Overseas returnee prospers hometown by Village Taobao
Wang Qi, a graduate from elite universities, chose to return to her hometown -- Zhenlai Town in Northwest Jilin province -- and started down a path of rural entrepreneurship.
Returning to hometown
The 26-year-old Wang Qi studied at Middlesex University in the United Kingdom after graduating from Renmin University in Beijing. In 2014, she came back from the UK and refused an offer from a Bank of China branch in Beijing because of the low salary and limitations for her to perform her abilities.
Wang had opened an online store when she was a freshman and earned more than 300,000 yuan ($43,619). Later, she invested in a building in Hainan province, which is now valued at a million yuan.
Wang also worked at some take-out businesses when she studied in the UK and earned about 300 pounds ($374) per week. She decided to return to her hometown after graduation to help her parents with the family businesses of grain trades, with which she could also obtain more trading experiences.
When she heard that the Village Taobao was recruiting partners, Wang joined in.
Full of confidence
Wang recalled that she was passionate for the Village Taobao business. Some people were confused as to why an elite graduate would return to the villages to do Taobao businesses, and Wang told them that entrepreneurship is her dream and all these basic orders could be a part of the foundation of her entrepreneurial career.
To help more villagers know about Village Taobao, Wang designed leaflets and handed them out. In only ten days, she received 141 orders worth of 32,000 yuan.
The most unforgettable experience was a client who ordered 70 towels and a washing machine. She installed the washing machine all by herself -- connecting pipes and linking electric wares -- and left the client's house after making sure that the machine was working.
Long way to go
Wang intends to widen the market and help more people become involved in the business. She plans to help other farmers sell goods first and then start to sell local products of her village to the rest of China online.
When talking about Wang's entrepreneurship, her parents believe that their daughter can realize her dream and harvest a career in their hometown.
Wang's business also attracted several friends of hers to join the return-to-hometown entrepreneurship industry and use their knowledge to bring prosperity to their hometown.
Wang Qi (Right) checks fertilizers produced in her hometown which is to be sold to other places in China. [Photo/Xinhua] |