Zhang Lan's entrepreneurial course

From 65438 to 0989, after graduating from Zhang Lan University, she had a family and children and lived a life of two points and one line. Although monotonous but comfortable, the step-by-step work did not lock young Zhang Lan's long-cherished dream of wealth, so she resolutely resigned and went to work in Canada. Canadian life is called "making money" by Zhang Lan. Her first job as a black worker was washing dishes, earning $3.50 an hour. She works 65,438+06 hours in four restaurants every day. "The money earned in one day is equivalent to China's salary for one month."

However, the life with low status and strong dependence is far from Zhang Lan's character, and making money is obviously not Zhang Lan's goal. She has made up her mind to go back to China and do something when she earns enough money. Zhang Lan served a large family in Taiwan Province Province, worked in a beauty salon and even carried pork. "Working in a restaurant, there are countless things waiting for you when you enter the store every day. Don't try to unload pork with your head up, a fan has hundreds of pounds. The hardships of ordinary people are incomprehensible. "

Zhang Lan still clearly remembers the day when she returned to China. 199 1 Christmas is coming. She finally got the immigration documents that many people dreamed of and earned enough $20,000. The decision that determines a person's fate is usually just a matter of thought. Zhang Lan knew at that time that as soon as Christmas was over, his determination to return to China would be shaken. In this way, Zhang Lan, who had never spent a Christmas abroad, set foot on the return plane without consulting anyone at home. At this time, there are only four days before Christmas. This year, Zhang Lan was 34 years old. Just returned home, Zhang Lan was lost and lost. At that time, the country was backward, which was a far cry from foreign countries, but Zhang Lan was still the kind of woman who wanted to do something. Weighing the amount of money in hand, coupled with the intuition that "food is the most important thing for the people, and this industry will always have opportunities", Zhang Lan invested 6.5438+0.3 million yuan to open a Sichuan restaurant named "Alan Restaurant" in Dongsi.

In fact, Zhang Langang didn't expect to open a restaurant when she returned to China, but it seems that God has arranged this road for her. Working in a foreign restaurant has impressed her deeply, and Zhang Lan's childhood "bitter child" experience also came in handy at this time. When I was a child, I was sent to a cadre school with my parents. Zhang Lan released the cows and put them in the seedlings. More importantly, become a family meal. She thinks such a childhood is precious. "When I was a child, I never complained."

At the beginning of Alan's restaurant, Zhang Lan was the chef. I have also worked as a waiter, shopkeeper, invoicing, purchasing, and everything. At that time, a friend told Zhang Lan to be psychologically prepared, saying that women would become ugly after cooking, because it was hard to worry about everything, and it was close to lampblack.

Zhang Lan has always said that catering is a "thrifty business", and it should be thrifty and frugal like an ox. Diligent in body and mind. Zhang Lan went to Pixian County, Sichuan Province alone, took a group of local bamboo workers up the mountain to cut bamboo, and transported 13 meters long and thick bowls of bamboo to Beijing by train. Subsequently, "Alan Restaurant" became a bamboo building in the south. She painted on the bamboo wall for decoration, and the combination of decoration and dishes made her hotel quickly famous. This is also the beginning of her opening a restaurant as an artistic activity. By 2000, Zhang Lan had accumulated 6 million yuan, but the bottleneck problem of life also appeared. "This is their own value? Did you give up your green card just to be a hotel owner? Definitely not! " Zhang Lan, like many people who have come to this stage of life, is rethinking his position: What do you want to pursue? She resolutely sold the Allen restaurant she had painstakingly managed.

Half a year later, Zhang Lan came to his own conclusion: "I think my favorite in this life is catering!"

This time on the road, Zhang Lan is determined to do something big-build an international Chinese food brand. After staying abroad for two years, Zhang Lan has been well aware of foreigners' comments on China food: French food and China side dishes. "Things in Chinatown can't be called Chinese food at all. China catering has a history of 5,000 years, and the treasure house of our ancestors will never be exhausted. But why is my status not high up to now? I will be a brand. "

After entering this industry, Zhang Lan found himself a "bug" in the catering industry, and his determination to do great things was born. This exploited loophole identified a market vacancy. At that time, there were only Cantonese restaurants in many high-end office buildings in Beijing, and the price was on the high side, which turned many ordinary white-collar workers away. Years of experience in catering told Zhang Lan that the requirements of these people with strong spending power for restaurants are comfortable and fashionable environment, good food hygiene, good color, good smell and moderate price.

Zhang Lan began to create "South Beauty", specializing in the office business crowd market. At that time, many people advised her that high-grade office buildings had high rents, large investment, few customers and too much risk. But Zhang Lan has his own idea: white-collar consumers are the most rational, and if this place really suits their taste, they will bring friends. "South Beauty relies not on wanton advertisements, but on consumers' rational choices."

At the same time, while positioning the white-collar market, South Beauty also began to covet the recognition of global business people. The first store is located in Guo Mao, and Zhang Lan should choose a high starting point to let business people all over the world know about China's food culture in the fastest time; The name "South Beauty" is intended to build an international brand that represents the characteristics of China, and people will know that it comes from China as soon as they hear it. In the eyes of many foreigners, the small bridges and flowing waters in the south of the Yangtze River have the most China characteristics, so we call them South Beauty.

Zhang Lan clearly remembers that it was not easy to open the first store in Guo Mao: she had no fame and background. She made the plan professional and beautiful, so that Guo Mao could see that she was an expert and won trust. But that's it, the original position was given to others, and finally only a small position of 600 square meters was given; In the four months after opening, the income of South Beauty was not enough to pay the rent and employees' salaries, so she survived. Many people began to know that there is a unique South Beauty in Guo Mao, and South Beauty has also quietly become popular. Today, South Beauty has more than 30 direct stores in Beijing, Shanghai and other places. As a local catering enterprise, the blueprint of South Beauty's overseas listing is even more interesting. What was the climate of the small restaurant in those days?

In the blueprint of Zhang Lan, in 2008, 30 franchise stores and direct stores will be opened in the form of franchise development. In addition, raw material processing bases and wineries will be acquired according to the needs of the main business.

In the next two to three years, South Beauty Group plans to increase the number of chain restaurants in the world to 65,438+000, and complete the restructuring and overseas listing of South Beauty Group. "A large listed airline in Tokyo, Japan has signed a contract to open a store, and cooperation negotiations with a listed company in the United States will also begin. It can be said that 2008 will also be the fastest year for South Beauty to expand in the international market. "

A little girl, a small shop, has become an international chain, and her secret is really what countless people want to explore. Zhang Lan laughed at this: "Things that seem complicated are often simple. The road to grand dreams is to work down to earth. "

In order to realize the standardization and standardization of chain Chinese food, Zhang Lan has launched a huge training plan: cooperating with foreign tourism colleges, co-organizing South Beauty classes with 25 universities to train waiters and chefs, and then concentrating on its own training center for militarization training, which takes one to two years; Zhang Lan demanded that the selection of ingredients and the temperature of each dish should be quantified. "Let consumers all over the world eat the same taste. If you can't do it, you can't open a world chain store. "

In order to make South Beauty more standardized, Zhang Lan introduced professional managers from internationally renowned companies such as McDonald's, Coca-Cola and BMW. , enriched the management team of South Beauty, learned experience and strengthened the understanding of the international market. In addition, South Beauty has hired a group of overseas students as its own marketing staff, so that they can extend their tentacles to expand international consumer groups.

"I want to be the Louis Vuitton of the catering industry. I want to open my shop in new york, Paris, Milan, London, Switzerland and Tokyo ... I hope that where there is Louis Vuitton, there will be South Beauty." 199 1 year, Zhang Lan entered the catering industry after returning from Canada and opened his first restaurant. After ten years of catering experience and fund accumulation, South Beauty brand restaurant was founded in 2000. Subu; , a new concept fashionable and healthy restaurant, opened in June 2007. In 2006 and 2008, Orchard Clubs were built in Beijing and Shanghai respectively, which were specially designed for high-end luxury people.

Zhang Lan, the boss of South Beauty Group, a "Mrs. A Qing" who started with catering, is now a well-deserved "big sister" in the catering industry.

Luxuriously decorated orchid club. Exquisite dishes and special decoration have always been two major weights for South Beauty to attract customers.

Zhang Lan, sitting on the sofa in the spacious office, is cheerful and quick-thinking. When it comes to her entrepreneurial process, she is always boasting: "I innovate again and again and surprise the market because I am a' marketing genius'."

Why are you so confident? "Looking at my past through a telescope, I can't see what' mistakes' I made in decision-making. There is only one reason. I am diligent. " For such a super confident person, people usually call him "crazy".