[GDUFSers in entrepreneurship] GDOES, a start-up team making creative products

China is now at the corner of transformation. In this situation, Prime Minister LI Keqiang came up with the idea of entrepreneurship and innovation by all, along with supporting policies. With the Prime Minster's encouragement and these policies, many start-up teams have emerged. Here in GDUFS, we interviewed a member from a start-up team called GDOES. His name is ZHOU Jielu, a senior student in the School of English for International Business.

ZHOU introduced his team to us.

The team primarily designs souvenirs of GDUFS, including postcards, Guangzhou Transportation Cards, T-shirts, badges and straps, which are popular among students.

Postcards of GDUFS made by GODES

Though they are very successful now, the path was not always smooth for them. The team of nine, which was founded in 2014, has encountered many difficulties as well.

Funding was their first problem; no one can run a business without money, and either can they. With limited funding, they could only make one batch of products first, then made the next batch of them using the profits gained from the sales of the prior batch.

Then came the problem of the balance between work and personal affairs. Everyone in the team has their own business: some want to study abroad, some want to take part in the postgraduate entrance exam and some want to be interns in companies. So it’s very hard to find time for the work in the team, but they have managed to cope with the problem and made various products full of creativity.

The three founders of GDOES

Decision making was also not an easy process. With different personalities among the directors, two of them often had disagreements, and sometimes the argument even became fierce, but the third one was always there to analyse the problem and calm them down.” A triangle is the shape of the best stability,” ZHOU said.

These barriers weren’t the only things on their path of entrepreneurship; there are also some delightful things.

Last year, GDOES joined the GDUFS Cultural Innovation Limited Company, which made it possible for GDOES to be more dynamic. The company not only helped GDOES receive more resources from alumni in Foshan, Dongguan and even in the United States, but also helped save manpower and financial resources. Now as the only innovative team authorized by GDUFS officially, and having succeeded in applying for a business license to be an independent company, GDOES has strongly developed in an innovative way.

When asked about their future plan, ZHOU said that they’ll first and foremost respect the lives of each other. And then they’ll consider launching new products if possible. Given that they are now senior undergraduates, they’ll probably recruit new blood and offer them more opportunities on the basis of old members’ experience. He said that they think it is the best way to repay GDUFS.

When it comes to sharing experience and giving advice concerning entrepreneurship, ZHOU said that not all people are suitable to starting up a business. If undergraduates want to have a try, they should take every crucial factor into account. They should have a united team, which includes someone who is skilled in finance or public relations, or someone who always has brilliant ideas. Additionally, they ought to pay persistent efforts during the tough period.

Members of GDOES

Looking back to the past, GDOES was just an ordinary team initially, but with their passion, intelligence, and willpower, they created such an amazing concept.

Perhaps what we learned from GDOES is not only how to start up business, but most significantly a positive outlook on life, which leads us to overcome numerous difficulties bravely, to be confronted with various choices prudently, and to live meaningfully.