To make things convenient, Chen Lishu rented out another household in the same compound and found an apprentice for Yuan Lihua. This apprentice was none other than Xiao Cui from the orphanage.
Xiao Cui had been too old when she started school, barely managing two years, and could at least recognize some characters. Chen Lishu had her assist Yuan Lihua, so she could also learn a trade.
"Sister Chen," Xiao Cui said, seeing her arrive, and immediately got up to move a stool.
"Aunt Yuan, it's getting cold, so working might be inconvenient. I'll have Da Zhu deliver some coal briquettes for you."
The rented house wasn't as warm as her newly built one. If the indoor temperature was low, doing needlework would be arduous.
Yuan Lihua stopped her work and stood up, smiling. "You all are so thoughtful. Before Xiao Qi left, he specifically prepared some firewood. With you sending these, we'll likely have enough to last until the New Year."
"There are two rooms, warmth is the most important thing. Don't neglect yourselves. Lin Qi has gone to the neighboring province. If you need anything, just say the word, and I'll have Da Zhu deliver it."
As Chen Lishu spoke, her gaze fell on the garment she had just put down. It was an orange, mid-length, fitted cotton coat. The details were handled very well, and even by later generation standards, it was very beautiful.
The collar was adorned with the fur material Sun Wu had sent over some time ago. Although the quality wasn't particularly high, with Yuan Lihua's styling, the overall effect was quite impressive.
"Since you're here, two pieces are finished and can be taken to the shop to be sold."
Yuan Lihua said, returning to the room to retrieve the two finished coats. With Xiao Cui's help, she didn't have to get distracted by trivial matters, and it was much faster than before.
Chen Lishu chatted with her for a few more sentences before picking up the clothes and leaving with Wang Da Zhu.
"Da Zhu, I have something else to do. You take the clothes back to the shop first."
Wang Da Zhu nodded. "Sister-in-law, I'll be going then."
After watching him walk away, Chen Lishu boarded the bus and headed to the Administration for Industry and Commerce.
In Han Shengquan's office.
"Xiao Chen wants to register a trademark?"
Chen Lishu replied, "I'm just not very clear about the specific procedures, so I wanted to consult first. I'm not sure if my situation meets the requirements."
"Yes, it can be registered by a legal person, a natural person, or any other organization. Besides submitting the trademark application, you also need to design a logo for the application."
Then, Han Shengquan explained all the required materials and the application process in detail to Chen Lishu.
"Honestly, I never expected you to have this brand awareness. The number of people registering trademarks each year can be counted on one hand."
Chen Lishu smiled. "I just feel it will be more convenient to have my own brand. Besides making it easier for consumers to remember, it also offers more protection for the brand itself."
The clothing industry itself doesn't have much technical content. Once new products are released, it doesn't take long for many imitations to appear on the market. To avoid unnecessary trouble, Chen Lishu felt the sooner it was registered, the better.
"As expected of someone who has attended university. Many companies nationwide, including some quite famous products, don't even have this awareness yet."
Han Shengquan exclaimed, then added, "Prepare the materials and submit them tomorrow. It should be processed in about a week."
After thanking Han Shengquan, Chen Lishu returned to prepare the materials.
Trademarks require a design. Since it was for clothing, to make it easier for consumers to remember, Chen Lishu directly used the pinyin for 'Shu Se.'
The next day, she prepared all the materials and submitted them. A week later, she indeed received the trademark registration certificate, stamped by the State Administration for Industry and Commerce.
The size and style were somewhat similar to a property deed. After securing the certificate, she went to the State Cotton Mill.
It was already late October, and she needed to order another batch of cotton-padded clothes.
However, this time was different from the last. She planned to brand them with her own name, 'Shu Se' Apparel.
Although policies had improved, Chen Lishu still planned to postpone building a factory.
Building a factory not only required funds but also consideration for land, equipment, and personnel. Not to mention funds, she was already struggling with cash flow.
All the money from before had been used to purchase equipment from the construction company. The over ten thousand yuan on hand was the turnover from the three shops over the past few months.
In the county town, making ready-to-wear clothes involved not only material costs but also significant labor expenses. Furthermore, the production volume was not high, and quality control was prone to discrepancies.
Batch production could solve many problems, the most important being a significant increase in output.
With economic development, retail had flourished, but wholesalers were scarce. Chen Lishu believed this area held immense potential.
Although wholesale offered lower profits than retail, it allowed for small profits and high turnover, and was easier to manage.
"Xiao Chen is here? Please, have a seat." Manager Fu greeted her warmly upon seeing her arrival, even getting up to pour her a glass of hot water.
It was understandable. In the past two years, impacted by the southern apparel market and individual artisans, coupled with low worker motivation and slow updates of outdated styles, the State Cotton Mill's efficiency had been steadily declining.
Last year, when she took on Chen Lishu's order, the styles she provided were very novel. After the order was completed, the factory immediately produced another batch, which indeed sold well.
She had thought there would be no more business this year, but now that Chen Lishu had arrived, there was certainly going to be continued cooperation. Currently, Chen Lishu was seen as the hope for the factory's performance improvement, so how could he not be enthusiastic?
Chen Lishu was aware of the apparel factory using her designs for production. However, knowing it was one thing; there were too many similar-looking clothes in the market, and such things were unavoidable. The only thing she could do was seize the initiative.
"This year, I'd like to order two thousand padded jackets."
"Two thousand pieces?" Last year it was only a thousand, and this year it doubled!
"No problem," Manager Fu agreed readily. "For the styles, are you still providing the samples yourself?"
Chen Lishu nodded. "However, this year I have a requirement: my trademark needs to be added."
"Your trademark?"
As a factory leader, Manager Fu naturally understood what adding a trademark entailed, so his expression was somewhat displeased.
Chen Lishu was unconcerned and smiled. "Yes, I've already registered the trademark. If your factory is interested in my padded jacket designs in the future, we can discuss further cooperation."
Manager Fu's expression froze for a moment.
After a pause, he finally said, "May I ask what kind of cooperation you're referring to?"
"A one-time payment of copyright fees is acceptable, or we can negotiate a different price for this batch of padded jackets."
In any case, it was impossible to use her designs for free anymore.
"This isn't something I can decide alone; it requires a meeting to determine."
"That's fine too. However, it's already nearing November, and I'm rather anxious. If the delay is too long, I might not be able to wait..."
Before she could finish speaking, Manager Fu hurriedly said, "Leave me your phone number. We can finalize the decision today, and I'll call you back."