Rebirth 1990: The beginning is sweet and cool Bai Yueguang

"I have already thought of the name of the store, which is 'Liangpin-Bai Lai Shun'. This name comes from a store owned by an old couple decades ago. I have feelings for it and I am committed to passing it on.

The word "Liangpin" was added because Liangpin's product line is relatively simple, mainly canned food and dried fruits. The catering industry and the food industry have something in common. By combining the production of base materials, we can form a group and establish Liangpin Group. "

At this point, Ma Yuan became more and more excited, as if he had already seen his brand spread across the country.

Zhou Qi listened to him with a smile. It could be seen that Ma Yuan was the one who had thought it over carefully.

"Do you really want to build a career, or do you just want to make a quick buck?"

Ma Yuancai was stunned for a moment, and replied: "Brother Qi, it is true that doing business is to make money, but I don't agree with the practice of cutting leeks.

I want to create a brand that can thrive in the long term, one that will stand the test of time. Ryohin is our shared passion, it’s like home to me, how can I joke about it? ”

Zhou Qi nodded with satisfaction: "I'm glad you think so. This project does have potential and has broad market prospects. However, there is one thing you may have overlooked - hot pot restaurants are different from fruit stores or clothing stores. They are not suitable for franchising easily."

"Why?" Ma Yuancai was puzzled.

"Because if joining is too easy, why didn't I choose this path when Hualong was expanding its market?" Zhou Qi asked back.

"This..." Ma Yuancai said after thinking for a moment.

"Brother Qi, electrical appliance stores and hot pot restaurants are not at the same level. Electrical appliance stores require huge initial investment. Not only are the decoration and store costs high, but it costs a lot just to purchase goods. Any store costs millions of yuan. How can ordinary people dare to try it easily?"

"The threshold for joining a hotpot restaurant is much lower. Anyone can open a store of any size. Moreover, we provide free franchising, which has lower risks and naturally higher acceptance." Zhou Qi responded with a smile.

"But this is just a surface phenomenon."

"More importantly, hotpot restaurants are heavy-mode operations and suitable for direct operation; whereas fruit stores or clothing stores are light-mode operations and suitable for franchising," he explained.

"The light model means low technical requirements, low investment, mature supply chain, easy product standardization, and customers can just buy and leave without much service. The core of this type of business is product quality, and service comes second."

“But hotpot restaurants are different, as customers are immersed in the environment of the store from the moment they enter the door – the decoration style, atmosphere, temperature, music, etc. are all part of the experience.

The waiter greets customers, shows them to their seats, takes orders, serves dishes, adds water, solves customer needs, and checks out. Each step represents the interaction between the brand and the customers.

A meal takes at least one or two hours, and during this time, every detail affects the customer’s experience.”

“Therefore, in order to ensure the consistency and high quality of the customer experience, brands must have strong control over stores, which is the basis for ensuring service quality.

In the franchise model, how much control do you have over the franchised stores? Once customers have a bad experience, they may never come back. In the long run, the store will be unsustainable, and the franchisee may complain to the brand because of the loss. "

“Even if there are contractual constraints, if a dispute arises and the brand image is damaged, the chain reaction may lead to the collapse of the entire brand. Especially if you provide free franchising, the risk is even greater.

I can say responsibly that doing so will not only not make money, but may also ruin your brand reputation and even lead to legal disputes.”

Ma Yuan was stunned after hearing this. He stared at Zhou Qi blankly and couldn't speak for a long time. Zhou Qi's words made him realize how naive and reckless his previous plan was. He felt a chill on his back and realized how valuable Zhou Qi's advice was.

"Brother Qi, you really saved my life. I was indeed too hasty and did not think it through." Ma Yuancai stood up and bowed deeply to Zhou Qi.

"I thought that with your resources and my understanding of the market, I could easily start a business. But now it seems that I was too complacent."

Zhou Qi waved his hand and said:

"We have all experienced many challenges, and there is no need to distinguish between you and me. If you are ambitious to do something, I certainly support you. What matters is whether you are really ready to go all out."

Ma Yuan nodded seriously and said, "Brother Qi, I really want to take over Liangpin, but I know that I am not qualified yet.

I hope to prove myself through hard work, give Ryohin a new lease of life, and even consider establishing a group. For the hot pot project, I am ready to invest in full and am willing to transfer 40% of the shares to Ryohin. ”

"I'm telling the truth, not joking."

Looking back at the past Ma Yuancai, he used to be so conceited, proud, and liked to show off. But now, after two years of hard work, he has been reborn.

Zhou Qi looked at him, as if he was watching a sapling he had planted with his own hands gradually grow into a big tree, and his heart was filled with a sense of accomplishment.

He smiled and asked Ma Yuancai to sit down, saying, "Let's not talk about your hot pot base for now. I can tell you for sure that when opening a hot pot restaurant, the base is not the most important thing."

Then, Zhou Qi shared an example of a successful brand.

“When the brand first started, their dishes were not popular with customers. But they won the hearts of customers with their warm service and quick response.

Later, they took a group of partners with hardworking hands and good tempers, and spent five years standing out from many competitors and building a huge business empire. "

"Many people imitate their business model," Zhou Qi continued.

"The brand has also innovated a mentor-apprentice system, which allows employees to treat the company like family, making it difficult for outsiders to poach these talents."

Zhou Qi patiently explained to Ma Yuancai all the secrets of success of this brand. Ma Yuancai was shocked after listening to it. This business model is really unique.

Even though the price is higher than that of other brands, customers are still willing to pay for it. This is the brand of his dreams. Ma Yuancai is confident in the hot pot base recipe that he has been working on for many years.

If ordinary food can do this, why can't he? The thought of not being able to franchise used to make him discouraged, but now the fire has been rekindled, and it is even stronger than before.

"Brother Qi, I understand. I know what to do." Ma Yuancai said excitedly.

"We will start in the county seat, where we will open our first store. Then we will open the Spring Market, and then we will expand the market step by step."

Seeing Ma Yuancai's impatient look, Zhou Qi smiled lightly and stopped him.

"You still don't fully understand what I mean."

Ma Yuancai was a little confused for a moment.

Zhou Qi smiled and said, "How long has it been since we've gotten together? It's rare that you brought your own secret recipe, why don't you give it to everyone to try first?"

"Haha, okay!" Ma Yuancai reacted immediately.

"Then we'll do it here. I'll get ready right away. Dabai and the others should come too."