Persistence pays off

It was then that Yang decided to take a course on female entrepreneurship and business management as part of an adult education program run by Tsinghua University for three years.

To support her business and studies, she borrowed money from the banks and maxed out a dozen credit cards.

Yang rented a very small apartment for 300 yuan per month in Changsha and commuted between the Hunan capital and Beijing regularly to take the course at Tsinghua.

The course helped her broaden her horizons, and she also learned the basics of running a business, she said. In 2014, her business finally started making money, and she managed to repay all her debt a year later.

At the peak of her business, Yang employed more than 40 embroiders, some of whom were disabled. But the business took a hit after the onset of the COVID-19 epidemic in 2020, and now she has a smaller number of staff consisting of part-time employees.

Currently, some challenges remain. Xiang embroidery is still a relatively niche market and is enjoyed mostly by older people, she said.

Moreover, the skills and renown of embroiders have a significant impact on how many works they can sell, she said. She has also been trying hard to win awards at different exhibitions and competitions to promote her brand.

Tang Shujun, a former colleague of Yang's at the foreign company she worked for, joined her business seven years ago, and they have been running the shop together ever since.

Tang is trying to introduce more products to sell at the store, including Hunan tea and porcelain.

"There have been disagreements, but I know she has a good heart, so we can always work things out," Tang said. "No matter how she is treated by other people, she always treats others with kindness and love, and that's why I decided to stay with her."

Yang also never relies on the help of others, and she often carries her own works around, Tang added.