There is no doubt that entrepreneurship is a never-ending path of setbacks, challenges, and potential roadblocks. It’s about taking risks rather than playing it safe; it’s about seeking solutions to problems rather than surrendering to them; and it’s about fending off comfort zones and wading the world of uncertainty even if it means potential failure.

For a successful entrepreneur, resilience is probably the keyword. It is how he turns setbacks to catalysts of growth and progress rather than threats that should be avoided at all costs.

One such man is Mr. Jacky Wang of Hebei Tomato Industry Co Ltd who adapted in the face of adversity and took his tomato and sauces business to new heights. Well, this is the story of an entrepreneur who turned a negative event into a seed for future growth and success.

“In 2007, my state-owned enterprise unit collapsed. It was indeed a setback to me. But then I decided that I will start my own business and because I had a rich experience in the field of tomato sauce, I decided to do devote myself to the manufacturing and exporting of tomato paste. Eventually the setback was actually a boon for me.”

“I owe my resilience to my beliefs that always do what you are best at and do it whole-heartedly.”

What makes Mr. Jacky Wang’s entrepreneurial story truly inspirational is his initial obstacles he faced during the early days of Hebei Tomato Industry Co Ltd. He had no qualifications in the sector except a resolute determination. The loan initially promised by the bank was declined. He was compelled to borrow the starting capital at high interest rate. “I went without sleep for three nights straight to find a way out to realise my dream.”

But he was determined. With his resilience he soon found that it was easier to be steadfast and face the challenges, simply because he had decided that he will not give up come what may. And facing the obstacles that came his way head on he started finding solutions to take his dream forward.

“With my reflective, pragmatic and self-confident entrepreneurial attitude, I persisted what I believed in.”

When asked about the size of his industry in terms of revenue, Mr. Wang tells us: “Food is a fast-moving product and although the profits of tomato paste are small, one can scale his business with the quantity he can produce and export. Also with good quality products like ours, orders are stable and sustainable. We have a long list of repeat customers.”

Today Mr. Wang believes that despite many players in the Chinese market producing and exporting the same line of products as his, he is way above competition. He lets the high quality of his products speak for themselves.

Asked about the hand-holding policies of the Chinese government for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), he opined that, “the government understands the importance of SMEs towards the economic growth and employment in the country, so they have SME-friendly policies which are a great help for us.”

“However we still have several challenges in the industry. Increase in tariffs in certain exporting countries, environmental constraints on carton production and so on, but each day we strive to overcome these difficulties and make our business develop better.”

Mr. Wang however feels that much of the issues one faces in finding buyers in general and exporting particularly, has been negated with his company’s association with B2B platforms.

“We have rich experience in doing business online. For instance, we are associated with TradeIndia and our experience has been simply wonderful. Finding new customers have become very easy now. We can export to any corner of the globe with the help of B2B portals. I must say, if any SME hasn’t taken their business online, they are losing out on a huge chunk of the business pie.”

For a person who never strayed from his dream despite numerous roadblocks, Mr. Wang has a very apt message to entrepreneurs: “Please stick to your original dream and don’t give up easily. See your setbacks as vehicles of growth because these will better equip you to deal with them better. Also remember that you will actually become stronger in the face of failure.”

For more information about Hebei Tomato Industry Co Ltd., visit: https://www.hebeitomatopaste.com/

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