Four young guns share secrets to successful startups

Li Yueyue, 36

Li founded Botan, a jewelry company focusing on gemstone sourcing, custom design and finished product sales, in Shanghai in 2019.

After graduating with a master's degree in marketing from the University of Bath in the United Kingdom, Li worked at a Bank of Communications branch in Shanghai. She developed a passion for gemology when she was ordering her own wedding ring, and left her job in 2014 to take professional jewelry courses.

She opened her own business and began by purchasing accessories from Pandora, a Danish jewelry company, for her clients. She was handling more than 50 orders a day, buying and delivering Pandora accessories to her customers.

Li has since upgraded her business to offer a "one-stop" service: from sourcing raw stones at origin, to design and setting, and finished product sales.

She frequently visits mining areas in Australia, Thailand, and other locations to personally select high-quality gemstones such as rubies, emeralds, and Australian opals.

Her banking experience helps the business. "Banking has taught me to pay close attention to details and to develop a keen sensitivity to market shifts. Building and maintaining client trust is also extremely important," said Li.

She emphasized that her banking experience has helped her better manage finances and control risks, enabling her to make prudent decisions.

"Every decision needs to be carefully considered because it's not just about profit, it's also about reputation," said Li.

"When I started the business, I was eager for success and wanted to see results quickly. But as time went on, I realized that the success of a business is not something that can be achieved overnight, it requires slow and steady progress."

Looking to the future, she plans to further promote Australian opal customization services and expand the use of colored gemstones to enhance Botan's brand.

"Although we are not large in scale, I hope to create unique pieces through our designs and services, becoming a distinctive force in both domestic and international markets," said Li.

She believes that the success of the first generation of entrepreneurs is not about the size of the enterprise, but whether one can deeply engage in their chosen field and work meticulously to gain industry recognition.