Spunky woman finds success in 3-D
March 31, 2012, Saturday
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Print Edition
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LIFE is full of chance, and budding entrepreneur Wang Shujuan learned quickly that it's best to "go with the flow" and expect the unexpected.
A 30-year-old native of Henan Province, she visited Shanghai in 2002, where she learned by chance that a children-related product company she had once worked for in her hometown was recruiting staff to expand into Shanghai. She was hired on the spot and started work immediately.
Wang drew on her knowledge of computer technology to get into graphic design, and she soon became the company's director of design. The company thrived, and she moved into project planning and even marketing.
"It was a challenging to learn about selling ideas, not products," said Wang, who added that she learned a lot about the psychology of different groups of people.
In 2008, she quit her job and invested about 180,000 yuan (US$27,692) with three other people in an e-commerce project. She took charge of operations, managing a staff of about 30. Unfortunately, the business ran out of money.
"I think if we had had more money, we might have survived the bumpy times because the concept of online shopping was becoming increasingly popular," Wang said ruefully.
Failure didn't deter her. She decided to try again and set up a company specializing in three-dimensional simulation technology. She called the firm Shanghai ShengHao Information Technology Co and located it in Minhang's Caohejing Pujiang High-Tech Park.
"I saw many successful cases of other entrepreneurs, and I thought I had the capability of doing it myself one day to see what I could achieve," she said. "It was a natural progression."
What she lacked in formal education, Wang made up for in experience.
"Thanks to my work experience over the years, I had developed a keen market insight and better response in tackling different situations," she said.
The idea for the company came from happenstance in 2006.
Wang's husband, who works in three-dimensional simulation technology, was participating in an industrial fair where businesses were displaying products via videos or flash. He got the idea of a better showcase: 3-D.
He mentioned his idea while chatting with a participant from a well-known electric company in Jiangsu Province, and the head of the firm liked it. They signed a contract and Wang's husband worked out a plan to make displays in three dimensions.
What he didn't think about was turning the idea into their own business. That's where Wang's entrepreneurial spirit came into play.
"I thought that three-dimensional technology would become a hot trend," she said. "At present, three-dimensional technology is more commonly applied in fields such as real estate, but it is still a new concept in the manufacturing sector."
Few companies do it well.
Companies, she noted, often develop four or five new products a year, requiring updates in the technology of three-dimensional presentation.
"It is like making a plain sketch or illustration stereoscopic with animation effects," she said.
Her first task was to establish a marketing team.
"A good team is the key to success," she said. "You have a good idea and have to find a group of people who share the same vision and are willing to work to achieve it. Mindset is important."
Wang's husband served as the technology director of the company, which started off with four staff members.
"He is shy, therefore, I take the spotlight," she said, with a smile.
Wang said the trick was to find the right promotion concept to pitch their technology to new customers. It was a hard slog, door to door. Her team members visited companies one by one.
Pricing is also important.
"Although very few companies are in the business, we are not the first one," she said. "Therefore, we had to offer a lower price to prove that our technology was good."
It takes almost three weeks to provide a service tailored to the customer. Repeat business and word of mouth was helpful in attracting new clients. Six were signed up in February. In the first 10 months, the company had sales of about 500,000 yuan. Its staff has grown to 15 members.
Wang said she adds a woman's touch to the business, caring for her staff like a sister.
For example, she helps employees who come from other parts of China to find housing in the city.
"I don't want them to adore me," she said. "I just want their respect and understanding."
There are disappointments, of course. One staff member left to form her own company and siphoned off two other employees and a few clients.
Wang said she felt enraged and deceived at the time and contemplated a lawsuit. But she cooled down and rejected the idea.
"Copying or borrowing technology is a hazard of this business," she glumly admitted. "But brand is important and we are trying now to raise the profile of our name."
Wang was one of 24 people who won awards as model female entrepreneurs by the city's work union. She was the youngest of the honorees.
A 30-year-old native of Henan Province, she visited Shanghai in 2002, where she learned by chance that a children-related product company she had once worked for in her hometown was recruiting staff to expand into Shanghai. She was hired on the spot and started work immediately.
Wang drew on her knowledge of computer technology to get into graphic design, and she soon became the company's director of design. The company thrived, and she moved into project planning and even marketing.
"It was a challenging to learn about selling ideas, not products," said Wang, who added that she learned a lot about the psychology of different groups of people.
In 2008, she quit her job and invested about 180,000 yuan (US$27,692) with three other people in an e-commerce project. She took charge of operations, managing a staff of about 30. Unfortunately, the business ran out of money.
"I think if we had had more money, we might have survived the bumpy times because the concept of online shopping was becoming increasingly popular," Wang said ruefully.
Failure didn't deter her. She decided to try again and set up a company specializing in three-dimensional simulation technology. She called the firm Shanghai ShengHao Information Technology Co and located it in Minhang's Caohejing Pujiang High-Tech Park.
"I saw many successful cases of other entrepreneurs, and I thought I had the capability of doing it myself one day to see what I could achieve," she said. "It was a natural progression."
What she lacked in formal education, Wang made up for in experience.
"Thanks to my work experience over the years, I had developed a keen market insight and better response in tackling different situations," she said.
The idea for the company came from happenstance in 2006.
Wang's husband, who works in three-dimensional simulation technology, was participating in an industrial fair where businesses were displaying products via videos or flash. He got the idea of a better showcase: 3-D.
He mentioned his idea while chatting with a participant from a well-known electric company in Jiangsu Province, and the head of the firm liked it. They signed a contract and Wang's husband worked out a plan to make displays in three dimensions.
What he didn't think about was turning the idea into their own business. That's where Wang's entrepreneurial spirit came into play.
"I thought that three-dimensional technology would become a hot trend," she said. "At present, three-dimensional technology is more commonly applied in fields such as real estate, but it is still a new concept in the manufacturing sector."
Few companies do it well.
Companies, she noted, often develop four or five new products a year, requiring updates in the technology of three-dimensional presentation.
"It is like making a plain sketch or illustration stereoscopic with animation effects," she said.
Her first task was to establish a marketing team.
"A good team is the key to success," she said. "You have a good idea and have to find a group of people who share the same vision and are willing to work to achieve it. Mindset is important."
Wang's husband served as the technology director of the company, which started off with four staff members.
"He is shy, therefore, I take the spotlight," she said, with a smile.
Wang said the trick was to find the right promotion concept to pitch their technology to new customers. It was a hard slog, door to door. Her team members visited companies one by one.
Pricing is also important.
"Although very few companies are in the business, we are not the first one," she said. "Therefore, we had to offer a lower price to prove that our technology was good."
It takes almost three weeks to provide a service tailored to the customer. Repeat business and word of mouth was helpful in attracting new clients. Six were signed up in February. In the first 10 months, the company had sales of about 500,000 yuan. Its staff has grown to 15 members.
Wang said she adds a woman's touch to the business, caring for her staff like a sister.
For example, she helps employees who come from other parts of China to find housing in the city.
"I don't want them to adore me," she said. "I just want their respect and understanding."
There are disappointments, of course. One staff member left to form her own company and siphoned off two other employees and a few clients.
Wang said she felt enraged and deceived at the time and contemplated a lawsuit. But she cooled down and rejected the idea.
"Copying or borrowing technology is a hazard of this business," she glumly admitted. "But brand is important and we are trying now to raise the profile of our name."
Wang was one of 24 people who won awards as model female entrepreneurs by the city's work union. She was the youngest of the honorees.
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