Winter had arrived, with shorter days and longer nights, and time flew swiftly, bringing the end of October in the blink of an eye. It was also the day for Cheng Su to balance the books for her two business ventures.
At Joy Soon Loy Jam, with the professional Ying Xiaoya joining the financial team and having become familiar with the company’s operations for a while, the accounting was exceptionally clear, detailed, and easy to understand.
Cheng Su and Ning Ge carefully reviewed the ledgers and breathed a sigh of relief as the accounts balanced out without loss or gain, managing to earn a salary on top, which was truly unexpected.
There’s a saying that it’s easy to start a business but hard to keep it going, and the same is true for running one. In the initial month, one generally shouldn’t expect large profits, especially for medium and small enterprises like theirs, where the control of various costs and company operations meant spending far more money than her restaurant.
As for the restaurant’s profitability from the start, it was due to Cheng Su capturing the essential nature of the people’s priority on food and the novelty of the fast food she offered, which also tapped into the public’s desire for novelty, besides keeping costs low.
But the Jam Company was different, with significant initial investments, so breaking even now without any loss was already a joyous occasion for them. As for breaking even on capital, they would take it slow.
"I believe we’ll start making money from next month," Cheng Su said with a smile.
Ning Ge, however, appeared indifferent, saying, "The main thing is that our business isn’t fully operational yet, and the market hasn’t completely opened up."
"Any news from Beijing?" Cheng Su asked him.
"It’s good news. The banquet is over, and our company’s products have received positive reviews. So, I will make a trip back to the Capital to see how much business I can bring back. I plan to take two salesmen with me," Ning Ge stated.
Cheng Su nodded, saying, "Wang Gang is sharp, and he’s also in charge of markets outside Qing City. Take him along!"
After monitoring over the last month or two, among the many salesmen, Wang Gang was the most capable—sweet-talking, good at drinking, a natural charmer, hence, boasting the highest sales and earning the highest wages in the company.
According to Cheng Su’s own plans, if Wang Gang could keep up the good work and stay loyal to the company, she would heavily invest in his development.
Talent, after all, is a company’s asset when retained.
Ning Ge had no objections to Cheng Su’s arrangement and asked, "Who would the other one be?"
Cheng Su pursed her lips in thought and asked, "What do you think of Zhao Da?"
Both Ning Ge and Ying Xiaoya were taken aback when they heard this.
"Him, still pretty much a kid, right? I heard he’s only sixteen?" Ying Xiaoya remarked.
"He’ll be seventeen after the new year," Cheng Su said with a smile.
"That’s still a child, plus, he joined us halfway through, didn’t he? That’s what Zhu Lifen told me," Ying Xiaoya chuckled awkwardly.
Cheng Su nodded, saying, "He indeed hasn’t been long in sales, but what I admire about him is his spirit. Plus, the kid, though not as quick as Wang Gang, has a keen eye for grasping the crux of a problem."
This was the result of her covert observation and testing; although Zhao Da was not as good as the other salesmen, there was something about him that she especially liked...
Right, a spirit of resilience!
Exactly, just like her past self, wasn’t it for the simple reason that she was an orphan, with no one to rely on, that she could only depend on herself, striving persistently upwards?
She could see Zhao Da’s efforts; it perfectly matched the saying that a child without an umbrella must run fast.
Without reliance, one can only depend on personal effort, which prevents one from being easily defeated by reality.
And she also wanted to see just how far Zhao Da could climb.