Editor’s note: This content is sponsored by Lazada and was produced by BrandRap, the sales and marketing arm of Rappler. No member of the news and editorial team participated in the production of this piece.
If you need a sign to take an entrepreneurial leap this 2023, this is it.
With the new year coming up, it could be the perfect time for aspiring online sellers to take their plans to the next level. Although starting up your own business is no easy feat, e-commerce platform Lazada empowers MSMEs in their online selling journey by offering fast and free shipping, giving them access to the platform’s tools, as well as online courses and trainings to help better their online presence to drive more sales on their Lazada stores.
Still not sure how to give your business a boost? Fear not, as we asked some of the leading Lazada sellers to tell us their origin stories, how Lazada has been pivotal in scaling their businesses in the digital space, and share the entrepreneurial advice they wished they heard when they were just starting.
Issy & Co.
If there’s one local beauty brand that made waves (and TikTok trends) this year, it’s Issy & Co. Starting with just five lipstick shades in 2019, they now offer a wide variety of glam and all-inclusive base products that people have been raving about online and beyond.
By utilizing the unique tools and platforms that Lazada offers, such as LazMall, Issy & Co. grew tremendously during the pandemic.
“Since malls were closed there was a big influx of online purchases and us being already established in online platforms such as Lazada gave us the opportunity to be seen and considered,” said founder Jasmine Ang-Chua. “A lot of our early success was propelled by Beauty by Lazmall and other highlights that Lazada provided.”
Jasmine also gives credit to Lazada’s commitment to keeping up with the times and being a progressive e-commerce platform.
“Setting up shop on Lazada is such a great way to scale your business. Aside from the payout being frequent which is an advantage if you are a small business, Lazada is such a trusted platform that it immediately gives you credibility you would otherwise not have for your new business.”
Storage Solutions
Gone are the days of brick-and-mortar stores being the pinnacle of brand success, and Storage Solutions founder Apple Suntay proves just that. Since 2008, Storage Solutions has been offering bright and beautiful Philippine-made lifestyle organizers through their physical stories in the Metro. They entered the online selling sphere in 2017 and saw their business reach new heights.
Having been a solid entrepreneur for 14 years now, Apple also shared her own sage advice to budding sellers who plan on making it big in 2023.
“First, SAVE! Set aside a portion of whatever you earned for the last quarter of the year to grow your business—increase your inventory, buy assets, invest in third party social media strategists, fix your warehouse or office. Anything for more efficient operations.”
“Second, work on building a relationship with your followers. Offer new products that address their needs and wants, consistently offer discounts and promotions, and make sure your customer service is excellent. Lastly, attend trainings, learn from your fellow Lazada sellers, and keep abreast with retail and e-commerce trends,” said Apple.
With Lazada, Apple can also do business without having to endure traffic, answer all my customer inquiries on-the-go, view her team’s performance through the Seller Center dashboard, share product features to her customers through LazLive.
In addition, Apple stands by her advice that entrepreneurs should explore selling on Lazada not just to scale their business, but also to scale up their work-life balance. “Lazada has really streamlined my operations beyond belief.”
Abubot PH Official
In need of trendy coordinates and striking fashion pieces under P100? Abubot PH Official is the store for you! In just under three months, the business has sold thousands of fashion pieces with a customer base of over 10,000 followers.
Although their growth might sound quick, the journey has been a long one for founder Paula Tabije. She first joined the e-commerce game in 2018 when she saw the industry’s potential, but didn’t see her plans push through just yet.
Equipped with an arsenal of new strategies this 2022, she jumped right back and made sure to hire more people, rent a warehouse, and become more aggressive in online campaigns and marketing. They also collaborated with local partner suppliers in Taytay to give back to the community.
“Sipag, tiyaga, and determination, lots of prayers in between,” Paula shared. “Hindi siya madali, me and my husband ‘yung nagbubuhat, umulan umaraw, when we started.” [It’s not easy. Rain or shine, my husband and I would be the ones doing the heavy lifting when we started.]
Seeing the rise of live selling in the country, Paula also delved into the new market to make customers feel that they’re directly communicating with their store. Luckily, Lazada’s LazLive feature provided Paula and her team the opportunity to do so.
Through Lazada’s tech and logistics capabilities, alongside their strengths in marketing, product assortment, and customer engagement, the platform is able to drive customer preference and loyalty helping our partners succeed within Lazada’s ecosystem.
Inspired to start your own business? This new year is your time to achieve that dream with Lazada. You can also bag the best deals with fast and free shipping when you add to cart and check out at Lazada’s 1.1 Afforda-Deals sale. – Rappler.com