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"After 80" from the Internet to start a business story

"After 80" from the Internet to start a business story

By Ruban SaundersPublished 2 years ago 8 min read
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People always think that young people in their 20s are childish, spoiled, hedonistic, impetuous, and rebellious. However, there is such a group of post-80s, with their decisiveness, persistence, and innovation to start the road of entrepreneurship. They don't talk about their parents' deep pockets, they just want to prove themselves through hard work.

Chen Hao: One person spans six enterprises

Born in 1982, businessman and investor

Chen Hao graduated from the East China University of Science and Technology in Shanghai in 2005 with a bachelor's degree in management. He started his first company in college and now manages six companies in the Internet, new media, wireless value-added, polymer materials, and other industries. Is Blue Ocean angel capital management partner, Blue Ocean's venture director?

When I met Mr. Chen, he was playing with his notebook in front of a window seat in a cafe in Pudong. Like Wang Chengjin, he has a depth not commensurate with his age. Whether talking or looking at the computer, he seems to be thinking all the time. "What do you want to know?" Began the day's interview.

I have a bad conscience when I'm lazy

Before entering the university, Chen Hao had a plan for his four years in the university: study in the first year, practice in the second year, start a business in the third year, and explore the market in the fourth year. Unlike many people who drop out of school and start their businesses, Chen believes that learning is a necessary stage and that practice requires knowledge.

"Computers are not difficult for me, but English is a headache, but I set a goal, and when I slack off, I feel bad about my conscience." With such persistence, he passed many grade examinations such as CET 4, CET 6, and Computer Level 2 in his freshman year.

"I like people who tell their friends what they want to do. When they want to do something, they tell the people around them, so that they will work hard in order not to lose face. But I was still very confused at the beginning. I didn't know what industry to create and how to start a business. I also wanted to take the civil service exam and the postgraduate entrance exam." Like everyone else, Chen Hao has had his share of confusion and hesitation, but the real difference is that he insists on sticking to what he has set his sights on.

Chen Hao's "entrepreneurial road" started by selling used books: for 50 cents a jin. And accept old uncle acquainted, Moses chan directly from their garbage stand others may need to pick out of old books, the price of per catty out more wool from their recovery, sorting, put flyers in the school canteen, dormitory, and other places, according to the degree of old and new to book three to fifty percent of the price, at that time, got a call from the needs of many, the profit is considerable.

"It was exciting to get a call about a book." Selling used books isn't much of a business, but it has given Mr. Chen some idea of how to make money.

Realizing that selling used books was not a sustainable business, Mr. Chen rented two stores on campus and opened a "grocery store." "Clothes, books, cosmetics, basically everything students needed was sold." Since the store does not need to be run by Chen Hao himself, Chen Hao has more time to consider other projects.

January profit of more than 100,000 yuan

As soon as he heard the news that a 20-yuan student card, which allows him to send 1,000 text messages, was popular on campus in Zhejiang province, he thought it was a good idea. He took this message card to East China science and technology campus to sell and earned the real sense of the first bucket of gold.

"At that time, I thought 100,000 yuan a year was a very high salary. I never thought I could get that much money from selling mobile phone cards." Chen was so excited that he even registered a company for the campus discount card program and launched the "How do you want to benefit the world? Xun no far, no near, with joy "slogan.

"College students start businesses, advertising language is so 'elegant'" the reporter joked.

However, the college students' energy was limited, and the project was eventually handed over to several other partners. The "elegant" project ultimately failed because of disagreements and management problems. "By the time I graduated, I was assigned two benches and a whiteboard." 'It bought a lesson in the importance of choosing partners,' Mr. Chen said.

What you lose, you get. When selling the card, Chen Hao got a feedback situation, 100 yuan of the new card will always be less than one, or two pieces, where did the money go? "It was deducted by the SP service provider." This answer led Chen Hao immediately decided to engage in the SP industry, and set up an SP company.

"The excitement was similar to finding a second-hand book sale as a sophomore." Still, because of the last lesson, Chen Hao waited half a year for a good partner.

One side is a high salary plus a middle-level position, the other side is the future of the unknown small company, Chen Hao admired their partner but did not agree to start a business with him. While doing the preparatory work for the establishment of the company, while going to communicate with their future partner every once in a while is what Chen Hao enjoyed doing in his senior year.

"I often talked with him until the wee hours of the morning. I slept on the bench in my shop because my dormitory was closed. One day, after talking to my partner at midnight, he told me to go back and wait for a call." Chen Hao couldn't sleep at all in the small store. When he was about to fall asleep in the morning, he finally got a call from his partner who was willing to join him. "I was excited and lobbied him to wait for six months."

Facts proved that the half-year waiting was right. Due to the rich experience of the partners and the willingness of the customers, the company generated more than 100,000 yuan of profit in the first month of operation, and the turnover reached 10 million yuan. Now it still has a stable income.

Become an angel investor

Chen went on to found a polymer material plastics company; Introduced venture capital to create a group buying network; Other established enterprises involved in cultural communication, environmental protection, energy conservation, and other industries. But Chen Hao is not satisfied with his role as a businessman. Now, Mr. Chen, who was born in 1982, has been recruited as a managing partner of a British-registered investment fund, where he manages more than $30 million in angel funds, and has turned into an investor.

"I mainly choose projects in the seed stage, the investment amount is less than 5 million yuan, the investment risk is low, while in the middle and late stage of traditional project development, the price is very high, the investment price can not reflect the real project value." This is how Chen explains why he loves the seed stage project.

Chen Hao's goal now is not to be an entrepreneur, not to start a business, but to change from a veteran entrepreneur to an investor. To be a qualified investor, he will gradually play down the business projects at hand, no longer interfere in management, and focus on playing the role of investor.

Wang Chengjin: Rice Bowl network helps floating people find jobs

Born in 1985, he has been an entrepreneur for N times

Wang Chongjin, the founder of three Internet companies, is more of a philosopher.

The employees are older than the boss

"Is it cold outside?" When I saw Wang Chengjin, he was pacing in his office on South Zhongshan Road, the office area is not small, the boss chair is not small, and the computer mainframe is not small.

When the reporter asked the age of the employees, Wang Chengjin thought for a moment and replied: "It seems that they are all older than me, except for one who is two years younger than me."

In 2000, Wang Chengjin was still in junior high school. At that time, there was no platform for interaction between classmates. He tried to upload his things with notepad and FrontPage and send them to his classmates and friends at midnight with chat tools.

"It started to have some effect, so I handed out fliers." His first venture was started on the Internet, but Wang was not familiar with Internet technology, click to click only five or six pages.

The real turn happened a few months later, because of the widespread distribution of leaflets, a little Wang Chengjin 3 years old junior high school students take the initiative to come to the door, the younger brother in the computer is a strong role, and the results of technology, a promotion, "Ken Ken network" so up.

Student websites were popular at the time, but Wang never expected to make a profit on Kenken.com. He paid for all the money he needed to build the site himself. "To put it bluntly, is a personal website, a server, a year is also thousands of pieces." Wang plays down the process of starting a business for the first time.

"Many personal websites fall by the wayside, and I'm one of them." Due to the reason for studying abroad, Wang Chengjin's first business experience ended.

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Ruban Saunders

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