I urgently need to tell the story of Shanghai beach in detail ~ ~ ~

"Female Entrepreneur of the Year" shares the success story of Shanghai Beach

Rachel, the founder of a renewable materials company, said that Shanghai has everything I need. To start a business in China is not to find cheap employees, but to "create practical experience, provide training, fair salary, high-quality life and work, and a very safe social environment".

Rachel has been in Shanghai for four years. In 2006, she had the happiest International Women's Day. On the eve of the film festival, she won the "Female Entrepreneur of the Year" award from the Foreign Professional Women's Association (EPWS), which is the only foreign professional women's association in Shanghai. Rachel is the founder and boss of a company called Bambu.

Rachel is very excited to talk about her life in Shanghai. Sometimes she even forgets that she is American. She has a career here, found a husband and became the mother of two children.

EPWS is a unique social group among professional women in Shanghai, mainly composed of foreign professional women in Shanghai. The aim of this association is to make foreign women working in Shanghai form a professional social and cultural network. Rachel is a member.

"If you use one word to describe it, it is happiness." When talking about life in Shanghai, Rachel said.

Entrepreneurial Shanghai

As the pioneer of China's reform and opening up, Shanghai has attracted many foreigners to work in Shanghai. According to the data of 2005, foreigners from 136 countries and regions come to Shanghai to work or live, and about 2 million foreigners come to Shanghai temporarily every year. More than 60,000 foreigners work and study in Shanghai.

During 1993, several foreign professional women discussed the establishment of an all-female organization at an accidental business gathering, which can help foreign women to live and start businesses in Shanghai better. Then, EPWS was born. Now this association has a full member of 175, which has become a bridge between Chinese and western cultures in Shanghai.

"Professional women working in Shanghai are engaged in a wide range of industries, but most of them are engaged in marketing, banking, service industry, public relations, technology and other industries, and many of them are executives in the company." Iob h an D as B ach ran of western Australia said. Bachland is a member of the board of directors of E P W S and the planner and organizer of the "Professional Woman of the Year Award".

A few years ago, buckland gave up his job and came to Shanghai with her husband. Although there is no financial pressure, she wants to do something meaningful. When she learned about the establishment of EPWS, she volunteered to be one of them. All the organizers of this association are unpaid volunteers.

Rachel came to Shanghai in 2002. After eight months of investigation, she firmly decided to start her new career here. She set up her own company, using renewable materials to make modern appliances for modern families. Three years after the establishment of the company, bamboo products have gradually spread from Shanghai to Europe, America, China and Hongkong, with more than 60 agents.

Rachel said that she never has a day off, and she works nonstop seven days a week. Shanghai is a busy city, and she has to be busier than Shanghai to get a foothold. While working, she is still trying to learn how to do business with China people. She doesn't know Chinese, so she can't communicate directly with China people who don't speak English. Before coming, she was worried about whether she would meet the so-called "profiteers".

However, the richness of China culture and its "business ethics" made her feel more interesting. She said that maybe she was lucky, and the people she met were very friendly and did not encounter the troubles she had expected before.

In order to better integrate into Shanghai, Rachel joined EPWS. Here, she received a lot of training about Shanghai culture. Rachel learned about the living conditions of foreign women and professional women in old Shanghai here. The handouts provided by EPWS even recorded in detail where foreign women lived and what they did at that time.

In addition to culture, EPWS regularly organizes career development planning training for successful member entrepreneurs. The theme of the latest issue this year is about the trend of employment and labor remuneration.

Rachel said that starting a business in China is not to find cheap employees, but to "create practical experience, provide training, fair salary, high-quality life and work and a very safe social environment here. I have everything here, and I won't panic when I walk alone at night. "

Bachland said that EPWS has expanded from foreign business women who worked in Shanghai in the early days to all women in various industries, and gradually absorbed women from China.

In Shanghai, female entrepreneurs are on the rise. According to the statistics of Shanghai Administration for Industry and Commerce, as of June 65438+1October 3 1 in 2005, the total number of legal representatives and responsible persons of private enterprises in the city was 470689, of which 13 1599 were women, accounting for 28% of the total.

"New Shanghainese"

Although the establishment of EPWS is non-profit, in order to ensure the normal operation of the community, buckland and his colleagues in the marketing department have to go to the enterprise to seek sponsorship.

The "Professional Woman of the Year Award" is an annual large-scale event of EPWS, including the "Female Entrepreneur of the Year" award. Now all the awards in this award are sponsored by enterprises. Dow Jones and HSBC are sponsors.

Rachel's unforgettable award-winning night also impressed the organizer of the award-winning party, Dow Jones Asia-Pacific public relations director J O E S P I T Z E R.

"We are willing to sponsor such a group because we appreciate the awards awarded by Shanghai Foreign Professional Women's Association for entrepreneurship, enterprise and social awareness. This is consistent with our corporate culture. " Joe spitter said.

This group of foreign professional women in Shanghai, in addition to their normal work, also actively participate in various charitable activities in Shanghai. In addition to volunteering for EPWS, Bachland also participated in a series of voluntary activities in Shanghai, such as supporting poor children to study and ensuring the health of poor people. Rachel is also an adviser to the board of directors of an animal protection organization.

EPWS will also hold large-scale charitable activities every year to expand the influence and credibility of foreign professional women in Shanghai, and on this basis, establish charitable funds for charitable donations.

"Most EPWS people are very satisfied with their work and life in Shanghai and like the life here full of challenges and unlimited opportunities. Huaihai Road and Maoming Road are the best choices for our social gatherings and shopping. "Bach said.

EPWS activities obviously conquered foreign men who also came to China. Joe Spiter said that when he came to work in China from the United States, he could also deeply understand the "depression" caused by the cultural differences between China and the West, which was even more difficult for women. These female professionals are proving themselves with actions.

Rachel has been to many other cities in the world. Before coming to Shanghai, she stayed in four other Asian countries for nearly ten years. Although the length of her stay in Shanghai was different, Shanghai gave her the urge to settle down.

Rachel now rents a $3,000 apartment. She says that she has invested her energy and investment in the company in recent years. She will buy a house in Shanghai next year.

"As a self-occupation and investment, I intend to become a new Shanghainese." Rachel said.