It is not unusual to start a business in a garage, bedroom or home office. It is much more difficult to successfully seed a startup while on the go.
Lansil Global Alan Coughlan, founder and CEO of the company, built his multimillion-dollar end-to-end service supply chain business using a backpack. A digital nomad is a person that travels and works remotely via technology and internet.
Coughlan’s quest to start and run his entrepreneurial venture began during a visit to China when he was 27 years old. In 2014, Coughlan was living in China and teaching English as a profession while learning Chinese side-by-side.
The tasks at first seemed simple. Coughlan already had everything he needed to keep track of business records and communicate with others on his mobile phone and laptop. He thought so. He traveled Asia by bus, carrying a backpack with him and sleeping in cheap accommodations.
He quickly learned that there were hidden challenges beyond the knapsack. A major challenge was the absence of visas for digital nomads, which were first introduced in 2019. Another major obstacle was the handling of product purchases and connections to supply chains.
Foreigners face many challenges when setting up business in a foreign country. Coughlan’s learning experience taught him that if you are not a citizen or permanent resident of a country, then your rights may be limited.
Foreigners are required to spend more time on things such as registering a business, opening corporate accounts, and getting licenses.
Startup Lessons
Coughlan visited Shanghai’s bicycle plant while in China. He bought some to sell in Ireland. He checked the quality when he collected his order and found that 38 of 50 bikes were damaged.
He tried to sell them online after having them repaired or made. DoneDeal A marketplace in Ireland. They didn’t sell. He brought the sample bike to two bicycle shops in Ireland. The first shop automatically rejected him, but the second purchased the entire order and made him a small gain.
It was then that he realised the importance of a third party to act as a link between the sourcing of quality goods and their delivery to their final destination for resale.
Coughlan opened Lansil Global in Hong Kong a year later, in 2015. He took two years to establish his own office. Lansil Global began with him working from various locations in China including a studio before he set up a city office.
Coughlan moved to the U.K. later to run the business remotely. He hired a team of reliable people to run the company from China while he supervised their operations from afar. As he expanded, he continued to use this strategy. Shenzhen is still the main headquarters of his company.
It has gone through multiple expansions and now boasts a 45,000 sq. “It has undergone multiple expansions to have a 45,000 sq.
Global Growth through Remote Operations
Coughlan didn’t stop there. Coughlan did not stop there.
He added that “this venture has paved a way for growth in the States as we began offering sourcing services and fulfillment to U.S. customers.”
The company will expand even more in 2023. The owner built a brand new fulfillment center in Pennsylvania measuring 32,000 sq. In Pennsylvania, the owner constructed a 32,000 sq.
Coughlan set up a dedicated marketing division and opened an office in Dubai in order to expand their operations in the Middle East.
Managing Remote Global Teams
Coughlan’s business success was largely due to his ability to manage global locations at a distance. Lansil Global has now opened offices in Shenzhen, China, Nevada and Pennsylvania, U.S.A. and Dubai, UAE.
He is currently based in Dubai. He hired managers with experience who could take ownership of their work, and make independent decisions.
“We established a clear process with guidelines and a supporting structure,” he said. Every quarter, I make a trip to all our locations. “These visits help me to build rapport with my team, address their needs, and align our objectives across different regions,” said he about his strategy.
During these visits, he organises company outings so that the team can relax together and form bonds outside of work.
China Sourcing to E-Commerce success
Coughlan’s experience in buying bicycles locally and selling them back to Ireland led him to start his own business. He decided to take a shot at product sourcing.
He continues to focus on China as his only source of sourcing, despite traveling the world. From the very beginning, his main focus was on China-based manufacturing and sourcing.
He said that “we help ecommerce brands source high-quality products at competitive prices, from reliable Chinese suppliers.” He also noted that he provides local fulfillment in America and global fulfillment out of China.
He added, “We help online businesses to sell more on Amazon by providing Fulfillment by Amazon prep services via our prep centers located in China and the U.S.
Coughlan, however, focuses all of his efforts on China. He understands that China’s cheap labor and trade lanes can help other countries compete.
He explained, “It appears that China still leads the manufacturing charge.”
Backpack Business Tips for Entrepreneurs
Coughlan says that starting a backpack business has never been simpler for newcomers. He suggests making a checklist of issues your remote business could face.
The challenges you face can be very different depending on what type of business it is. “Once an online business reaches a certain size, the next step should be to set up a physical location,” he said.
It is important to establish a dedicated location when the company has grown large enough to need its own marketing and local customer service department. The rest can remain in a remote location.
This allows the team members to get together, talk about strategies and build bonds. This local presence helps build a strong company culture and improves productivity.
Coughlan explained that “it’s also easier to hold virtual meetings remotely with all team members because they are in the same time zone.”
Digital Nomad Visas Support Remote Work
A digital visa (also known as a freelancing visa) allows someone to work remotely in another country while staying longer than tourists visa holders. Coughlan, who is constantly on the move, does not require a digital nomad visa.
He said that these visas were becoming more popular among countries looking to attract entrepreneurs and remote workers. Digital nomad visas have become very important for the digital age.
Entrepreneurs no longer see the desire to be able to work anywhere as a necessity, but rather a dream. Digital nomad visas are becoming more relevant due to recent technological advances and remote work.
More than 60 countries, territories and cities will issue digital nomad visas by November 2024.