Chapter 593 – Onsite Visit
Liu Song had a good memory and recognized him at first sight.
“Is it Brother Sun? Welcome, welcome. I didn’t expect you to find the company so quickly.”
After Liu Song greeted him, he noticed there was a woman behind him.
The visitor’s name was Sun Xiang, and this time he came with his wife.
After introducing his wife to Liu Song, they were led to the nearby office.
Well, this is Lu Xia and Ye Lin’s manager’s office. Because the company’s space is small, only one office is prepared.
Lu Xia knew that Liu Song might be receiving clients, so she temporarily lent it to him, showing their company’s importance to partners.
After Sun Xiang and his wife arrived, they observed the company’s situation. There were more than ten workstations outside, and the employees were doing their respective jobs.
Although the company was small, it was fully functional and seemed relatively formal.
In fact, they both arrived in Beijing the day before yesterday.
Sun Xiang was originally a worker, in his thirties, not too old, and was doing well in his current job. He was already a director in their factory.
So, he hadn’t planned to quit his job and start a business. The main reason for this visit was for his wife.
His wife’s name was Lin Jiqin. The family had been in business before the liberation, and she could be considered an upper-class lady. Later, to avoid implicating her husband due to political issues, she had been living in their rural hometown for these years.
It was not easy for her to return to the city now that policies had changed, but she hadn’t found a suitable job yet. She relied on her husband for everything, making her former upper-class lady status now filled with self-doubt.
Seeing his wife in this situation, Sun Xiang felt very distressed. So, when he saw this beauty salon franchise, he guessed it was a woman’s industry and wanted his wife to give it a try.
At first, his wife disagreed, thinking it was unreliable. It was his persistence that led them to decide to come to Beijing and take a look together.
After they arrived, they didn’t come directly to the company but conducted their own survey first.
They casually asked about the situation of beauty salons in Beijing.
Except for those who were unfamiliar with this, anyone who knew mentioned the name “Xia Lin.” So, he understood that this beauty salon indeed seemed promising.
But that wasn’t enough; he observed outside various branch entrances and saw that there were quite a few customers coming in, some even waiting in line.
This wasn’t sufficient, though. He, being a man, couldn’t go in, so he let his wife experience it firsthand.
After his wife came out, seeing her smiling face and slightly improved skin, he knew this was promising.
Sure enough, he heard his wife say, “This shop is very professional. Since it was my first time here, they had the supervisor personally test my skin and design the follow-up beauty plan. They even let me experience their body and beauty services. After it was done, I felt much more relaxed, and my skin became smoother!”
For the first time in many years, Sun Xiang saw his wife so happy, so he was even more satisfied with the beauty salon.
“Do you think we could make money if we start our own?” he asked.
Lin Jiqin fell silent. After experiencing it once, she really understood the allure of a beauty salon for women.
There was no woman who didn’t love beauty. Moreover, she came from an affluent background and knew how much money ladies used to spend to enhance their beauty.
So, she nodded confidently, “I think we can. Didn’t you say that if we join, we just need to invest money, and the beauty salon will assist with everything? They even provide the products. So, I don’t think we’ll lose money.”
“Then do you think we can do it ourselves if we don’t join?”
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Chapter 594 – Decided to Join
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Upon hearing this, the wife furrowed her brows. “It’s a bit difficult. We could probably learn the massage techniques after a few tries, but we can’t make the products ourselves. It’s hard to achieve the desired effects without the proper products.”
Hearing her say this, Sun Xiang felt relieved. “Alright, let’s join then. From now on, you’ll be the boss!”
Upon hearing this, Lin Jiqin suddenly wanted to cry. Over the years, she had persevered mainly due to her husband’s support.
She knew that her husband, fearing for her well-being in the countryside, had sent most of the money he earned back home. They hadn’t saved much, and she realized that they probably wouldn’t have much money left after this joining opportunity.
But she didn’t refuse. She didn’t want to disappoint her husband’s expectations, nor did she want her husband to worry about her again. So, she decided that she would manage the store diligently and make it successful.
The next day, the two of them came directly to the company.
Since they were the first ones to arrive, Liu Song was very excited. He carefully explained the situation after joining to them.
“The company will be responsible for training your employees. As for selecting the employees, since the work location is in another province, it’s best if you find suitable candidates and bring them here. You’ll have to cover their travel expenses, but the company will provide food and accommodation during the training period.
Until all employees are proficient, the training is not considered complete.
As for the company’s products, I don’t know if you’ve already been informed, but currently, the company has several skincare and cosmetic products, all of which are certified for sale. The prices are a bit higher than normal, but as a franchisee, you’ll get them at a discounted wholesale price. However, the company requires that after joining, the products you sell should have a uniform price, and the company will conduct periodic on-site inspections. If you breach the agreement, the company will terminate the partnership.”
Sun Xiang and his wife nodded, indicating their understanding.
However, they still had many questions. “Do beauty salons also sell cosmetics? Will they sell well?”
“Of course, the beauty salon sells products that customers have used and found effective. They are quite popular in Beijing right now. But the main products won’t be sold, so there’s no need to worry about affecting the customers.”
The two expressed their understanding. This way, after opening the store, selling cosmetics could also increase their income.
Of course, the premise was that their store would become as popular as the ones in Beijing.
However, Lin Jiqin, who had experienced it, was very confident about this.
She believed that as long as customers experienced their services, they would find a way to retain them.
And the parent company provided even more than this. They provided detailed methods for attracting customers to ensure they could start making a profit quickly.
This wasn’t a one-time deal. The company would provide regular training, and if the store encountered any problems, they could contact the company at any time.
Both of them were deeply moved after hearing this. “I didn’t expect the company to be responsible for so much after joining! I thought they would leave us alone after the store opened.”
“How could that be?” Liu Song smiled and said, “We have to make sure your store does well for our products to sell more.”
Hearing him say this, the couple also smiled.
Indeed, that was the case. There were no deals in business where one would only incur losses.
The two chatted with the company for the whole morning. After a thorough understanding, Liu Song took them out for lunch.
By the afternoon, the two of them signed a franchise agreement with the company.
Since Sun Xiang had taken leave to come for this, after signing the contract and paying the franchise fee, they returned to Hebei Province. They needed to go back to recruit employees and then bring them to Beijing for training. They also needed to prepare the store and handle the decoration.
There would be a lot of work ahead. Sun Xiang’s job was busy, so he probably wouldn’t be able to help much. But seeing his wife so spirited, he made up his mind that no matter what, they had to open the store successfully.
I wonder why the author spent a few chapters covering the Yun girl’s story. Aside from satisfying LX’s preference for gossip, the story has no significant impact for LX or for people around her at this point. Will they affect or enter the life of LX’s friend(s) or family in the future?
It did mention that the husband was part of the transportation business in Beijing, which I’m going to assume is the business of Lu Xia’s third brother-in-law. Perhaps it’ll show him moving up in the company and becoming successful and his future ex-wife will want to come back to him after not being as successful herself.