The SHINE Series features individuals who I meet on my travels or through my network who inspires me through their mindset, actions and/ or heart to flourish.
There is a special group of friends in Hong Kong called HK Family and I had the pleasure of meeting some of them when I visited my cousin Fiona and her hubby Gary in Hong Kong many moons ago. Fiona and Gary brought me along to the outings with their friends and that’s when I first met Jennifer. It was delightful when I read on socials that she has started her company Bydeau, the first online florist and gift business in Hong Kong. During the pandemic, she started another company Belevivi an online marketplace destination for stylish boutiques and a champion of unique design-led luxury homeware brands. I enjoy listening to and learning from others’ journey stories and I believe you would too. Here is Jennifer’s story.
Jennifer Margolin – Founder of Bydeau and Belevivi, Hong Kong
What inspired you to start your journey?
I have always been a problem solver since I was a young child so being an entrepreneur is not a far stretch. I started my career in Marketing & PR which has given me a great base for career journey. When moving to Hong Kong almost 10 years ago, I was surprised at the lack of online shopping at the time. Coming from the States where it was part of your everyday life it was a big adjustment. Now we have moved into an online/mobile society. I started BYDEAU as I needed flowers very last minute and didn’t have time to go to the flower mart. I wished there was a place I could order beautiful flowers and have delivered the same day, while also being confident of what I would receive. I thought there must be more people that would want this service to be able to order quality flowers & gifts and have delivered the same day so that is how BYDEAU was born. During the pandemic when we were locked in and entertaining at home more and more, I saw the need for quality homeware items for table setting, linens, home decor etc. There are either extremely expensive top of the line options or IKEA – but people are unique and want stylish yet quality items. That is how Belevivi, an online homeware marketplaces, was launched in late 2022. The idea is to bring more European brands to the Asian market. Customers order via the marketplace platform and items will be drop-shipped from the various brands.
What challenges, if any, did you find at the beginning of your journey and how did you overcome them?
I think there are challenges everyday you own a business. In the beginning there was so much I didn’t know about flowers, how to build a website, how to do social media, etc. I just decided to put one foot in front of the other and keep taking steps to the end goal. I self taught, reached out to my database, hired smarter people that knew what I didn’t know. You’re always going to not know something, but just moving forward and looking for the answer you’ll figure it out.
How did you get the idea for your business and why did you think it would work?
BYDEAU Flowers & Gifts. I knew coming from the States that it was only a matter of time before most people shopped online/mobile phone. I saw the need for a more western aesthetic of flowers and gift box options that were easy to order, you knew what you would be sending and great quality. We were the first online flower company in Hong Kong and now is a competitive industry. Beleviv. The idea was started by my partner Sasha Dennig and I during COVID. We both were looking for more homeware options as in Hong Kong you have very low end or one high end retailer that has a limited offering. We wanted to bring a great array of homeware brands to the Asian market. We enable our customers to discover beautiful, luxurious products, handpicked by our curators to ensure they no longer miss out on finding just the right thing for them, wherever in the world it may be hiding. We want to connect artisan/heritage brands and independent boutiques to a wider global customer base they wouldn’t otherwise have access to through our marketplace platform. Our mission is to help people to live and entertain more beautifully by connecting them to luxury homeware brands anywhere in the world. Belevivi is an online marketplace destination for stylish boutiques and a champion of unique design-led luxury homeware brands. We envision a world where beautiful, quality homeware inventory is easily available to all. We are on a mission to make shopping the world’s best independent, luxury homeware brands easy and accessible anywhere in the world.
What daily habits do you use to help you succeed?
Make a to-do list every day and constantly check off items. It helps me stay focused and if things seem overwhelming just break it down into smaller tasks – always move forward.
Knowing what you know now, is there anything you would have done differently?
I don’t think so, as I have learned a lot along the way and have had great support with family, friends and colleagues.
How did you persevere through the tough times?
I’ve always had the outlook on life that every situation is a moment in life and by pushing forward things will work out how they should. I rely on my amazing team and reach out to my database of amazing contacts that can help me see a different perspective I may not see.
What would you like to achieve next?
Grow Belevivi to be Farfetch of homeware in Asia.
What may be one or two memorable experiences you’ve had while running your business?
Taking a look back at BYDEAU and being able to see the growth and success to where it is now. Being the first online florist and gift business in Hong Kong and paving the way for many more brands to launch in that space to what it is today.
How do you stay on top of industry trends?
I listen to business podcasts, meet up with other professionals in other industries to stay relevant, read business books.
What advice would you give to someone who is wanting to be an entrepreneur?
Just start. You’ll never have it all figured out. Learn along the way. Have thick skin as you need to remember when things don’t go as planned to not take it personal. When you are a leader, your team can be hard on themselves and you need to be that cheerleader and one that leads by example.
Jen, very nice article! Continued success always.