Many college students do an internship, but very few come out of it with their own business. A group of Taipei undergrads was so inspired by their internship at an e-commerce company that they built an e-commerce company of their own. Their store, which specializes in one-of-a-kind jewelry, will go live in mid-May in Taiwan and several Southeast Asian markets. Formosa News reporter Stephany Yang hears how they built their business from the ground up.

　　This student holds up a pair of earrings, as she explains the best outfits to wear with them. She is one of four enterprising undergrads who decided to turn their love for fashion into a business.

Lee Ting-hsuan
Student
　　We had the idea to start our own business last December. The age of our customer base is mainly 18-25 years old, because we are about 22 years old. For now, we will sell earrings. Later on, we might add necklaces, bracelets, and even simple outfits that can match well with these earrings.

　　These students are gearing up to launch an online jewelry shop. They created the business using skills learned at an internship arranged by their school, the Taipei City University of Science & Technology. Over the past three years, they interned at an e-commerce company, learning about product listings, copy writing, and customer management. Tseng Yun-chi Student There are a lot of small details we need to pay attention to. For example, the price of the product. We also have to take in consideration the regulations set by the distributors. The students also spent six months conducting market research at jewelry stores in Shilin, Zhongshan, and Datong districts. They think they''ve identified a growing market demand for unique handmade accessories. They''ll start their business by selling earrings designed by two Malaysian students in Taiwan. Later, they want their website to offer personal styling tips and jewelry workshops. The business launches in the middle of May in Taiwan, as well as Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Tseng Chih-jen University professor These students learned some theories at school. They also had assistance from corporations. It was through corporate channels that they have the opportunity to engage in e-commerce and sell to countries like Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. Amid the coronavirus, e-commerce platforms are faring better than their brick-and-mortar counterparts. There are 35 large e-commerce companies in Taiwan, and many are looking for hiring interdisciplinary talent. A leading e-commerce company in Taiwan has recently announced 300 job openings. Taipei City University of Science & Technology hopes to train more talent to succeed in this thriving industry.

Cited from: https://youtu.be/JInmLW-Zrao