Ding Jiaojiao shows dumplings produced by her own company. [youth.cn]

Ding Jiaojiao, a 25-year-old woman from the eastern province of Anhui, has started a food company that enjoys market share in multiple big cities with an annual output of over 10 million yuan (U.S. $1.5 million).

After graduating from college in 2011, Ding worked at a company in Shanghai, earning over 3,000 yuan (U.S. $460) a month. Cozy as it was, the life of a white-collar worker failed to give her the chance to fully tap into her potential.

Thinking over and over again, she found that it might be of more significance for her to start her own business back in her hometown, rather than work for others.

Supported by her parents, luckily for her, Ding returned to her native township Gongling in southwestern Anhui, and began running a dumpling company in 2012.

After registering her own brand, Green Valley, and starting large-scale production, Ding and her parents toiled around to promote their products.  Within six months, their efforts paid off and the company was put onto the track of smooth development.

So far, Ding has invested over 6 million yuan (U.S. $910,000) into the start-up, and provided jobs to some 40 villagers.

Her dumplings reached a sales value of over 100,000 yuan (U.S. $15,000) last Spring Festival at a single local supermarket, almost the total value of other brands.

With the initial success, Ding worked on to open chain stores in Hefei, Shanghai and other big cities.

To further expand production, she embarked on drawing on the strengths of some leading dumpling producers and bringing out new products. Her company now produces over a dozen different varieties.

"I spent over 3 million yuan (U.S. $460,000) buying advanced quick-freezers and other devices. And our sales outlets have multiplied to over 100 in multiple regions. The sales value also doubled," said Ding, full of confidence in the future of her business.

(Source: youth.cn/Translated and edited by Women of China)

Editor: Eileen Cheng