李嘉誠成功的英文故事作文
A. 李嘉誠的成功之路(從小經歷的困難挫折到成功)
這個是我整理的一個希望可以幫助到你 如果感覺不是很詳細可以去看看新世界出版社出版的《亞洲華人企業家傳奇》這本書的最後一章有他的全部成功經歷和困難挫折
「華人首富」李嘉誠 ——一張一弛,彰顯望著本色
1928年 7月 29日 (農歷六月十三 ),李嘉誠就出生在廣東省潮州城內北門街面線巷。李氏家族可以說是書香世家。李嘉誠的曾祖父李鵬萬曾是清朝每 12年甄選一次的文官八貢之一,在當地引起了不小的轟動,然而李家宅子前用於插貢旗的碑座,就是見證。
初到香港,飽嘗苦難 1940年冬天,李嘉誠和弟弟李嘉昭、妹妹李素娟,隨父母踏上艱難的旅程。歷經千辛萬苦,跋山涉水10多日,終於來到目的地香港。
李嘉誠一家寄住在舅父家。庄靜庵問了老家的近況,然後介紹香港的現狀。他勸姐夫不要著急,安心休息,逛逛香港的街市,再慢慢找工作。庄靜庵未提起讓姐夫李雲經上他的公司做職員,也許,庄靜庵認為李雲經輩份比他高,不便指使管理。庄靜庵在商言商,絕不把公司人事與親戚關系攪和在一起。
在香港這個商業社會,一切都顛倒過來,拜金主義盛行,錢財成為衡量人的價值的惟一標准。對李嘉誠來說,最困難的還是英語關。當時,李嘉誠在香港的中學念書,而港英政府推行殖民化教育,因此香港的中學,大都是英文教學。李嘉誠學英語,幾乎到了走火入魔的地步。
從煲茶仔到鍾表學徒
到香港的第二年,李嘉誠的父親就不幸病逝,那年他才15歲。為了幫助母親和撫養弟妹,李嘉誠忍痛告別學堂,踏上了打工謀生的道路。他的第一份工作就是在港島西營盤的「舂茗」茶樓,做煲茶的堂仔。按照茶樓規定,伙計必須在早上5點趕到茶樓,每天工作15個小時以上。這對一個十四五歲的少年來講,實在是太累了,但李嘉誠堅持了下來。他後來在談起當年的經歷時說:「我那時最大的希望,就是美美地睡3天3夜。」
從茶樓辭職,李嘉誠進了舅父的鍾表公司。在20世紀40年代,鍾表業是一項新興的高技術產業,就好比現在的IT一樣。李嘉誠早就有心在這個方面謀求發展,而且他舅舅庄靜庵正是當時香港鍾表業的佼佼者。李嘉誠之所以沒有立即進入舅舅的鍾錶行,就是因為他想向世人證明,他為舅父做事,不是在接受恩賜。
「塑膠花大王」 的美譽
李嘉誠在香港快人一步研製出塑膠花,填補了香港市場的空白。李嘉誠走物美價廉的銷售路線,大部分經銷商都非常爽快地按李嘉誠的報價簽訂供銷合約。有的為了買斷權益,主動提出預付50%訂金.掀起了香港消費新潮流,長江塑膠廠由默默無聞的小廠一下子蜚聲香港塑膠業界。
1957年歲尾,長江塑膠廠改名為長江工業有限公司。公司總部由新莆崗搬到北角,李嘉誠任董事長兼總經理。廠房分為兩處,一處仍生產塑膠玩具,另一處生產塑膠花。李嘉誠把塑膠花作為重點產品。塑膠花為李嘉誠帶來數千萬港元的盈利,長江廠成為世界最大的塑膠花生產廠家,李嘉誠塑膠花大王的美名,不僅蜚聲全港,還為世界的塑膠同行所側目。
擎天一指 馳騁地產股市間
塑膠花為李嘉誠掘得第一桶金,這不僅使他贏得了「塑膠花」大王稱號,也使他賺的盆滿缽滿。人類崇尚自然,而塑膠花無論如何都不能取代有生命的植物花。
李嘉誠挺進地產的原則是謹慎入市,穩健發展。具體做法就是不賣樓花,不貸款,不按揭,只租不售,有效地避開銀行擠提和地產危機。所謂賣樓花,就是一反原來地產商整棟售房或據以出租的做法,在樓宇尚未興建之前,就將其分層分單位預售,得到預付款就動工興建。
1971年 6月,李嘉誠正式成立了負責地產業務的「長江置業有限公司」,走上集中經營房地產業務的軌道。
1977年之前,李嘉誠只是不太出名的普通成功商人,1977年是他日後成為香港首富的分水嶺,1977年之後,李嘉誠成為一個大名人。在拍賣場上,李嘉誠舉手應價,被譽為「擎天一指」,在地產界舉足輕重。
文武之道 一張一弛
曾經有人問李嘉誠:「為什麼在眾多企業家輕易斷送一家企業的同時,你卻幾乎碰不到『天花板?』李嘉誠輕描淡寫地回答:「其實是很簡單的,我每天 90%以上的時間不是用來想今天的事情,而是想明年、五年、十年後的事情。」一個龐大的商業帝國,正是因為掌舵人有著如此長遠的眼光,才穩健地駛向前方。 古語有雲:「文武之道,一張一弛」。回顧李嘉誠過去走過的歷程,也確實如此。他是個從傳統文化氛圍中走出來的新型企業家,他能夠自覺或不自覺地剔其糟粕、取其精華,與現代商業文化有機地結合。這足以見證中華傳統文化對李嘉誠的巨大影響力!
B. 李嘉誠的成功故事五十字左右
李嘉誠,廣東潮安人,1928年7月出生於廣東潮洲市一個貧窮家庭,父親為教師。 李嘉誠童年過著艱苦的生活。14歲那年(1940年),正逢中國戰亂,他隨父母走難,逃往香港,投靠家境富裕的舅父庄靜庵,可惜不久父親因病去世。 身為長子的李嘉誠。
C. 李嘉誠的成功事跡
李嘉誠1928年出生於廣東潮州。1939年,日寇佔領潮州後,隨父母流落香港。12歲被迫輟學到社會謀生。17歲成為一個批發商的營業員,每天工作16小時,由於工作出色,18歲做經理,19歲成為總經理,22歲開始創業。1952年,李嘉誠開設長江塑料廠,製作塑料花;在60年代涉足地產,逐步成為地產大王,1972年長江實業上市,1979年收購英資和黃,成為首位收購英資商行的華人;1985年收購香港電燈集團;後又涉足能源和電訊公司。李嘉誠現在是全球最大的港口營運商,擁有亞洲最大零售集團屈臣氏,率先在歐洲推出3G手機業務。目前長江集團業務遍布全球50多個國家,雇員人數超過21萬名。集團在香港共有9家上市公司,總市值約為7、280億港元。和黃是(財富)全球500強之一。
建議下載一本電子書,不白活一回的人值得一讀。
D. 介紹李嘉誠的英語作文
Sir Ka-shing Li, GBM, KBE JP (simplified Chinese: 李嘉誠; traditional Chinese: 李嘉誠; pinyin: Lǐ Jiāchéng. he was born June 13, 1928[2][3]), is a wealthy businessman from Hong Kong. He is the richest person of Chinese descent in the world and the eleventh richest man in the world according to Forbes with an estimated wealth of US$26.5 billion on 5 March 2008.[4] Presently, he is the Chairman of Hutchison Whampoa Limited (HWL) and Cheung Kong Holdings; through them, he is the world's largest operator of container terminals and the world's largest health and beauty retailer.
Considered one of the most powerful figures in Asia, Li was named "Asia's Most Powerful Man" by Asiaweek in 2001. Forbes Magazine and the Forbes family honored Li Ka-shing with the first ever "Malcolm S. Forbes Lifetime Achievement Award" on September 5, 2006, in Singapore. In spite of his wealth, Li has a reputation for leading a no-frills lifestyle, and is known to wear simple black dress shoes and an inexpensive Seiko wristwatch. Li is also regarded as one of Asia's most generous philanthropists, donating over US$1 billion to date to charity and other various philanthropic causes.
Li is often referred to as "Superman" in Hong Kong because of his business prowess. His peers in Hong Kong include Lee Shau Kee of the Henderson Land Development, New World Development's Cheng Yu-tung, Kwok family of Sun Hung Kai Properties, and Henry Fok Ying-tung, among others.
Li Ka-shing was born in Chaozhou in the Guangdong Province, China in 1928. In 1940 the Li family fled to Hong Kong to avoid the turmoils in China.[8] Li's family stayed at the home of his wealthy uncle. The arrogance of Li's uncle with his immense wealth ignited Li's determination to make a place for himself in the world
E. 關於李嘉誠成功的作文600字
李嘉誠經過幾年生活磨礪之後,逐漸成熟了起來。干推銷工作的這段時間雖取得了一定的成功,便畢竟只是一名高級"打工仔",而他所管理的塑膠企業、塑膠公司的財產畢竟是董事長的,失敗的最終承擔者也只有董事長本人。企業的成敗都與李嘉誠的關系不大,這使十分渴望向社會證明自身價值的李嘉誠下定決心要自立門戶。因此無論老闆怎樣賞識,再三挽留,他都決意要離開,他要用自己平日點滴的積蓄從零開始,自己來親自創業。
1950年夏天,說干就乾的李嘉誠以自己多年的積蓄和向親友籌借的五萬港元在筲箕灣租了一間廠房,創辦了"長江塑膠廠",專門生產塑膠玩具和簡單日用品,由此起步,開始了他叱吒風雲的創業之路。
在創業最初的一段時期,李嘉誠憑著自己的商業頭腦,以"待人以誠,執事以信"的商業准則發了幾筆小財。但不久之後,一段慘淡經營期來臨了。幾次小小的成功,使得年輕且經驗不足的李嘉誠忽略了商戰中變幻莫測的特點,他開始過於自信了。幾次成功以後,他就急切地去擴大他那資金不足、設備簡陋的塑膠企業,於是資金開始周轉不靈,工廠虧損愈來愈重。過快的擴張,承接訂單過多,加之簡陋的設備和人手不足,極大影響了塑膠產品的質量,迫在眉睫的交貨期使重視質量的李嘉誠也無暇顧及愈來愈嚴重的次品現象。於是,倉庫開始堆滿了因質量問題和交貨的延誤而退回來的產品,塑膠原料商開始上門催繳原料費,客戶也紛紛上門尋找一切借口要求索賠。
從做生意開始就以誠實從商、穩重做人處世的李嘉誠付出的代價是很慘重的。這種代價幾乎將李嘉誠置於瀕臨破產的境地。
這段時間,痛苦不堪的李嘉誠每天睜著布滿血絲的雙皮眼,忙著應付不斷上門催還貸款的銀行職員,應付不斷上門威逼他還甭原料費的原料商,應付不斷上門連打帶鬧要求索賠的客戶,以及拖家帶口上門哭哭鬧鬧、尋死覓活要求按時發放工資的工人們。充滿必須信心的李嘉誠做夢也沒有想到,在他獨自創業的最初幾年裡初嘗成功的喜悅後,隨之而來的卻是滅頂之災。1950年到1955年的這段沉浮歲月,直到今日,李嘉誠回想起來都有心有餘悸的感覺。這是李嘉誠創業史上最為悲壯的一頁,它沉痛地記錄了李嘉誠摸爬滾打於暴雨泥濘之中的艱難歷程,它用慘重的失敗反映李嘉誠成功之路的坎坷不平和最為心痛的一段際遇。
失敗其實並不是重要的,最重要的是失敗之後是否仍有信心,能否繼續保持或者擁有清醒的頭腦。像任何身處逆境的人一樣,李嘉誠經過一連串痛定思痛的磨難後,開始冷靜分析國際經濟形勢變化,分析市場走向。在種類繁多的塑膠產品中,李嘉誠所生產的塑膠玩具在國際市場上已經趨於飽和狀態了,似乎已經沒有足夠的生存能力。那麼意味著他必須重新選擇一種能救活企業、在國際市場中具有競爭力的產品,從而實現他塑膠廠的"轉軌"。
一天深夜,李嘉誠自修完當天的功課後,仍象平日一
F. 李嘉誠成功的所有秘訣用英語稱述
四個字貫通李嘉誠成功的所有秘訣=盡力堅持,英語稱為:Extreme efforts with insistence.
G. 求李嘉誠英文簡介,一百字左右,別太長,謝謝
李嘉誠 統領長江實業、和黃集團、香港電燈、長江基建等集團公司,全球華人首富,全世界華人最成功的企業家。十四歲投身商界,22歲正式創業,半個世紀的奮斗始終以"超越"為主題:從超越平凡起跑;為超越對手努力;達到巔峰,超越巔峰;實現自我,超越自我,於是世人稱之為"超人"。李嘉誠不僅是創業精英、商界巨頭,而且在其創業發展路上,並購多家公司。可以說,李創業之路就是一條並購之路,其創業和壯大與兼並和收購其它公司企業分不開。李嘉誠的並購之路同其人生經歷、創業經歷一樣倍受世人關注。
艱辛與成功的創業經歷
1928年7月29日,李嘉誠先生誕生於廣東省潮州潮安縣。1940年,隨父母到香港定居。1943年冬其父辭世,至此少年李嘉誠開始了學徒、工人、塑膠廠推銷員的生活。 1948年,20歲的他就開始在新蒲崗擔任了一家塑膠廠的業務經理、總經理。1950年,在筲箕灣創立了長江塑膠廠。1957年,在北角創立了長江工業有限公司,發展塑膠花、玩具生產等。1958年,1960年先後在北角、柴灣建造了兩座工業大廈。 1972年9月31日,李嘉誠創建了長江實業有限公司,11月1日,"長實"股票在香港證券交易所、遠東交易所、金銀證券交易所掛牌上市,並相繼在倫敦(1973年)、加拿大的溫哥華(1974年6月)掛牌上市。1974年5月,與加拿大帝國商業銀行聯組恰東財務有限公司。
1985年5月15日,李嘉誠出任匯豐銀行董事局非執行副董事長。1986年,長實集團名列香港十大財團首富,李嘉誠旗下四大公司上市值佔香港上市總值13.57%。1990年4月7日,李嘉誠旗下的"和黃"與"中信"、英國大東電報局合作投資的"亞洲衛星一號",由中國"長征3號"運載火箭,成功地送入東南亞上空的同步軌道。到1991年間,"長實"系財團已發展成為有重要國際地位和重大影響的跨國多元化企業集團,擁有1200多億港元資產,比1986年增加兩倍半。
"超人"美譽與並購經歷
叱吒香江,縱橫海外,李嘉誠這個神奇的名字,今天已是'成功'與'奇跡'的代名詞:他統領著長江實業、和黃集團、香港電燈、長江基建等四家上市公司,業務遍及各行各業,如地產、港口貨運、超級市場、基建、電訊、酒店、保險、水泥、電力、網路等等,形成一個逾萬億資產的跨國企業帝國。而李嘉誠本人也榮列世界富豪榜第10位,成為有史以來華人最傑出的企業家之一。
Li Ka-shing guide Cheung Kong Holdings, Hutchison Whampoa Group, the Hong Kong Electric, Cheung Kong Infrastructure, such as Corporation, the world's richest Chinese, Chinese all over the world's most successful entrepreneurs. Fourteen-year-old to get into the business, 22-year-old official business, half a century and always strive to "Beyond" as its theme: starting from beyond the Ordinary; efforts to stay ahead of the competition; peaked beyond the peak; achieve self, beyond self, so the people of the world called as "Superman." Li Ka-shing is not only the elite entrepreneurs, business magnates, but also on the road in its business development, mergers and acquisitions of companies. It can be said that Lee is pioneering the road of the road to a merger, the business and grow with mergers and acquisitions can not be separated from other companies. Li Ka-shing, M & A road with their life experience, entrepreneurial experience, as much attention around the world.
Hardships and success of entrepreneurial experience
July 29, 1928, Mr. Li Ka-shing was born in Guangdong Province, Chaozhou ChaoAn. In 1940, with his parents to settle in Hong Kong. Winter his father died in 1943, bringing the juvenile Li Ka-shing started apprentices, workers, salesmen plastics plant life. 1948, 20-year-old he would start in San Po Kong as a plastics factory, the business manager, general manager. In 1950, the Yangtze River in Shau Kei Wan founded the plastics factory. In 1957, the creation of the Yangtze River at the North Point Instrial Co., Ltd., the development of plastic flowers, toys proction. 1958, 1960 took place in North Point, Chai Wan built two instrial buildings. September 31, 1972, Li Ka-shing, Cheung Kong Holdings Ltd. founded, November 1, "Cheung Kong" shares at the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, the Far East Stock Exchange, the Kam Ngan Stock Exchange listing, and one after another in London (1973), Canada Vancouver (June 1974) listing. May 1974, with Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Alliance Group Health East Finance Company Limited.
May 15, 1985, Li Ka-shing, the Hong Kong Bank as non-executive vice chairman of the board of directors. In 1986, the Cheung Kong Group, the consortium ranked the top ten richest man in Hong Kong, Li Ka-shing's listed value of the four companies listed in Hong Kong accounted for 13.57% of gross. April 7, 1990, Li Ka-shing's "and yellow" and "CITIC", British Cable and Wireless co-investment "Asian satellite", by China's "Long 3" carrier rocket has successfully placed over Southeast Asia the synchronous orbit. To 1991, "Cheung Kong" Department of the consortium has developed into an important international status and has a significant impact on the diversification of transnational enterprise groups, with more than 1200 billion in assets, more than two and a half times increase in 1986.
"Superman" reputation and M & A experience
叱吒Hong Kong and overseas Chinese, Li Ka-shing, the magic name, today is' success' and 'miracle' of the pronoun: him command of Cheung Kong Holdings, Hutchison Whampoa Group, the Hong Kong Electric, Cheung Kong Infrastructure and three other listed companies, has operations in each of the instry, such as real estate, port cargo, supermarkets, infrastructure, telecommunications, hotels, insurance, cement, power, network and so on, forming a more than trillion of assets multinational empire. Rong and Li Ka-shing himself out world No. 10 Rich List has become the history of the most outstanding Chinese entrepreneurs.
H. 李嘉誠的資料,英文的~
官方簡介:
Mr. Li Ka-shing
Mr. Li Ka-shing is the Chairman of Cheung Kong (Holdings) Limited and Hutchison Whampoa Limited. Cheung Kong (Holdings) Limited is the flagship of the Cheung Kong Group which has business operations in 56 countries around the world and employs around 240,000 staff. In Hong Kong alone, the Group includes eleven listed companies with a combined market capitalization of approximately HK$827 billion. Hutchison Whampoa Limited is a Fortune Global 500 company.
Born in 1928 in Chiu Chow, a coastal city in the southeastern part of China, Mr. Li fled to Hong Kong with his family to avoid the perils of war. His father suffered from tuberculosis and passed away in Hong Kong. Shouldering the responsibility of looking after the livelihood of the family, Mr. Li was forced to leave school before the age of 15 and found a job in a plastics trading company where he labored 16 hours a day. By 1950, his hard work, prudence and his pursuit of excellence had enabled him to start his own company, Cheung Kong Instries. From manufacturing plastics, Mr. Li led and developed his company into a leading real estate investment company in Hong Kong that was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 1972. Cheung Kong continued to expand by acquiring Hutchison Whampoa and Hongkong Electric Holdings Limited in 1979 and 1985 respectively.
Based in Hong Kong, the Cheung Kong Group's businesses encompass such diverse areas as property development and investment, real estate agency and estate management, hotels, telecommunications and e-commerce, finance and investments, retail, ports and related services, energy, infrastructure projects and materials, media, and biotechnology. Mr. Li is a strong believer in synergy—the power of combined efforts. This belief is reflected in his naming his company Cheung Kong Holdings after the Yangtze River that flows through China, a great river that aggregates countless streams and tributaries. The Times in the United Kingdom and Ernst & Young UK jointly named Mr. Li as the Entrepreneur of the Millennium at the turn of the century.
Mr. Li believes that an equitable society can only be achieved if each and every indivial is ready and willing to do his or her part. In 1980, Mr. Li set up a charitable foundation with a mission to nurture "a culture of giving" in our society. The Li Ka Shing Foundation focuses on a two-pronged approach: capacity empowerment through ecation, and the building of a caring society through medical and healthcare related projects. To date, the Li Ka Shing Foundation and other private charitable Foundations established by Mr. Li have supported numerous charitable activities with grants, sponsorships and commitments of HK$8.3 billion.
Mr. Li also founded Shantou University in 1981 in Shantou, China, to engineer reforms in China's ecation system. Shantou University has nine colleges including a medical college with five affiliated hospitals. With students enrolling from all parts of China, the university has approximately 6,500 undergraate and 1,500 graate students.
In recognition of his philanthropic efforts and his contributions to society, Mr. Li has received Honorary Doctorates from the University of Cambridge, the University of Calgary in Canada, Peking University, and the University of Hong Kong, among others. Mr. Li, a Justice of the Peace, has also received the Grand Officer of the Order Vasco Nunez de Balboa from Panama, The Commander in the Leopold Order from Belgium, Knight (Commander of the Order) of the British Empire, and the Grand Bauhinia Medal of Hong Kong. More recently, in January 2005, Mr. Li received the Commandeur de la Légion d'Honneur from the French Government.
Mr. Li has two sons. The elder son, Victor, now serves as Managing Director and Deputy Chairman of Cheung Kong (Holdings) Limited, Deputy Chairman of Hutchison Whampoa Limited, and Chairman of Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings Limited and CK Life Sciences international (Holdings) Inc. Mr. Li's younger son, Richard, is Chairman of PCCW, one of Asia's leading information technology and telecommunications companies.
I. 李嘉誠的英文介紹
Li ka-shing, han nationality, was born in chaoan county, chaozhou city, guangdong province, and his ancestral home is putian city, fujian province.
(李嘉誠,漢族,出生於廣東潮州潮安縣,祖籍福建莆田。)
Cheung kong hutchison instrial limited and cheung kong instrial group limited senior consultant.
(長江和記實業有限公司及長江實業集團有限公司資深顧問。)
It has been Hong Kong's richest man for 21 consecutive years and the richest Chinese for 15 consecutive years since 1999.
(連續21年蟬聯香港首富,1999年始連續15年華人首富。)
June 1939, just read junior high school li ka-shing and his family in Hong Kong, the family sojourn in uncle zhuang jing nunnery's home.
(1939年6月,剛讀初中的李嘉誠在與家人輾轉到香港,一家人寄居在舅父庄靜庵的家裡。)
In 1979, hutchison whampoa became the first Chinese to buy an established British firm.
(1979年購入老牌英資商行「和記黃埔」,成為首位收購英資商行的華人。)
(9)李嘉誠成功的英文故事作文擴展閱讀
李嘉誠人物生平:
1950年,年僅22歲的李嘉誠用平時省吃儉用積蓄的7000美元在筲箕灣創辦長江塑膠廠。「長江」取意於「長江不擇細流,故能浩盪萬里」。
1958年,李嘉誠在港島北角建起了第一幢工業大廈,興建一幢12層高廠廈,正式介入地產市場;1960年,又在柴灣興建了第二幢工業大廈,李嘉誠的事業迅速走向輝煌。
2010年7月30日,亞洲首富李嘉誠旗下的長江基建、港燈、李嘉誠基金會有限公司及李嘉誠(海外)基金會,以57.75億英鎊競購法國電力集團旗下部分英國電網業務。
J. 尋李嘉誠的成功故事 要英漢雙語的
從推銷員到總經理「一個有信用的人,比起一個沒有信用、懶散、亂花錢、不求上進的人,自必有更多機會。」這是李嘉誠給年輕人的忠告,同時也是他的座右銘。
一九四○年日軍侵華,李嘉誠隨父母從家鄉潮州逃難到香港,當時他才十四歲。李嘉誠的父親本為教師,到香港後一時找不到工作,舉家投靠家境頗為富裕的舅父庄靜庵。可是不久父親就患上了嚴重的肺病,臨終時,他沒有交代什麼遺言,反而問李嘉誠有什麼願望。李嘉誠當即承諾:「日後一定會令家人有好日子過。」
父親病逝後,作為長子的李嘉誠為養家糊口放棄學業,去一家鍾表公司打工,之後又到一家塑膠廠當推銷員。李嘉誠深知,要想成為一個出色的推銷員,首要是勤奮,其次是頭腦靈活。在日後的推銷生涯中,李嘉誠便充分發揮了這等「竅門」。當其他同事每天只工作八小時的時候,李嘉誠就工作十六個小時,天天如是。李嘉誠對「打工」的看法是:「對自己的分內工作,我絕對全情投入。從不把它視為賺錢糊口,向老闆交差了事,而是將之當作是自己的事業。」就這樣,李嘉誠只花了一年時間,業績便超越其他六位同事,成為全廠營業額最高的推銷員。他當時的銷售成績,是第二名的七倍。十八歲的他受到老闆的賞識,被擢升為部門經理。一年後,他當上了銷售公司總經理。李嘉誠的快速擢升還有一段插曲:他在廠里當銷售員時,再忙也要到夜校進修。他在會考合格後打算去讀大學,老闆為挽留這個人才,便索性把他提升到總經理的崗位上了。
「長江」最初的風波
經過這短短一役,李嘉誠開始估量自己的實力,他相信若自立門戶,成績可能更好。一九五○年,二十二歲的李嘉誠終於辭去總經理一職,嘗試創業。當時,李嘉誠的資金十分有限,兩年多來的積蓄僅有七千港元,實不足以設廠。他向叔父李奕及堂弟李澍霖借了四萬多元,再加上自己的積蓄,總共五萬余港元資本,在港島的皇後大道西,開設了一家生產塑膠玩具及家庭用品的工廠,並取荀子《勸學篇》中「不積小流,無以成江海」之意,將廠名定為「長江」。
起初,李嘉誠只知不停地接訂單及出貨,忽略了質量控制,致使產品愈來愈粗劣。結果不是延誤了交貨時間,就是引起退貨並要賠償,工廠收入頓時急跌。加上原料商紛紛上門要求結賬還錢,銀行又不斷催還貸款,「長江」被逼到破產的邊緣。這使李嘉誠明白自己實在是操之過急,低估了當老闆的風險。
如何才能挽救絕境中的長江塑膠廠?李嘉誠靠的還是「信義」二字——與客戶有信,與員工有義。他召集員工大會,坦言自己在經營上的失誤,衷心向留在廠里的所有員工道歉,同時還保證,一旦工廠可以度過這段非常時期,隨時歡迎被辭退的工人回來上班。之後,李嘉誠穿梭於眾多銀行、原料供應商及客戶之間,逐一賠罪道歉,請求他們放寬還款期限,同時拼盡全力,為貨品找尋客戶,用蝕本價將次貨出售,籌錢來購買塑膠材料和添置生產機器。到一九五五年,高築的債台終於拆掉,業務漸入佳境,沒多久還開設了分廠。
一九五七年初的一天,李嘉誠閱讀新一期的英文版《塑膠》雜志,偶然看到一小段消息,說義大利一家公司利用塑膠原料製造塑膠花,全面傾銷歐美市常這給了李嘉誠很大靈感。他敏銳地意識到,這類價廉物美的裝飾品有著極大的市場潛力,而香港有大量廉價勤快的勞工正好用來從事塑膠花生產。他預測塑膠花也會在香港流行。李嘉誠抓緊時機,親自帶人赴義大利的塑膠廠去「學藝」,在引入塑膠花生產技術的同時,還特意引入外國的管理方法。返港後,他把「長江塑膠廠」改名為「長江工業有限公司」,積極擴充廠房,爭取海外買家的合約。
在「長江」的客戶中,有個美籍猶太人馬素曾訂了一批塑膠產品,打算運到美國銷售,後來不知何故臨時取消合同。李嘉誠並沒有要求賠償,他對馬素說:「日後若有其他生意,我們還可以建立更好的關系。」馬素深感這位寬厚的年輕的創業者,是個可做大事的人,於是不斷向美國的行家推銷「長江」的產品。自此,美洲訂單如雪片般飛來。李嘉誠由此進一步感悟「吃虧是福」的道理。