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number of transactions my father’s business handled daily. I watched the bustle as my dad and
his colleague picked up ringing phones, talked with in-store customers, and hastily wrote down
orders. The place wasn’t big or luxurious, but it was efficient; people came in looking for
furniture and went home with what they wanted. This was my family’s furniture store.
On days I did not have school or activities, I would commute with my dad in the morning
to help out at his store: I loaded the delivery truck with customer orders and prepared the store
for opening. Throughout the day, I picked up phone calls and translated customer orders from
English to Mandarin for my dad, and before closing, we waited for our delivery truck to return to
collect invoices. I learned how to talk to customers and how to confirm their orders.. I learned
that talking to customers can be either enjoyable or painful. Maintaining a friendly and
professional customer interaction was a top priority, and whenever I needed help dealing with
customers, my dad’s colleague was there to mentor me. I learned more about the customer
inquiries while also gaining experience with bargaining tactics. I also learned to proficiently sell
a wide range of furniture. While my responsibilities were increasing, my dad asked me to create
knew it was a big task to accept. To me, it was like my dad passing the torch to run his business;
it was him treating me as an adult. The website put a lot of pressure on me because I was the
only creator, and I was scared of disappointing both my dad and his colleagues.
Looking back, that was the moment when I was truly immersed in the world of business.
Working on an E-commerce website felt like speaking a foreign language. I quickly learned all
the serial numbers of the furniture and different types of material used, as well as the prices and
sizes of each piece of furniture. Doing so, I developed and implemented an interactive shop on
our website, giving the customer convenience in ordering and picking up from home. This was
especially important when COVID-19 hit and all businesses were closed for a period of time:
As I mastered this foreign language, not only did I learn more about creating a website
but I also gained more insight into my dad’s business. Learning more about inventory,
bargaining, and finances, I never knew that my dad was so multifaceted. Moving here from
China and knowing minimal English, he ran a successful business while balancing family and
social responsibilities. With my dad being the sole provider of the family, the website I created
mitigated his burden and shouldered some of the weight he had been carrying.
The experience of working for a business and creating a website was eye-opening to me.
It made me realize that I want to enter the business field and spend more time with my family.
While working there, it felt like my dad was allowing me to experience something that I would
never have in school. I helped optimize sales and operational efficiency through innovative
thinking and achieved a new means to market our products. These skills have opened more doors
in other aspects of my life, and I intend to study economics and business as I continue to pave