Hi, welcome to my entrepreneurial story.
I’m Mia, founder of Miya Fashion Bags. In this post, I want to share why I started this business, what I’ve learned, what challenges I faced, and what I love most about this industry.
Why I started this business?
Before starting my own business, I worked as a foreign trade salesperson in the bag industry. But my story goes back even further — to my sophomore year in college, when I started working as an interpreter at the Canton Fair.
I still remember the 106th session: seeing buyers from all over the world traveling thousands of miles to source products in China. That scene planted a seed deep inside me.
I’ve always had a strong interest in fashion products. At the same time, I didn’t want a life of punching in and out, with no freedom. I wanted more control over my own time and decisions. I had my own ideas about products, and I wanted to bring them to life.
Also, my extended family has always been in business. Growing up in that environment, I absorbed the mindset naturally — it just felt right that one day I would have my own business too.
So finally, I took the leap.
What did I learn from this business?
Entrepreneurship is a test of comprehensive abilities – and it comes with significant risk and immense pressure. There are no guaranteed paychecks, no sick days, no one to fall back on. Every decision – from material sourcing to quality control to cash flow – rests on your shoulders. The pressure can be overwhelming at times, but it also forces you to grow faster than any job ever could.
I’ve learned that success in this industry requires:
Deep product knowledge – from leather types to stitching details.
Strong supply chain relationships – hardware, raw materials, trims, webbing – everything must come together seamlessly.
Factory collaboration – we have to think like a factory: sourcing efficiently, keeping quality stable, and setting clear quality inspection standards.
Customer-centric service – developing samples on time, communicating clearly, and solving problems fast.
Trend awareness – every season brings new colors, shapes, and materials. If you don’t follow trends, you fall behind.
But above all, I’ve learned that risk and pressure are not just obstacles – they are the price of freedom and the fuel for real growth.
How I started? And what’s the biggest challenge I met?
As an old Chinese saying goes: “Everything is hard in the beginning.”
When I first started, the biggest question was: where do I find customers? I began sharing on social media – especially LinkedIn – posting about our factory, new material swatches, color cards, and production capabilities. I stayed consistent for 3–4 months.
To be honest, I also tried sending many cold emails and making many cold calls. But the results were disappointing. Most went unanswered, or I received polite but dead-end replies. Then came the turning point.
A German designer sent me a serious inquiry. She asked about our production capacity, development capabilities, and whether they could visit our company in October. They came – the designer and her team manager. We showed them what we could do.
That German client was no ordinary buyer. They represented 3–4 well-known German brands – names like Tom Tailor and Camel Active – and they also supplied to major retailers like Otto. Their quality requirements were extremely high. Passing their standards meant we had to be precise, consistent, and reliable.
They gave us an order for two women’s crossbody bag styles. That client stayed with us for 3–4 years. We only stopped working together when they later consolidated all their orders through a Hong Kong trading company. That first real client taught me: persistence pays off. You don’t need 100 leads – you just need one serious, trusting partner to get started.
And something else surprised me: one business leads to another business.
After that, I started working on Instagram and developed a partnership with a trend-driven brand – let’s call them NO*. We produced their best-selling, viral styles. That collaboration brought us not only steady orders but also valuable market exposure.
Slowly but surely, something amazing happened: clients started coming to us on their own. Without cold emails or aggressive pitching, we received inquiries from brands who had heard about our quality and reliability. Some of them were even referred by our existing customers – without us asking.
The beginning was the hardest. But once you prove yourself to one good client – especially one with such high standards – the next door opens a little wider.
What’s my favorite part in this business?
My favorite part is following the latest trends — I love visiting fashion markets around the world to see new styles and find fresh inspiration. There’s nothing quite like walking through a bustling market in another country, discovering how different cultures interpret color, shape, and material.
But what truly excites me is helping clients bring their design ideas to life through color matching. I enjoy working with materials, webbing, Pantone swatches, and trims — experimenting with combinations until everything just clicks. Every time I see a new color and material pairing come together, it feels like a small surprise. That moment of “wow, this works perfectly” never gets old. It’s the creative heart of what I do, and it reminds me why I fell in love with this business in the first place.
Final thoughts
Entrepreneurship is a lonely, uncertain, and stressful path — but it also brings freedom, growth, and the joy of creation.
Looking back at my journey — from a wide-eyed interpreter at the Canton Fair to a founder with my own factory — my biggest takeaway is this: You don’t need everything figured out at the start. You just need the courage to begin, one serious client, and the determination to prove yourself again and again.
If you’re struggling or hesitating on your own entrepreneurial journey, here’s what I want to say to you:
Everything is hard in the beginning. But if you persist, surprises will find you.
Welcome to visit our website: www.miyafashionbags.com to learn more about our products and the stories behind them.
