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Over the past few a long time, the Internet has broken down international barriers and opened the floodgates to cross-border e-commerce. This is evidenced by the growth of micro, small and medium-sized e-commerce enterprises (MSMEs). It’s now easier than ever for recent entrepreneurs to dive into e-commerce and succeed. Social commerce tools even allow you to sell products via social media without having to arrange a dedicated website.
However, there are still barriers that need to be overcome. Lack of access to training, information, financing and other resources continues to hold back entrepreneurs from cross-border e-commerce opportunities. Most people don’t even know about starting an e-commerce business, which leaves most unaware that it is an option they’ll make the most of.
I recently realized that building community is crucial in opening more doors for entrepreneurs, especially in the cross-border e-commerce space. Last 12 months I began a global women’s empowerment organization called Inner Mountain Foundation. This spring my second company, DHgate — a leading cross-border e-commerce marketplace — led the Foundation’s side activities during events we organized and participated in. I used to be blown away by the big impact these community-building activities had.
Without going into too much detail about my very own business, I’d like to share some of the lessons I’ve learned about the power of community for entrepreneurs and SMBs. I now truly imagine that connecting with real people and raising real issues is one of the best things we can do to remove cross-cultural barriers and truly integrate into the global village that humanity is growing into.
Find yourself by connecting with others
I all the time imagine that this journey does not have to be taken alone, irrespective of where it leads. There are other people identical to you who are chasing entrepreneurial dreams identical to yours, and they are most definitely making the very same mistakes as you. When we come together to share experiences, we can learn and grow from each other’s mistakes together. It also means we can have fun our successes together, which is even higher!
We recently hosted an offline event as part of the DHgate reseller conference. The event was also a local meeting of the Women Going Global program under the China chapter of the Inner Mountain Foundation, which connects women entrepreneurs through various activities. We conducted a fun seminar that included a mindfulness meditation session, introspective free writing, group sharing of personal stories, and other community-building activities.
These types of activities can bring people together who won’t otherwise meet at a regular networking event. Participants also found that these combined self-discovery methods contributed greatly to stimulating intuitive wisdom, fostering creativity, and inspiring recent ideas in all participants. Through our community engagement and creative exchange of ideas, we brought everyone together this 12 months, which helped them learn from each other (and from us).
Women Going Global participants who run micro-enterprises said they have significant difficulties overcoming language and cultural differences when dealing with buyers from other countries. Over the past 12 months, many retailers have turned to AI to overcome this barrier – and now, thanks to community-based knowledge sharing, I think this trend will change into more and more common.
Another community-building event my team hosted this 12 months was the Women’s Party Bus during ASD Market Week in Las Vegas. Small business owners networked and exchanged notes on the challenges they face in trading cross-border and suggestions for success – and we discovered that they were facing the same difficulties as our sellers in China.
One thing everyone agreed on was how helpful it was to connect with other female professionals. In a traditionally male-dominated business space, it may be difficult for women to find someone with whom they’ll discuss their problems. Having a support network of like-minded people might be a huge relief.
I can not emphasize this enough: community sharing and coaching can really open doors. One of our community members in China shared a heartfelt story about how she often felt lost, endlessly wondering about her inner thoughts with no solution. However, by participating in a guided self-discovery class, she finally found the answers she was looking for.
Community provides more resources, accelerating greater development
Of course, you do not have to host or attend extravagant events to connect with other aspiring entrepreneurs. Networking on social media or at local industry conventions is a wonderful means to meet others on similar journeys. Better yet, start or join an entrepreneur support community. A very good option is perhaps a personal club like a brainiac, a meetup group, or even a local chapter run by an accelerator or organization like The Inner Mountain Foundation.
But don’t just follow other people’s social media accounts, collect business cards and forget about them. Get involved! Connect on a personal level! Most importantly, we must find ways to help each other grow. Any way yow will discover a profit for another person’s business will almost all the time profit you in the long term.
In this regard, I recall what Serena, an American entrepreneur who recently joined the California community of The Inner Mountain Foundation, told me. She hopes to “make friends” with local women and sellers abroad, “because friends’ products are always more trustworthy.”
I completely agree: when it comes to online retail, foreign suppliers are a perfect match for local social commerce, and I’m passionate about helping these two groups develop connections based on shared values.