E-commerce boom creates opportunities for entrepreneur

Some people are born entrepreneurs and succumb to the urge to work for themselves even if they hold jobs that are the envy of many.

One such person is Chen Jin’ai, who lives in Nantong, Jiangsu province. After working for five years in the local real estate industry, arguably the best paid sector nationwide, she started her own business in 2013.

“To be frank, I have long held the idea of working for myself. But I was a stranger when I came to Nantong in 2008 so I postponed the dream for some while,” said Chen.

Chen was born in Putian, Fujian province in East China and settled down in Nantong, which is her husband’s hometown.

When she finally made up her mind to make a foray into the business world in late 2013, what immediately sprung up in her mind was selling shoes online, as her home city of Putian is famous for its shoe making industry.

She spent much of her time promoting her store on Taobao, China’s largest e-commerce website, and answering potential customers’ inquiries about the shoes for sale.

Chen Jin’ai, an online store owner, prepares her fruit exhibition booth. [Provided to China Daily]

The popularity of online shopping and her hard work paid off and Chen received her first order two weeks after setting up her business. “I was so excited — it was as if I won the lottery,” she said.

Chen’s shop became more popular among customers, who came back for more and recommended the store to their friends.

Within three months of opening the store, Chen had sold nearly 300 pairs of shoes. “If you have good products and you are nice to customers, you will have no problem,” she said.

With the feeling she had found the key to online sales, Chen started a second store on JD.com, another popular Chinese e-commerce platform that went public on Nasdaq last year.

In addition to shoes, she also offers textile products from Nantong, the city she now calls home.

“Some friends tried to stop me, saying there are already too many textile sellers online, but I think the market is big enough for all of us,” said Chen. Chen is involved in almost every stage of her business, from choosing products to wholesalers, checking their quality and receiving orders.

Her handpicked textile products are well received and she receives scores of orders each month, but she has not stopped there.

“When I found out that some of my friends had started selling things on WeChat, I looked for something to sell on it,” she said.

Chen did not spot the right business opportunity until she shared fruits her relatives sent from Putian with her friends. “They liked them a lot, especially when they tasted the loquat I gave them,” said Chen. She added that their warm response helped her decide to sell fruits from Putian on WeChat.

Each morning, Chen’s friends in Putian pack fresh local fruits and send them to her by bus so they arrive in Nantong a day later.

To cut delivery times, Chen drives the seasonal fruits to the doorsteps of her customers.

The fruits themselves and Chen’s diligence won the hearts of many. Within one month of her store opening on WeChat, she sold 1,500 kilograms of loquats and now has about 1,000 followers.

Although the loquat harvest season is basically over, Chen is getting even busier. She is looking for ways to speed up delivery, as lychees, another popular fruit from Putian, are coming into season.

Contact the writers through lifusheng@chinadaily.com.cn