How Gen Z is using e-commerce to become entrepreneurs

[Editor’s note: Lazada recently launched LazStart, an online program which aims to introduce and upskill learners on running an online business with Lazada. Below is their press release.]

This year’s pandemic created a ripple effect that challenged people’s livelihoods worldwide, including a lot of Filipinos in the country. Many of them have been pivoting online either as a new business venture or a side gig to diversify income streams.

With the rising interest in e-commerce and digital ventures, Lazada launched LazStart in July, an online entrepreneurship and innovation program.

Launching LazStart

The online program aims to introduce and upskill learners on running an online business with Lazada, and budding Gen Z entrepreneurs have been taking this opportunity to kickstart their e-commerce journey.

Partnering with various schools and universities in the country, LazStart introduces the basic concepts and principles of entrepreneurship, as well as the benefits of leveraging a digital platform to scale a business in the 21st century.

“Building and helping grow the local MSME economy is at the heart of what we do at Lazada. With the LazStart program, we aim to guide these young students on the path to becoming digital entrepreneurs by educating them on the foundations of e-commerce, as well as how to utilize all the available tools and resources on the platform to help them jumpstart their own businesses,” said Ray Alimurung, Chief Executive Officer of Lazada Philippines.

Gen Z entrepreneurs

Since its launch, LazStart has already inspired a number of young individuals to embark on their e-commerce journey with Lazada.

17-year-old Katrina Cacal always had an entrepreneurial spirit since she was a child.

She first started selling trinkets to classmates and friends when she was in 9th grade, eventually moving to small social media marketplaces to sell her wares. Already armed with experience running her own business, she quickly seized the opportunity to learn the ropes of operating on a bigger platform to further grow her business.

“I heard about the LazStart program through Lazada’s partnership with Treston International College. Since I already had an online business, I thought it would be a great opportunity to gain more knowledge to use for my store. I only expected to listen in, but the experience enabled me to also participate and interact with my peers to share my thoughts on how to improve our online businesses,” said Katrina.

A few days after the program ended, she onboarded Jomarkat General Merchandise on Lazada, selling essentials such as face masks and face shields.

“I chose to onboard on Lazada because of the convenience it provides me as a seller. [Lazada] would already take care of the logistics aspect of the business, which was something I had difficulty with when I sold on other online platforms. The shipping process is fast and convenient, and my products arrive to customers in good condition. It makes me happy to receive feedback from customers that they got their orders nice and quick,” said Katrina.

For Landscape Architecture major Joselle Fajardo, her business started out as a social endeavor with friends. Together with her friends, she co-owns two stores: Clothing Royale PH, selling ready-to-wear fashion items, and Bloom PH, an online reseller of local beauty products.

“As a new business owner with my friends, I thought the program was a great way to explore Lazada as a platform to sell our products and reach more consumers. Since we were all newbies to online selling, I wanted to learn all I could to help boost our business,” says Joselle.

On the other hand, Management Engineering freshman Vincent Sy desired to do something productive during the lockdown. He wanted to break out of his daily routine at home, so he signed up for the LazStart program out of pure curiosity. The opportunity worked out to his advantage as he now manages Comfy Homes Essentials, selling everyday household items like stoves, electric fans, and laundry and gardening tools.

“I’ve always had an interest in e-commerce, but I didn’t know where to start. I saw the program advertised on social media and decided to take the opportunity. I thought it was just going to be a run-of-the-mill video Zoom lecture, but I actually learned a lot from the experience and gained a newfound knowledge of e-commerce platforms and doing online business,” said Vincent.

E-commerce made more accessible

For the three young entrepreneurs, Lazada eased some challenges they encountered with their other ventures in starting a business online.

“As a first time-seller, I appreciated that Lazada took care of me and guided me to help fix my online store. The team called me two days after I opened up shop, teaching me step-by-step on how to utilize all the tools available to become a better store,” said Vincent.

“As a newbie seller, I appreciate that I won’t have to shoulder an overhead cost with setting up my store on Lazada. I was also hesitant at first because of scams being rampant online, but being on a trusted platform helps me be at ease that transactions done will be safe, both for my customers and myself as a seller,” said Joselle.

As young as they are, they believe that there is no better time to set up your own business, especially with e-commerce’s continuous and robust growth and more local businesses going digital.

“When I was much younger and just started out with my business, I really thought long and hard if I should start now; I was so young, I really didn’t have any experience. But I realized that you really have to invest your time and effort to build your brand and expand. There’s no better time than now for you to explore and learn. You might encounter failures, but that would only help in your journey as an entrepreneur,” said Katrina.

“People shouldn’t let the fear of failure get in the way of trying to set up their business. And for those interested to start a business, it should be something that their passionate about. There would always be doubts, but if you’re doing something you really love, you can push through and overcome all the difficulties,” said Joselle.

“Our program participants come from different backgrounds and fields of study, which goes to show that anyone can be an entrepreneur. Lazada aims to be a part of their journey, to encourage and help them grow into successful online Filipino businesses,” said Ray.

You can support Katrina, Joselle, and Vincent’s stores through the links below:

For more information on the LazStart program, visit http://bit.ly/LAZStartApp – Rappler.com