A rural woman who never went to school for a day and could only write her own name started from scratch and actually founded a large private enterprise with assets of 1.3 billion yuan in just 6 years! This is neither sensational fake news nor a legend from before the 20th century, but a true fairy tale that is unimaginable today!
The rural woman who created this new fairy tale is named Tao Huabi, and she is 51 years old this year. When her name is mentioned, many people may not know it, but when it comes to her "Laoganma Spicy Sauce", it is almost a household name and everyone knows it. Tao Huabi is the founder of "Laoganma spicy sauce" that migrant workers eat almost every day, and the chairman of a large company that produces this vegetable.
How did this rural "old godmother" who could not read four Chinese characters and couldn't even read documents establish and manage a large enterprise with more than 1,300 employees? What "tricks" and "tricks" does she have that people can learn from? Recently, reporters made a special trip to interview "Lao Gan Ma" and learned about her unique and legendary success experience... "Trick" No. 1: Seize the opportunity to take advantage of the situation and get twice the result with half the effort. "Lao Gan Ma" is named Tao Huabi, and she is 51 this year. Years old, born in a remote mountain village in Meitan County, Guizhou Province. Due to poverty in her family, Tao Huabi never read a day from childhood to adulthood. When she was 20 years old, she married a member of the 206 Geological Team; but within a few years, her husband died of illness, leaving her and her two children. In order to survive, she had to work and run a street vendor.
In 1989, Tao Huabi used the little money she saved from living frugally to build a house with bricks picked up from everywhere on a street in Longdongbao, Nanming District, Guiyang City. The humble restaurant, named "affordable restaurant", specializes in jelly and cold noodles. At that time, she specially made spicy sauce as a special seasoning for jelly, and the business was very prosperous. One morning, Tao Huabi felt dizzy after getting up, so she did not go to the vegetable market to buy peppers. She thought: Anyway, there are several ingredients for mixing jelly, and the lack of spicy sauce will not delay business. Unexpectedly, when customers came to eat, they turned around and left when they heard that there was no spicy sauce. She couldn't help but feel very confused: How could this happen? Could it be that the customers who come to my place don't like to eat jelly, but like to eat the spicy sauce I make? ! Could it be that the prosperous business of my small shop is also because of this spicy sauce?
This incident deeply touched Tao Huabi. She was astute and immediately identified the potential of spicy sauce, and has been researching it with great concentration... After several years of repeated trial production, the flavor of the spicy sauce she made has become even more unique. After eating the jelly, many customers took out their money to buy some spicy sauce to take back. Some even came to buy her spicy sauce instead of eating the jelly. Later, her jelly business became worse and worse, but the spicy sauce she made was not enough to sell. She wondered again: spicy sauce is just a food condiment at best. Can these people buy so much and eat it all?
One day at noon, after her spicy sauce was sold out, there were no customers eating jelly. She felt so panicked that she closed the store door and wanted to go out to see how other people's business was going. She visited more than 10 restaurants and food stalls selling jelly, but found that their business was very prosperous. What's the reason? Oh my God, it turns out that the spicy sauce these people make is all bought from her! Suddenly, her lungs were about to explode.
How can I use my own things to enrich others, but instead cheat myself? The next day, she no longer sold spicy sauce alone. As a result, those bosses who couldn't sell spicy sauce came to her to beg her, and half-jokingly said: "Since you can make such good spicy sauce, why do you sell jelly? Just open a spicy sauce factory! Just say this Tao Huabi was inspired: Yes, there are so many people who love my spicy sauce, why should I sell jelly? I will take the opportunity to open a factory and try the taste of a small boss!
After a while! In order to prepare, Tao Huabi gave up the restaurant that she had been working on for many years. In July 1996, she borrowed two houses in Yunguan Village Committee, Nanming District, recruited 40 workers, and set up a food processing factory, specializing in the production of spicy sauce, named "Laoganma Spicy Sauce".
At this time, the size of her factory was almost like a family workshop. Although the sparrow is small, it must have all the "internal organs" such as production, supply and marketing. Not only do dozens of workers have to manage, but also many external affairs such as industry and commerce, taxation, and urban management have to be attended to... Tao Huabi, who cannot read a single word, finds it really difficult! What "special skills" does she have to manage workers and run the factory well? At first, she took the most "honest" approach: she practiced it herself, and whatever I, the boss, did, the workers did! She never criticized her employees, she just said to them: "I treat you as family, and you treat this place as home. You can just do what I do with you."
Production at that time Almost all the processes are manual, and one of the processes is pounding and cutting peppers. This is not something to "play". As the knife rises and falls, the splashes make the eyes burst into tears. No one among the workers wants to do this process. So, Tao Huabi did the cooking with her own hands. She held a kitchen knife in one hand, and when she exerted force with her arms, the two kitchen knives flew up and down. She kept saying: "I cut the pepper like an apple, and it doesn't hurt my eyes at all." "After hearing this, the employees all laughed and picked up the kitchen knives... During that time, their work was very difficult, and Tao Huabi took the lead. As a result, she suffered from frozen shoulder and 10 fingernails from stirring the spicy sauce. All calcified.
The most worrying thing is that although the output was very low at the beginning of the factory, local jelly shops still couldn't digest it, and they had to sell the rest themselves. Therefore, Tao Huabi personally carried the spicy sauce and sent it to various food stores and canteens of various units for trial sales. Unexpectedly, this stupid method worked really well, but within a week, those test sellers called her one after another and asked her to double the delivery; she sent her employees to double the delivery, and it was quickly out of stock again... Tao Huabi felt deeply It was unexpected, but it also gave me some reassurance.
In June 1997, "Laoganma Spicy Sauce" passed the test of the market and established a firm foothold in Guiyang City, and had the momentum to expand out of Guiyang. The shrewd Tao Huabi thought to herself: I have tried out the deep and shallow waters, what else do I, the "Lao Ganma", have to fear? Isn’t the old saying about “strike while the iron is hot”? Simply, I can expand the scale and turn the factory into a company!
"Trick" 2: "Emotional investment" has super cohesion. In August 1997, "Guiyang Nanming Laoganma Flavor Food Co., Ltd." was officially launched, and the number of workers suddenly expanded to more than 200. At this time, for Tao Huabi, the biggest problem is not production, but management pressure.
What troubles her most is that after the factory expands into a company, everything must be formalized, various rules and regulations must be introduced, and all financial and personnel reports must be reviewed by her personally, especially the work reports. Business, business and other government departments often issue documents requiring her to implement them; as a private enterprise, she often participates in various meetings held by government authorities and prepares speeches to speak on stage... All of these, for the uneducated Tao Huabi, It’s just like “rushing the ducks to the shelves”!
How can there be a square circle without rules? How can you get on the "podium" without culture? Looking at the accumulating documents and running a company where everything has to be done tentatively, Tao Huabi's first thought was to hire capable people. Based on her simple feelings, she formulated the only selection criteria: being honest, hard-working, and able to treat work as her own business and the company as her home. But exactly what kind of capable person should be hired? She thought about it and used her eldest son as the standard for comparison.
Tao Huabi’s eldest son Li Guishan was a retired soldier who was working in the 206 Geological Team Automobile Team. Although he only had a high school education, in Tao Huabi’s eyes at the time he was already a great “scholar.” She wanted to drag Li Guishan to her private company to help, but she couldn't bear to ruin his iron job. Unexpectedly, after Li Guishan learned about his mother's thoughts and concerns, he smiled and said: "What age are we in, and there is still an iron rice bowl?!" She still disagreed, but Li Guishan took it upon himself to resign and join her company.
The first thing Li Guishan did to help his mother was to process the documents and organize the whole chapter. Li Guishan read and Tao Huabi listened.
When she heard something important, she would suddenly stand up, point to the document and say: "This is very important, write it down with a pen, and do it immediately." After helping his mother "read" the document, Li Guishan began to draft the rules and regulations, and then read them Listen to your mother. Tao Huabi listened very carefully. When she heard something inappropriate, she immediately made corrections orally, and then Li Guishan revised it... This was repeated many times until she was satisfied, and she drew a circle in the upper right corner of the material. Li Guishan looked at the circle and couldn't laugh or cry. He wrote the three characters "Tao Huabi" on the paper and asked his mother to practice when she was free. Unexpectedly, Tao Huabi looked at these three words again and again, shook her head, and sighed in embarrassment: "These three words are very complicated, very complicated!"
With the help of her eldest son Li Guishan , Tao Huabi finally formulated the company's most original rules and regulations with a strong local flavor, which are both lenient and strict, with clear rewards and punishments. However, with only the eldest son to help, Tao Huabi still felt that there were not enough talents. So not long after, she recruited another young man with a bachelor's degree. How to cultivate this talent and how to retain this talent? Tao Huabi, who is uneducated, has her own simple and unique "trick". Originally, her purpose of recruiting this undergraduate was to make him the office director, but she did not appoint him immediately. Instead, she first asked him to do chores in the company. In her words: "This is quenching!" Then, she She also sent him to various parts of the country to crack down on counterfeiting and inspect the market. This move, in her words: "This is grinding!" Half a year later, she appointed him as the office director... This person is now the "Lao Ganma" company Wang Haifeng, the third person in the film. How to manage the company's growing number of employees? Tao Huabi has another "trick" that is equally simple and effective: implementing family-friendly management and making "emotional investment" in employees from beginning to end.
When she first asked her eldest son to formulate rules and regulations, she regarded this as the most basic element. For example: when formulating employee benefits, Tao Huabi took into account the remote location of the company, inconvenient transportation, and difficulty in eating for employees. She decided that all employees would be provided with food and drinks by the company... As "Lao Ganma", the company has now grown to 1,300 people. , this rule has not been abolished. Such a huge enterprise has always provided food and accommodation for all employees. Who dares to think about it, and who dares to do it? However, no matter how much money Tao Huabi spent, she always persisted.
Although the system has been formulated in this way, she still personally works on it and always cares about and considers people in places that people would not expect. There is a chef in the company who comes from a rural area. His parents died early and he has two young brothers at home. However, he likes to drink and smoke. He spends almost all of his monthly salary of more than 1,000 yuan. Tao Huabi was very worried after learning about this situation. One day after get off work, she invited the chef to the hotel for a drink. At the wine table, she said to him: "My child, you can drink whatever wine you want today, and drink as much as you want. But starting from tomorrow, you have to quit drinking and smoking. Because you want to keep your two younger brothers. Go study and don't be like me who can't read a word." These thoughtful words deeply moved the chef and he immediately quit drinking and smoking. But Tao Huabi was still worried. She only asked him to keep 200 yuan as pocket money every month, and she would keep the rest for him. Whenever his brother needed money for school, he would take help from her... She only cared about individual employees. Tao Huabi felt it was not enough. Whenever employees went on a business trip, she would always cook them a few eggs with her own hands, just like an old mother sending her children on a long journey, and take them to the factory gate. It was not until she saw them getting on the work bus that she Go back...who is the chairman of a large company, who can manage finances for an ordinary wage earner like her? Who can care about every employee in such a subtle way? Not to mention it’s unique, it’s hard to find a third one! Although uneducated, Tao Huabi understands this truth: helping one person will move a group of people; caring for a group of people will definitely move the entire group. Sure enough, this kind of affectionate "emotional investment" has made the cohesion between Tao Huabi and the "Laoganma" company only increase. In the minds of employees, Tao Huabi is as amiable, lovely and respectable as her mother; in the company, no one calls her Chairman, but everyone calls her "Lao Ganma".
The company's employees come from all over the world and have different living habits. They eat, focus on work and live in the company every day. Over time, friction will inevitably occur between them, but as soon as Tao Huabi comes forward, the problem is easily solved. In this way, all the employees of the company, under the care of her "real mother", united and worked hard for the rapid development of "Laoganma Spicy Sauce"... By the end of 2000, it only took 3 and a half years to develop "Laoganma Spicy Sauce". The company has grown rapidly, with 1,200 employees, an output value of nearly 300 million yuan, and a national tax of 43.15 million yuan.
"Trick" Three: "Integrity" management is the "hard truth" for development. After the company has developed to this level, Tao Huabi, who has seen the world, gradually feels that his "local methods" can no longer be used. In the face of fierce competition, we must keep pace with the times. What kind of "progress together" method? She thought: Although she doesn’t have much knowledge, there are many knowledgeable people in the world! Didn’t Chairman Mao say that? "Foreign things are used by China" and "the past are used by the present". I will "use him for me", "borrow wisdom and brains", and introduce other people's modern management!
After making up his mind, Tao Huabi sent the company's managers to open cities such as Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Shanghai in rotation, allowing them to inspect the market and learn advanced management experience from some well-known companies. She said to them bluntly: "I admit that I am 'old-fashioned', but you are not old-fashioned, and the company is not old-fashioned! After each of you goes out, help me get something new!" This trick really worked. After the managers who left the company came back one after another, the company soon gradually embarked on the road of scientific management.
When the company became formalized, Tao Huabi, who had worked hard for a long time, finally felt a little tired. Whenever she saw old ladies of the same age sitting in the shade of the trees, holding their grandchildren and doing household chores with each other, she was filled with envy and wished she could join them right away. One night, she couldn't help but walked among the old ladies holding a small stool. When they saw her coming, they immediately turned the topic to her and asked her: "You have made so much money that you will never be able to spend it all in a few lifetimes. Why are you still working so hard?" When Tao Huabi heard this, she was stunned. She really didn't know. How to answer. After returning home that day, she lay in bed still thinking about this issue and stayed up almost all night. The next day, the company held an all-employee meeting. According to the arrangements before the meeting, as the chairman of the board, she would tell the employees about the current economic situation, how to deal with the challenges after joining the WTO, and then specific work indicators. Issued by the deputy general manager. Before the meeting, the eldest son Li Guishan drafted a speech for her and read it to her over and over again. Her memory is very good and she can memorize it almost word for word after listening to it several times.
But when speaking at the meeting, she suddenly remembered the questions those old ladies asked her last night. She couldn't help feeling emotional, and immediately changed the topic and said: "Last night, several old ladies asked me: 'You have so much money, why are you still working hard?' I thought about it all night, but I couldn't come up with a result. Seeing you, I now have the answer: I can't take the company with me, and I can't take the brand with me. Chairman Mao said that the future is yours. When I think about it, I am working for you so hard! Do you think this is true? For your own sake, you should work harder!" Everyone was stunned when they heard this, and applause burst out... Feelings, feelings are cohesion, and sometimes they are even productivity! With the simplest emotions and the shrewdest intuition of an entrepreneur, Tao Huabi realized this truth. She was happy and smiled happily: It turned out that the reason why "Lao Ganma" was able to become successful and big so quickly was all due to the cohesion of emotions; it turned out that the original set of care for everyone was so shabby. The original rules and regulations for employees, even if the company is now modernized, are still the foundation for "settlement and survival"!
In early 2001, in order to further expand the scale, Tao Huabi planned to build another factory. At that time, most of the company's funds were spent on raw materials, so she prepared to borrow part of the money from the government. The Nanming District Committee took it seriously and immediately coordinated with China Construction Bank to give her a loan. After the coordination was completed, the District Committee Office called her and asked her to come to the District Committee to discuss the matter. She happily brought Wang Haifeng and the accountant to the district committee and took the elevator to the third floor where the district mayor's office is located.
Because the elevator was very old and the door was broken, when Tao Huabi stepped out of the elevator, her clothes were accidentally caught on the elevator door, and she fell to the ground. After Tao Huabi got up, two of her entourage thought she was getting angry, but she said, "Look, the government is also in a difficult situation. The elevators are so bad, we won't lend them any more."
The entourage said: She was surprised at the momentous decision she made and thought she was joking. She couldn't help but sigh and said: "A loan means borrowing money from the government and causing trouble to the country. If we really don't want to lend money, let's go back." This matter was soon "leaked" by people who saw and heard it. , spread. From word to word, government officials and many entrepreneurs did not regard this as a joke. Instead, they said: "'Lao Ganma' is really reasonable. I feel relieved when dealing with such a most emotional person!" From then on, Tao Huabi and her The company is even more knowledgeable in handling matters. Because, she who is "the most emotional" also has the golden sign of "integrity".
With such a good reputation, Tao Huabi feels very comfortable. She has always been fast and furious in getting things done, but she is even more confident and independent. Once, a Hong Kong businessman came to inspect the "Lao Gan Ma" company. He admired Tao Huabi so much that he took out his business card and wanted to exchange it with her. Unexpectedly, Tao Huabi smiled and said, "I'm sorry, I don't need a business card." The merchant was very surprised, and then sighed: "You are the only chairman I have ever seen who doesn't have a business card." Tao Huabi answered with a smile, she confidently I thought: How many people across the country who can eat chili peppers have never tasted "Laoganma spicy sauce"? Isn’t “Lao Gan Ma” the best business card?
With the continuous development of the enterprise, the brand of "Laoganma" has become widely known. However, "people are afraid of being famous and pigs are afraid of being strong." When the product is ready, the counterfeit one comes out. For a time, there were more than 50 kinds of fake "Lao Ganma" in markets across the country every year! This was Tao Huabi's biggest headache. She finally stopped being "emotional" about this matter and began to make great efforts to crack down on counterfeiting. She sent people around to investigate undercover, but the fake "Lao Ganma" was like leeks, cutting off one crop after another. She shouted loudly: "I am the real 'Lao Ganma'!" But a "Lao Ganma" in Hunan continued to go its own way. Tao Huabi was rebellious this time. She relentlessly started a lawsuit with this "old godmother" in Hunan, and the fight lasted for three years! In the end, Tao Huabi's "Lao Ganma" finally defeated Hunan's "Lao Ganma". This time, Tao Huabi gained wisdom; in May 2003, her "Lao Ganma" obtained the registration certificate from the National Trademark Office.
Today, the cumulative output value of "Laoganma" company has reached 1.3 billion, and the annual tax payment is 180 million, ranking fifth among the top 50 private enterprises in China. Tao Huabi, an "old lady" from the countryside who had never gone to school for a day, managed a private company to this extent and created an unimaginable fairy tale in the new era. Her success is breathtaking; and the way she succeeds is worthy of reflection and reference by people today, no matter how highly educated they are!