HommBay: Investing in Small Beginnings

Luo Rong was at a turning point in her life when she decided to become an eCommerce entrepreneur. Having spent years dealing with the politics and bureaucracy of the corporate world, she wanted to start her own business – one that she could take full accountability and credit for without having to answer to others.

“When you start your company off small, you can be very quick to adjust according to the market. It’s not like being in a big organization, where you have to go through quite a lot of red tape,” Luo said.

Her store, HommBay, specializes in home living items, many of which Luo sources directly from manufacturers to ensure the best quality and price. While the online store started as a one-woman operation based out of Luo’s home, it has since grown into a full-fledged business that boasts a storage facility as well as proper structures and standard operating procedures implemented by Luo and her team.

“It was an entire journey, how [this business] started from scratch. Even some of my friends who know that I started this, they say they remember how I started, and they also find it quite unbelievable,” Luo said.

Empowered by Lazada

For Luo, HommBay’s growth would not have been possible without Lazada. She had originally launched her store on another eCommerce marketplace but found that platform lacked the well-rounded support that Lazada was able to provide.

“When eCommerce sellers like myself start alone, there are a lot of aspects they have to worry about, from sourcing and customer service to logistics and marketing,” Luo said. “The good thing about Lazada is that they have all the marketing in place, they have all the third-party logistics and they are synced into the entire ecosystem … When I actually came on board Lazada, the only thing I had to worry about was just the sourcing,” she added, explaining that Lazada’s robust logistics network, marketing support and overall digital capabilities freed up her time, allowing her to put her full focus on driving revenue.

Luo also highlighted Lazada’s many tools and resources for brands and businesses. For example, from the get-go, sellers are introduced to Lazada University, where they can access free courses and e-learning materials about different aspects of the platform as well as about running an eCommerce business.

HommBay has also participated in Lazada’s famous mega campaigns, which Luo says are “can’t miss” events for driving traffic. She also singled out the platform’s flash deals promotional tool, which she said is a great method to get a lot of eyeballs and traffic right away.

Another thing that sets Lazada apart is its seller community, which Luo describes as an immensely valuable resource. “When Lazada organizes a lot of events, I always put myself out there. I always go for these events. I started to know a lot of other eCommerce sellers, and I’ve learned from them as well, because there are people who are very willing to share.”

Start Small, Grow Big

As someone who has navigated the many different stages of running an online business, Luo says that being an entrepreneur takes grit and dedication.

“I would always say that for anyone who aspires to do business, first of all, they must be interested to run a business. And then they have to be prepared for the hours they have to put in to succeed,” she said. “You have to think whether you have the investment in terms of money and the time to be able to run that business, because it’s going to be very challenging.”

For those who are passionate about pursuing this path, she advises them to start small and to carefully monitor their return on investment.

“The nature of running a business is that there is no 100% guarantee. There is always some form of risk. So, you have to decide for yourself that the initial investment is something you can afford to lose – that if you lose that money, it’s not going to be the end of the world for you. And if the business takes off, then you know you are willing to invest even more.”