Rebirth of Siheyuan starts in the 1980s

Chapter 544: Let’s not talk about business secrets for now

Author: Tang Juyi

Chapter 544: Let’s not talk about business secrets for now

Lou Xiao'e is a smart person, so she doesn't need to talk too much when talking to smart people, and she doesn't need to do too many tricks. She just needs to talk about things openly, and she will naturally know what to do.

In fact, Lou Xiao'e was indeed tempted, especially after seeing the accounts in the ledger, she was not tempted at all.

Previously, Lou Xiaoe had thought that the catering industry in China would be very profitable, but she never expected that it would be so profitable.

According to the market situation in Hong Kong, if you open a medium-sized restaurant like "Shiweitian", the net profit margin will be only 10%, which is usually around 8%. This is still a relatively well-run time-honored brand.

The restaurant Keshiweitian has not been open for a long time. According to the rules in Hong Kong, it should still be in the early stage of loss during this period, which means that losses are normal, and staying flat is pretty good.

However, the facts are indeed true. Shiweitian achieved profitability in the month it opened, and its net profit for that month exceeded 50%, and its net profit in the second month exceeded 60%!

The so-called net profit margin simply refers to the percentage of net profit from operations to net sales. Calculated using the formula, it is net profit/operating income × 100%.

To a certain extent, net profit margin is operating efficiency, which is the ability to make money.

The catering industry is a service industry and a labor-intensive industry. Normally, the net profit margin cannot exceed 30%.

The net profit margin of Edible Food was astonishing to Lou Xiao'e.

The net profit margin exceeded 50% in the month of opening, and the net profit margin exceeded 60% every month thereafter. What kind of magical unit is this?

Of course, if you look at net income, it will be even more impactful.

Shiweitian's current net income, excluding all expenses, has reached a monthly income of 30,000 yuan, with an average daily income of more than 1,000 yuan!

You know, this was 1983. In this era when the average salary of workers in the capital was about 60 yuan and households with 10,000 yuan were scarce, a monthly after-tax income of 30,000 yuan was quite scary.

What's more important is that Shiweitian has a very large number of employees. There are 38 waiters and 18 chefs, which is more than five times the number of employees in a restaurant of the same size!

With so many people employed, the net income can still be 30,000 yuan per month, and the daily income is more than 1,000 yuan. Calculated based on 60% of the net profit, it is equivalent to a monthly operating income of at least 50,000 yuan!

This income level, at least among the restaurants in Peiping, is definitely among the top ones.

Even the Tanjia Cuisine on the seventh floor of the Peking Hotel and the Peking Exhibition Hall restaurant that has not yet been converted back to the Moscow restaurant may not be as profitable as this restaurant at this time.

This was not the first time Lou Xiao'e returned to the capital, and she was not ignorant of the situation in the catering industry, so after seeing Shiweitian's accounts, after she got over the initial surprise, she began to have a trace of doubt.

"Is your account statement really correct?" Lou Xiao'e asked Cao Zhiqiang.

Cao Zhiqiang did not answer, but looked at Cao Jiajia.

"Of course that's right." Cao Jiajia replied, "I keep accounts every day and compile them every month. I personally check and correct the accounts. There will never be any mistakes."

Cao Zhiqiang smiled and said to Lou Xiao'e who looked suspicious: "She is my biological sister, I trust her."

Lou Xiao'e frowned: "But this is too profitable, isn't it? According to your profit margin, your daily operating income must be at least more than one thousand seventeen, and you have to meet the standard every day. Can you have this kind of customer flow?"

This time, Cao Jiajia puffed up her chest proudly: "Since our restaurant opened, except for the first month, it has been almost full every day, and you have to queue up to eat. If you arrive late, there will be no seats.

Then, our restaurant has only 45 tables with dine-in and private rooms, and only serves lunch and dinner twice a day. However, because there are so many guests, the actual number of guests who come to dine every day exceeds 500. Generally,

There are about 600 people, and on holidays there are more than 800 people.

Six hundred people, even if each person spends an average of three yuan, that’s still eighteen hundred yuan!”

After a short pause, Cao Jiajia said: "Actually, I have told my brother a long time ago that I asked him to add a few more tables, at least twenty, but he refused, saying that he could not ignore it just to pursue some attendance rate.

Dining environment.

Therefore, the distance between our dining tables here is very large, which basically ensures that people at each table can speak normally, and the table next to them cannot hear.

This does not include the income from takeaways.

To be honest, the account book you are looking at is only the account book for dining in the restaurant, and the account book for take-out is calculated separately.

The income from takeout can now basically reach a monthly income of more than 10,000 yuan, which is one-third of the restaurant’s income.”

"So much?" Lou Xiao'e was stunned, "Doesn't this mean that your family's net income in a month actually exceeds 40,000?"

"That's right!" Cao Jiajia smiled very proudly, "Last month's net income exceeded 44,000. This month is not over yet, but I estimate that it should exceed 45,000!"

"Hiss..." Lou Xiao'e took a breath, "This is amazing."

Speaking of this, Lou Xiao'e frowned and looked at Cao Zhiqiang: "How did you do it?"

Cao Zhiqiang smiled: "It's very simple. It's due to the advertising effect and form."

"Is it due to advertising effect and form?" Lou Xiao'e frowned and looked at Cao Zhiqiang, "What do you mean?"

Cao Zhiqiang sighed and said: "Aunt Lou, you also said that the country is currently engaged in opening up and reform, but it is only the preliminary stage.

Even though our country looks poor on the surface, after so many years of planning, our actual purchasing power is actually quite strong.

Just look at the explosion of home appliances. A color TV costs a thousand yuan, and an imported one even costs two thousand. The supply exceeds demand, and you have to find ways to buy it.

Relatively speaking, although the catering industry opened earlier and there are many restaurants, most of them are relatively low-end.

At this time, as long as you come to a specialty restaurant, or have a better environment and better food, you can do good business.

Although the scale of my restaurant does not seem large, it is equipped with air conditioning. In Beijing, I am afraid that it can only be compared to large hotels like the Peking Hotel. Restaurants of the same size are entitled to a share, which in itself is not

Average.

In addition, my restaurant is also recommended by China Travel Service. Foreigners often come here to eat. They want to be fresh and save face, so they all want to try it here.

Finally, the prices of the food here range from high to low-end. You can eat abalone and ginseng wings and tripe for over a hundred yuan a meal here, or you can eat ordinary soup noodles for three yuan a meal.

Among them, what really makes money is the high-priced dishes in the private dining rooms. Although there are many people dining in, the profit margin is very low. The main focus is economical and affordable, and what is wanted is popularity.

My sister has said that if you come here to eat here, you have to come early. If you come a little later, you will have to queue up.

If it were a restaurant in Hong Kong, if you were asked to wait in line for ten minutes, let alone an hour, the customers would have left long ago, but it's different here.

Most of the people here are used to the canteen and queuing, so queuing is not a problem. What's more, we have specially prepared small mats and newspapers for people queuing up, so they can sit and wait. This is the first one.

This is what people here are like. The fewer people there are in a restaurant, the more no one goes there and the longer the queue, the more people like to join in the fun and think the restaurant is good.

I just used this mentality to increase the popularity of the restaurant and it became an internet celebrity restaurant."

"Internet celebrity restaurant?" Lou Xiao'e frowned, "What do you mean?"

"It means famous restaurant." Cao Zhiqiang laughed.

Lou Xiao'e nodded, indicating that she understood.

Cao Zhiqiang smiled slightly and continued: "Actually, the expenses of my restaurant are very high. In addition to hiring many people and high wages, there are also a lot of discounts and rebates, as well as lottery and free orders.

If we put aside those activity expenses and reduce personnel expenses, based on the normal expenses of other restaurants, the profit margin of my restaurant can exceed 70%.

Of course, if you only count profit margins, other restaurants during this period were not bad either.

In fact, in China at this time, opening a restaurant is really a profitable business, with low taxes and many customers.

Let me put it this way, if you open a restaurant in a good location now, as long as the taste and decoration are acceptable, you will basically not lose money.

As for my place, it is in a good location, close to Wangfujing. It has been advertised before, and the price is reasonable. It is normal to have the current profit margin.

Of course, as of now, this is almost at its limit, and any attempt to increase net profit will be very limited.

But, this high-profit model can last for at least three more years, and there will be a drop after that, but the drop won’t be big.”

Lou Xiao'e nodded: "In that case, why don't you take the opportunity to expand the scale of your business? Wouldn't it be better if you expand your business premises by two or three times, or open several branches?"

Cao Zhiqiang said with a smile: "Whether it is opening a branch or expanding the business premises, money is needed."

"Are you still short of money now?" Lou Xiao'e asked.

"It's lacking, why is it not lacking?" Cao Zhiqiang said, "Aunt Lou, you don't think that I only have food for the sky. I have so many businesses that I need money everywhere.

Relatively speaking, although Shiweitian's profits are good, it pales in comparison to my other businesses.

If nothing else, there is no comparison with my record business and book business."

"Oh?" Lou Xiao'e raised an eyebrow, "Really or not? How much profit can you make from other businesses?"

Cao Zhiqiang chuckled: "Well, it's a business secret, so let's not talk about it for now.

After we have cooperated for a period of time and have established a certain basis for cooperation and mutual trust, it will not be too late to start other projects.

Don’t worry, you think I’m bragging and unreliable.”

Indeed, Shiweitian seems to have good profits and good income, but compared with Cao Zhiqiang’s other businesses, it’s really nothing.

Let’s not talk about the income from the book series “Journey to the Rivers and Lakes”. Just counting the album “Blooming Life”, the monthly income has already exceeded one million.

Although neither records nor books last long, Cao Zhiqiang does not just rely on one book or one album for his whole life. He still has good songs, lyrics and articles in his mind, just waiting for him to move them out and sell them for money.

If Cao Zhiqiang didn't want to sell at a low price, and spent more time in establishing sales channels in the early stage, if he frantically moved his works and sold them, even if he sold them at a low price, his current personal income could easily exceed 10 million.

How can I put it this way? Cao Zhiqiang, who has to put in a lot of effort first to open a publishing house and audio-visual company, and to establish publishing channels and sales channels, seems more tiring and troublesome, but it is bitter at first and then sweet.

By mastering the production, publishing and sales channels of his own books, audio and video products, he has created his own cultural industry chain. In the future, he will not need to find anyone else, he can make a lot of money by just publishing his own works.

Not to mention, Cao Zhiqiang is now connected with Japan's Warner Pioneer, and the future development prospects will only be more beautiful.

It can be said that even without those bombers, cruise missiles, anti-infantry radars and the like, Cao Zhiqiang can still make a fortune by transporting works.

However, his system was so unconventional and the things he gave were too good for Cao Zhiqiang to refuse.

It’s not that Cao Zhiqiang wanted to be a national-level secret smuggler, it was because the system’s products were so powerful that he had to embark on this path.

In fact, by taking this path, the country can avoid many detours and rise faster, and it can also have more legs to protect Cao Zhiqiang's personal career. From this perspective, he has made a lot of money.

If you think about it carefully, without a powerful thigh, or a protective umbrella, Cao Zhiqiang's current behavior would be like holding money to get through the busy market.

No matter how talented Cao Zhiqiang is and how good his works are, it is unlikely that he will own a state-owned publishing house in this period, let alone an audio-visual publishing company with a private company model.

Logistics sales network.

But because Cao Zhiqiang accidentally had a big leader as the backend, he got the full support of the senior leaders of Hongguang Machinery Factory, which allowed Cao Zhiqiang to use various resources and channels of Hongguang Machinery Factory, and through these resources and channels

, to sell their own products, such as books and records.

It is precisely because of the full support of Hongguang Machinery Factory that Cao Zhiqiang was able to recruit self-employed individuals and creatively set up his own sales network, which still did not pay taxes.

In other words, Cao Zhiqiang has established a sales network similar to Xinhua Bookstore, and the operating costs are lower than Xinhua Bookstore.

Although it seems that for the time being, the distribution network under the name of Hongguang Publishing House's sales department cannot compare with the state-owned Xinhua Bookstore in terms of scale or income, the prototype has already emerged.

Next, Cao Zhiqiang only needs to move the works step by step and sell them. As long as the works are good and everyone likes them, not only will Cao Zhiqiang's income get higher and higher, but the various sales networks that are based on this will also become stronger and stronger.

The more perfect it is, the better the overall situation will be.

Even Hongguang Film Studio, which currently has no revenue, will have great benefits in the future. After all, Cao Zhiqiang can still take the international route and sell movies abroad, such as Japan.

Cao Zhiqiang believes that "Love in the Ancient Pavilion", which was born out of "The Garden of Words", will definitely have a market in Japan at this time, and sales will definitely not be bad.

Compared with these rising industries that can be said to lay golden eggs, the "food is the most important thing" with an income of less than 50,000 yuan a month and basically reaching the bottleneck is really nothing.

In Cao Zhiqiang's view, if Lou Xiao'e is willing to fully cooperate with him, help Cao Zhiqiang obtain enough foreign exchange, and help him establish a foothold in Hong Kong, it will be no problem even if Lou Xiao'e gives Food to the Sky to Lou Xiao'e.

It's just that Cao Zhiqiang knew that Lou Xiao'e was shrewd and sensitive, and it would be easy for her to think too much about giving Shiweitian to him, so there was this cooperation agreement to sell shares.

Now it seems that Lou Xiao'e is still very interested in Food as Heaven, and it's not just because He Yuzhu is here.

(End of chapter)