69novels Chapter 169 Establishing a Cinema Chain 4
Chapter 169 Establishing a Cinema Chain 4
The office returned to silence. Lin Zhou picked up his Pu'er tea and took a sip. The warm tea dispelled the slight heat in his body.
Now that the talent issue has been resolved, the next crucial step in cinema chain construction is site selection.
When building a cinema, the location directly determines the future customer traffic and profitability, and there is no room for carelessness.
He picked up the phone on the table and dialed the number of Zhou Jianming, the general manager of Zhonghua Real Estate.
Zhou Jianming transitioned from investment to the real estate industry, and he has a keen eye, possessing a thorough understanding of the layout of business districts and housing price trends throughout Hong Kong.
Under his leadership, Zhonghua Real Estate has achieved great success in Hong Kong's real estate market in recent years, with many high-quality projects in both residential and commercial real estate.
The call was quickly connected, and when Zhou Jianming heard Lin Zhou's voice, his cheerful voice immediately came through the receiver.
"Mr. Lin, what can I do for you?"
"Jianming, there's something I need you to do right away."
Lin Zhou spoke directly, without any unnecessary pleasantries or small talk:
"I plan to establish Zhonghua Cinema Chain, with an initial investment of 15 modern cinemas. I need you and your team to immediately survey commercial real estate across Hong Kong and select suitable locations for building cinemas."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Jianming was taken aback at first, then realized what he meant and laughed:
"Mr. Lin, are you going to enter the film market? That's quite a big move, building fifteen stores in the first batch!" Although he was already used to Lin Zhou's boldness, he couldn't help but be surprised.
"That's right, preparations for the cinema chain have already begun, and site selection is the most urgent matter at the moment."
Lin Zhou paused for a moment and then continued:
"I have a few requirements for the location, please take note. First, we should give priority to emerging business districts, such as Sha Tin, Tuen Mun, Yuen Long, and Tsuen Wan. These areas have a dense population and great consumption potential."
Moreover, the rent is lower than in core business districts like Causeway Bay and Tsim Sha Tsui, and the competition is less intense. More importantly, the commercial facilities in these areas are still developing and there is a great need for entertainment facilities like cinemas.
"When conducting site visits, we should not only look at the existing business district situation, but also pay attention to future plans, such as whether the government has new urban construction plans or whether the business district plans to expand. We should prioritize locations with development potential."
In addition, the cooperation model with businesses should be understood in advance, whether it is leasing or purchasing, the rental price, and the lease term. All these details must be verified clearly.
Lin Zhou's requirements were clear and concise, and each point hit the nail on the head. These were the key elements for cinema site selection that he summarized based on his experience from later generations.
Zhou Jianming quickly took notes in his notebook, afraid of missing a single detail, while constantly responding to instructions.
"Okay, Mr. Lin, I've noted it down. Priority will be given to emerging business districts, convenient transportation, and attention to future planning. Please confirm the cooperation model and rent..."
"Mr. Lin, rest assured, I will immediately put down all my work and personally lead the company's most professional commercial real estate inspection team to conduct a comprehensive inspection of the emerging business districts in Hong Kong by region."
Our team has previously conducted commercial real estate research in the Sha Tin, Tuen Mun, Yuen Long, and Tsuen Wan areas, so we have basic data. This time, we'll focus on in-depth analysis to try and quickly identify suitable locations.
"Speed is important, but quality must be guaranteed," Lin Zhou said. "I'll give you three days. After three days, I need to see a detailed site selection report, including the location, size, rent, foot traffic, surrounding amenities, and advantages and disadvantages of each candidate site. For ten cinemas, you need to provide at least twenty candidate locations for me to choose from."
In three days, Zhou Jianming inspected multiple areas of Hong Kong and produced a detailed report on twenty candidate locations. This was undoubtedly a daunting task, but he responded without hesitation:
"President Lin, I guarantee the mission will be accomplished! I'll gather the manpower and assign areas right now, and we'll set off for the inspection this afternoon. I'll definitely have the report on your desk in three days."
He knew Chairman Lin's personality; once a decision was made, it had to be completed as quickly as possible. Moreover, Zhonghua Real Estate had a professional team and a comprehensive research system. Although three days was a tight deadline, it was not impossible to complete the task.
"Okay, then thank you for your trouble." Lin Zhou said in a slightly more gentle tone:
"If you have any questions during the inspection, please call me anytime."
Furthermore, there's no need to worry about funding; the group will provide full support. As long as the location is suitable, we can discuss either leasing or purchasing.
"Understood. Funding isn't a problem; the key is choosing a good location," Zhou Jianming said with a smile. "President Lin, just wait for my good news."
After hanging up the phone, Lin Zhou placed his phone on the table, leaned back in his office chair, and let out a long sigh of relief.
With recruitment underway and site selection arranged, Zhonghua Cinema Line's preparatory work has finally taken two substantial steps forward.
He raised his hand to rub his temples, his gaze falling on the cinema chain planning paper on the table. In his mind, he envisioned the future Zhonghua Cinema Chain—fifteen modern cinemas, scattered throughout various business districts in Hong Kong, with comfortable viewing environments, high-quality supporting services, and a continuous stream of excellent films, becoming a dark horse in the Hong Kong film market.
Of course, the idea was wonderful, but he also knew that this path had to be taken step by step and could not be accomplished overnight.
Next comes the design, construction, and equipment procurement of the cinema, the preparation of the film company, and the negotiation of film sources. Every step is full of challenges, and every link must be flawless.
But Lin Zhou has enough funds, a professional team, a prophet from the future, and the solid backing he built with Zhonghua Group. No matter what difficulties he encounters, he is confident that he can overcome them.
Just as I was pondering this, there was a gentle knock on the office door, and Chen Man walked in to report to her supervisor:
"Mr. Lin, Director Zhang has already started taking action. The headhunting company has been contacted and is currently connecting with talent information from major cinema chains in Hong Kong. In addition, the industry referral channel has also been opened, and many cinema employees have already submitted their resumes."
"Very good." Lin Zhou nodded. "Have Zhang Cheng keep a close eye on things. The resume screening must be strict. We can't let any outstanding talent slip by."
"I've already spoken to Director Zhang," Chen Man replied. "In addition, President Zhou has also assembled an inspection team and is currently assigning inspection areas. They will depart this afternoon for on-site inspections in Sha Tin and Tuen Mun."
A faint smile appeared on Lin Zhou's lips. Zhonghua Group's execution capabilities had never disappointed him. Everyone was working towards the same goal; the launch of Zhonghua Cinemas was just around the corner.
Sure enough, not long after, many experienced operations professionals in Hong Kong's major established cinema chains quietly received offers from Zhonghua Group. The generous compensation and broad development prospects made them very interested.
In Hong Kong's various emerging business districts, Zhou Jianming and his inspection team are shuttling between major shopping malls, using their professional expertise to select every suitable location for building a cinema.