Probably there is nothing more gratifying than to work in a startup and to witness it transforming into a big entity and to be a part of its growth story. Being a part of the core team, sharing ideas with the team, implementing them and watching them bearing fruit are perhaps some of the things that many professionals aspire to achieve in life.

Many professionals who have worked alongside entrepreneurs and have led their respective teams to the zenith will say that they have the most satisfied professional lives working in a progressive startup.

Even for Ms. Fion Chen, the Marketing Manager of Xiamen Delish Automation Equipment Co, Ltd, her personal experience in the thermal transfer ribbon slitting industry coupled with her team’s technical background, she was successful in transforming a small startup into a formidable name in the segment. She attributes the company’s success to her team’s “focus on professionalism and sense of service”.

And what she wants to achieve as the Marketing Manager? “We hope through our efforts to inspire, educate and support those who are currently specifying or considering production automation, to speed up their production process and to streamline their production assembly.”

“Our sole motto is change oneself to meet change – professional design and customized production”.

EARLY DAYS – BABY STEPS TO A GIANT LEAP:

Reminiscing the company’s early days, Ms. Chen recalled, “We started small. Initially we spent a long time in marketing and customer research. Yes, we would fail sometimes, but on an average we succeeded in building our confidence step by step.”

“I can safely say that it was this attempt of ours to reach our goal, that today we have our own manufacturing, R&D, and management center of operations. And it is this endeavor that as a brand Delish, in mechanical automation field, has achieved a certain status and good reputation”.

UNWAVERING RESOLUTION TO SUCCEED:

Any experienced professional will tell you that working in a startup can be unforgiving and to succeed you have to have an unwavering resolve to succeed despite self-doubt. Outside forces might warn you and pull you back or you might be tempted to settle for safer ground, but it is one’s resolve to succeed that will define the kind of success one is going to taste at the end.

She opined, “But a successful professional is the one who after even suffering setback upon setback, trusts on his team and goes ahead with positive action”.

“I use to encourage each other even during frustrating times and more so when we crossed a milestone, so that we can go farther with even more confidence”.

FOCUS ON LONG-TERM GAINS RATHER THAN SHORT-TERM BUSINESS:

On asked about the size of the thermal transfer ribbon slitting industry in terms of revenue, she said, “To be honest, this industry is a niche segment, but most of our customers are strong in terms of economic valuation and technical strength. We can’t do short-term business because the technology upgrades continuously. So I can safely say that in long-term the revenue is good.”

“Also the fact that there are not many players in the segment makes us formidable. But that also puts a lot of responsibility on our shoulders. We pay utmost attention to professionalism and after-sales service so that every customer who buys machinery from Delish can succeed too. The success of our customers is our success story too”.

GOVERNMENT HAND-HOLDING AND POLICIES:

On pro-SME policies of the Chinese government, Ms. Chen said, “The Chinese government understands the importance of the manufacturing sector in the country’s economic development and they do have policies that help us a lot. Having said that the current policies affect us to some extent, and we are sure that difficulties are only temporary. We believe and love our country and thus strongly believe that the state’s policies will get better and better with time”.

“Moreover the challenges that we ideally face in our business like latest technology integration, higher raw material costs and machines, are all opportunities. We should keep learning and keep up with technology changes”.

ONLINE BUSINESS – QUICK AND CONVENIENT:

On asked what her experience was on doing business online via B2B platforms like TradeIndia, she said without any hesitation: “Unlike the traditional way of doing business, online business is definitely quick and convenient. For instance we did get a lot of customer information via Tradeindia and hope more and more effective inquiries in future.”

“Having said that one needs to be diligent, and grab and use every piece of useful information with a sharp mind and also be patient and be professional. No doubt there are certain risks of online business, but with a keen eye these risks can be negated.

MESSAGE FOR ENTREPRENEURS:

For a person who believes that professionalism and honesty are key to succeed as an employee in a startup, Ms. Chen’s message to newbies is: “Maybe you might find it difficult in the beginning, but if you are extremely passionate about your business idea, and wholeheartedly support your team you will definitely succeed. Also support and share knowledge and experiences within the industry.”

For more information about Xiamen Delish Automation Equipment Co, Ltd., visit: http://www.ttrslitters.com/

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