The Cross-border Success Code of a Small-town Enterprise with an Annual Income of 300 Million Yuan

On an old street in Liaobu Town, Dongguan, at the entrance of an seemingly ordinary import and export company, containers printed with various languages are moving in and out every day. Who could have thought that this unassuming town-run enterprise actually completed a cross-border trade volume of over 300 million yuan last year? Today, we are going to unveil the survival rules of this "invisible champion".

Ten years ago, the import and export company run by Liaobu Town was just a "porter" doing OEM for foreign brands. Mr. Zhang recalled, "At that time, we even had to ask the customers to provide the ready-made English instructions on the product packaging." The turning point came in 2018 when the company started to form its own design team and opened up new markets with the model of "Made in Dongguan + Designed in Liaobu".

• In 2019, it launched its first independent brand, and the export volume increased by 40% that year.
• In 2021, it established an overseas warehouse, shortening the delivery cycle to 72 hours.
• In 2023, the proportion of cross-border e-commerce in the total revenue exceeded 35%.

There are always five or six clocks showing different time zones on Ms. Li's desk. "We have an unwritten rule," she said with a smile, "New employees have to memorize the tide tables of the major ports around the world first." This company has established a unique risk control system:

• Analyze the fluctuation trend of international exchange rates every week.
• Update the changes in customs policies of various countries every month.
• Evaluate the credit ratings of overseas partners every quarter.

When their peers were spending a lot of money on digital marketing, this company insisted on participating in offline exhibitions every year. However, their booths were always the most special - they would prepare sample instruction manuals in the customers' native languages and adjust the product colors according to local customs. "No matter how intelligent machines are, they can't replace human understanding of cultures." Mr. Zhang explained their "clumsy method" like this.

Nevertheless, they haven't lagged behind in technological innovation either:

• Introduce a blockchain traceability system.
• Develop intelligent customs declaration prediction software.
• Establish a dynamic evaluation database for suppliers.

Standing at a new crossroads, this town-run enterprise is faced with choices: Should it continue to deepen its traditional foreign trade business, or go all in on cross-border e-commerce? Should it adhere to multi-category management, or focus on a specific niche? Perhaps as Ms. Li said, "The real competitiveness doesn't lie in choosing which path, but in knowing when to change shoes."

Is your enterprise also facing similar transformation dilemmas? Welcome to share your observations and thoughts in the comment section. Next time, we will unveil the growth story of another "invisible champion" in Liaobu. Stay tuned.