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MBA Connect Story:
Jason Kei, Part-time, Class of 2011
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Jason Kei
Founder and Executive Director
Jollymap.com
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While you may not have any doubt about where to buy a luxury handbag in Hong Kong, do you know where to buy a bike in the city? What about a bike for kids? As a loving father who desired healthy leisure time with his kids, Jason was disappointed but then inspired by the hardship he faced in finding good sources of outdoor gear in Hong Kong. So he established Jollymap.com early this year and is increasing his profits each month. Let’s
find out about his entrepreneurial ideas and forward thinking!
Could you briefly introduce JollyMap?
Jollymap.com is a one-stop online shop selling quality gear for kids that has the ambition of creating happy memories for both parents and their children via outdoor activities. A few years back when I was searching for a scooter as my nephew’s birthday gift, I needed to visit many different department stores before finding something suitable. That inspired me to explore possibilities in this fragmented market. Outdoor activities have been scientifically
shown to improve children’s immune systems, concentration, problem solving and social skills. Even more valuable is that kids are much happier when they play in nature. Drawing on my own experience as a parent, I hope that I can generate social impact through JollyMap by promoting outdoor activities. The site now offer products including kids’ bikes, balance bikes, scooters, helmets and yard games, just to name a few.
How did your work experience and MBA studies help you to develop the business?
Before joining the CUHK MBA program I was in middle management at IKEA. During that time I thankfully gained much exciting exposure during different projects and even developed a new department after completing an intensive management trainee program. I then joined the MBA program to broaden my horizons in business management. The great professors made complex concepts easy to understand, and more importantly my smart classmates from a range of industries drew on
their own expertise in contributing to many fruitful discussions. My two-year MBA experience was a transformational period and led to the exceptional opportunity of heading a geographic business penetration project shortly after graduation, taking in everything from strategic planning to implementation.
My later responsibility for developing e-commerce at IKEA gave me the hands-on experience I needed to be able to develop Jollymap.com. Outdoors gear like kids’ bikes and scooters is bulky and has a low turnover rate, which implies low return per square foot, so an online shop came to mind as an optimal form. My confidence in opening Jollymap was built through my training with my previous employer.
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How has the market reacted to your e-business over the past six months? What is the next step for Jollymap.com?
The market reaction has been positive with about 30% growth in profit each month. Many parents are eager to look for the best toys for their kids.
I will continue to expand the site’s product range in the months to come. We will also adopt omni-channel distribution by opening a showroom where families can try products freely. It sounds curious that an online shop is going back to the old path of opening a real shop, which was not our original plan, but the decision was made after 6 months’ observation based on customer feedback. An online platform helps brings consumers to us but it does not always lead to deal closures. Seven
out of 10 telephone enquiries ask whether we have a showroom – a very clear indicator that although consumers now seek more information online, trying out products remains one of the key determining factors for parents making the final decision to purchase.
Based on your experience in e-commerce projects and your current business at Jollymap.com, what do you see as the future of e-commerce in Hong Kong?
To me, e-commerce involves more than an online shop. It represents how we engage in business with the support of digital technology. Thanks to smartphones, I believe that e-commerce development in Hong Kong is becoming ever more promising. It is true that shopping in Hong Kong is relatively convenient, but easy access to information through smartphones is gradually changing our shopping habits. In the past, people would go to Mong Kok’s “Sneaker Street” and pick the
best buy for a pair of sneakers. However, consumers are now likely to first google a product or even ask a question in a forum or on Facebook, hoping to find a better choice or price well before reaching out physically.
Omni-channel distribution is a growing e-commerce trend in Hong Kong; you see retail stores go online and online shops open physical stores. This trend reflects changing consumer shopping behavior – people look for convenience and better prices on the one hand and would like to see and touch the physical products on the other.
I believe that Hong Kong can become an e-commerce hub by leveraging its strengths in terms of geographical location, technology
development and high work efficiency.
E-commerce has a low entry barrier; anyone can enter the market with just a computer, and there are many free resources available online. However, what differentiates you is how well you can manage the holistic customer experience – just like the classical quote that goes, “retail is detail.” Those who take care of every detail throughout the shopping process to better serve the customer will win the battle. The fundamental issue is still how well you understand your
customers and your value proposition. Technology is just the tool.
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What element is most important to an entrepreneur?
I remember a quote from one of the professors: ”prepare the best plan you can but also prepare to flow it away.” A business plan gives you an overall direction at the strategic level but implementation involves many dynamics. Being prepared to change is an essential mindset in whatever business you are undertaking. The customer is the one who determines whether your business is successful. Therefore, keeping an open mind and responding to customer feedback is the key
to success. In the past six months, we have made several service changes based on customer feedback, such as accepting cash on delivery, providing a self-pickup service and a bike installation service, WhatsApp communication and, recently, a showroom.
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Different from most Hong Kong parents who send their small children to playgroups, you choose to spend time with them on outdoor activities. What is your overall parenting philosophy?
We don’t have concrete expectations of our kids but of ourselves as parents. We provide the right environment and opportunities to our kids to develop the right values and the skills they will need in pursuing their dreams.
We support our kids’ growth by responding to their needs, providing quality play time and bedtime stories but not by interfering with their decisions. Sometimes, parents want their kids to be right and are keen to correct their mistakes. But that’s not how we learn to walk, right? We believe that guiding them to find the truth is more important than telling them the truth. Therefore, we try to ask more questions than provide answers.
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