Starting a business is not an easy decision to make but 26-year-old entrepreneur Gian Drilon took his two cents worth and explored ways on how to start a business of his own. He researched and read articles on online selling until he stumbled upon Lazada’s selling platform.
In May 2016, he opened his first shop, Asenso Shop, where he sold products such as toys, games and items for mothers and babies. The first few days were smooth and easily handled, but as months went by, it came to a point where he would get hundreds of orders a day.
His girlfriend of nine years, Reg Onglao, started helping out when she had free time off work. She did special projects for Gian, among which was to help automate processes in the business. With her help, handling the business became easier for Gian.
“Back when we started, I used to be the only full-time employee of the business handling everything—from product selection to packing. Within a few months, the orders quickly grew and became too much for me to handle alone, but like what others would say two is really better than one,” says Gian.
Gian and Reg, with the help of their five employees, now handle four shops aside from Asenso Shop. These are Watch Me!, their main shop where they sell fashion accessories; Asenso Healthcare, which contains health and beauty products; Gold Panda, a shop under a special partnership with Lazada where they sell gold bars; and ZG Designs, where they offer graphic T-shirt printing.
“I have very big dreams for our Lazada stores, and I always want to keep on improving. Every month, I keep on adding more and more assortment and I also venture on new product categories. Just like my life together with Reg, our love steadily grows each day with more and more varying experiences. I dream of starting a family with her, having kids, and buying a house,” says Gian.
By working together, their relationship and business grew together determining their mutual career plans. During Lazada’s Online Revolution Sale in 2017, the couple received 7,000 orders in one day and this made Gian decide to take their relationship to the next level.
Gian proposed to Reg in December when he asked her to help him reboot his broken computer. When she opened it, she was surprised to see photos popping out with the question, “Will you marry me?” to which Reg replied with a sweet Yes.
Through Lazada, Gian made his dream a reality. Not only does he get to spend his future with Reg, but he also is able to reach a nationwide pool of customers.
Juggling personal and business relationships altogether is no joke. “I remind myself that Reg and I are in a committed relationship—where two different people choose to become one, working together towards a common goal, and where each person complements and helps the other one grow,” says Gian.
Gian and Reg plan to expand their business in the coming months.
Lazada Philippines’ selling platform offers a straightforward start-up process for merchants who want to start their own online selling business.