Eager to stay productive and gain new knowledge, management engineering student Vincent Sy launched an online homeware store on Lazada after learning the ropes from LazStart.
LazStart is Lazada’s online entrepreneurship and innovation program that aims to empower youth to become online seller by equipping them with the basic knowledge of navigating e-commerce.
“I joined the LazStart program because I thought that this might be an opportunity for me to learn more about the e-commerce industry here in the Philippines,” related Sy, founder of Comfy Home Essentials. “My experience was great, and my key takeaway from the program was learning how to start an online store on Lazada from scratch.”
The biggest hurdle he faced at the start of his e-commerce journey was logistics. He eventually overcame the initial challenges, leveraging Lazada’s wide logistics network to his advantage.
Sy was one of the nearly 300 students who graduated from the first phase of the program in 2020. To empower more aspiring entrepreneurs like Sy, the e-commerce platform launches LazStart 2.0.
“Through Lazada’s LazStart 2.0 program, we want to bridge that gap of uncertainty by providing youths of today with knowledge, industry resources, and an inclusive and collaborative environment to kickstart their entrepreneurial dreams,” said Lazada Philippines chief customer officer Jacqueline Fuentes.
The second phase of the program partners with more institutions such as University of the East, University of Asia and the Pacific, SoFA Design Institute, Centro Escolar University, and Southville International School and Colleges to upskill students who express interest in setting up their own digital ventures— like Kyla Yao did.
Unable to find activewear options like cute sports outfits, Yao saw an opportunity to tap the untapped market and joined LazStart in 2020. She co-founded Kleo Active with her best friend.
“LazStart allowed me to understand the e-commerce industry on a deeper level, simplifying big concepts and teaching insights into modern techniques we can apply in entrepreneurship beyond social media networks,” she shared.
“After the experience,” the co-founders strengthened their brand’s digital presence “through setting up our shop through the platform, while at the same time applying insights on strategic tactics we can use in making our business grow.”
Meanwhile, Green Gulp founder Boris Matocinos joined the program with the goal to know more about starting an online business and how to market his and his mother’s cold-pressed juices. They started producing healthy, cold-pressed juices when his mother was diagnosed with cancer.
Through the program, he learned how to identify and target relevant audience segments, which helped the business take off.