China leads global net revolution

Lu Junli: Taobao entrepreneur

In the months leading up to her college graduation in 2010, Lu Junli spent most of her time away from campus, managing an online store that sold clothes she purchased from factories in Guangdong province.

Unlike most of her classmates at Hebei University in Baoding, Hebei province, who chose a regular career path, such as teaching or working for the government in their hometowns, Lu decided to move thousands of kilometers to Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong, to be near the factories that supply her online business.

"My parents and friends were strongly opposed to me counting on my online store for a living. Especially the older generation, who thought online shopping was a scam," Lu said.

"Just Bad Temper", her store on Taobao-a leading online e-commerce platform-now has 14 employees, two warehouses and high revenues.

Taobao fever began to sweep Lu's university, and many other colleges, during her junior year. She witnessed many of her peers heading to on-campus courier stations to collect packages immediately after class.

"The booming marketplace reminded me of my professor's words in class. He told us that in the early days of eBay, Americans started emptying their attics for online auctions," she said. "I had the feeling that Taobao would be China's new internet darling."

Lu's campus was close to a wholesale bag market famous for its wide range of goods and low prices, so she bought items there and resold them online. She only made about 3,000 yuan ($435) a month, but she didn't mind because her business was still young.

She later expanded into clothing, shoes and fashion accessories, regarding the move as a ticket to becoming a successful businesswoman.

"There wasn't too much trouble finding a job, but once my business was on the right track, I could be my own boss and earn double or even triple the salary of people who worked for companies."

Standing in a crowded warehouse near piles of women's coats, dozens of white blouses, boxes of women's boots and a wide assortment of cosmetics, Lu said business is definitely improving.

"Three years ago, I bought an apartment in Guangzhou and now my parents stay with me during winter," she said.