Nearly 300 students have graduated from the first phase of LazStart, an online entrepreneurship and innovation program by one of the leading e-commerce brands in the country, Lazada. Some have already successfully jumpstarted their e-commerce ventures, two of which are Chinoys Vincent Sy and Kyla Yao.
Management Engineering student Vincent Sy is among the selected students, eager to stay productive and gain new knowledge amid the pandemic.
Vincent Sy
Through the wide-ranging insights on the e-commerce industry learned from the program, he was inspired to launch Comfy Home Essentials on Lazada, providing shoppers convenient access to a breadth of items for the home—from kitchenware to gardening tools.
Comfy Home Essentials by Vincent Sy
“I joined the LazStart program because I thought that this program might be an opportunity for me to learn more about the e-commerce industry here in the Philippines. My experience was great, and my key takeaway from the program was learning how to start an online store on Lazada from scratch,” Vincent shares.
For Vincent, the biggest hurdle he faced at the start of his e-commerce journey was logistics, as this was one of his initial hurdles as he thought about setting up his business. However, he eventually overcame the initial challenges, leveraging Lazada’s vast logistics network to his advantage.
Kyla Yao
Meanwhile, business owner Kyla Yao’s online shop was born out of a personal need to find more activewear options. As an active young woman, Kyla’s love for cute sporty outfits also keeps her motivated to stay on top of her game with her workout regime. Faced with limited options available online, Kyla saw an opportunity and joined LazStart, eventually co-founding Kleo Active with her best friend.
Kleo Active by Kyla Yao
Kyla recognizes the huge untapped consumer base and opportunities to reach and engage them beyond the brand’s social media posts and ads. Tapping on the industry best practices gleaned from her participation in LazStart, she further drove awareness and strengthened the digital presence for Kleo Active.
“LazStart allowed me to understand the e-commerce industry on a deeper level, simplifying big concepts and teaching insights into modern techniques we can apply in entrepreneurship beyond social media networks,” says Kyla. “After the experience, we started working on our online presence through setting up our shop through the platform, while at the same time applying insights on strategic tactics we can use in making our business grow.”
For the past years, especially during the pandemic, e-commerce has shown significant growth and popularity among online shoppers. The growing success of these leading online platforms such as Lazada proves that now more than ever, online is king when it comes to shopping.
Knowing that Lazada aims to be at the forefront of making e-commerce accessible to businesses, including micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), makes this author glad that more people, especially the youth, can jumpstart their business in the world of online shopping. LazStart is one such initiative to empower young entrepreneurs with the knowledge and resources to establish and manage their businesses even from a young age.
“Through Lazada’s LazStart 2.0 program, we want to bridge that gap of uncertainty by providing youths of today with knowledge, industry resources, and an inclusive and collaborative environment to kickstart their entrepreneurial dreams. This program is a step in the right direction to tap the potential of our youth and nurture the next generation of online entrepreneurs,” concludes Lazada Philippines Chief Customer Officer Jacqueline Fuentes.
Students interested in finding out more about the LazStart program can also join LazStart’s Facebook Community to get started on their eCommerce education journey.
