I suppose my connection with Taobao started when I was pregnant! In order to fully take care of the baby, I quit my job and rested at home during my pregnancy. Back then, I had a lot of free time, so whenever I was bored, I would shop on Taobao. As a first-time mother, most of my purchases were for the baby, and through repeated buying and selling, I became quite familiar with the process for buyers. This routine continued until my baby was five months old.
The expenses for raising a baby are really significant. Even without mentioning the cost of formula, I spent a lot of money just on clothes. Since I no longer had time to go shopping in stores, I bought all the baby's clothes on Taobao. One day, while selecting clothes for my baby, it suddenly occurred to me: why don't I open my own online store selling baby clothes? With this idea, I purchased a large quantity of baby clothes and began my career on Taobao!
Since I wasn't treating this as a full-time job, I didn’t invest much effort into it. After listing the clothes, I simply waited for buyers to come to me. I didn’t actively decorate my store or even think about promoting it. Personally, I believe that family comes first, and Hanhan (my baby) is the most important person in my life. So, most of my time was spent taking care of the baby. I occasionally checked the computer—if there were buyers, I chatted with them; if not, I continued doing other things. (Hanhan’s mom always keeps her computer on, but sometimes if a buyer contacts me and I'm not around for too long, I might ignore them.)
However, I never gave up on Taobao. Based on seasonal changes, I kept purchasing small quantities of clothes. Of course, the clothes I usually buy are ones that Hanhan can wear. This way, whether there are buyers or not, I've continued until now. Hanhan is growing up day by day, and in half a month, she will be celebrating her second birthday. Hanhan's mom also plans to send her to daycare in September. Considering all factors, going back to a regular job doesn't seem practical. First, I've been out of the workforce for quite some time. Second, even though Hanhan will be in daycare, I still need to pick her up and drop her off, among other responsibilities. So, I've decided to make Taobao my career.
This mindset is different from before. From someone who never participated in community discussions, I’ve started learning how to post threads and gaining knowledge from Taobao University. It was then that I realized how much knowledge there is involved in running a business on Taobao.
Once Hanhan officially starts daycare, I should seriously consider my own career. My initial plan is to open a physical mobile phone store, and of course, switch my online store to selling mobile phones as well. (Selling clothes involves taking photos and measuring sizes, which can be quite troublesome.) At that time, I hope everyone will support me. Currently, I am in the process of liquidating the baby clothes.
No matter what, I have persevered on Taobao, and I'm almost ready to reach the "diamond" level! I hope that in the future, I can truly carve out my own niche!