Zhang Huamei, who obtained the country's first permit to open a small private business in 1980, displays some of the accessories on sale. [Photo provided to China Daily]

After decades of running her own business, Zhang Huamei, 58, from the Lucheng district in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, plans to retire next year.

For the general manager of Wenzhou Huamei Garment Accessories Co Ltd, the years ahead will allow her to travel at leisure and enjoy life.

Zhang, who obtained the country's first permit to open a small private business in 1980, runs the company focusing on garment accessories with revenue of several million yuan per year.

She has decided to hand over the company, which was established in 2007 and has five workers, to her 34-year-old son Yu Shangjing next year.

She said the internet has essentially changed the old way of face-to-face transactions. "Now clients from many places contact us via QQ or WeChat (two popular instant messaging apps in China) and then make orders online. I am not good at the internet, but my son can do it," she said.

Yu said: "The younger generation can use our wisdom to explore new opportunities and my mom can have more of her own time."

Twists and turns

Back in 1978, Zhang was not able to find a job after graduation from primary school. One year later, she started to follow some of her neighbors who sold small commodities as street vendors. Several items, including buttons, memorial medals and watch straps, were all she could offer on her "shop"-a wooden table.

Then the 18-year-old was worried about being detained by government officials who often cracked down on speculative activities.

The location of her "shop", just outside her house, made it easy to flee any officials. "When knowing the officials were coming, I wrapped up everything and shut the door," she said.

In February 1979, the central government released the first report on individual private businesses, giving them legitimacy, signaling reforms and opening-up in the economic scenarios and bringing new opportunities for people like Zhang.

The next year, unemployed individuals with permanent residence were allowed to start repair services and make hand-made products, but they could not hire others.

"One day, at the end of 1979, an official of the local industry and commerce bureau came to me and said I could go for a permit. With that permit, I could be a legal vendor without any need to hide from government officials," Zhang said.

On Dec 11, 1980, Zhang received a business permit, equivalent to the current business licenses for shops. The document, labeled as Number 10101, was hand-written with a photo of the young woman on it.

It was a novelty for her parents and friends.