During 11.11.2018, we received 262 orders in the first hour, amounting to RM86,000. On a normal day, it would only add up to about RM7,000. It was a rising number of growths to 12 times in just one day.
I was born in Langkawi, Kedah, a typical island boy who graduated in construction management. I was in the construction line for four years as a project coordinator. One day, I received a call from my father called saying he wanted me to take over our family business. I thought about it and figured that rightfully I should do it being the only son in the family. I left my job, took over the business and wanted to make a difference.
Our business was run through traditional retailing methods. My father is an old school businessman who found it hard to adapt to the digital age. When I sat down to tell my father that we should move to selling our products online, the response as expected was a negative one. However, that did not stop me from doing what I thought was right and I took his response as a challenge. After all, he did give me the responsibility of managing the business.
We saw how our target audience could not be penetrated as much as we liked, and I saw a potential of this if I were to venture into the online market.
Entering the e-commerce industry as an amateur, I maximized my time every day researching for the right platforms to sell on. It was not easy for me to start as I was not very clear on what methods to use or rather how to go about selling something online. However, my end goal was to break the norm of traditional retailing and to rise up to the challenge my father had indirectly opposed on me.
After weeks of doing my research, Lazada seemed to be the best platform for what I was doing. I never knew that you could be a seller on Lazada. I was under the impression that it was a platform to shop on. Initially, logistics was one of my main concerns and I had difficulties managing it on my own. Lazada offered a Third-Party Logistics (3PL) service on their platform which was one of the factors that drew me toward becoming a seller. This service ensures that all products are delivered on time hassle free, also faster and efficient with the 3PL network system.
These were one of the reasons that being a seller on Lazada became an easier decision. When I signed up as a seller on Lazada, I took the initiative to attend their seller's workshops and conferences. Through these, I finally learned how e-commerce works in-depth. The best thing about being a seller on Lazada is that they provide amazing marketing tools such as vouchers, store decorations, business advisors and many more. The art of using Lazada marketing tools has helped me in terms of increasing my customer reach and putting my company out there to the public. Another service provided by Lazada is that every seller gets assigned a key account manager to consult and advise sellers, which is a great thing especially for beginners such as myself.
In 2018, when Lazada announced its big sale on 11.11, I took that as a big part of my challenge to prove myself to my father. I barely slept the night before as I was nervous thinking if I had taken up more than I could handle. At midnight, I was overwhelmed by the orders coming in one after another. We received 262 orders in the first hour, amounting to RM86,000. On a normal day, it would only add up to about RM7,000. It was a rising number of growths to 12 times in just one day. I will never forget that moment as my father walked up to me to tell me how proud he was of me and taking the business into the digital world was the right one.
Today, I am proud to say that my company, Rams Home Décor is one of the biggest kitchenware and tableware sellers on Lazada and we saw a massive change with the target market, an increase of almost 30%. This was a huge achievement for me.
It takes courage to do something. For those who want to be a seller on Lazada or any e-commerce platform, never be afraid to fail. Find the courage to fight for your ideas and dreams. Find the strength to stand alone until you make it to the top until you find a way to stand tall and prove everyone wrong. Don't let anyone's words discourage you off the path you are on.
Customer is always right - Always remember that we need to treat our customers with respect and be attentive to their requests and handle every situation with patience.
Demand & Supply - More than the product itself, I believe that the after service is very important, and this will bring back customers to your page. Whenever there is demand, the supply will always need to be there.
Change your mindset - Always believe that you can push yourself for something and make a change. There is a saying that goes by an American entrepreneur, Jim Rohn "If you don't like how things are, change it! You are not a tree"
Our business was run through traditional retailing methods. My father is an old school businessman who found it hard to adapt to the digital age. When I sat down to tell my father that we should move to selling our products online, the response as expected was a negative one. However, that did not stop me from doing what I thought was right and I took his response as a challenge. After all, he did give me the responsibility of managing the business.
We saw how our target audience could not be penetrated as much as we liked, and I saw a potential of this if I were to venture into the online market.
Entering the e-commerce industry as an amateur, I maximized my time every day researching for the right platforms to sell on. It was not easy for me to start as I was not very clear on what methods to use or rather how to go about selling something online. However, my end goal was to break the norm of traditional retailing and to rise up to the challenge my father had indirectly opposed on me.
After weeks of doing my research, Lazada seemed to be the best platform for what I was doing. I never knew that you could be a seller on Lazada. I was under the impression that it was a platform to shop on. Initially, logistics was one of my main concerns and I had difficulties managing it on my own. Lazada offered a Third-Party Logistics (3PL) service on their platform which was one of the factors that drew me toward becoming a seller. This service ensures that all products are delivered on time hassle free, also faster and efficient with the 3PL network system.
These were one of the reasons that being a seller on Lazada became an easier decision. When I signed up as a seller on Lazada, I took the initiative to attend their seller's workshops and conferences. Through these, I finally learned how e-commerce works in-depth. The best thing about being a seller on Lazada is that they provide amazing marketing tools such as vouchers, store decorations, business advisors and many more. The art of using Lazada marketing tools has helped me in terms of increasing my customer reach and putting my company out there to the public. Another service provided by Lazada is that every seller gets assigned a key account manager to consult and advise sellers, which is a great thing especially for beginners such as myself.
In 2018, when Lazada announced its big sale on 11.11, I took that as a big part of my challenge to prove myself to my father. I barely slept the night before as I was nervous thinking if I had taken up more than I could handle. At midnight, I was overwhelmed by the orders coming in one after another. We received 262 orders in the first hour, amounting to RM86,000. On a normal day, it would only add up to about RM7,000. It was a rising number of growths to 12 times in just one day. I will never forget that moment as my father walked up to me to tell me how proud he was of me and taking the business into the digital world was the right one.
Today, I am proud to say that my company, Rams Home Décor is one of the biggest kitchenware and tableware sellers on Lazada and we saw a massive change with the target market, an increase of almost 30%. This was a huge achievement for me.
It takes courage to do something. For those who want to be a seller on Lazada or any e-commerce platform, never be afraid to fail. Find the courage to fight for your ideas and dreams. Find the strength to stand alone until you make it to the top until you find a way to stand tall and prove everyone wrong. Don't let anyone's words discourage you off the path you are on.
Top 3 tips from Ram's Home Decor to start an online business
Customer is always right - Always remember that we need to treat our customers with respect and be attentive to their requests and handle every situation with patience.
Demand & Supply - More than the product itself, I believe that the after service is very important, and this will bring back customers to your page. Whenever there is demand, the supply will always need to be there.
Change your mindset - Always believe that you can push yourself for something and make a change. There is a saying that goes by an American entrepreneur, Jim Rohn "If you don't like how things are, change it! You are not a tree"
This article is written by the seller & provided by Lazada Malaysia.
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