#061 Visiting Partners in Various Regions (30/07/2023)

Welcome to this week's journal! It's my turn to share my work from this week. This week, I continued to meet with some domestic and foreign partners across China. I've been working in various parts of the country for almost two weeks now, and I'm starting to miss Hong Kong a bit. Some of you might be wondering, "Foreign partners? Why not go abroad but to China?" Well, foreign companies generally set up branches/agents in mainland China when entering the East Asian market, and the entire Greater China region (including Hong Kong, Taiwan, and even Asia) is managed by this office. Perhaps this role used to be played in Hong Kong, but that's no longer the case. The headquarters are now in mainland China. There's no other reason than that I've talked to them, and the Hong Kong market is indeed too small, and the geographical location isn't very convenient. Therefore, from the perspective of large enterprises like theirs, it's better to be located in mainland China.

If you've been following my weekly journal, you might have noticed that I've been traveling frequently for work these past few months. While in the country, I've also been talking to people from different cultural backgrounds and countries. It really makes me realize how big the world is, and I seem to have gained a better understanding of how the world operates. For example, how businesses in different countries trade, what their respective needs are through trade, what the costs and processes of such transactions are, and what the main roles of different countries are. I feel that I've also gained a better understanding of my own strengths and weaknesses in my position, which I think is very helpful for my own thinking.

Furthermore, I sense that many people hope Re Pillow Co. will succeed. Sometimes I receive supportive and encouraging emails, and every word is very important to me. Frankly, I don't care much about personal fame and fortune, but I hope to bring a fresh perspective to the market and promote development that benefits everyone. I understand that some people might not believe me, saying, "All businessmen say that; in the end, it's all about making money." I understand, but perhaps if I were only in it for the money, I wouldn't need to be in such a simple business as bedding. There are many ways to make money outside, and these products certainly aren't the most profitable. Whatever, I believe everything is determined by the market. If I don't do well, I'll quit, but before quitting, I want to try. No matter how difficult, I will do my best. I think if we approach it with a casual attitude, we're unlikely to succeed. So we really put in our best effort, going around in circles, hoping that one day we can tell foreigners, "Hong Kong has produced a Re Bedding (the new name of Re Pillow Co., tentatively)."

I've been constantly on the go these past two weeks, and I'm exhausted both physically and mentally. Plus, I haven't had much rest or a chance to exercise, so I'm in pretty bad shape. I'll stop writing here.