Reborn 92's Business Tycoon

Chapter 482: Chapter 482: Is 1,000 square metres enough?

Professor Shang is a woman of some age with streaks in her hair, dressed simply in a dark blue shirt with small white checks underneath a red cardigan with a historical feel. Together with her slightly dark complexion, at first glance she really doesn't look like a professor, let alone someone who was once the vice president of Tongfang.

However, she has wise eyes and speaks with elegance and poise. After spending some time with her, you can appreciate the demeanour of a high-level intellectual. Both are dressed in black and earth tones, but the kiln worker and the teacher have a different air about them.

'Is this Feng, the same Feng who, when we were first-year students, bragged about starting a company that would be listed on Nasdaq?' Professor Shang said with a smile, but there was no mockery in his words, just like an older person joking with a familiar younger one.

This remark quickly brought them closer together. 'Hello, Professor, I'm Feng Yiping, and this is the lead of my team, Jin Ling,' Feng Yiping said, bending slightly to shake her hand. He had grown quickly in the past two years, and Professor Shang was not very tall.

Jin Ling also had a smile on her face, 'Hello, Professor Shang,'

'Sit, sit,' Professor Shang motioned them towards the sofa, "I hear that you, Feng, are quite something. At such a young age, you have already founded quite a few companies. Can you tell me more about that?" Professor Shang asked with a smile.

'You're too kind, Professor! I've just been lucky. Most of the companies we have now are traditional ones, involved in industries such as home improvement, furniture, convenience stores, hotels and budget hotels. We've also dabbled in high technology. Our Zhitong software, developed by our subsidiary Zhitong Software, is targeted at small and medium-sized enterprises and has its own intellectual property rights. It's currently doing well in the market in several central provinces.' Feng Yiping gave a brief introduction to the companies under his banner.

'Not bad!' Professor Shang nodded in succession after listening. 'The success of one company is a fluke, but the establishment and development of so many companies is not something that can be achieved by fluke!'

'Thank you, Professor! It is mainly due to the help of everyone. For example, Jinling does most of the work, and I am just a figurehead.'

'Yes, in today's society, it is unrealistic and inappropriate for one person to work alone. An excellent team is the key to success. Xiaojin is a good girl,' Professor Shang praised Jinling.

'However, you must also know the original intention of the university in establishing the Science and Technology Park: to act as a bridge between the university and enterprises, technologies and products, and the market, connecting the university as a source of innovation with the market. This is the main purpose of establishing the Science and Technology Park,'

he said, which is actually a statement of the requirements for enterprises entering the park.

'I understand that the reason why I want to move into the Science and Technology Park is that, apart from the two new projects I want to start, as the company grows larger and larger, talent has become a key factor restricting our development. Therefore, I really hope that there will be such a window, taking advantage of the geographical location, that can attract these high-quality talents from the university to join us.

For example, the design company I want to set up this time mainly wants to focus on students at the university.'

'Yes, talent is the most important asset of our university. The establishment of the Science and Technology Park also takes into account the consideration of providing students with internship and job opportunities,' said Professor Shang.

'In addition, we also have some ideas for these existing traditional enterprises, and we want to carry out some differentiated innovations. For example, for the budget hotel, we want to launch an online booking system, and in the future we will also consider connecting to other hotels. The website of our convenience store will also gradually be transformed into a shopping website in the future...'

'Well, that's a good idea, and it is in line with the principle of expanding the boundaries of business operations as stated in your Blue Ocean Strategy,' Professor Shang said with a smile.

'I'm honoured that you've read my work!' Feng Yiping smiled shyly again.

'Haha, that's good to hear! According to the ideas you've mentioned, you're a young man with ideas and ambitions. So, what kind of company are you planning to start this time?'

'We have two plans this time,' Jin Ling handed over two business plans that had been rushed out in the past two days, 'one is a design company, covering industrial product design, decorative design, furniture design, etc., and the other is the group's key project this year. We want to build the first professional car website in the country,'

Professor Shang took the proposal in his hands. 'You have already dabbled in decorative design and furniture design, and you have done a good job. I won't ask about industrial product design. Which direction are you going in now?'

'Our first project is motorcycles and electric vehicles, mainly for short-distance transportation, such as commuting for college students. We have already come up with an overall plan, but there are still many details to be perfected. I have also asked some students at the Academy of Fine Arts, and they all expressed great interest.'

The plan is already out, but it is only a very rough plan. Feng Yiping has chosen two electric bikes and electric cars with explosive looks based on what he has seen since.

'Good design does not necessarily turn into a good product, and a good product is not necessarily popular in the market. What are your plans for these steps after the design is complete?' As expected of someone who has worked as a senior executive of a listed company, he asked the key question right away.

'We can build the prototype ourselves, but for subsequent mass production, we prefer to outsource. This is also one of the things we hope the park can help with. We know that the park is currently discussing cooperation with many provinces and enterprises, and we would like to trouble the park to help us find the right outsourcing partner.'

It's not enough to have a good design; it's not easy to turn it into a good product.

Feng Yiping later read novels and saw that many people, just a few years after being reborn, had beaten Apple to the punch and created smartphones before Apple did. He laughed every time he read about it. When Apple created the smartphone, it definitely faced challenges that were even greater than those of producing a new car, because at that time the automobile industry was already mature, while the production of smartphones was a pioneering industry. The difficulty of production was not much lower than the difficulty of design.

'As long as the design is outstanding and reasonable, and it is expected that the product will have a market, it is not a problem to help you contact the OEM. What about sales?'

'That's not a problem either. Our convenience stores will reach at least 800 branches this year, and they have already taken root in several provinces and regions, familiar with the local situation. At the same time, our logistics companies have also set up points where convenience stores are open. By then, it will not be difficult for us to open some directly-managed stores and find some agents.'

Of course, in Feng Yiping's plan, there will certainly not be many of his own direct-sale stores, which mainly serve as a demonstration, and it will mainly be up to the agents.

'Well, that's good. What about the car website? Although the performance of the country's major portals has been poor this year due to the impact of Nasdaq, they are still strong. Are you confident that you can compete with them? Also, what is your profit model?'

This is even simpler. Feng Yiping asked Jin Ling to speak. Since their last conversation, Feng Yiping has put his ideas in writing, and Jin Ling has gathered everyone to make amendments and additions, so it is already very complete.

So Jin Ling is also very fluent when introducing it now, and Professor Shang is also very satisfied with what he is hearing. It is all well thought out, and both projects have very good market prospects.

In particular, the car website, most car users and prospective users now have little bargaining power, and the information they have is completely unequal to that of car sales companies and manufacturers. However, with the rapid development of the economy, more and more companies and families have the need to buy a car.

If they build a professional website that covers everything from before buying a car, when buying a car, when using it, to maintenance, as they say, and if they promote it effectively, it will quickly become well-known, attracting 50-60% of car users nationwide, with an average daily reach of 4-5 million people.

And once that happens, it will really only be a step away from going public.

The Science and Technology Park is a government-led project and a pioneer in the establishment of science and technology parks by domestic universities. Therefore, the leaders of the park naturally hope to support the incubation of more and more listed companies.

As the deputy director of the development centre of the park, Professor Shang quickly went through the companies that had already settled in, and found that Feng Yiping and their auto website project were really very promising in terms of going public, at least ranking in the top five.

In fact, Professor Shang was being optimistic, not about Feng Yiping and the others, but about the other companies that had already settled in. The companies they had supported from the beginning had not yet made a successful public listing by 2007, achieving a breakthrough of zero.

'From what you've told me, the main problem is talent. What about funding? Are you having any difficulties?' Professor Shang asked.

'It's not just a problem of talent. We're in the capital now, and we can't find a suitable office location. In addition, regarding future OEM and related certifications,'

anyone involved in industry knows that for many products, and to continue the previous example, for those who rush to make smartphones, you can't just produce them and sell them. You have to go through a lot of certifications with the relevant authorities. The most basic one is to pass the 3C certification.

For example, for the CCC certification, let's not talk about anything else, just the information you have to provide when applying for certification for the first time, from the organisation chart of your production plant to the general assembly drawing, electrical schematic diagram, process flow diagram of the product... Altogether there are dozens of documents.

Without good or strong relationships, it is really a luxury to think that certification can be successful in a short period of time. However, it is different in the Science and Technology Park, as the park will help you negotiate. The so-called comprehensive services of the Science and Technology Park are not empty, and they will help the enterprises in the park save costs and time in many ways.

'As well as attending overseas exhibitions and so on, there are many problems that require help. I understand that among the companies that have entered the park, many have been founded by alumni. Like them, I regard the university and the park as my parents from the bottom of my heart. I hope that in the future, when problems arise, the university and the park can give me a helping hand,'

Professor Shang mentioned the issue of funding, which Feng Yiping avoided, but played the emotional card instead.

This is a really difficult question to answer. If you say you have enough funds, then of course we can't give you a rent discount. But if you say you're short of funds, then the park will invest some money. Do you mind? But Feng Yiping really didn't want to.

'Haha, that's a very vivid metaphor. We will definitely try our best to be a good parent. I understand your situation. Is a 1,000-square-metre office area enough?'

'Huh?' Feng Yiping was a little stunned. He thought that there were still many forms to be filled out, a lot of information to be submitted, and then the leaders would have to study the application as usual, so how could it be settled so quickly?

In fact, he underestimated the park's determination to do something great. Generally, there are many procedures for companies to apply to move in, but for such a promising company run by their own students, those procedures can of course be waived as much as possible. The park is actually also a business, not an institution.

Professor Shang also thought he was worried about the rent. 'Don't worry about the rent. We established the science and technology park not to earn rent, but to hope that a large number of outstanding companies can grow here,'

Feng Yiping is really a little overjoyed now. It's good to have an organisation. He was really wise and heroic when he decided to come to Tsinghua in the first place. Professor Shang is really generous. 'Thank you, Professor Shang!'

'You're welcome. I can only give you so much space now because there's a limit. Actually, what I hope most is that in a few years' time, you can get a plot of land and build a building of your own,' Professor Shang said with a smile.

'I hope so too!' Feng Yiping had originally thought that he would rent a plot of land first, and once some companies went public and he had raised some money, he would apply for a plot of land near the park to build on himself. This is where? This is China's Silicon Valley, the centre of the world, Wudaokou!

They were surprised to see Xiao Jin waiting outside. He smiled broadly as the two of them walked over to Jin Ling and asked, 'What do you think? How long will it take to get a reply? Should I try to find someone else to help?'

Unfortunately, Jin Ling was too happy to pay any attention to him.

'Thank you, Mr Jin. Professor Shang has already agreed. 1,000 square metres at a favourable rent!'