A 12-year-old girl from China has captured attention for her entrepreneurial skills after using her savings to buy a stationery shop and run it like a full-fledged business.
From savings to startup
Li Yue, from Jiangxi province, reportedly received over 44,000 yuan (around ₹5.9 lakh) in gift money during the Spring Festival. Instead of saving it in a bank, she chose to invest it, citing low interest rates.
While returning home, she spotted a stationery shop up for sale and decided to purchase it despite concerns from her mother about potential losses.
Young boss, real decisions
Li took charge of the business operations, from stocking products to negotiating with suppliers and setting prices. After school resumed, she hired her mother to manage daily operations, offering a monthly salary of 3,000 yuan.
Her routine included opening the shop before school, studying there after classes, and assisting with operations until evening.
Smart strategies drive sales
When the shop saw a drop in revenue, Li introduced bold pricing strategies. She reduced prices significantly, selling small items at one yuan and cutting prices of higher-value products by up to 50 percent.
Her approach quickly attracted more customers, helping recover her initial investment.
She also used artificial intelligence tools to manage bookkeeping and maintain a visual ledger, showing a strong grasp of modern business practices.
Pivoting the business
Realising the shop was taking too much of her time, Li later shifted the business model from stationery to food. She began selling items like sausages, juice and cold drinks after investing in new equipment.
“I want to be a boss with a conscience,” she said, adding that she personally checks product quality before selling.
Debate over early entrepreneurship
The story has sparked mixed reactions online. While many praised her confidence and business sense, others raised concerns about children entering business too early and missing out on education and childhood experiences.
Her mother, however, believes the experience offers practical learning. “It’s like opening a business school for her,” she said, while also noting that the venture would be stopped if it affects Li’s studies.