2003: Starting with Foreign Trade

Chapter 505 Everything for Profit

The 21st day of the twelfth lunar month.

As planned, Flash Group officially began its holiday today, but the company is still operating normally.

Following the heavy snowfall on the 18th, the group urgently convened an expanded meeting of all middle and senior management personnel, focusing on arranging for employees to return to their hometowns.

I knew it existed, but experiencing it again felt completely different.

In his past life, he and Zhang Xupeng sold boxed lunches. When they were short-staffed, they would hire a few temporary workers. They didn't have any permanent employees. After learning that they couldn't get home because of the road blockage, they stopped caring and figured it was none of their business.

However, this time, with businesses scattered across various locations sending real-time data daily, and with different channels for obtaining news and information, Tan Jincheng truly felt the extent of the damage caused by this snow disaster.

Knowing is one thing, but experiencing it throughout is another. Tan Jincheng had sensed the shortcomings in the arrangements a few days ago. The snow came a bit too quickly. He originally thought it would come after the Spring Festival travel rush, but he didn't expect it to come before the Spring Festival travel rush.

The purpose of the meeting was to have these managers do ideological work with the employees, encouraging those who wanted to go home and had their own way of getting home to hurry back before the roads were completely closed.

Those who own their own cars and can drive home are the ones who most want to go home, since a few more days won't make a difference.

For employees who were traveling home by public transport but could not return home in the company's arranged vehicles, we tried to persuade them to stay in Beicang for the New Year, so they could also earn some overtime pay and New Year's bonus.

For employees returning home in groups, contingency plans were in place to prevent them from getting stuck on the road. I remember in my past life, many of us were stuck on the road for a week instead of a day or two to get home, and we had run out of food.

Tan Jincheng's idea was that it would be best for everyone not to go home and to spend the New Year locally. This would not only allow the company to resume normal operations, but also reduce a lot of unnecessary trouble.

However, you can't stop every employee who wants to go home, nor can you force them not to go back. You can only try to persuade them. Forcing them will only cause resentment.

We can't ignore it; as businesses grow, a sense of social responsibility is essential.

This is the second year that FlashDrive has organized its employees to return to their hometowns. However, given the unusual weather, last year's experience is completely useless. These past few days, Boss Tan has been busy arranging for the employees to return home.

Fortunately, it's over now, and the rest of them aren't going home. Currently, the Flash factory is able to meet 60% of its usual production capacity, while half of the staff at Jinpeng's garment factory are staying here to work overtime.

This effect is already amazing. The fewer employees who go home, the lower the safety risk for the company. Although it requires paying a lot of overtime pay and holiday bonuses, it is still very worthwhile.

This should at least guarantee sufficient production capacity after the new year.

Flash's rapid response mechanism has undoubtedly affected many local businesses in Beicang. Shenzhou, which has a partnership with Flash, is also a large employer with even more garment workers.

The flatbed sewing machine operators working in Shenzhou are scattered all over the country, and every year a special task force has to be established to address the issue of them returning to their hometowns, which is much more troublesome than Shanchi.

The district and Mr. Ma have heard about how much importance Flash has attached to this. Mr. Ma even asked Tan Jincheng why their emergency response to this disaster was so fast, hoping to learn some experience.

However, Mr. Ma is likely to be disappointed. Tan Jincheng has no experience whatsoever; he simply knew the news in advance.

Having made so many preparations, Tan Jincheng didn't intend to be a saint or gain any fame.

The snowstorm is expected to last for about a month, and it should not end until March. By taking advantage of this time difference and the lack of attention from major companies, we can quickly widen the gap with our competitors.

This is evident from the news this morning that warehouses in Beijing and Shanghai collapsed, indicating that other companies have only paid limited attention to this snow disaster.

The same applies to Xinri and Yadi, who received a half-reminder from Tan Jincheng. It had been snowing for ten days, and only now did they realize that it was too late to regret it.

In just ten days, not to mention anything else, the prices of winter supplies such as cotton-padded clothes and electric blankets have increased significantly, and the cost of express delivery and logistics in various places has also risen rapidly. In terms of cost alone, there is already a big difference.

"Jingdong blocked the news by citing a power outage, and all paid orders were transferred to the capital for processing and sent via EMS."

As soon as the two entered Gu Qingqing's office at Orange Technology, a tired-looking Gu Yanning greeted them. She had truly stayed up all night; the employees at Orange Technology had been working themselves to the bone lately.

Compared to Flash, Orange Technology, due to its internet-based nature and its own social platforms and forums, is more well-informed about both insider information and legitimate news channels.

The news of the Jingdong warehouse collapse definitely needs to be suppressed; if it spreads widely, it will become a big problem.

"Are there any casualties?" "I haven't heard of any casualties, but their self-pickup and cash-on-delivery services in Shanghai have all been shut down."

Jingdong's most impressive feature over the years has been its cash-on-delivery service, which alone has attracted a lot of consumers. Electronic products have unique characteristics, and many consumers are hesitant to buy them before seeing them.

The reason why Taobao is not doing well in the electronics market is largely due to this. Orange Products has also learned from JD.com in this regard, and supports cash on delivery for more expensive items.

SF Express employees are generally well-paid, so it's rare for them to abscond with funds.

"Then let's turn off these two features too. I heard that many courier companies are not accepting packages anymore?"

"Yes, many courier companies have indeed stopped accepting packages, and even those that do have significantly increased their prices. SF Express has also raised its prices. Currently, only the postal service is maintaining normal operations."

Tan Jincheng also had a headache. You can't stop this kind of irresistible force. It's reasonable for SF Express to raise prices. Cooperation is cooperation, but when it comes to profit, they will still take advantage of you.

"That's settled then. I reckon these places won't last much longer. They'll probably have to close down soon, which will make things easier for you guys."

When it really matters, you still have to rely on our postal service. Although people often complain about the lack of service, it's truly amazing. EMS, a premium brand, guarantees quality and quantity, and can deliver to users very quickly.

Postal parcels are really cheap. This is the first choice for many college graduates to send things home. A big bag of clothes, quilts and the like doesn't cost much. You simply can't afford to send things through other logistics companies.

Since logistics companies have all shut down, online shopping can also shut down. At that time, we'll just need to maintain routine operations, which will be much easier.

"You guys also need to keep an eye on the warehouses in various places. Don't let them collapse. We can't let Orange Products' reputation be ruined."

Since the snowstorm, Orange Goods has provided users with a great experience thanks to its rapid response, high-quality service, and comprehensive refund policy. Compared to some Taobao shops that close down and ignore customers, Orange Goods is simply not in the same league.

"You guys handle the rest yourselves. Also, be careful with the server, don't let anything happen. With the heavy snow blocking the roads, I bet a lot of people are staying home to play games."

There's a lot going on at Flashpoint too. Tan Jincheng also needs to pay attention to the safety of employees on their way home for the holidays. In addition, factories in various locations are currently able to maintain normal operations. This Spring Festival, Flashpoint's factories are busier than last year.

While its competitors will be busy resuming work and production next year, Flash is able to maintain a normal pace, which is a great advantage and we cannot miss this opportunity.

Tan Jincheng didn't have much time to pay attention to Orange Technology's affairs, anyway, Orange Products Club was probably not far from closing down.

"Sigh, I wish we had the same holiday schedule as last year," Tan Jincheng sighed.

If the holiday is still on the 24th of the twelfth lunar month, more workers will probably be able to stay at the factory to work. However, the chartered minibuses that take employees home are really unsafe. The snow in the Midwest is getting worse and worse, and accidents are very likely to happen.

It's difficult to have both.

"It's alright here in Shenzhen, there's not much snow, but once you cross the mountains past Shaoguan, it's a completely different story."

Back in his office, Tan Jincheng received a call from Wang Wei, whose voice was filled with worry.
"Are you closing down early? You've heard about the collapse of the Jingdong warehouse, haven't you?"

"I know, we're also considering whether to close down early. We're currently doing some evaluations. It's great that your factories in Shenzhen don't have holidays. You've really hit the jackpot this time."

"Haha, we have to thank President Qin for this. He did a great job."

Tan Jincheng was quite satisfied with this. Qin Junchao had really gone all out this time. He had adopted the management methods of most electronics factories, which was a simple and brutal carrot and stick approach.

Go home early for the New Year, no more next year. Get your wages and leave. Those who stay and work overtime will receive a large bonus and New Year's expenses.

It has to be said that although this method has attracted a lot of criticism, it is really effective.

"Hey, you're really something, aren't you? You dared to prepare for such a small rumor in advance, and luck was on your side too, because this actually happened."

Wang Wei sighed too many times during this phone call. Businessmen are all about profit. He only needs to visit the major electronics factories in Shenzhen to know how much money Dexian Electronics will make next year. And this is just a corner of the Flash Group.

(End of this chapter)