Most people think success in manufacturing comes from having capital, connections, or a clever product idea. But for Chen Jiao, it started with none of those.

He didn’t go to college. He didn’t have investors. What he did have was time, grit, and a willingness to learn from the ground up.

Starting From Scratch at 18

Chen Jiao grew up in a small town outside Changsha, Hunan. He wasn’t a top student, but he was curious and hardworking. After finishing high school, he didn’t get into a university and skipped the college track altogether. At just 18, with few choices and no clear direction, he followed his aunt to Guangdong to help out in her curtain rod factory.

“It wasn’t a big plan or dream,” he said. “I just needed to work.”

That first phase of work was intense. Long hours, late nights, and no sense of where it was going. But he didn’t complain. Instead, he paid attention — to the machines, the orders, the customers, and the way the business operated. It didn’t feel special at the time, but years later, it became the foundation of everything.

The Long Wait to Go Solo

By 2008, after three years in the business, Chen Jiao started thinking about doing something on his own. “I already had the itch to start my own thing,” he recalls. But money was tight, and family responsibilities kept him grounded in his aunt’s business.

So he waited.

He kept learning. Kept saving. Kept building relationships.

Then in 2013, eight years after starting as a factory worker, a chance finally came. His cousin had a small factory but didn’t want to run it anymore. Chen Jiao took over.

It wasn’t easy. He didn’t have much capital, but by then he had everything else: years of hands-on experience, a deep understanding of the industry, and the trust of suppliers and clients. His aunt backed him too — emotionally and financially.

Timing helped. China’s real estate market was booming, and demand for home decoration products like curtain rods was high. He doubled down on product quality and service. Within a few years, the business started to take off.

Building Smart, Staying Lean

The early years were still tough. Cash flow was tight, and there were no safety nets. But Chen Jiao made some key decisions that paid off:

• He invested where it mattered, like paying suppliers on time and improving product quality.

• He kept the team small, just 10 people at peak.

• He relied on trade shows, a smart move in a niche industry where buyers value face-to-face interaction.

“We didn’t try to grow too fast,” he said. “But every year, we did better.”

At its busiest, the factory was pulling in over 30 million RMB in annual output, serving domestic wholesalers all across China.

The Challenges After COVID

Then came the pandemic.

While many factories struggled, Chen Jiao’s orders stayed relatively stable. But post-COVID, the industry shifted. Competition got fiercer. Online platforms began to dominate, and price wars cut into margins.

“Now it’s harder to stand out,” he says. “Everyone is competing on price. The real challenge is: how do you build long-term value?”

He knows the answer lies in brand, quality, and expanding beyond domestic markets. He’s tried testing the waters of international sales but admits language barriers and team limitations have held them back.

Still, he’s not giving up. “If we can find the right partners overseas, we’re open to collaborations. We’re confident in our products.”

Lessons From the Sea and the Factory

Outside of work, Chen Jiao is passionate about deep-sea fishing. At one point, he even bought a boat and tried to turn it into a small sea-tourism business. It didn’t work out, but he doesn’t regret it.

“It taught me something important,” he said. “Venturing into unfamiliar industries is risky. It reminded me to stay focused on what I know and grow from there.”

It’s a lesson many entrepreneurs learn the hard way.

Final Thoughts: On Time, People, and Trust

After more than a decade of running his factory, Chen Jiao’s biggest takeaway isn’t about profits or products. It’s about time.

“When you work for someone else, you trade your time for money. But when you run your own business, you trade systems, people, and ideas for time and freedom.”

He believes many young people misunderstand entrepreneurship. “They think starting a factory means instant success. But without experience, a team, and the stamina to keep going, it’s easy to fail.”

What matters, he says, is building something reliable. If there’s one thing he wants people to remember about his brand, it’s that:

“We care about design. We care about quality. And we’re someone you can trust.”