Yingying Flower Culture Company booms in Shenzhen

The southern city of Shenzhen - created some 30 years ago as an experiment in the market economy following the reform and opening-up initiative - is now home to some 400-thouand small and medium-sized businesses.

Liang Chengcai and his wife Feng Guimei are owners of Shenzhen Yingying Flower Culture Development Co Ltd, one of the first enterprises in this sector that have developed from a self employed small business.

The couple was from Qingyuan, a small city in Guangdong province. Liang says more than a decade ago, there was not a good flower shop in Shenzhen. The business opportunity made them decide to move to the city and open a flower shop here.

"We just got married when we opened the shop. My wife loves flowers so much. She was excited when we decided to start a business."

But passion alone can not sustain for long. They soon found reality was harder than what they imagined.

"It was such a hard time for us in the beginning. First we didn't know anything about business operation. And the business environment is not as good as now," Liang said.

However, Liang said the fast development of Shenzhen has brought them opportunities.

"Shenzhen, as a coastal city, has been developing fast in terms of economy. There are lots of industries that need flower services. Besides, Shenzhen has become an attraction to multinational corporations, all these have brought us opportunities."

Besides, like every entrepreneur, Liang and his wife grasped every chance to learn. In this way, they survived and opened four more flower shops. That's when they started to think about registering a company.

"The biggest advantage here in Shenzhen is as long as you have determination; it is very simple to register a company. The threshold is low, and the government encourages entrepreneurship. You can complete the registering processes in a very short time."

However, being the boss of a company is very different from being a self-employer. Liang says he feels great responsibility.

"First, the mentality has changed. Now I am responsible for a company, and I need to make long term plans for it. When the company grows, I will need to think of a bigger picture."

And he is looking at a bigger picture now. He says the flower industry needs more support from the government to ensure sound development.

"As a small enterprise, we hope to gain more support from the government in terms of financing. And in this flower business sector, there is not a single well-know brand. If the government can help to promote the flower brands, it will be a great boost to the whole industry."

Now the company has regular partners like government and banks. Liang is also thinking about franchising.