A $5,000 curtain accessories order that became a million-dollar deal(Part 1)

The $5,000 Order That Changed Everything

Twenty years ago, when I first started in the curtain accessories business, I landed my biggest order. Can you guess how much it was?

Let me take you back to 2005, when I was just getting started in this industry.

When I first entered the curtain accessories business, I began with wooden curtain rods. Our company started from components – wooden ones specifically, because back then the main markets were in Europe and America, and wood was what they wanted.

I decided to invest everything I had into a trade show booth. And I mean everything. I spent 100,000 RMB on half a booth space. To put that in perspective, in 2005, that was enough money to buy an entire apartment. I didn’t dare tell my family what I’d done. I had just bought my own apartment for 90,000 RMB the year before, and here I was, spending even more on a gamble.

But that small booth? It was worth its weight in gold.

During that first trade show, a visitor from South Africa stopped at my booth. He was the owner of a curtain company, and when he saw our wooden rod products and components, something clicked. He took some samples – just a few small wooden rods and fittings – and asked me to review his requirements.

I looked at his specifications carefully. The order volume seemed substantial, and I could tell this wasn’t just any customer. So I did my homework. I researched his company thoroughly and discovered he was running a very professional operation with a British brand. They had a strong presence in the local South African market.

The trade show was in October. By December, after about two months of back-and-forth with samples and negotiations, we closed the deal.

The first order? $5,000.

You might think that’s nothing. But here’s the thing about first orders – no customer is going to place a massive order with an unknown supplier. This was a trial order, a test. Could we deliver the quality? Could we meet their packaging requirements? Could we handle their specifications?

For them, it was due diligence. For me, it was an opportunity to prove ourselves.

And we did.