if you see something that belongs to your family." Shu Yan reminded her again.
"I know." I only took it after he left it at the gatehouse.
"Yes, Mommy is just telling you again." Shu Yan touched Jingjing's head. Children's hair grows quickly. At just over three months old, her hair has already grown quite long, almost reaching her ears. In another month or two, she won't need to wear a hat anymore.
If it's just for herself, Shu Yan can cook whatever she wants. But if she's treating Fang Zeyu to a meal, Shu Yan will put more thought into what she buys when she's grocery shopping.
Shu Yan slapped her forehead. She had actually forgotten to ask him what he liked to eat. But men definitely prefer meat dishes. She had already made braised pork yesterday, so how about making a pork rib soup today? She could also stir-fry some garlic sprouts with pork, braised prawns, stir-fried beef with green peppers, and a small green vegetable dish to cut through the richness. That should be about right.
The old lady was overjoyed to see Fang Zeyu carrying yesterday's insulated food container again, and she was even happier when she saw the food inside.
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