Chen Yang and Zhang Weiyang had not anticipated the scene would be so explosive. In less than an hour, they had sold fifteen radios.
Four were sold at the lowest price of thirty yuan each, while the others went for fifty, or even sixty to seventy yuan.
Moreover, many people hadn't brought enough cash. They had gone home to get it, as in this era, unlike young people who might be buying big items, few people carried so much money on them.
The radios sold at the low price of thirty yuan had been acquired for four to five yuan each. Even the most expensive one, the Panda brand, hadn't cost more than twenty yuan when acquired.
In just a short while, they had made nearly five hundred yuan.
Zhang Weiyang felt like he was dreaming!
He had always known Chen Yang was a very capable person and that following him would lead to making money, but the speed of earning was still overwhelming.
His hard work for an entire year at his job didn't even come close to the profit he'd made in just one day. [Sudan Novel Network]
He had already made up his mind to resign.
Only by working with Chen Yang would he have the chance to earn money to treat his father's illness.
"Comrades, rest assured, even if you couldn't buy one today, we will open tomorrow. If we run out of stock, we will replenish it. We also support pre-orders."
"You can pay a deposit first, and we will prioritize selling to you when the goods arrive."
Zhang Weiyang had never imagined that the radios that had been piling up in his hands, with no idea how to deal with them, were now so sought after that people were afraid they wouldn't be available if they went to get money.
It was Chen Yang who suggested taking deposits, so that once the scrap collectors brought in old radios and repaired them, they could be sold first to those who had pre-ordered.
This was simply robbing people blind!
He finally understood why Chen Yang had told him not to repair radios alone. At his solo pace, how could he keep up with the demand?
After a while, customers who had gone to get money started returning in small groups.
Chen Yang and Zhang Weiyang issued invoices and warranty cards one by one. However, the warranty cards now differed from the first ten.
The repairs were free, but if parts needed replacement, the customer would have to pay.
Even so, it was much better than state-run stores, which wouldn't handle repairs in this era.
Radios were sold one after another, and soon the ones in the glass display cabinet were gone.
Zhang Weiyang quickly went to the back warehouse to bring out all the remaining radios.
He had repaired over forty units previously, then took money from Chen Yang and acquired several dozen more from scrap collectors. There were still over twenty units that needed repair.
In total, there were over fifty units that could be repaired and used normally.
Yet, even with over fifty units, the number of customers who wanted them was even greater.
Especially since this street sale had led some people to spread the word to their relatives about the good deal of buying a radio cheaply.
So, before noon, all the repaired radios were sold out.
Zhang Weiyang could only follow Chen Yang's example, explaining to each customer that they could pay a deposit to pre-order the next batch of radios.
Indeed, many who were unwilling to miss out paid a partial deposit.
This meant that Zhang Weiyang now only needed to focus on collecting old radios from scrap collectors. He didn't need to worry about sales at all.
This was truly a wild era; if one found the right path, business was as simple as drinking water!
"Brother, I'm impressed. I'm truly impressed."
"You're more of a strategist than any old immortal."
Clutching the over 2,700 yuan earned from selling radios that day, Zhang Weiyang was utterly in awe of Chen Yang.
He had spent just over a thousand yuan, less than two thousand, to acquire these units. There were still over twenty machines to be repaired, and if they were all sold, the total could reach four thousand yuan.
Each radio sold yielded more than double the profit.
If business was this good every day, Zhang Weiyang couldn't imagine how much money Chen Yang was making daily.
"Weiyang, this is just the beginning."
"From now on, do as I say. Have your师傅 pay close attention to the repairs. Bring in other electricians who want to make money. For simple repairs, one yuan per unit; for more difficult ones, two yuan."
"As for the scrap collectors, since we don't have the energy to open stores in the township supply and marketing cooperatives, have them do more running around. For their commission, it will be one yuan for cheaper units and two yuan for more expensive ones, just as you suggested."
Chen Yang looked at Zhang Weiyang. Qinghe City had a population of nearly a million in the urban area alone. Including the counties under its jurisdiction and the towns and villages below, it had over eight million people. In the entire Wan Province, it was only surpassed in population by the provincial capital Feishi and the Yingzhou region.
The market for radios still had immense potential for expansion!
Once they had captured the market in Qinghe City, he and Zhang Weiyang would shift their focus to Yingzhou and Feishi, and then to the neighboring Jiangsu Province.
Jiangsu Province's economy was much more developed than Wan Province's, and its market demand was greater!
As a native of Jiangsu Province, Chen Yang was well aware of this.
"Brother, don't worry, I understand the importance of things. From now on, I'll only manage the shop. For technical work like repairs, I'll hire people. In the time it takes to repair one machine, I can sell four or five."
"Brother, you take the money. The shop is open now, and once the remaining machines are sold, more money will come in."
Zhang Weiyang rubbed the back of his head. Now he understood why Chen Yang had told him not to pick up sesame seeds and drop watermelons.
Looking at the thick stack of banknotes Zhang Weiyang handed over, Chen Yang did not accept it.
"Keep the money in the shop. What you need to do next is expand. Not only collect old radios in Qinghe City's urban area, but also send people to collect them in Liuhe County, Ning'an County, Qingyuan County... and the surrounding counties."
"Having inventory is the key to continuous sales."
"Coincidentally, I want to discuss with you how we'll split the money. Regardless of how you develop, in the end, I'll take ninety percent of the net profit from the shop, and you'll take ten percent."
"If we expand beyond Qinghe City to explore new markets, I'll provide the capital. Similarly, you'll get ten percent, and the rest will be mine."
He hadn't discussed profit sharing with Zhang Weiyang before because the business hadn't started yet. Now that it was up and running, the accounts needed to be settled.
A nine-to-one split was Chen Yang's usual practice.
"Brother, I don't need that much. As long as you earn enough money to cure my father, I just need you to provide me with food and lodging."
Hearing Chen Yang's words, Zhang Weiyang was deeply moved. He wasn't foolish; he knew what giving him ten percent of the profit meant.
After all, the 2,700 yuan from today likely represented a net profit of 1,500 yuan. Ten percent would mean he could earn 150 yuan in one day, which was equivalent to four to five months of his salary.
This was just the beginning, and it would only increase. Chen Yang had provided the capital and planned the business strategy. He was just the one doing the work; how could he dare to accept so much money?
"Don't say any more. You deserve it. If you really feel the money is too hot to handle, then use your brain to figure out how to quickly capture the radio market in Qinghe City and earn more for me."
"As for your father's illness, when we've earned enough, we'll expand the business to Shanghai and find the best doctors to treat him!"
Chen Yang patted Zhang Weiyang on the shoulder. This ten percent profit was an investment to secure the services of a future top business magnate like Zhang Weiyang; he wouldn't lose out.