2003: Starting with Foreign Trade

Chapter 44 Car Purchase Plan
Zhang Suzhi was taken aback when she heard this: "Why are you suddenly bringing this up? You're only 44 this year, and I'm only 40. We're not old, are we?"

Tan Lihua said with a wry smile, "Sigh, when I was dropping off your son just now, he said the air quality in the city was bad, and he wanted us to take early retirement and move to the countryside, saying that he can earn money now."

At just over 40 years old, her son told her she could retire early, which was a huge blow.

If it were just something said casually, that would be one thing, but the key point is that the son seems to already have this ability; not to mention this year, the money he earned last year is equivalent to several years of my income.

"What do you mean? You're doing this because of this? It's a good thing that your son is successful."

"You don't understand."

“What don’t I understand? It’s just that your manly feelings have been hurt. It’s okay. Even if our son doesn’t need you anymore, we’re still here. Jin Yue still relies on you to save up for her tuition and dowry.”

Afterwards, Zhang Suzhi comforted her husband for a while, and Tan Lihua gradually let go of his worries. It's a good thing that his son is successful. If he can't help, he can't. He can just focus on raising his daughter.

Anyway, apart from being decent-looking and having good grades, this son has never been very obedient since he was a child.

"Haha, that makes sense; I'll go make some formula for my little Jinyue first."

As night fell, neon lights illuminated the city once again. Although it was only a little past seven o'clock, there were only a few pedestrians on the street.

Ningbo is a city without nightlife.

"Let's go, get in the car."

The electric scooter stopped in front of Tan Jincheng. Zhang Xupeng, full of vigor, made what he thought was a very dashing gesture and said with a smile.

The company's business is progressing steadily, which can be seen from Zhang Haiping's attitude towards him. Before, he would ignore me when I visited his factory, but recently he has been treating me to good cigarettes and tea.

It would be impossible to say that he wasn't a little bit arrogant; however, Xiao Tan had instructed him that only by keeping a low profile could he make a fortune in the long run, so Zhang Xupeng could only suppress his excitement and not spread it around.

Tan Jincheng placed the luggage rack on the front seat of the electric scooter, straddled the back of the scooter, and the two headed towards the rented room.

"Didn't you say you weren't going to hold the three-day celebration? Why have you been staying home for so long?"

"I got my driver's license at home. I'll pick up a car after the New Year, and I'll take you back home. Then we won't have to eat those shady instant noodles from those shady shops anymore."

A gentle breeze blew, and Tan Jincheng tightened his coat, saying with a light laugh.

"Holy crap! You got your driver's license in half a month? Can you even drive? This is no joke!"

"Haha, don't be afraid, I won't lead you astray."

"Forget it, who's whose brother? I wouldn't dare ride in your car, I don't have the guts to drive with a bought license."

"Then I'll let you do whatever you want, but you should also hurry up and learn one, the sooner the better."

"Okay then, I'll sign up in a couple of days."

When he got home, Tan Jincheng was pleased to see the meal that Zhang Xupeng had prepared; he was quite thoughtful, even though it was all takeout.

It's strange, really. Men, whether they know how to cook or not, are absolutely too lazy to cook if they're alone. They'll just make do with whatever's available.

"Are you really planning to buy a car at the end of the year?" Zhang Xupeng was still eager to continue the conversation.

What man isn't interested in the topic of cars?

"Yes, we are planning to buy one. A car is also a symbol of the company, so I told you to hurry up and learn how to drive it." These days, doing business is all about appearances. Having a nice car makes it much easier to do business. Tan Jincheng has an uncle who used to ride a motorcycle to meet with people when he first started doing business.

The deal fell through because the other party thought he lacked ability since he was riding a motorcycle.

So, in a fit of anger, he borrowed money to buy a Santana and then went to negotiate, and he actually succeeded in getting it. This is based on a relative's personal experience.

Coastal cities are less likely to be this extreme, but they are not lacking in such examples either.

Putting aside the convenience of travel, it is indeed time to consider buying a car for better business development. Although in Tan Jincheng's opinion, buying a car these days is a huge waste, as cars are far more expensive than houses due to their scarcity.

You can spend 20 yuan to buy a car, and after 10 years it will be a pile of scrap metal. But what about spending 20 yuan to buy a house?

"So what kind of car should we buy?" Zhang Xupeng, who was just worried about Tan Jincheng's driver's license, was no longer concerned about that question.

"I'd like to buy an Audi A6, but I can't afford it. I'll just get a Passat instead."

In Ningbo, it's quite popular for business people to drive Audi A6s. In a couple of years, Audi A6s will be everywhere. However, the current price is over 50 yuan, which is beyond the reach of Jinpeng Trading Company.

As a second choice, the Passat, which has been on the market for three years, is a good alternative. This car has high overall quality, with good balance between handling and comfort, and a very spacious interior. The 1.8T engine delivers impressive power, and its appearance is timeless. Although it has been on the market for more than three years, it still doesn't look outdated.

Whether for personal use or for entertaining clients, it's high-end enough, and the final price shouldn't exceed 30 yuan, which is affordable.

Moreover, buying a car in the company's name can reduce certain taxes.

"A Passat? That car isn't cheap either, but it's okay, we can reduce the tax a bit. But the question is, do you really know how to drive it?"

"Don't worry, do you think my dad would agree to let me buy a driver's license if I can't drive at all?"

"That's true. Your uncle is much more reliable than you. He doesn't even dare to ride his motorcycle fast. So when are we going to buy one?"

"Let's wait until this batch of goods is shipped out, but we can go and take a look first, and then we can pick it up directly as a New Year's gift for the two of us."

Currently, the company has about 60 yuan in its account. After deducting the salaries of Tan Jincheng and Zhang Xupeng, the company's daily expenses are actually not large.

Two full-time employees, one part-time customs broker, one part-time accountant, and one part-time designer. In addition, there are monthly rent, utilities, and property management fees, which are fixed expenses that must be paid regardless of whether there are orders or not.

I've already paid rent for a year. After deducting rent, my average monthly fixed expenses are less than 2 yuan, simply because labor is really cheap these days.

Then, every time a shipment is made, some temporary workers need to be hired. The cost of temporary workers varies, but it is generally very cheap. Packaging workers can earn at most thirty or fifty yuan a day.

Labor costs are never the heaviest burden for businesses in this day and age, and Jinpeng Trading is no exception.

The main costs are the processing plant, product packaging boxes and other materials, as well as customs clearance fees. The prepayment and final payment for the goods cannot be delayed, otherwise it will cause adverse chain reactions.

Of course, for the second and third orders, Jinpeng Trading already had some bargaining power and no longer needed to pay a 50% prepayment like it did for the first order.

December's orders totaled only $50,000, a significant decrease compared to November, but Tan Jincheng wasn't worried.

In the early stages of starting a business, you need to be bold, but you also need to be steady and cautious. If a company's risk resistance is too low, being cheated out of an export order could lead to the company's bankruptcy.

Therefore, Tan Jincheng continued to accept orders by collecting sufficient deposits as initially required.

Blind and disorderly expansion will only lead to greater risks; accumulating customers, building a reputation, and taking steady steps are the most prudent operating methods for Jinpeng Trading at present.

(End of this chapter)