On May 1 about 45 Lifepegs members—40 college students from Changchun and 5 foreign members–set out on a business adventure to Shenyang, the largest city in northeastern China by urban population, and among top ten largest cities in China. The city has been identified by the Economist Intelligence Unit in the November 2010 Access China White Paper as one of the top 20 emerging cities in China, collectively known as CHAMPS. The purpose of this trip was to learn some practical small-business knowledge and techniques, and to go shopping at a renowned wholesale centre to purchase merchandise which would be later sold in “shops” set up in Changchun.
On the bus ride to Shenyang we played some relay/team-building games using chopsticks to pass items from the front of the bus to the back. It was definitely a test for the foreigners and even some Chinese to demonstrate their chopstick skills on a moving vehicle.
The Lifepegs leaders then gave a brief lecture about starting a small business. The purpose of a business was discussed as well as the characteristics of a good company. After that each team was given an item that they had to sell creatively to the other teams. The teams presented their items in the form of a skit, or of a commercial, and attempted to sell it to the others. Amidst all the excitement, part of the roof of our bus came off. It was quickly discarded and we were soon back on the road.
In Shenyang we toured the Imperial Palace to learn about the history and see the ancient architecture. The rest of the evening was free time for everyone. Some students went shopping, whilst others opted for a relaxing evening at Starbucks. The teams met to decide on a team name, slogan, and what they wanted to purchase. The Business Plan was also briefly discussed.
After breakfast the next morning we headed to Wu Ai, Shenyang’s famous wholesale market, a multistorey building consisting of hundreds, if not thousands, of mini or boutique stores that are open from very early in the morning to early afternoon. The main objective of the teams was to bargain for items to sell back in Changchun. Each team member contributed 50 RMB towards the project, and had a few hours to shop. My team decided to find items that foreigners would especially like to buy, as well as useful things for Chinese college students.
Despite being a bunch of tired shoppers, we had a ride back that was anything but dull, with Dyna, one of the foreign members, enthusiastically led the bus in some popular songs.
Overall, it was a great weekend of meeting new friends, enjoying bustling Shenyang, and learning about practical principles of business. We all took our 1st baby steps to be an entrepreneur. Now we are looking forward to selling our stock in two weeks’ time.
Guest writer Leah, Volunteer from China