No one ever said setting up an eCommerce business would be a breeze, and sometimes it takes more than one try to get it right. This is a lesson Pham Van Chinh of XPLUS, now a top selling seller on Lazada Vietnam, had to learn early on.
Van Chinh’s eCommerce journey began in 2016, when he set up his first Lazada warehouse for his health and beauty business, XPLUS. Like many entrepreneurs who are first embarking on the eCommerce journey, the beginning was not an easy one, but to Van Chinh, it has definitely been worthwhile.
For this ambitious businessman, being an entrepreneur meant believing in something more and building a business that is greater than what currently exists. His dream of taking XPLUS to the next level, led him to look for an online eCommerce platform to sell on.
After trying out various online platforms, Van Chinh chose to partner with Lazada for his adventure of growth. Unfortunately, things didn’t quite work out for him the first time. He shares that at the beginning, he and his wife were overwhelmed with trying to adapt their traditional selling habits and mindset of running a physical store, to an online store process.
Because eCommerce was new to them, the couple lost sight of what ignited their motivation to embark on this journey in the first place, and ended up parting ways with Lazada for some time.
Try, and try again
When you experience failure, it can be hard to dust yourself off and try again. But if you want to become better at anything in life, that’s the only way it’s going to happen. So after a brief pause, Van Chinh decided to try again.
The decision to return to Lazada was an easy one for Van Chinh. Even after an absence of two years, he felt looked after and warmly welcomed back into the community. This time around, Van Chinh equipped himself with Lazada’s seller tools and training programs that were designed to benefit businesses and entrepreneurs. Utilizing Lazada’s tools and armed with more knowledge, he began to feel empowered and to believe in himself. Sales began picking up. In 2020, XPLUS enjoyed a 4.5X increase in revenue after its return to Lazada.
The learning never stops
Van Chinh shares that for the first time, he realized that being an entrepreneur meant more than just monetary returns. To him, being an entrepreneur is also about bringing value and purpose to the people around us. “The global crisis and lockdowns took everyone by surprise, but we remembered our purpose to scale, and had to accept the challenge, be creative, and adapt!”
While they, like so many other entrepreneurs at this time, were certainly anxious about the future, Van Chinh felt Lazada’s support each step of the way, and continued to persevere, trust and rely on the foundations they’ve built together.
He’s especially grateful for Lazada University and Lazada Seller Club, which gave him and his team the knowledge to upskill and empower themselves, their staff, and their organization as a whole.
Bringing value to the community
Today, XPLUS is one of the top eCommerce sellers in the health and beauty industry on Lazada in the country, enjoying a USD 5-figure revenue monthly! Van Chinh’s experience goes to show that setbacks and failures are not the end. Sometimes it can take more than one attempt to get it right, as long as you keep trying.
With such a wonderful success story to share, Van Chinh is now using his experience and know-how to help motivate and guide other entrepreneurs, giving back to the community as a Seller Ambassador for Lazada. Lazada’s Seller Ambassadors program was created to help and guide new and existing sellers, saving lots of time in the process, and avoiding potential bumps, potholes, or mistakes that may dampen sales performance.
“My motto in business is to always keep learning. Always keep upgrading ourselves. Always keep engaging with the seller community. This will develop your brand and level up your business!” advises Van Chinh.
If you have a good business idea, why not go for it? You too can bring your family and community to the next level. Sign up with Lazada now as a new seller and enjoy exclusive benefits.