Located in a four-star hotel in one of the busiest commercial areas in downtown Beijing, Dou Jinkai's Modern City Beauty Salon looks more like a bar.

The outside is smart and modern, while inside, if you took away the equipment and cosmetics, it could be an art museum.

It's hard to imagine that the creator of this stylish setting is a 26-year-old migrant worker from Jilin Province in Northeast China.

Dou Jinkai was born in the countryside near the provincial capital of Changchun. He didn't even finish his middle school education, but he is certainly not lacking in ambition.

After dropping out of school, he started to eye the booming beauty industry, working in his hometown as an apprentice hairdresser for two years.

And deciding that the chances for further development there were limited, he moved to Beijing.

But things didn't go as he expected.

"When I arrived, I had little money left after paying for my railway ticket."

But the biggest problem was how difficult it was to find a job.

Dou says at that time, there was serious discrimination against migrant workers, particularly those from the northeast. Many places thought that people from northeast spoke too straightforwardly, which drove the customers away.

So he spent several years working in small barbers' shops in the capital's suburbs.

Later he has the chance to move to some Japanese and Korean beauty salons in Beijing, which Dou says was the peak of his career as an employee.

He was able to significantly expand his skills there as well as his salary. He could make up to 20 thousand RMB a month, around 2500 US dollars.

The money was more than he had ever dreamed of when he first came to Beijing. But instead of sitting back and enjoying it, Dou had bigger plans.

"I can't always work for other people, and I had always been thinking of opening my own salon. "

So he studied even harder, gaining more experience and saving his money. This determination would lay the foundations for setting up his own business.

After 8 years of working for other, he opened his first store in Beijing last year.

He jointly invested in the salon with a Korean friend. With his hard work and the Korean's sound management skills, the salon soon became a moneymaker.

Several months later, he opened his second store, but this time, it was all his own.

"The biggest challenge for me is making contacts. Local people have lots of friends and relatives here, who help them out a lot, but I have to do everything by myself."


"Lots of times I have felt very alone, and nearly gave up. But to make success, of something you need to work hard and stick to it. "

Fortunately the government has eased its policies on migrant workers doing business in Beijing. The rules now favor people from outside the city. Dou says didn't encounter any discrimination when he applied for a license and that the whole procedure went smoothly.

His next step was to attract customers.

He had some loyal customers who have been with him for years, but that's not enough to support a salon.

Skills and service are equally important, Dou said. His target customers are white-collar workers, who require more than just a haircut. Good communication skills can be what makes them come back. .

"Once one customer feels satisfied, his or her colleagues and friends will come."

This strategy seems to work well. Ms Nie is one of his loyal customers.

"I often do my hair here. They can do my hair to go with what I'm wearing. Many of my friends also come here. I don't feel like he is the boss and I am a customer. We're good friends."

Ms Han was there for the first time. Her friend introduced her to this place.

"They have done an excellent job. My classmate told me that this place is good. She had a skin treatment here. I can tell from their pronunciation that they are not local people, but I respect them, because they are good at what they do."

Dou Jinkai gave himself an English name, Kellen. He says the customers find it easier to remember. But apart from his name, he hardly speaks any English.

"You are beautiful, hello, good-bye,These are the only words I can speak. You know I dropped out of school, and haven't had much time to learn it. I spent most of my time improving my hairdressing and management skills. "

But recently he has started to feel that his lack of formal education is impeding his communication with the customers. He is considering hiring a tutor to help him improve his English. He might also encourage his employees to learn it, or even some Japanese and Korean.

As a hardworking guy, he also likes his employees to work hard.

There are about 20 people working in the salon, all migrant workers, and mostly from the Northeast.

"They must put in twice the effort, they can only survive here by working hard."

But on the other hand, he is affectionate to them, because he knows how hard it is for migrant workers make a living in Beijing. He often invites them to dinner, rewards them with bonuses or even allows them a few days off if they are tired.

"Although I am their boss, I want them to think of me as their friend."

He is obviously highly respected by his employees, and has set an example for them.

Xiaolong is an assistant hairdresser there. His work is simple, cleaning the floor, and washing hair, but like his boss, he is ambitious.
"My boss takes care of us like a brother. Of course he is strict about work. I also want to be a professional hairdresser, the best hairdresser in Beijing."

19-year-old Li Bai couldn't agree more.

"My boss is very strict with work, but after work, we are like brothers. I have learned a lot from him, not only work skills but also about communication and other things I want to be as successful as him. Every migrant worker wants to be like him. "

Back in his hometown, Dou Jinkai is also well known. Their neighbors often ask him to take their children to Beijing.

"People there see my success and are jealous of me. But they will never know how hard it has been. It would be a big burden for me to bring someone here. So usually I don't do that."

After so many years in Beijing, he is used to the life here. He says there is no difference between him and ordinary local citizens. There is no discrimination any more.

Dou says he is not looked down up here because he makes good money. The money he invested in his store can be more than what an ordinary local makes in his whole life. Dou believes the reason that many migrant workers feel inferior to locals is that they are much poorer. Once they can make as much as locals make, they don't feel that.

To live a better life, Dou says migrants must have a strong will and learn a useful skill.

"When I see poor migrants on the street, I often tell myself that they won't be like that forever. But they must have ideas and take action. The important thing for migrants is to learn from others, work hard, and not be beaten down by their hardships. "

He says the city is full of opportunities for everybody. The problem is many people don't grasp them. He succeeded because he didn't waste his opportunities.

"I don't think about returning home," said Dou, "I have survived too much hardship over the years. Now I own a pretty good business, there is no reason to go back."

Dou has only one plan now----to expand his business. He plans to open some chain stores. And once he has enough money, he will invest in other fields, perhaps a hotel. Whatever projects he takes on, he'll keep going ahead. One thing is for sure, the last thing he'll do is sit back and enjoy his success.

By Liao Jibo  Contact the author at Liaojibo@crifm.com