Sharline Shaw is the founder of LeeLineSourcing. In this interview, we have a chat with Sharline about how she started the business, her plans for the future, and how she pivoted.
It’s an excellent insight into how proactive entrepreneurs plan and continue to change their approach as the market conditions vary. Read on to find out how Sharline built LeeLineSourcing with Edward Shaw, the co-founder.
Q1. Tell us about yourself. What do you do? What is your business about? What are your core responsibilities? Is this your first venture?
Sharline: Since 2008, I have helped customers source goods from China. At the beginning,she mainly purchased electronic products, and served customers in the form of SOHO. With the increase in customer demand, we began to recruit more members to carry out business together.
We look for high-quality suppliers in China to produce products for our customers according to their needs, and provide a series of supply chain services to help our customers expand their global business. Our customers include sellers of ecommerce platforms such as Amazon, eBay and WalMart, as well as ecommerce website sellers such as Shopify, WordPress and bigcommerce.
Many offline store buyers also cooperate with us to develop more product lines.
Since we started our business in 2008, we have experienced 4-5 business type adjustments and made other e-commerce related business attempts.
Q2. What are your business’ core product offerings?
Sharline: Now our main business includes helping customers find their product supply chain in China, following up product production, product quality inspection, and transporting high-quality products to the warehouse designated by customers according to the most appropriate logistics scheme according to customer needs.
For dropshipping customers, we provide e-commerce fulfillment services for customers to transport products to the end customer address designated by the customer. For the brand customization, we provide a set of perfect brand design and packaging services to most efficiently meet customers’ needs from brand concept to brand products.
Q3. How did you come up with the idea of LeeLineSourcing?
Sharline: With the development of China’s manufacturing industry and the deepening of Global trade. China has become the world’s factory, more and more buyers purchase goods from China.
However, in the process of purchasing goods in China, there are many problems, such as cultural barriers, poor communication, purchase volume not meeting factory requirements, product quality not meeting standards, logistics delays, product damage and so on, which have greatly hindered the development of customers’ business.
We have developed in the sourcing industry for more than 10 years and have rich experience. In order to help customers better source goods from China, we have set up a professional team to solve their problems, optimize customer supply chain and improve customer business efficiency.
Q4. What were some of the challenges that you faced growing LeeLineSourcing from a one-man operation into one of the best sourcing companies from China?
Sharline: The following three points are the main challenges we face now:
- First, how to help customers match high-quality suppliers more quickly, save procurement costs and improve procurement efficiency.
- Second, how to establish a more effective IT procurement system to improve customer activity through data analysis.
- Third, establish a long-term brand marketing mechanism so that more customers can understand and trust us.
Q5. It’s impossible to achieve success without having a great support network and a strong team. Who do you have to thank in helping you build LeeLineSourcing?
Sharline: Yes, we must have a strong team to provide customers with better services. Since its establishment, leelinesourcing mainly thanks the 2 founders. I am mainly responsible for the business team. Her rich sourcing experience has helped many customers successfully expand their product lines and business scale.
Edward makes use of his rich SEO experience to make leelinesourcing gradually become an industry brand known to our customers. They both play a very important role in the development of leelinesourcing.
Q6. We are still feeling the after-effects of the pandemic, and many industries have changed completely. How do you think it has impacted your line of work? What, if any, changes, do you anticipate in the near future?
Sharline: Yes, the COVID-19 has had a great impact on global trade in recent years. In particular, it has accelerated the penetration of online e-commerce in Europe and the United States. More and more ecommerce startup companies purchase products from China.
They mainly operate in the form of dropshipping. For dropshipping customers, we have established a special business team and warehouse to provide them with customized services such as sourcing, quality inspection, brand customization and warehouse fulfillment.
We think that in the future, online e-commerce shopping will become more and more common, gradually becoming the main way for people to buy goods, and there will be more and more e-commerce sellers.
Q7. Do you think sourcing from China is going to take off now?
Sharline: Since China joined the WTO, it has become more and more common to purchase goods from China. In particular, the impact of the COVID-19 has accelerated China’s trade exports. I believe sourcing from China will become better and better.
Q8. As a shipping business, conversion rate optimization is obviously very important for your business. What strategies do you use to manage CRO for your business?
Sharline: In order to improve cro, we are ready to adjust from these aspects.
- First, improve the professional skills of the salesperson, deepen their understanding of the customer’s business, enable them to improve appropriate logistics solutions for customers, in order to save logistics costs and improve logistics timeliness
- Second, optimize and standardize the customer follow-up process, classify the customer for similar business needs, and make preparation plans.
- Third, use a CRM system to analyze customer data, understand customers in multiple dimensions, and use an EDM system to market customers many times to deepen brand impression.
How to Increase Conversion Rate: 14 Effective Ways to Boost Conversions
Q9. You are also a Cloudways customer. How has your experience been with Cloudways?
Sharline: Cloudways provides us with a safe and stable server, and reduces the threshold of technology use. It is not only inexpensive, but also easy to use. The industry evaluation has been very good. Cloudways will continue to be used in our subsequent ecommerce websites projects.
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Q10. Both LeeLine and LeeLineSourcing are rapidly growing companies. How do you manage the two? What tips would you offer to someone who intends to manage two companies together?
Sharline: Leeline and leelinesourcing have deep business relevance and different positioning. Leelinesourcing mainly aims to help customers purchase and solve supplier communication problems. Leeline plans to solve e-commerce logistics distribution, 3PL and other problems.
They have mutual business intersection and their own business focus. At the same time, the operation of the two companies is also to further solve the different problems encountered by customers in different business periods and provide targeted solutions.
Q11. In your experience, what are some non-negotiable tenets that shipping businesses should never compromise on?
Sharline: The following three points are the very important principles of logistics transportation
- Do not make excessive commitments, and let customers know the risks that may be encountered during the shipping process
- Ensure that the product quality is not damaged during transportation
- The product declaration information shall be true and accurate
Q12. Do share something interesting about your experience in building LeeLineSourcing?
Sharline: In 2018, there was an American customer whose family was engaged in the sales of Christmas trees and other Christmas products. He is the eldest son of his family, he came to China mainly responsible for purchasing some new products.
We took him to eat a lot of snacks with Chinese characteristics, most of which he still likes very much. He is not too used to spicy food. He stayed in China for 5 days. We took him to visit factories and many local scenic spots. He was deeply impressed by this trip to China. He said that he would often visit China in the future.
Q13. What exciting new projects are you working on now that you think will help people?
Sharline: We are developing an online order follow-up and warehouse processing system for Dropshipping customers. After the system is launched, it can help customers select products online, import products with one click, synchronize online orders, update delivery logistics synchronously, expand the scope of customer selection, and greatly improve the efficiency of customer order processing.
Q14. Thank you so much for your time! One last question: where can our readers follow your work?
Sharline: From our website Leelinesourcing and Facebook Page
Umair Qureshi
Umair Qureshi is a Digital Marketer at Cloudways. He loves to read and share his digital marketing experience with Ecommerce & Startups community. In his spare time, he enjoys watching and playing cricket. You can email him at [email protected] or connect him on linkedin: https://pk.linkedin.com/in/umair-qureshi-seo
