SBC: Nurturing an Online Business

Becoming a mother inspired Nguyễn Thị Hồng Sen (34) to start her own business. “Before I got married, I worked as a bank employee and a collaborator for a company specializing in children’s toys. When I had my child, I decided to venture into a business related to children’s products. This allowed me to earn extra income while also gaining more insight into this field,” Nguyễn said.

Becoming a Mumpreneur

The name of her online store, SBC, is made up of the initials of herself and her daughter. Mainly aimed at young mothers living in the southern provinces and central highlands of Vietnam, SBC sells toys for newborns and children aged five and below. In addition to individual customers, the store also caters to bulk-order customers, including corporations, schools and charities.

As a mother herself, Nguyễn understands firsthand the importance of providing what her customers want and need. “I focus on researching the behavior and needs of my target customer base. Then, I only import products that are highly suitable for our customers with affordable prices,” she explains. “Moreover, since my customers live in different provinces, I continually seek products that reflect regional cultural preferences and tastes, diversifying my inventory to reach more customer profiles.”

While Nguyễn didn’t start SBC on Lazada, she was attracted to the eCommerce platform due to its leading logistics network and its reliable and loyal customer base. Since bringing her store to Lazada, she has actively leveraged the platform’s many tools and features to further grow her brand. For example, she has tapped into Lazada’s Super Shop to promote a lot of her regularly priced items. The Super Shop business model allows sellers to leave their business operations entirely to a trusted key account manager, who takes a data-driven approach to target products at the right customers for optimized efficiency and long-term revenue.

Nguyễn also participates in Lazada’s mega campaigns, using these events as opportunities to provide free gifts with purchases, apply discount codes on products and offer reduced or free shipping to enhance her customers’ shopping experience and to build loyalty.

“By implementing these strategies, I’ve achieved high sales volumes and earned numerous positive reviews on the platform,” Nguyễn shared. During the 11.11 mega sale in 2020, for example, her store achieved a sales record of VND200 million (USD7,900). Even outside of sales days, her products have consistently ranked within the top-three sellers in the children’s toys category on Lazada.

Overcoming Obstacles

While Nguyễn enjoys SBC’s current success, she points to the various challenges she had to overcome, especially during the early stages of her business, when she still had to juggle her full-time job while being a new mother.

“I faced difficulties when returning to work after giving birth. At that time, I was managing the business alone, so I had to juggle between work and finding spare time to check messages, confirm orders and so forth,” she recounted. She persisted through the challenges, and once she nurtured SBC to a stable state, she decided to quit her job at the bank so she could focus solely on growing her brand further.

“The crucial factors that contributed to my success are passion and belief. Nowadays, some sellers start a business just to follow trends and earn income without having a passion for the profession. This can easily lead them to lose faith and give up when faced with difficulties,” she said. “For me, once I set a goal, I always believe in my judgment. I remain determined to pursue my passion to the end, and I always maintain a positive attitude. Thanks to this approach, I have achieved results beyond my expectations.”

The Power of Community

Lazada’s seller network has also become a crucial source of support for Nguyễn. After a traumatic traffic accident left her homebound for more than a year, she came across an ad for the LazTrainer program at Lazada University and decided to apply. Since becoming a certified trainer, she’s had the opportunity to meet fellow Lazada sellers who share her passion and interests.

“I always wanted to find a supportive community with shared passions to encourage each other through difficult times,” Nguyễn said. “Through this job, I have met and learned a lot from talented colleagues, contributing to spreading positive values within the community.”

For Nguyễn, the ups as well as the downs are all part of the eCommerce experience, and even with the challenges she’s had to face, she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Selling is my passion, so I always find joy throughout the business journey. To me, as long as I have the health and clarity of mind to conquer challenges, it is an immense source of happiness,” Nguyễn said. “I believe that by persevering through difficult stages, beautiful outcomes will await me.”