You can also be your own boss!

Author: None
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-09-01
Features: The article states, "Floral teas have the function of beauty and skincare, and can be said to be designed specifically for women. With people's increasing emphasis and preference for green health foods, colorful and fragrant floral teas will undoubtedly lead a new fashion trend in tea consumption and quickly shift towards mass consumption. However, in most regions of China, this market still remains an 'untouched virgin land.'" Subsequently, I reviewed a vast amount of materials and consulted senior "tea masters" at several high-end tea houses, learning many secrets about "drinking flowers." It turns out that there are currently over forty varieties of flowers suitable for brewing in China, such as red roses, white chrysanthemums, sweet chrysanthemums, lilies, honeysuckle, fresh and dried chrysanthemums, peonies, violets, and so on. The main reason why fashionable women are fond of drinking floral teas is because of their unique beauty and skincare effects. Drinking floral teas can regulate the nervous system, promote metabolism, and enhance the body's immunity. Many flowers can effectively lighten facial spots, inhibit acne, and delay skin aging. Even better, drinking floral teas regularly can also leave you with a natural body fragrance! Different floral teas each have their own benefits. For example, chamomile tea has the effects of calming the nerves and aiding digestion, making it perfect for post-meal and bedtime consumption, as well as the best tea choice for insomnia sufferers; Erysimum has the function of clearing the liver and relieving shortness of breath; lavender can purify the mind, alleviate headaches, and ease tension; violets have the wonderful use of detoxifying alcohol; and plum blossom tea can soothe the liver, alleviate depression, delay aging, and aid in weight loss. Who knew flowers had so many wonderful uses? It truly broadened my horizons. The idea of "opening a fashionable floral tea bar and teaching city dwellers how to drink flowers" finally emerged in my mind. I began to dedicate myself to researching the production of floral teas. In fact, the preparation process of floral teas is not complicated at all. All you need is a crystal-clear glass container, place the petals inside, pour boiling water over them, let them steep for about four to five minutes, and the fragrance will rise along with the steam, filling the air, making it ready to drink. The most challenging part is to develop new fragrances—artfully combining several flowers whose effects can "complement" each other, and adding ingredients like mint, lotus seeds, goji berries, and passion fruit to create floral teas that are both fragrant and flavorful. This alone took me about four to five months. After repeatedly having others taste the twenty-plus floral teas I prepared, they all felt "good enough to present," and only then did I start looking for a shop. I rented a storefront in Luohu District, Shenzhen, with a monthly rent of 10,000 yuan. The area is bustling, surrounded by skyscrapers filled with countless white-collar women. After about a month of preparations, my "Miri Floral Tea Bar" opened on a sunny day in March 2002. It was a cozy, romantic, and fashionable bar, with a bottle of precious flowers placed on each table, filling the room with a subtle fragrance. The gentle glow of Nepalese lanterns cast a soft light on the lemon-yellow decorated walls. Those unique candles added a touch of poetry to the tea bar, while the silver tea cups, pastry stands, strainers, and spoons all sparkled and shone crystal-clearly. Adding a touch of American country music made me, even as the small owner myself, feel completely immersed in "Miri." However, the savings I had