Today we’d like to introduce you to Nico Lau.
Hi Nico, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born in Hong Kong and lived my whole life there until I moved here, the United States, three years ago. I studied the film production course at UCLA and was planning on seeking a job in the film industry after the course ended. On Feb 2020, when I was nearly finished with the study, the pandemic had started. The unknown virus turned the whole world upside down and changed my life all of a sudden. I believe most film production projects have stopped. As an unknown disease out there, I did not dare to go out for work either. Then, an idea came to my mind. I might do reselling online like I did in Hong Kong part-time. That sounds safe to stay home working.
I found the online buy and sell platform Mercari and I started putting little stuff on it to try to sell. In the beginning, I tried to sell boho chic or vintage home decor, accessories and clothing, the things that I like and I would collect.
I soon realized what sells the fastest and is the most profitable business on the platform. Then I shift to sell purses. I would go on auctions to merchandise new or gently used designer handbags and resell them.
Right now, my online business NicoBoho specializes in selling authentic designer handbags, shoes, clothing and accessories. With some selected boho chic and vintage decor. Also, I sell handmade crochet products made by my mother.
Unexpectedly, I sold thousands of designer handbags in almost two years. I am sure there is a bit of luck under the pandemic circumstance and such an unstable economy.
It’s delightful to see my customers purchase beautiful handbags they love and at a more affordable price. I feel fascinated over all the adorable handbag inventory so I really enjoy working on my business even though this is seven day works!
When I think what or where I should start, I would think about anything that I was passionate about. So when people asked me what kind of job I am looking for, I wondered whether I should follow most people’s choices of field of study. Or… is it possible to try a different path?
Also, I believe being flexible is always true. When the world changes, things are not as we always thought they were, in this case we should be willing to change our minds in order to be adaptive to the new condition. Facing a challenge is not negative, it’s a way to learn.
Besides, I’ve been drawing ever since I was about three years old and have loved drawing for my whole life. My artist’s name is Geminico. For my life in Hong Kong, as well as here, I enjoy doing occasional illustration or graphic design works when they come up.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I wish I can say yes is the answer. But, no. We live in a real world. Sometimes things happen that aren’t ideal. I interact with many customers everyday. Considering thousands of different characters among even more thousands of people, so no matter how I try to treat every single customer my best, there are still some who would not be satisfied and left faulty reviews. People would say the condition of the used handbags isn’t what they expected. Some might say the color isn’t like in the photos, or the size is smaller than they thought even though the measurement is in the description. And of course, there’s various discontent you can never think of.
All I can do is my best to fix any dissatisfaction. Communication is the key. I am so open to listen customers’ concern and work through the issue. Putting myself in others’ shoes because I don’t like to see any unsatisfied customer purchases.
Also, sometimes I face the unexpected happening. To give an example, one time there’s a customer who made a purchase and she chose the local delivery by Uber on the platform. The Uber driver was supposed to deliver the package around 7pm. Three hours later, the customer told me she still hasn’t received the package yet. That’s completely strange. I finally found out the Uber driver could not find the address and reached the customer on the phone. So he left and returned the package to me. It was 10:30 at night and I rescheduled a new delivery time for the customer right away. So I could say there’s no official off-duty time. Positively I enjoy doing my business, I never feel much tired at all.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about NicoBoho?
My online business NicoBoho specializes in selling authentic designer handbags, clothing, boho chic decor, as well as my mom’s handmade crochet.
When I created the online shop, I just spent a second to name my shop NicoBoho, because I am fond of boho chic style. I would take pictures of my handbags with boho decor. I tend to make my handbag business with boho vibes and to be more identifying. As time goes by, the business seems running well, then I decided to stick with the name NicoBoho.
Frankly, I feel my online shop is like a 24/7 fashion store. People can come and shop at any time they want. This is convenient and safe especially during this chaotic time.
I think some girls might feel concerned about how the handbags actually look on them, so occasionally, I post pictures which I demonstrate carrying purses. I bet this gives a better idea to customers for their purchase decision.
By picturing all angles of handbags and making sure to mention any flaws despite a spot in the lining, I feel that’s always promising to gain customers’ trust and ensure they remain fond of NicoBoho.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
Every time there’s a purchase, I try to make sure the customer gets the best experience. I always assume there’s no one who would buy my things essentially. A handbag is mostly a want rather than a need in our daily life and people can pick other shops. So every purchase of my shop is definitely a great support to my business. That’s why I honor any one of my customers. I packed every package with care and a lovely touch. I want my customers to receive the goods looking like a gift. I believe they can feel my love and respect for them. A successful business would never be without return customers and so the service I offer would keep customers coming back to shop again.
Sometimes customers told me the wrapping of their package making their day and making them smile, that really means a lot to me. I was impressed by a recent review left by a customer saying “could not be happier and 11/10 seller”. I think this perfectly explains why I love my business.
I am not sure how far my business can go. I just feel pleasant and grateful that I found the thing I love and can do it perpetually.
Contact Info:
- Email: geminico.art@gmail.com
- Website: https://www.mercari.com/u/477444523/?tracking_ref_id=m49980584516
- Instagram: @nicobohola
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/geminico.art/
