Love, Bonito is one of Singapore's largest homegrown online fashion retailers, offering trendy and beautiful designs at affordable prices. Founded in 2010, it is the company's mission to inspire and dress Asian women of today to be the change for tomorrow.
Co-founder Rachel Lim is in charge of the front end of the business, handling the marketing, sales and creative aspects. She was recently recognised internationally in Forbes’ 30 under 30 Asia list, while her company has also received the SME Asia Award 2013/2014. The company has more than 50 employees, with its headquarters in Singapore and offices in Malaysia and Indonesia.
In this wide-ranging interview, she talks about getting the right mix of employees, the power of peer reviews in achieving more sales and why you should always be authentic in networking.
What are some of the challenges your company faces and how do you solve them?
Lim: The main challenge for our company is getting the right people on board. Building the Love, Bonito team requires team members who believe in our vision and who will work hard to achieve company goals. It’s also a challenge to find stakeholders who will partner with our business to add value and support us in our long-term goals.
What is your approach to networking?
Lim: My approach is to always be authentic. People are able to sense if you’re genuine and sincere. If they do, I believe that's the way to build stronger and longer-lasting relationships.
How would you prefer someone to reach out to you?
Lim: I don’t really have a preference for how people choose to reach out to me. Email, phone calls or coming up to me personally are all fine!
What is your most effective tip for increasing the sales of your product?
Lim: In this day and age, people trust peer reviews more than anything, so it's definitely got to be through word of mouth. It's not enough for a company to constantly advertise how good it is to their customers or potential customers. It is much more impactful and authentic when people hear about my brand and products from a satisfied customer!
What is your most effective tip for improving your own productivity?
Lim: Personally, I love exercising. I find that exercising helps keep my mind alert. I tend to be able to concentrate better and think with a clearer mind after I exercise.
What do you think about a business card management service such as Sansan?
Lim: As our world becomes more digitised, it's about time we moved forward and shift resources such as our business cards online. Sansan helps connect and manage this effectively.