Podcasts about Baopals

Can’t think of a business to start in China? Are you interested in creating a company in China?  Finding a business idea that ticks with the market is sometimes a hard thing to do.  Look into the problem you face yourself and find a solution that no one has done yet.  Jay Thornhill is the Co-Founder and Head of Product Development for Baopals. Baopals (baopals.com) was launched in March 2016 and opened the gates to Taobao, Tmall and JD for non-Chinese. Over 3.7 million products have been purchased on Baopals in 4 years, and the co-founders are the only foreigners ever awarded "Top 10 Up-And-Coming Entrepreneurs" by the Shanghai government.  In this episode, Jay Thornhill shares how, from his own challenges of dealing with an inconvenient and non-enjoyable shopping experience, he found a solution and made a business out of it. That way, he not only made shopping easy and fun for himself but other non-Chinese people too.    What you will learn from this episode:  Find the easy way to navigate Chinese platforms and shop conveniently in China, even if you are non-Chinese  Discover where people get what they want, or get their money back and get the same type of response and communication every time from the team behind the platform  Find out what you should do if you want to start a business in China so you won’t get bogged down with all the legalities    “Focus on solving a problem that you face personally, and make sure it's a problem that other people haven't solved already. That's when you're really on to something. And don't get bogged down too much in the kind of legality of it and worried about all the formal setup you need.”  - Jay Thornhill    Topics Covered:  01:50 - Making it easy for people who don't know how to navigate Chinese platforms to shop in China  02:32 - Making shopping on Chinese platforms for non-Chinese people easy and enjoyable   03:52 - How the language gap, communication issues, platform design and user interface cause problems for non-Chinese people in their shopping experience  05:16 - Why asking somebody else to buy for them on Chinese selling platforms is one mistake non-Chinese people are making  05:53 - One valuable free action is to discover good products and sellers in China here: https://www.baopals.com/discover/whatshot/products  07:23 - A book that helped Jay deal with stress, pressure and the emotional roller coaster of having his own business: Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ by Daniel Goleman  08:19 - What should I do if I want to start my own business in China?    Key Takeaways:  “First, make sure you have a viable product that people really want and seek out honest feedback and criticism, so that you get on that right track. And then if you need help sorting the rest out later, go to our business services page and get in touch.” - Jay Thornhill  “I think it's good for people to delve into the sphere of psychology and neuroscience because when the pressure hits and emotions flare up, you might say things or make decisions that you regret. And in business, that can be very costly.” - Jay Thornhill  “If they want to discover good products and sellers in China, they can do that for free if they go to the Baopals blog, or they follow us on WeChat. And they could check out a section of our site called Discover where they can see what other expats in China are buying and collections they're creating and sharing on the platform.” - Jay Thornhill    Resources:  Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ by Daniel Goleman    Ways to Connect with Jay Thornhill:   Website: https://www.baopals.com/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thornhilljay/    Ways to Connect with Howard Whiteson:  Website: http://www.wealthwithoutborders.net     Podcast: https://wealthwithoutborders.net/podcast/   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/howardwhiteson     

Jay Thornhill is a real example of a success story of a foreigner making it in China as he is one of the 3 co-founders of Baopals, a website for English speaking consumers in China to access Taobao, Tmall and JD. What started as an entrepreneurial adventure between three friends living in the same building, Jay, together with Charlie Erickson and Tyler McNew managed to build a profitable company within a year with no funding and no experience in ecommerce and it's still growing more than 4 years later. Baopals has often appeared in international news as an example of a successful company with foreign owners, and I read somewhere that over 250 million RMB of merchandise value has been sold through the platform. Baopals even has their own Wiki page! You can find Baopals on www.baopals.com and on WeChat and Jay on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thornhilljay and by email:; jay@baopals.com

I had the great pleasure of interviewing Jay Thornhill. Jay is an Australian-American whose one-year stay in China has lasted thirteen years. He is a cofounder and Head of Product Development at Baopals.Near the end of 2015, Jay and two close American friends, Charlie and Tyler, set out to make China’s largest online shopping platforms accessible and convenient for non-Chinese. They had no experience in ecommerce, no funding or guanxi, and plenty of legal, financial and technological uncertainty. However, they knew this problem needed to be solved, and there was nothing in the market like the solution they wanted.On March 1st, 2016, they launched Baopals (baopals.com). Baopals is a bridge to all products and sellers from Taobao, Tmall and JD, updating in real time and catered to foreign shoppers. In 4 years, the platform has helped expats in China purchase over 4 million items for CNY250 million in gross merchandise value. What are the most exciting trends you are seeing in China today?The speed with which China and its people build new infrastructure, adopt new technology, and take up new habits is a sight to behold. It’s taken for granted now that you can purchase anything you want with a few clicks on the phone and have it delivered to your door quickly and cheaply. Easy access to low-cost products and services is nothing new here, but consumers’ preferences are evolving too. Because China’s economy and culture changed so drastically the past 50 years, the generation gap might be wider here than almost anywhere in the world. The younger generation tends to be more open-minded, competitive, individualistic, and optimistic. A growing number want to carve their own paths, take more risks, try out more hobbies and interests, and live a more varied lifestyle than previous generations. It’s all relative, and China remains far off from the individualism and “pursuit of happiness” ethos of American culture, so it’ll be interesting to see what kind of balance is struck going forward.How has the coronavirus affected your business and other businesses in your industry?At the start of 2020, the outbreak looked as if it was going to have a dramatic effect on China but not the rest of the world. A lot of expats in China hurried to fly back home or travel while waiting for COVID to get contained in China. Since Baopals is built entirely for non-Chinese shoppers, we saw a drop of about 35% in sales almost overnight as expats fled the country. Then the outbreak turned into a worldwide pandemic and the borders were closed, so it became clear to us we weren’t getting those customers back for a while, and we wouldn’t benefit from new foreigners arriving in China for a while.Because of lockdown measures, we had nearly all of our staff working remotely in February, which meant there were 3 or 4 of us working in a 3-story house built for a team of 50 and costing us an arm and a leg. Without an end in sight, we built new backend tools to better manage remote work, including a fully automated points and rewards system for our staff. When we saw how well everyone was working from home, we decided to ditch the office and we never looked back. The pandemic forced a lot of companies and individuals to experiment with remote work, and I think many have found it to be more viable than expected.Our numbers rebounded more quickly than expected, possibly from shoppers preferring online shopping more now than in pre-pandemic times. With the improved efficiency we’re set up nicely for growth, and we’ve recently soft launched international service to do just that.What is one thing people outside of China misunderstand about the regionOver the years I’ve become a bit guarded whenever the topic of China comes up with family or friends back home. I have to first assess whether they are genuinely curious about Chinese people and my experience in China, or whether they’re merely seeking to confirm views shaped by western media. If it’s the latter, then they likely won’t be receptive to certain ideas. For example, that many expats feel they enjoy more freedom and opportunity in China than they did in their homelands. Or the idea that Chinese people are not brainwashed – at least, no more brainwashed than the average person nowadays. Most Chinese are proud of their country’s achievements without blindly agreeing to all of the ruling party’s politics. They tend to be defensive when China is criticized, and they’re justified in feeling that western media has a negative bias towards China. The truth is often more nuanced than what is presented, and western media typically avoids anything positive that might be said about China. When one’s homeland is criticized by those who have little to no experience with the country, some defensiveness is to be expected. What are some companies you admire in China?China’s tech giants deserve a lot of admiration. Alibaba built the world’s best shopping platform in Taobao, with the most products at the best prices. The only problem is that it was built entirely for Chinese – and therein lay the opportunity for us to create Baopals, making Taobao easy for non-Chinese to enjoy.Tencent has created, in my opinion, the most useful app in existence. WeChat has grown from a typical messaging app to a do-it-all digital platform that those in China can’t imagine living without. It’s an ecosystem for social life, payments, media, online shopping, gaming, events, and a wealth of other services. One of the first things we did as a company was create our official WeChat service account, which allows users to easily shop on Baopals without leaving WeChat. The bulk of our content and payments come through WeChat, so much so that in over four years we still haven’t built stand-alone apps (they are coming, though!).I’m also a big fan of other platforms that make life in China more convenient, including DiDi (China’s Uber, with incredibly low fares and an English version to boot), Ele.me and Meituan for food delivery, and Hello Bike or Mobike for biking all over the city.What is the single most important piece of advice you would give to someone trying to get their business to thrive in this time period?If there’s any one-size-fits-all advice, it’s to focus on profitability above all else. That may seem obvious, but this seems to be forgotten all too often in the startup scene today. In the second year of Baopals, we got caught up in the hype of top-line growth, media attention, and potential fundraising instead of focusing on what really matters: the bottom line. Our sales doubled while our net profit fell nearly 70%. Once we shut out the distractions and honed our focus on profitability, we found all kinds of ways to improve efficiency and earnings. With the right focus, you can grow your net earnings and improve cash flow even when top line sales are falling. That helps you get through difficult times and thrive on the rebound.Quickfire QuestionsA - What’s the best thing you have watched recently? (Film, TV Show, Ted Talk, Youtube Video, etc.)I’m enjoying the sci-fi series Raised by Wolves, about androids attempting to raise children and build a colony after leaving a post-apocalyptic Earth. It’s well crafted, visually stunning, and thought provoking. I always enjoy science fiction for being imaginative and exploring the unknown, while ultimately being about us. It’s also a great way to take my mind off anything that might be stressing me out in the real world!B - What’s the best thing you have read recently? (Book, Article, Research Report, Tweetstorm, etc.)I’m a big believer in Bitcoin, and there are a lot of exciting things happening in the crypto space these days. Bitcoiners have long anticipated corporations and central banks beginning to hold Bitcoin reserves, so the recent news that MicroStrategy allocated the vast majority of its cash reserves (over $400 million) to Bitcoin feels like a watershed moment. News just broke that Square has also begun purchasing Bitcoin, and no doubt more corporations are discussing how to do the same.C - What’s the best thing you have listened to recently? (Song, Album, Artist, Podcast, Audiobook, etc.)“Burn the House Down” by AJR. Never mind the dark lyrics; you can’t help feeling good and adding bounce to your step with this song playing. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit eastwesthurricane.substack.com

In this episode we interview Jay Thornhill, Co-Founder of Baopals, a one-stop service for expats’ online shopping needs in China. Jay’s entrepreneurial journey started in his friends’ apartment in Shanghai 5 years ago, where they bootstrapped the business from the ground up. Baopals now has over 30 employees and is the leading service provider for expats in China to shop on Taobao and JD. Show Notes: Jay’s China journey - starting with a one-year English teaching contract that turned into a 12-year stay in Shanghai. Jay came to China for the experience, but stayed for the hustle. What is Baopals and how does the platform work. How Jay and his two co-founders (also best friends) came to the idea of Baopals. How Jay and his co-founders bootstrapped Baopals from their apartment, without outside funding nor a real office. The biggest early challenges the team faced at Baopals, and how they overcame them. Baopals’ plans for international expansion, and whether or not Alibaba will buy them! Jay’s insights on managing people and building a positive and productive company culture. Baopals’ transition to full remote working after the pandemic, and how Jay did it. Taboos about working with your best friends, and how it was not a problem for Jay and his co-founders. Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/millennials-in-china/id1503870294 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0MwEJZnnZ2sNWje7wP0GaW?si=tWqgkgwoQCueTrEfeI3-6g Listen on Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cDovL21pbGxlbm5pYWxzaW5jaGluYS5jb20vcnNz Listen on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm6jqVbJ1SR_g9iTLFxyF1g Podcast Website: http://millennialsinchina.com Podcast Facebook: https://facebook.com/millennialsinchina Podcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/MillennialsCN Chris' Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChrisWood1821 Hope's Twitter: https://twitter.com/hope_freiheit Hope’s Instagram: https://instagram.com/hope_freiheit Hope’s Blog: https://hopefreiheit.com

About Jay ThornhillStarting as a English teacher Jay is an Australian-American, born in Australia and grew up in the US. To cease his entrepreneurial spirit he left his home and travelled to China. With the intention of staying for 1 year he ended up staying for over 12 years now. In 2015 he ventured Baopals together with two of his friends Charlie and Tyler Baopals.com as the first platform to give foreigners in China an easy and enjoyable way to shop on Taobao, Tmall and JD.com. All 1 billion  plus products on these platforms are available, with up-to-date pricing and product info, in English, and reorganized to make shopping on baopals as easy as pie. The pas years they have sold over millions of product become a solid market leader in the industry.They are an digital interface between the factory of the world and foreigners in China eager to buy online. With a multi-cultural team of 40 they are bound to make a bigger footprint for foreigners in China and exploring ways to service a much more global audience. And even paying it forward to other start-up entrepreneurs with different business services.Episode Content:How to benefit from grants as a foreign start-up in ChinaJay's and his China dreamWhat problem they are trying to solve with their businessHow getting started and perseverance paid offEntrepreneurship in ChinaHow to reach scale targeting foreigners in ChinaHow to keep a friendly vibe and company culture after maturing the businessNavigating platform based selling and social selling and incorporating this into BaopalsWhat peak season festivals such as Single's Day (11-11), 12-12 and 618 looks likeHow focus helped progress the businessGiving back to China's start-up communitiesHis China war storyEpisode Mentions:Find Jay  on LinkedIN or reach out via email: jay@baopals.comWebsite: www.baopals.comPlatforms: Taobao.com, Tmall.com, JD.com, Xiaohongshu.com, Fancy.comSocial shipping platforms: Pinduoduo, Toutiao, Douyin.Find Jons on LinkedINFind Simon on LinkedINJoin China Business Cast WeChat groupDownload and SubscribeDownload this episode right click and choose "save as"Subscribe to China Business Cast on iTunesOr check out the full list on subscription optionsAdd Jons ('jslemmer') or Simon ('sraadt') on WeChat to join China Business Cast WeChat group

Jay Thornhill is a co-founder of Baopals, a website designed to help English-speaking expats in China access the wonderful world of shopping available on Chinese-only Taobao and its sister site, TMall. Their success story is really inspiring, and Jay’s insights gleaned along the way are priceless. Also this week we debut a NEW FORMAT for the show that we would love your feedback on. Learn more at howchinaworkspodcast.com!

Co-Founder and Head of Product Development for Baopals. Baopals (baopals.com) is a fast-growing startup launched in March 2016 that has opened the gates to Taobao and Tmall for non-Chinese. Over 3 million products have been purchased on the platform in 3 years, and the co-founders are the only foreigners ever awarded "Top 10 Up-And-Coming Entrepreneurs" by the Shanghai government. Previously founded A Learning Culture, a boutique communication skills training consultancy, which was acquired by Ivy League English. Other links 15 days Mandarin language challenge http://bit.ly/347azYo

Jay Thornills and Charles Erickson, Co-Founder & Head of Product Development at Baopals, speaks with Matthieu David about how to provide a platform to give foreigners in China an easy and enjoyable way to shop on Taobao and Tmall. In this China business podcast, Jay and Charles talk about the business model of Baopals, the service it provides, how to manage the seasonality and more. Highlights of this China business podcast: 1:26 How many people are in the team 1:40 The story behind the company 5:26 The business model of Baopals 7:03 Does Baopals communicate transparently on 6% markup? 7:38 The service Baopals provides 11:55 Who is shopping on Baopals.com 17:28 How to manage the seasonality 22:50 The challenges Baopals has faced when working with Taobao sellers and peak seasonality 24:37 Does Baopals refund the commission when customers return products 26:23 The client-acquisition and the vision of the company 31:45 What does Baopals do on WeChat 33:47 What kind of software does Baopals use for marketing 36:05 The coding behind Baopals 40:26 Baopals' transaction with Taobao 42:47 Oversea products sold through Taobao 46:55 Bestsellers on Baopals 52:33 The future of Baopals The official website: https://www.baopals.com ====================================================== China Paradigms is the China Business Podcast for entrepreneurs and China watchers. Learn from business professionals in China on our China Paradigms website: http://chinaparadigm.com/ Daxue Consulting is a market research and management consulting firm focusing on the Chinese market. We are leveraging a multiple-methodology approach in order to support clients’ needs, auctioning traditional methodologies as well as technology-driven tools. More about Daxue Consulting: https://daxueconsulting.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/daxueconsulting/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/daxue-consulting/?viewAsMember=true Twitter: https://twitter.com/DaxueConsulting

This week we sit down with the co-founder of Baopals, Charlie Erickson. Charlie talks about small town life, an unfortunate club experience, and of course taking the big step into starting his own business. Don't forget to check out Baopals.com for all your shopping needs.

This week we sit down with the co-founder of Baopals, Charlie Erickson. Charlie talks about small town life, an unfortunate club experience, and of course taking the big step into starting his own business. Don't forget to check out Baopals.com for all your shopping needs.

Jay Thornhil, co-founder of baopals, tells the story of how three best friends are building the e-comerce platform that give the rest of the world access to the 800+ million products and services available on China's taobao and tmall shopping sites. www.baopals.com www.techinshanghai.com twitter.com/techinshanghai WeChat: TheHungryFoolish

GFA167. For this week’s show - BaoPals - this startup has been growing like crazy and the founders are on the show to talk about the story and the growth - it’s a platform to help you buy from Chinese e-commerce sites via their system using English. For full show notes, check out GlobalFromAsia.com/episode167. The post Baopals: Your Friend To Help You Buy on Chinese E-Commerce appeared first on Global From Asia.

Jay and Charlie are two good buddies who founded the startup Shanghai-based Baopals. China has a website called Taobao, which is kind of like ebay except it’s a thousand times bigger and notoriously difficult for expats to navigate. The guys sought to bridge that gap and all non-Chinese a chance to get some of that sweet […]