ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN CHINA: SERVICE WITH A SMILE

Arete students were treated to an audience with Rachel Zhang, the Founder and Managing Director of Vanmax Oral Care, who shared the story of her inspirational journey and her perspectives on China's burgeoning domestic market and associated import business opportunities.

​

Rachel, who is known across Chinese social media as Toothpaste Sister (牙膏姐姐), told a captivated audience of how she started out working in publishing for trade magazines in the healthcare industry. Through her work, Rachel was able to get to know various Chinese and international companies supplying products to clinics worldwide and through a natural interest began to get to know which were the superior products. She realised that there was a big quality gap between the leading foreign oral care products and those available in the dental clinics of her clients in China yet she could see that there was both a need, and increasing demand for, better oral care options.

​

Taking a risk, Rachel borrowed a modest amount of startup capital and immediately bought a flight to Europe where she met with the senior management team of dental pharma company and persuaded the Managing Director to give her an exclusive license to distribute their products in China. Returning to China, Rachel spoke to students about the colossal task of learning on her feet about the import industry, customs and excise, shipping, storage, logistics and developing sales and marketing activities with dental clinics across China. In particular, Rachel's successful use of Chinese social media, e-commerce platforms and online influencers was of great interest to many students considering careers in business, marketing and data analytics. 

​

Rachel went on to talk about the wider opportunities emerging from China's growing domestic market in the context of global economic trends before fielding questions from an enthusiastic audience.

​

The event was followed by networking over a supper of Brazilian BBQ - toothpicks and dental floss were supplied. 

​

To follow Rachel and Vanmax on Wechat scan here:

​

​

​

​

​