Why did you quit your job at Capital Steel?
I joined the state-owned enterprise in 1988 but widespread institutional restructuring was carried out in the late 1990s to bring things in line with World Trade Organisation rules. I was then transferred to the domestic trade division but the chain of debt in the industry became a tumour in our business. Our department head took the hard decision to shrink the payroll, opting to fire the first batch of employees in 2004, and the other group in 2006. I refused to be dumped so I quit to see what I could do without an iron rice bowl.
How does an unemployed worker nearing 40 look for a job?
I was rejected time and again. I shuttled on my bike between job fairs across Beijing. At first I tried my best to keep the loss of my job from my father, who was in his 70s, in case he worried about me and my family. But I gave myself away by frequently going home early. He was shocked at the news but that didn't last long. One day he told me, 'Risk comes before opportunity'. Given that I was 39, I couldn't start a career like a rookie and so I was not looking for labour jobs with a monthly salary of 1,000 yuan. I didn't have any special skills to fit demanding vacancies and all of the general openings preferred younger candidates with better education. Some old friends invited me to join their mining businesses far from here but my insistence on staying in Beijing dimmed my job prospects.
When was the turning point?
September 8, 2004. It is a date I shall never forget. The local social security department arranged for a group of people like me to visit a Small Business Entrepreneurship Programme Fair on the corner of the Third Ring Road. That's where I saw some waterless car wash products and I instantly knew it was bound to be good for business and the environment for several reasons: Beijing is facing an increasingly serious water shortage; the waterless method is quicker and more flexible than the traditional approach; one skilled worker and one set of products are all you need; it has government support so it was easier to get approval, and about 1,000 new cars hit the road every day in the city.
